Africa Cameroon In an unprecedented disruption to academic calendar, the Ministry ordered the immediate rescheduling of all remaining papers for the ongoing 2026 examination session after a severe security breach compromised confidential materials across digital networks
Europe Liechtenstein In view of the Principality elections of 9 February, the Liechtenstein Institute is launching the "Elections 2025" series of events this January 2025 to cover what it call 'election year' for the number of countries choosing their representatives
Africa Sudan 28 trucks of food and medical supplies have reached Jebel Awliya, facing starvation since area access was cut off; it’s the first since the beginning of the civil war in 2023, a result of negotiations between UN and local associations with warring parties
Europe Germany The state music councils in Germany choose an instrument of the year every year, and in 2025 it is the human voice: from singing to speaking, from whispering to shouting, these sounds can also be used musically and creativity can be expressed through them
Asia China Sales of electric vehicles in China are set to overtake those of conventional cars for the first time in 2025, with sales of electric vehicles expected to rise 20% this year to over 12 million units, more than double the 5,9 million of 2022
Europe Romania In connection to full accession to the Schengen area, Romania will close over 30 checkpoints on its borders with Hungary and Bulgaria following last vote of EU Justice and Home Affairs Council that ruled the abolition of land controls as of 1 January 2025
Africa Zambia Mining operations at the Kagem emerald mine will be suspended from today 1 January 2025 due to the disrupted dynamics in the emerald market, which have been triggered by an oversupply of Zambian emeralds at discounted prices during the latter half of 2024
Oceania Kiribati Like every year, Kiribati has been the first country to celebrate New Year's Eve; neighbouring island of Baker, separated by a stretch of sea of just 1179 km, will be the last
Africa Cape Verde The government said it had revoked the concession to Hong Kong-listed casino services company Macau Legend Development Ltd to develop and operate a casino
Africa Sierra Leone Despite suboptimal weather conditions in several areas, aggregate 2024 cereal production is forecast at 1,6 million tonnes, about 14% average of previous five years; the prospects reflect the impact of government support under the Feed Salone Strategy
America Saint Kitts and Nevis Six cruise ships docked simultaneously on 26 December bringing a total of 11.334 passengers to the island that was bustling with activity as it welcomed one of the largest influxes of visitors in its history
Africa Senegal PM Sonko said the government would submit legislation to repeal a law by former president Sall that granted amnesty for deadly political violence just before March 2024 elections, a mean to calm protests sparked by his last-minute vote postponement
Africa South Africa At the end of the first month of the G20 presidency, SA said it will leverage the opportunity of being the first African country to hold the role to "highlight the barriers to AI of developing countries, including unequal access to digital infrastructure"
Asia Myanmar The collapse of public health infrastructure has left communities to address widespread trauma independently; Kawthoolei Care Hospital in Kayin is training community health workers to provide mental health support amid ongoing conflict and displacement