Byblos (Lebanon) (AFP) – Lebanese in the city of Byblos, north of Beirut, welcome the new year, saying they are “hopeful” it will be better than 2024 which was marked by war with Israel, with a 60-day ceasefire agreement reached on November 27.
London (AFP) – Thousands of people line the banks of the Thames River to watch the 2025 New Year fireworks as they light up the sky around the London Eye.
Pyongyang (AFP) – People in North Korea’s Pyongyang celebrate the 2025 New Year with a firework display and dance performances on Kim Il Sung Square. IMAGES
Seoul (AFP) – Hundreds of supporters of South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, gather near the presidential residence in the capital Seoul after a court issues an arrest warrant for Yoon over his short-lived bid to impose martial law in the country.
Berlin (AFP) – In his traditional New Year’s address, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the next federal elections “will not be decided by the owners of social media channels”. His statement comes after Elon Musk, a key supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, posted on his social media platform X this month that “only the AfD [German far-right movement, ed.] can save Germany”.
Firebaugh (United States) (AFP) – In California’s central valley, vegetable, nut and dairy farmers aren’t sure how US President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans will impact their operations. While some dairy farmers don’t believe mass expulsions will happen at all, other fruit and nut farmers fear that if they do, it could be especially hard on their industry, since many harvests rely on hand picking by documented and undocumented migrant workers.
Geneva (AFP) – A United Nations report published on December 31 found that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in the Gaza Strip had left healthcare in the Palestinian territory “to the brink of total collapse”, warns Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Hpa-an (Myanmar) (AFP) – Myanmar’s ethnic Karen people celebrate the traditional new year, which falls on December 30 in 2024. People in Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State, hold a traditional ceremony in which they dance, sing and pray for a good harvest in the coming year.
Washington (AFP) – Outside the White House, Americans reflect on Jimmy Carter’s legacy following the death of the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Milan (Italy) (AFP) – “In my opinion the new law is excessive,” says Morgan Ishak, visiting Milan days before a new ban on outdoor smoking comes into force. On January 1, 2025, the measure will ban the use of cigarettes in all public outdoor areas, including city streets, bars and cafes, unless it is possible to keep a distance of at least 10 metres between people, with a fine of up to 240 euros for anyone caught in breach of the rule.
Muan (South Korea) (AFP) – “It’s heartbreaking, unexpected things happened,” the sister of a passenger killed in South Korea’s deadliest plane crash tells AFP from Muan International Airport, a day after the Jeju Air plane carrying her brother crashed on arrival, killing 179 people.
Baku (AFP) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev demands that Russia admit that it fired at an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet before it crashed, accusing Moscow of initially trying to cover up the cause of the fatal disaster. His comments come four days after the AZAL Embraer 190 plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, with Azerbaijani officials suggesting the aircraft was hit by Russian air-defences.
