* South Korea's Acting President and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, had no plan to accept the resignation offers from senior presidential secretaries, Choi's office said Wednesday.
*Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on Wednesday vowed to revitalize the country that was facing serious population declines in a New Year's message.
* The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, its top leader Kim Jong Un said in a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
* Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced 2025 as the year of environmental protection and green economy for the country, according to the president's press service upon the arrival of the New Year.
* United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday pledged to rebuild Britain as his government seeks to turn the tide after a challenging first six months in power.
* Romania and Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area on Wednesday, eliminating border checks with neighboring Hungary and between the two countries.
* U.S. states have taken steps to pass their own gun regulations to effect on Jan. 1, as related violence kept on ravaging the nation with nearly 500 mass shootings occurring in 2024, reported USA Today on Tuesday.
* Russian energy giant Gazprom said Wednesday that it has stopped gas supply for transit through Ukraine due to expiration of key agreements and the lack of renewal by the Ukrainian side.
* Ukraine on Wednesday stopped the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe following the expiration of a five-year transportation agreement, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said.
* Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Tuesday that the country's economy grew by 4.0 percent in 2024, "exceeding expectations."
* Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called for united efforts to turn 2025 into a year free from hunger, poverty, conflict, terrorism, crime, sectarianism, and social inequality.
* Indonesia on Wednesday started to impose a 12 percent value-added tax (VAT) on luxury goods and services, a 1 percent hike. This has reassured the public, who were previously worried that the increase would also apply to basic necessities.
* Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev delivered his New Year address to the nation on Tuesday, celebrating the country's achievements in 2024 and reaffirming the government's commitment to peace and progress.
* Lithuanian Agriculture Minister Ignas Hofmanas has said Lithuania would not support the ratification of the free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, according to local media reports.
* Strict police arrangements were made in almost all the major cities in India in a bid to check the New Year revelers' behavior on the roads after partying in hotels, pubs, and bars on Tuesday night.
* Social media platform and messaging app providers operating in Malaysia have begun receiving licenses after a new law mandating regulation of such services has taken effect, Malaysia's multimedia regulator said on Wednesday.
* The world's 500 richest people got vastly richer in 2024, with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang leading the group of billionaires to a new milestone: a combined 10 trillion USD net worth, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.
* Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday inaugurated the "Clean Sri Lanka" national program, which aims to create a morally and environmentally sustainable nation.
* The new African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia on Wednesday announced its commitment to the country's stabilization efforts in 2025 and post-conflict recovery as it began operations the same day.
* The Tunisian government on Monday issued a decree to extend the state of emergency (SoE) imposed across the country for another month.
* Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has announced the definitive withdrawal of French troops from the Central African country on Jan. 31.
* Kenyan President William Ruto said Tuesday that reforms initiated by his government are expected to result in stronger economic performance, increased job opportunities for the youth and higher incomes for farmers and entrepreneurs.
* A new round of talks between Tehran and the E3 group of France, Britain and Germany will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 13, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Iranian diplomat.
* Tens of thousands of people gathered Wednesday in Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city, to denounce the ongoing oppression in Gaza and express their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
* Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have pushed the region's healthcare system to "the brink of total collapse", causing "catastrophic effect" on Palestinians' access to health and medical care, said a report released on Tuesday by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
* Yemen's Houthi group said it shot down a U.S.-made MQ-9 drone over central Yemen on Wednesday, making it the second MQ-9 drone the group downed within 72 hours.
* The Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army said on Wednesday that the border guard forces killed several smugglers as they attempted to cross from Syria into the kingdom.
* The world population increased by more than 71 million people in 2024 and will be 8.09 billion on New Year's Day, according to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates released on Monday.
* About 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected to be made in China during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, according to a national teleconference on Tuesday. The figure is forecast to rise by 7 percent from the last Spring Festival peak travel season, and is likely to hit a record high.
* A new tourist tax has come into effect across Russia on Wednesday, replacing the previous resort fee, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday.
* South Korea's export revenue hit a record high last year thanks to strong demand for locally-made semiconductors and other tech products, government data showed Wednesday.
* Economic growth in the Arab region is expected to reach 2.5 percent in 2024, according to a report released Tuesday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The report noted that growth is expected to accelerate in 2025, reaching 3.9 percent.
* The Consumer Price Index (CPI) of Pakistan in December 2024 declined to 4.1 percent every year, signaling ongoing stabilization in prices, according to official data released on Wednesday.
* At least ten people died and 30 others were injured after a car plowed into New Year's Eve revelers in New Orleans, in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, authorities said on Wednesday.
