Here’s What Happened Around The World In January 2025
Here’s What Happened Around The World In January 2025.
1. Syria’s rebel leader was named as the transitional president and pledged to rebuild the country
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian rebel leader who led the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime in December, has been named the president of the country's transitional government.
On Jan. 30, in his first speech after being appointed as the president, Sharaa pledged that he will build a transitional government that reflects the diversity of the country and work on building institutions until free and fair elections can be held.
He said that the transitional phase is a part of a political process that requires participation of all Syrians, both at home and abroad, so they can build their future in freedom and dignity and without exclusion or marginalization.
Sharaa said that the transitional government's priorities will be to achieve civil peace and ensuring criminals under the Assad regime are brought to justice; unify the Syrian lands; building strong institutions; and establishing the foundations of a strong economy to restore Syria's regional and international standing, provide job opportunities, improves living conditions and restores basic services that were lost.
2. After Trump said he’ll rename the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico’s president had the best comeback
A day after Trump’s comment of renaming the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum used the first minutes of her morning press conference on Wednesday Jan. 8 to give a short history lesson.
She displayed a map of the world from 1607, 169 years before the US was founded, where the gulf, which curves around the southeastern edge of North America, touching the coastlines of the US, Mexico and Cuba is labeled the Gulf of Mexico and North America is labeled Mexican America.
“Why don’t we call it ‘Mexican America’? It sounds nice, doesn’t it?” she said.
Sheinbaum also added the name “the Gulf of Mexico” is recognized internationally.
3. Iraq effectively legalized child marriage, lowering the legal age from 18 to just 9
In 1959, Iraq became one of the first countries in the Middle East to set 18 as the minimum age for marriage.
However, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, Iraq's parliament passed a new law that gives Islamic courts more power over family matters like marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Critics argue that the new law could effectively allow girls as young as nine years old to get married under Shia Islamic law, as it is allowed under certain interpretations.
According to the UN, 28% of Iraqi girls already get married before 18 due to a loophole that allowed religious leaders to conduct marriages for girls as young as 15 if the girl’s father consented.
Women's rights groups have condemned the new law, with many activists saying that it will "legalize child rape".
4. Hundreds of same-sex couples got married in Thailand after same-sex marriage was legalized
The Thai parliament overwhelmingly passed the Marriage Equality Bill in June 2024, and the country’s king approved it in September 2024.
The new law changed the definition of marriage to one between two individuals, instead of between a man and a woman.
It also grants LGBTQ couples the same rights as heterosexual couples including being able to adopt children, inherit property and consent to medical treatment for their partner.
At least 200 couples registered their marriages at a daylong celebration in a central Bangkok shopping mall, according to Reuters.
5. Romania joined the Schengen area and a Hungarian dog was the first to cross over while everyone clapped
On Jan. 1, Romania and Bulgaria officially became full members of the Schengen Area, a group of 29 European countries without border checks where people can travel between as if they are in one country.
The two countries celebrated their full memberships with fireworks near the Bulgarian town of Ruse at midnight.
But the highlight of the celebration was a Hungarian dog who became the first to cross the border into Romania at midnight, greeted by cheers and applause from the crowd.
A video of the moment has gained more than six million views on X in less than 24 hours, with many people calling the dog "a good boy."
6. Chinese people welcomed American “TikTok Refugees” to RedNote
As a possible TikTok ban loomed in the US, many Americans began looking for alternatives to TikTok.
In protest, they decided to turn to their "Chinese spy friend", social media app Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote.
This "reverse Great Firewall" movement vaulted RedNote, the Chinese version of Instagram, to #1 on the US App Store, with more than three million downloads in the US alone.
7. Serbian students holding huge protests against government corruption forced the prime minister to resign
The student-led demonstrations started after the roof of a railway station collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 15 people, aged between six and 74.
Protesters said the accident had happened due to sloppy renovation work by a Chinese company as a result of government corruption.
They demanded accountability and called on top leaders, including President Aleksandar Vučić and Novi Sad’s mayor, to resign.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, after nearly three months, Serbia’s prime minister Miloš Vučević announced he and Novi Sad's mayor would resign “to defuse tensions”.
8. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau announced he is resigning after nine years
In 2015, the Liberal Party won the election under Justin Trudeau's leadership and he became prime minister of Canada for the first time.
Many called him a progressive leader as he promised “sunny ways” and supported causes like climate action and gender equality, making him one of the most popular global leaders.
However, his popularity declined over the years due to several political controversies, including accusations of racism, criticism over how he handled issues like the rising cost of living and growing discontent within his own party.
While speaking at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 6, Trudeau said he plans to step down as leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister once his party selects a new leader.
9. A huge magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Tibet, killing at least 126 people
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet near its border with Nepal, killing at least 126 people and injuring at least 188, with people across neighboring Nepal, Bhutan and India also feeling tremors.
At least 40 aftershocks followed the quake in just an hour, with the strongest measuring 4.9 in magnitude.
The quake’s epicenter was in Tingri County, a rural area on the Tibetan plateau near the Nepal border, where the tremors damaged more than 1,000 houses, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
The Chinese government also deployed as many as 1,500 rescue workers to search through rubble to find survivors, many of whom were trapped under collapsed buildings.
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