Noah Anthony Enahoro

Five years after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, experts worry the world has still not learnt its lessons, saying it is a question of when - not if - a deadly, new "Disease X" strikes.

Scientific shorthand for an unknown or hypothetical pathogen, Disease X could cause an international epidemic or pandemic that again sweeps the world - and health experts are united in believing one will come.

Last year was the hottest on record. It was also one of the wettest.

Water-related disasters - including floods, droughts and storms - killed more than 8,700 people, forced some 40 million from their homes and cost the global economy more than $550 billion, according to the 2024 Global Water Monitor report.

The Pacific states of Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa want to class ecocide - large-scale environmental destruction - as a crime that could be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) alongside offences such as war crimes and genocide.

Suffering some of the worst effects of climate change, the island nations submitted a proposal to the ICC in September to recognise ecocide, which could allow for the prosecution of heads of state or bosses of large polluting companies.

After more than 200 people were killed in flash floods in eastern Spain, angry residents threw mud at the visiting king and hundreds of people took to the streets to protest poor preparation and warnings that came too late for many.

Artificial intelligence and other tech advances have made weather forecasting more accurate, but experts say effective communication of warnings is still not adequate, especially as life-threatening floods and storms become more common because of the climate emergency.

Andrei, a gay 20-year-old law student, hopes this month's referendum to enshrine Moldova's European ambitions in the constitution will enable the ex-Soviet republic to "finally move into the 21st century" when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.

"Everyone around me talks about the economic benefits of joining (the European Union), but honestly, I'm more excited about what could happen socially to Moldova if the 'yes' vote is successful," said Andrei, who asked that only his first name be used because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), when harmful micro-organisms become resistant to medicines, could become the next potential global health crisis, with experts predicting it could lead to 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050.

Hydrogen energy is often touted as a potential green alternative to fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, as it produces water vapour and heat instead of greenhouse gases.

Countries around the world are investing heavily in hydrogen. China, for example, seeks to have 50,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road by 2025, while the European Union aims to produce 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen by 2030.   

A kidnapping crisis in northern Nigeria is costing girls an education as parents choose safety over school a decade since the mass abduction of 276 female students in the town of Chibok caused global outrage.

Jihadist group Boko Haram carried out the 2014 Chibok raid, but since then hundreds of children have been seized by criminal gangs using the same tactic of mass school kidnappings to seek ransom payments from parents.