On January 1, 2026, Bulgaria marks one year since becoming a full member of the Schengen Area. On December 12, 2024, the Council of the European Union decided to lift checks at the land Schengen borders of Bulgaria and Romania. Bulgaria and Romania had waited to accede Schengen since 2010, when the»»»

In his year-end interview on M1 television, Prime Minister Orbán delivered a sobering message: Europe has chosen war, and Hungary must now decide whether to join or remain on its own path. “To stay out or not to stay out—this was the question in 2025,” he declared, saying that next year’s parliamen»»»

London: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes his side are starting to see the benefits of their hard work as the Gunners head into 2026 at the top of the Premier League. Tuesday’s emphatic 4-1 win at home to title rivals Aston Villa left Arsenal five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, »»»

Madrid: Real Madrid yesterday said that Kylian Mbappe (pictured) had suffered a knee sprain, delivering a blow to their bid to reel in Liga leaders Barcelona. “After the tests carried out today on our player Kylian Mbappe by Real Madrid’s medical services, he was diagnosed with a sprain in his left»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has officially announced its comprehensive calendar of sports events and competitions for 2026. The calendar features 83 championships, including 39 international events, 16 world championships, 10 Asian tournaments, three GCC competitions, one Arab ch»»»

Casablanca: Sudan must face 2022 champions Senegal in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 to Burkina Faso in their final group game yesterday, while Algeria beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1 at the same time. Lassina Traore’s early strike put Burkina Faso ahead at the Mohammed V Stad»»»

Doha, Qatar: The prestigious H H the Father Amir Equestrian Prix 2026 will open the 2026 Doha Equestrian Tour, featuring wide international participation and a total prize pool exceeding €3.3m. The Organizing Committee of the 2026 Doha Equestrian Tour has announced its readiness for the inaugural H»»»

The second-highest annual number of migrants arrived on UK shores in small boats since records were started in 2018, the government was to confirm Thursday. The tally comes as Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage's anti-immigration party Reform UK surges in popularity ahead of bellwether local elections i»»»

Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the Kherson Region, with preliminary data showing 24 people killed and over 50 injured, Governor Vladimir Saldo said on Thursday. "Tonight, the enemy carried out a targeted drone strike on a place where civilians were celebrating New Year. Three drones hit a »»»

Dubai: The United Nations begins 2026 with a regular budget of $3.45 billion as the Organisation confronts strained finances and prepares to shrink its workforce by 19 per cent. The General Assembly approved the spending plan after weeks of negotiations, signing off on an amount that slightly excee»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs H E Ghanem bin Shaheen Al-Ghanem together with Ministry’s Undersecretary Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Thani and a number of Ministry officials held a meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters with the supervisors of the smart fatwa platform Fatwa»»»

Paris, France: France will make a fresh attempt to protect children from excessive screen time, proposing a ban on social media access for children under 15 by next September, according to a draft law seen by AFP. The initiative is backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said earlier this month th»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sheikh Talal Nasser Al-Thani-owned Jalila Alghania, ridden by Gavin Matt Ryan, delivered a commanding performance to secure the End Of Year Cup at Al Uqda Racecourse yesterday. The four-year-old filly remained steady throughout the 1300m Local Purebred Arabian Graduation feature before»»»

From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach. As the clock struck midnight in Japan, temple bells rang and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunr»»»

Dubai: An Emirates Airbus A380 flying from London to Dubai made a precautionary return to Heathrow shortly after take-off on New Year’s Eve due to a technical issue, the airline confirmed. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Emirates flight EK002, operating from London Hea»»»

Sydney, Australia: New Year’s Eve revellers toasted the end of 2025 yesterday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a Gaza truce and vain hopes for peace in Ukraine. It was one of the warmest years on record, the stifling heat stoking wildfires in Europe, droughts in Africa and de»»»

As of January 1, 2026, the minimum monthly wage will be EUR 620.20 (BGN 1,213). This is a 12.6% increase compared with last year, when it was BGN 1,077. The increase was set by a decree of the Council of Ministers. The minimum hourly wage will reach EUR 3.74 (BGN 7.31), according to the same govern»»»

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The US military said on Wednesday that it had carried out strikes on three alleged drug-smuggling boats in international waters, killing three people. The latest operation is part of a wider campaign that has drawn criticism from legal experts and rights groups. The US military announced on Wednesd»»»

North Korea’s leader has sent a congratulatory message to officers and soldiers of overseas operations units on the occasion of the New Year, per KCNA. Kim Jong-un commended North Korea’s “proud sons, fighting bravely on the battlefields in the alien lands.” He expressed the certainty that the year»»»

Doha, Qatar: As the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 concluded, Vodafone Qatar successfully delivered on its role as the Official Technology Sponsor, supporting the tournament with connectivity solutions that enabled seamless fan experiences and smooth tournament operations. Vodafone Qatar’s advanced netwo»»»

Lagos, Nigeria: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital, state officials said Wednesday, after surviving a car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends. Joshua was travelling on Monday with friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele on a b»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai softened on January 1, easing from last week’s record highs as global markets closed out a volatile but historic year for precious metals. As of Thursday morning 9:15 am, 24-karat gold was priced at Dh520.25 per gram, while 22-karat stood at Dh481.75, offering some relie»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) provided over $667m in aid through 2025 for more than 45 countries, culminating in a year abounding with forged partnerships and achieving a concrete breakthrough in lending impetus to the agenda of development and humanitarian work on the global stage»»»

Lagos: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital, state officials said Wednesday, after surviving a car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends. Joshua was travelling on Monday with friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele on a busy highw»»»

Former US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn told RIA Novosti that he considers Washington's peace plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine as a "good." “I do believe that there is a good peace plan on the table,” Flynn said in the interview. At the same time, according to Flynn, the situati»»»

Doha: The 17th edition of the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) will commence today, January 1, 2026. Held under the patronage of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the festival will take place at the Marmi Sabkha in Sealine and will continue until January 24, 2026. T»»»

New York: Zohran Mamdani, the young upstart of the US left, was sworn in early Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a four-year term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. Also In This Package From 1-BHK to $100m mansion: Mamdani explains decision 'Mamdani is Indian': Mehd»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said a peace agreement to end the war with Russia is "90% ready", in a New Year address that largely focused on resistance to Moscow's full-scale invasion. Zelensky said the remaining 10% of the agreement to end nearly four years of conflict would "determi»»»

Doha, Qatar: In a continuous push to strengthen community engagement and enhance national security, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has spotlighted the use of the Metrash app as a direct line of communication between residents and the Security Systems Department. In a recent announcement on the Mini»»»

Amid political instability in France, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to work until the "last second" of his term. "I will work until the very last second, striving daily to fulfill the mandate you have entrusted to me," Macron said in his New Year's address to the nation, broadcast on BFMTV»»»

Dubai: Weather conditions across the UAE are expected to stabilise slightly today, with fair to partly cloudy skies prevailing and increased humidity developing overnight and into Friday morning across some coastal and internal areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The NCM h»»»

Sharjah: Families, friends and tourists came together across Sharjah’s waterfronts to welcome 2026 with fireworks, live performances and cultural celebrations, as Al Heera Beach, Al Majaz Waterfront and Khor Fakkan Beach hosted packed New Year’s Eve programmes. Al Heera Beach dazzles visitors with »»»

The United States (US) under President Donald Trump has entered a new and more confrontational phase in its campaign against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This includes what appears to be the first American strike on Venezuelan soil, a move that marks a significant escalati»»»

Serbia has secured a temporary exemption from US sanctions imposed on the nation’s only oil refinery, which is majority-owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Dedovic has announced. The Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) said early in December it was forced to suspe»»»

Throughout 2026 2026's mind-blowing global events: Sports thrills, science breakthroughs, tech revolutions & flying taxis take off UAE: Launch of air taxi service following regulatory approval and completion of "vertiports". US: America250 Celebrations, a year-long event marking the 250th anniversa»»»

2026 has been designated as the UAE’s Year of the Family — a clear invitation to pause in our busy lives and rediscover what it means to truly see, listen, and connect with those closest to us. In a world overflowing with distractions — where devices constantly compete for our attention — we are of»»»

Dubai: Ras Al Khaimah ushered in 2026 with a 15-minute New Year’s Eve spectacle featuring drones and fireworks that set a new Guinness World Records title for the largest aerial display of a phoenix formed by multirotor drones. 2,300 drones form phoenixThe centrepiece of the celebration was a large»»»

In a dramatic escalation of anti-drug operations, US Southern Command (Southcom) announced on December 31, 2025, that forces under Joint Task Force-Southern Spear (JTF-SS) conducted "kinetic strikes" against three narco-trafficking vessels in international waters on December 30. Also Read: A timeli»»»

Dubai: Gold heads into 2026 carrying the weight of an exceptional year. Gold remained on track for its strongest annual gain in over four decades, while other precious metals fell sharply as investors booked profits after a strong, record-setting rally. Gold has gained around 70% this year and silv»»»

Happy New Year to all of our readers, viewers, customers and followers. We're full of excitement as we move into 2026 on the back of an epic evening across the UAE. No-one does it better than our seven Emirates, right? Spectacular fireworks, complex drone shows, incredible crowds, stunning lights..»»»

A worker at Walt Disney World is "recovering" after being injured by a 400-lb (180kg) runaway fake boulder prop in an incident that was caught on video, the Florida theme park confirmed. The incident took place at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! during a live recreation of a famous scene »»»

Revellers around the world toasted the start of 2026, bidding farewell on Wednesday to a volatile year when temperatures soared, US President Donald Trump upended global trade, and the brutal conflict in Ukraine raged on. While a fragile truce took hold in devastated Gaza, violence in Sudan continu»»»

PARIS: Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney were granted French citizenship because “they contribute, through their distinguished actions, to France’s international influence and cultural outreach,” the French government said Wednesday, defending their naturalisation that was questioned b»»»

British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital in Nigeria days after a fatal car accident that killed two of his close friends. The former world champion was deemed fit to recuperate at home, the Ogun and Lagos states said in a joint statement, describing him as "heavy h»»»

The United States announced sanctions on four companies Wednesday over their operations in Venezuela's oil sector, in the latest effort to put pressure on the nation's President Nicolas Maduro. The US Treasury Department also identified four related oil tankers as blocked property. Also In This Pac»»»

Dubai: Dubai is ending 2025 with record numbers on the board and a noticeably different mood among buyers. After a year of momentum-led decisions, the property market is heading into 2026 with a sharper focus on long-term usability. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Sale»»»

The National Guard will be withdrawn from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., amid legal challenges to their use and a Supreme Court ruling against the Chicago deployment, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The National Guard wil»»»

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria ranking members Ivaylo Mirchev hopes for 2026 to be the year when full euro integration and civic awakening change the country for the better. "Let 2026 be the year in which our full euro integration and civic awakening will change our country for the bette»»»

US President Donald Trump has stepped back from plans to deploy National Guard troops in several large, Democrat-led US cities, he announced on Wednesday. The decision underscores the legal and political limits he has faced in using the military to support his tough-on-crime agenda during his secon»»»