President Donald Trump waves to the media while playing golf at Turnberry Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland in July. Trump has terminated the leases at the three public golf courses in Washington, D.C. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo Jan. 1 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump ended the le»»»

New York: Somalia officially assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council on Thursday, leading the Council's work during this January. The Somali National News Agency (SONNA) reported that the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that assuming the presidency of the Security Council represen»»»

Greece’s judicial calendar for 2026 features a series of high-profile trials with major social and political implications, led by the long-awaited proceedings over the 2023 rail disaster at Tempe that claimed 57 lives. The main trial over the crash in central Greece is set to begin on March 23, mor»»»

A body found in San Antonio, Texas, is that of missing woman Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19. Her death was ruled a suicide. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jan. 1 (UPI) -- A body found in San Antonio, Texas, is that of missing woman Camila Mendoza Olmos who disappeared on the morning of Chr»»»

Damascus: Israeli forces fired live ammunition on Thursday towards a group of Syrians near the town of Al Rafid in the western countryside of Quneitra province, according to Syria's state news agency. SANA reported that Israeli troops opened fire on civilians who were on their farmland close to the»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) has signed a financing agreement with the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) to support the 17th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi) 2026. The festival is held from January 1 to 24, 2026, at Sabkhat Mar»»»

Tunis, Jan. 1 (TAP) - The Tunis Stock Exchange (TSE) closed 2025 with an exceptional performance, marked by a historic record for its benchmark index, the Tunindex, which surged 35.12% to reach 13,449.95 points, according to the 2025 Stock Market...»»»

1 of 5 | Mayor Zohran Mamdani is sworn into office by New York Attorney General Letitia James (L) as his wife Rama Duwaji (R) holds a Koran during a private ceremony in the Old City Hall subway stop in New York on Thursday. The Uganda-born Mamdani, a 34-year-old former state lawmaker, is now New Yo»»»

The UAE has put in place two federal decree laws dedicated to the Capital Market Authority and regulation across capital markets. This legislative step is part of a wider initiative to update the financial sector’s legal environment. Stability, market efficiency, and competitive edge receive reinfo»»»

Protesters and security forces clashed in three Iranian cities on Thursday, with six people reported killed, the first deaths since the cost-of-living demonstrations broke out. The protests began on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation, and hav»»»

Hundreds of Greek farmers saw in the New Year at their highway protest sites for the first time, spending the night in roadside shelters and celebrating with friends and family, even as temperatures dropped below 0 Celsius in many parts of the country. While maintaining pressure on the government, »»»

Two people are reported to have been killed during growing unrest in Iran on the fifth day of protests over the soaring cost of living. Both the semi-official Fars news agency and human rights group, Hengaw, said people had died during clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of L»»»

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's main stock index closed higher on Thursday, supported by gains across most sectors, according to official market data. The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) rose by 58.39 points, or about 0.6%, to finish at 10,549.08. Trading turnover reached SAR 1.5 billion ($400m), with around»»»

President Putin has received a phone briefing from Governor Vladimir Saldo on the situation following the Ukrainian army’s terrorist attack and on the progress of the investigation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. With the course of the investigation and identification of the bodies of the vi»»»

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call today with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, during which they discussed fraternal relations and ways to strengthen cooperation for the benefit of both countries and their peoples. The two lea»»»

Dubai: Zohran Mamdani chose three Qurans — two family heirlooms and a centuries-old manuscript — to mark his swearing-in as New York City’s mayor, turning the oath into a moment layered with faith, history and identity. During a private midnight ceremony at a decommissioned subway station beneath C»»»

The foundation stone was laid in Riyadh Thursday for the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) “Hexagon” Data Center, the world’s largest government data center by megawatt capacity. Classified as Tier IV and holding the highest data center rating by the global Uptime Institute, »»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed the latest regional and international developments with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This came during a telephone call HH the Amir made on Thursday with»»»

About 40 people were killed and another 115 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire ripped through a bar’s New Year celebration in a Swiss Alpine resort less than two hours after midnight Thursday, police said. Authorities did not immediately have an exact count of the deceased. The Crans-Mon»»»

Libya said on Thursday that Britain had agreed to analyze the black box from a plane crash in Türkiye on December 23 that killed a Libyan military delegation, including the head of its army. General Mohammed al-Haddad and four aides died after a visit to Ankara, with Turkish officials saying an ele»»»

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov set out what he described as three possible scenarios for Bulgaria in a social media post, the party’s press service said on Thursday. Kostadinov linked the scenarios to the period after the March elections and framed the choice as one between his party and it»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a strike on two alleged drug boats in the SouthComm area, killing 5, the U.S. Southern Command said on X. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jan. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. military has attacked two more alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Southern Command»»»

London: Enzo Maresca left his role as Chelsea head coach on Thursday after just 18 months in charge, the Premier League club announced. The Italian's exit from Stamford Bridge comes with the club fifth in the Premier League table -- 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal -- with one win in their last »»»

Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Yemen began on Thursday handing over military positions to the government’s National Shield forces in the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces in eastern Yemen. Local sources in Hadhramaut confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the handover kicked off after mee»»»

The breakaway region of Somaliland on Thursday denied allegations by the Somali president that it would take resettled Palestinians or host an Israeli military base in exchange for Israel recognizing its independence. Israel last week became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an "independ»»»

Damascus, Jan.1 (SANA) Governor of Central Bank of Syria (CBS), Abdelkader Husrieh , called on economic activities to cooperate in implementing the cash replacement process and ensuring financial accuracy in transactions, in line with commercial customs and ethical values. This applies to all deali»»»

The season’s first heavy rains and snowfall ended a prolonged dry spell but triggered flash floods in several areas of Afghanistan, killing at least 17 people and injuring 11 others, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s national disaster management authority said Thursday. The dead included five members o»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone conversation today with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. During the call, they reviewed the fraternal relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and develop t»»»

Israel on Thursday said 37 humanitarian agencies supplying aid in Gaza had not met a deadline to meet "security and transparency standards", and would be banned from the territory, despite an international outcry. The international NGOs, which had been ordered to disclose detailed information on th»»»

Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran's ailing economy spread Thursday into the country's rural provinces, with at least three people being killed in the first fatalities reported among security forces and protesters, authorities said. The deaths may mark the start of a heavier-handed response by»»»

This story contains details some readers may find upsetting. "I thought my little brother was inside so I came and tried to break the window to help people to exit, and after that I went in." The 18-year-old man, who did not want to give his name, was speaking to the BBC after a huge fire at a New »»»

Tunis, Jan. 1 (TAP) - The Prime Ministry announced during a small Cabinet meeting dedicated to reviewing the draft new investment law Wednesday, the launch of an email address to ensure proper handling of investors’ files. The email is:...»»»

Doha: The Qatar Meteorology Department announced the start of the Al-Shola star period, one of the final seasonal markers of winter, which began to rise on January 2, 2026, and will last for 13 days. In a post shared on its official social media platforms, the department explained that Al-Shola is »»»

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting civilians over the New Year, with Moscow reporting a deadly strike on a hotel in territory it occupies in southern Ukraine while Kyiv said there had been another broad attack on its power supplies. The reports coincide with intensive talks aimed at»»»

There is sheer disbelief on people's faces here, confronted by this tragedy - they just can't believe it. I've been coming to Crans-Montana all my life, and this is a wonderful ski resort that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. There's a lot of building going on all the time. It's a place where »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe 24 people killed in Ukrainian attack on Kherson, Russia: agencies 01-01-2026 16:47 PM Latest News Urgent News 24 people killed in Ukrainian»»»

Tehran: Protesters and security forces clashed in western Iran on Thursday, with three people reported killed, the first deaths since the cost-of-living demonstrations broke out. The protests began on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation, and h»»»

Issued on the first day of 2026, a report by “Israel Hayom” exposes a deepening demographic crisis, challenging core Zionist claims of attraction and permanence. A report published by the Zionist daily Israel Hayom on Thursday acknowledges a growing reverse migration, revealing that tens of thousan»»»

1 of 2 | Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge in the early hours of New Year's Eve, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday. According to the police, several dozen people died in the fire and around 100 people were injured. Photo by Jean-Chr»»»

Doha,Qatar: Lusail City stole the spotlight during Qatar's New Year celebrations on Wednesday evening, as Lusail Boulevard hosted a grand event marking the close of the year. The city's skyline was illuminated by the largest fireworks display in the State of Qatar, officially welcoming the New Year»»»

Occupied Jerusalem: Dozens of settlers stormed the courtyards of Al Aqsa Mosque on Thursday under the protection of the Israeli occupation police. Sources in Jerusalem said that groups of settlers stormed Al Aqsa Mosque in the morning through the Mughrabi Gate, under the protection of the occupatio»»»

Libreville: Gabon's sports minister has announced the banning of veteran players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga, the suspension of the whole national team, and the sacking of the coaching staff following the Panthers' disastrous showing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). An inj»»»

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) transported more than 2.8 million passengers during New Year’s Eve 2026 celebrations, it said on X. That means, it saw ridership growth of over 13 per cent compared to last year’s over 2.5 million riders. The smooth transits were only possible thanks to an»»»

Dubai: Dubai's public transport network experienced unprecedented demand on New Year's Eve 2026, with over 2.8 million passengers using various modes of transport to reach celebration venues across the emirate. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) reported transporting 2,836,859 passengers durin»»»

January opens with unseasonably mild temperatures but unsettled and windy conditions across Bulgaria. On Friday, January 2, atmospheric pressure will continue to fall and stay below the usual levels for this time of year, signalling an active weather pattern. The day will bring plenty of sunshine o»»»

Dubai: Dubai Duty Free has reported a landmark year in 2025, posting annual sales of Dhs8.680 billion ($2.378 billion), a 9.85% rise over 2024, making it the most successful year in the retailer’s 42-year history. The strong performance was driven by ten record-breaking months, with December standi»»»

Dubai: A deadly fire ripped through a crowded New Year party at Le Constellation in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana early Thursday, leaving dozens feared dead and about 100 injured, many seriously. What happened?A fire broke out during New Year celebrations at a packed bar/nightclub, triggeri»»»

In Bulgaria, the first baby of 2026 was born in Sofia, a boy named Boyan, who arrived at a city maternity hospital just 35 minutes past midnight. Weighing 4,150 grams and measuring 54 centimeters in length, he marked the country’s earliest newborn for the year. The last babies of 2025 at the same f»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held a telephone conversation on Thursday with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the call, they reviewed the fraternal relations between the two countri»»»

Adrienne Martin and her family are starting the New Year off without healthcare. The 47-year-old Texas mother had to make a difficult choice when she found out her monthly healthcare premium was increasing in 2026 from what she described as a manageable $630 (£467) to an unaffordable $2,400 (£1,781»»»