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»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has ordered a man to repay $16,000, or its equivalent in dirhams, to a longtime friend after ruling that he failed to return money entrusted to him for investment more than a decade ago. The court found that the defendant had received the sum from the cla»»»

Dubai: Some 116 Saudi government employees across various ministries and public bodies have been arrested in a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown, following a series of investigations conducted by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), the Okaz Arabic daily reported. Nazaha questione»»»

A recently discovered large hilltop settlement could challenge the idea that the Vikings built the first towns in Ireland, a researcher has said. Dr Dirk Brandherm and his colleagues have identified more than 600 suspected houses in the Brusselstown Ring making it, to date, the largest nucleated se»»»

Dubai’s real estate market closed 2025 with record-breaking sales, the highest in the emirate’s history, extending its exceptional performance for a fifth consecutive year and reinforcing its position as one of the world’s leading property markets amid strong demand from local and international inv»»»

In 2026, banking in the Gulf and beyond will feel less like a place you visit and more like a digital utility running quietly in the background of daily life. Artificial intelligence, embedded finance and real-time payments are fusing into a new operating system for money that will challenge long‑s»»»

Jumping into the frigid waters of Coney Island in January for a pun on "I'm freezing... your rent". Visiting food trucks to discuss how city permitting processes have led to "Halalflation". Walking the length of Manhattan to show New Yorkers they "deserve a mayor that they can see, they can hear, t»»»

There have been no reports of Bulgarians killed or injured in the incident at a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry told the Bulgarian News Agency on Thursday. Swiss authorities have not provided further details, the Ministry said, adding that the Council of St»»»

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, met Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, on Thursday at Al Marmoom Rest House in Dubai. The meetin»»»

The UAE Defense Ministry announced the voluntary drawdown of its military presence in Yemen, amid deteriorating relations with Saudi Arabia following Riyadh’s declaration that it is deeply disappointed by the UAE’s support for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and views such actions as a thre»»»

Bulgaria marked its first official euro transactions shortly after the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2026, as the country officially adopted the single European currency. According to the payment service provider Borica AD, the very first successful euro withdrawal was recorded at 00:20 at an AT»»»

Doha: The Qatar Calendar House on Thursday said that planet Earth will reach the closest point in its orbit around the Sun, known as perihelion, on Saturday evening, 14 Rajab 1447 AH, corresponding to January 3, 2026. At that time, Earth will be at an approximate distance of 147 million kilometers »»»

UAE announces the passing of a new law on the age of maturity. The UAE has lowered the age of legal majority from 21 to 18 under a new federal decree law issuing an updated Civil Transactions Law. The reform also amends the minimum age for guardianship over financial affairs, allowing individuals a»»»

Tunis, January 1 (TAP) – The number of deaths caused by road accidents has increased by 5.84% from the beginning of the year up to December 30, 2025, compared with the same period last year, according to the latest statistics released by the...»»»

London: Enzo Maresca has left his role as Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge, the Premier League club announced Thursday. "Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company," said a club statement. The Italian's exit from Stamford Bridge comes with the club fifth in th»»»

Starting today, January 1, 2026, Bulgaria officially adopts the euro, bringing several significant changes into effect for citizens and businesses across the country. Until the end of January, payments can be made in both leva and euros, with change typically returned in euros. Exceptions may occur»»»

The hundreds of thousands who gathered on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on Thursday took a historic stand in solidarity with Palestine, pledging to continue their struggle until Gaza, Jerusalem, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are free, said a Turkish civic leader at the massive event. “Together with hundreds of»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Public Prosecution's Criminal Studies Institute announced that it trained 1,863 trainees in 2025 through courses in various judicial, legal, and administrative disciplines. The number also included training visits from Arab and international judicial and academic bodies, in additio»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amiri Guard School celebrated on Thursday the graduation of the new recruits from the foundation course No. 37 at Lahsaniya camp, with the attendance of Amiri Guard Commander HE Major General Staff Mohammed bin Sultan Al Suwaidi. Several assistants to the Amiri Guard Commander, as »»»

The Israeli army has raised its readiness level in anticipation of a potential attack on Hezbollah, according to Israeli media reports. The reports said U.S. President Donald Trump has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "green light" to take military action against the group "if nece»»»

A huge inferno gutted a 19th century Amsterdam church Thursday, as the Netherlands endured an unsettled New Year's Eve with two dead from fireworks and "unprecedented" violence against police. The blaze broke out in the early hours at the Vondelkerk, a tourist attraction that has overlooked one of »»»

Police in the Netherlands were pelted with fireworks and faced an "unprecedented amount of violence" on New Year's Eve, officers have said. A 19th century church in Amsterdam was engulfed by fire in the early hours of New Year's Day, although the cause of the blaze is not yet known. The Vondelkerk,»»»

With the start of the new year, Lebanon remained vulnerable to Israeli attacks and violations of the ceasefire agreement. Our correspondent in south reported that an enemy Zionist force penetrated six hundred meters into the lower neighborhood in center of Kfarkela town and carried out a large expl»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Sheikh Zayed Festival marked the arrival of 2026 with spectacular New Year celebrations, drawing large crowds to Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi for an evening of culture, entertainment and visual displays. Visitors gathered across the festival grounds as the countdown to midnight culminated »»»

For the first quarter of 2026, the country will operate under an extension law, which limits state spending to the revenues collected each month. Despite the absence of a regular budget, the minimum wage has been established at just over €620 per month, providing a stable baseline for workers amid »»»

Separatists from Yemen's Southern Transitional Council said on Thursday that Saudi-aligned government forces would enter territories seized by the UAE-backed group, in a step that appeared unlikely to satisfy Riyadh after it repeatedly demanded their full withdrawal. A surprise offensive by the STC»»»

Ukraine attempted to attack the residence of the Russian President in the Novgorod region on the night of December 28 to 29. Other statements by Russian Defense Ministry:Russian intelligence services retrieved a flight mission file from one of the Ukrainian drones that attacked Putin's residence.Th»»»

Greece has ushered in 2026 with higher toll fees on its northern highways, a change that will directly affect thousands of Bulgarian travelers crossing the border at Kulata en route to Thessaloniki and other destinations. The cost of a one-way journey to Thessaloniki has risen by 23 percent, increa»»»

The Hague: A huge inferno gutted a 19th century Amsterdam church Thursday, as the Netherlands endured an unsettled New Year's Eve with two dead from fireworks and "unprecedented" violence against police. The blaze broke out in the early hours at the Vondelkerk, a tourist attraction that has overloo»»»

Dubai: As 48 fireworks lit up the sky at 40 locations across Dubai on New Year's Eve, another spectacle unfolded on the ground, one that most revellers would only witness the results of when they woke up the next morning. Around 3,000 Dubai Municipality employees, alongside workers from private fir»»»

The biting cold kept people huddled next to their heat sources while fog obscured road vision last Tuesday in India’s Gurgoan and Faridabad. And in the middle of the frigid night, a woman’s cries for help as she was brutally raped in a moving car went unanswered, reports Times of India. The 25-year»»»

Several dozen people are presumed dead and around 100 injured after a fire ripped through a bar in a ski resort in southern Switzerland, officials have said. The fire broke out at around 01:30 (00:30 GMT) during new year celebrations in a bar called Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, police said. P»»»

Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight on Thursday, taking the oath of office at a decommissioned subway station in Manhattan. Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath. “This is »»»

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the launch of the Community-Managed Virtual Authority, a new initiative inspired by the vision of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed, to enhance the role of skilled individuals in shaping the nation's fu»»»

Rumen Hristov, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces, which is part of the GERB-UDF coalition, Thursday said that on this day, "a long-standing dream of the UDF and the democratic community became a reality." With the adoption of the euro, Bulgaria has finally become a full-fledged member of the»»»

Dubai: Pakistan’s inflation rate rose slower-than-expected in December, justifying the central bank’s decision to cut its policy rate to a three-year low to support growth. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The consumer price index rose 5.6% in December from a year earli»»»

DOHA: Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force 'Lekhwiya' HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani received Ambassador of China to the State HE Cao Xiaolin. During the meeting, a number of topics of mutual interest were discussed, and existing relations between the »»»

Ras Al Khaimah Police, in coordination with their strategic partners, successfully secured the emirate’s New Year 2026 celebrations under a comprehensive security and traffic plan implemented to the highest standards. The plan included the deployment of more than 70 patrols and the extensive presen»»»

New water prices in Bulgaria take effect from today, January 1, 2026, with adjustments ranging from a 12 percent decrease to a 14 percent increase, as determined by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. However, not all consumers will see an immediate change, as the Ministry of Regional Devel»»»

Mobile gaming now accounts for the biggest share of global game revenue. Newzoo's 2025 outlook puts mobile at around $103 billion, which makes up about 55% of the gaming market. That dominance is clear in the numbers. But the real debate is about quality, not market size. Desktop fans want smooth f»»»

From today, January 1, 2026, natural gas in Bulgaria becomes 3.3 percent cheaper, with the new price set at 31.15 euros, or approximately 61 leva, per megawatt-hour, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) announced. The reduction comes as part of the country’s planned winter supply strat»»»

Doha, Qatar: The price of gold in the Qatari market declined by 2.94% over the past week, reaching USD 4,347.74 per ounce, according to data released by Qatar National Bank (QNB). QNB data showed that the price of gold decreased from USD 4479.89 recorded last Sunday. As for other precious metals, s»»»

Istanbul, Turkiye: Thousands joined a New Year's Day rally for Gaza in Istanbul Thursday, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags and calling for an end to the violence in the war-torn territory. Demonstrators gathered in freezing temperatures under cloudless blue skies to march to the city's Galata B»»»

Doha, Qatar: Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force “Lekhwiya,” HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, received His Excellency Mr. Cao Xiaolin, Ambassador of China to the State. During the meeting, a number of topics of mutual interest were discussed, and exist»»»

Thousands joined a New Year's Day rally for Gaza in Istanbul Thursday, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags and calling for an end to the violence in the tiny war-torn territory. Demonstrators gathered in freezing temperatures under cloudless blue skies to march to the city's Galata Bridge for a ra»»»

Several dozen people are presumed to have died and more than 100 injured following a fire at a ski resort in southern Switzerland, officials have said. Police said several nationalities were likely involved in the New Year's Day fire, which happened at 01:30 local time (00:30GMT) in a bar called Le»»»

Representatives of political entities in the 51st National Assembly have extended New Year greetings and addressed this country's euro area accession in posts on social media. Bulgaria officially adopted the euro on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st member of the euro area - exactly 19 year after »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian attack in the Kherson Region was pre-planned, with drones deliberately striking a gathering of civilians, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said that three Ukrainian drones struck a cafe and hot»»»

Taxi fares in Sofia are set to rise with the start of 2026, coinciding with Bulgaria’s official adoption of the euro. From today, January 1, the minimum daytime fare per kilometer is €0.73, equivalent to 1.43 leva, while the night rate increases to €0.84, or 1.65 leva per kilometer. These changes f»»»

Tokyo: A train collided with a car at a railway crossing on the JR Utsunomiya Line in Shiraoka City, Saitama Prefecture, on Thursday, police and fire officials said, adding that the train may have derailed after the incident. The accident occurred at around 2:20p.m. local time when the train struck»»»