US President Donald Trump on Friday took to his Truth Social platform to warn that the United States would intervene if Iran's security forces kill peaceful protesters. At least seven people, including one volunteer member of the Islamic Republic's security forces, have been killed in clashes over »»»

A quick-developing storm will spread rain over part of the lower Mississippi Valley and the central Gulf coast into Friday night before moving off the southern Atlantic coast on Saturday night. On the northern edge of the rain, there will be some snow or a mix of snow, sleet and rain. Much of the s»»»

Who would have thought serums infused with snail mucin - the sticky substance they secrete - would become a part of skincare routines around the world? Well, it's happened - and the gooey elasticity is key, according to a viral TikTok challenge promoting the serum. It made its manufacturer, the sma»»»

As Burj Khalifa marks its 16th anniversary on January 4, 2026, the iconic skyscraper continues to captivate the world as the tallest man-made structure standing at 828 meters (2,716.5 feet). Since its grand opening on January 4, 2010, the tower's distinctive Y-shaped design, inspired by the regiona»»»

Swiss officials told a press conference on Friday that the deadly fire at a Crans-Montana ski resort bar on New Year’s Eve, which killed at least 40 people, was likely caused by sparkling flares atop Champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling. Authorities said 113 of the 119 injured have »»»

Angelina Jolie visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Friday, meeting Red Crescent volunteers and aid truck drivers delivering supplies to Gaza. The Hollywood star assessed conditions for injured Palestinians and the flow of humanitarian aid, highlighting the urgent challenges at the bo»»»

Russia captured more than 5,600 sq km of Ukrainian territory in 2025, its largest advance since 2022, as Kyiv prepares to host allied security talks. As pressure on the battlefield continues to build, President Volodymyr Zelensky named Kyrylo Budanov his new top aide, proposed Mykhailo Fedorov as d»»»

A judge has ruled that alleged D.C. pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. must stay in jail through his trial. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A Washington, D.C., federal magistrate judge ruled Friday that a man who allegedly set pipe bombs outside of political party headquarters»»»

Investigators are racing to establish how and why the deadly New Year's Eve fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort spread so rapidly. Authorities on Friday said in a press conference that sparklers attached to champagne bottles that were held "too close to the ceiling" appear to have started the blaze»»»

Four of the five people who were injured in an arson attack in Dublin on New Year's Eve have been discharged from hospital. The victims caught up in the attack at a house in Creston Avenue in Finglas included three teenagers, a woman in her 20s and a woman in her 40s. The older woman sustained seri»»»

Massive rallies took place in Fars and Hamedan provinces in Iran today, demanding that Iranian security forces take firm action against anyone threatening public security. The rallies condemned “the destructive actions carried out by some elements in the country, exploiting peaceful protests”. Part»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has officially launched an ambitious $2.7 billion (Dh9.9 billion) digital infrastructure initiative with the announcement of the Hexagon Data Centre, set to be the world’s largest government data centre and a cornerstone project of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Classified as Tier I»»»

New Year’s Eve 2025 at the Sheikh Zayed Festival featured record-breaking moments, international broadcast coverage, and drew hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators to a night marked by five new Guinness World Records. The Sheikh Zayed Festival closed the year with a series of record-»»»

Iran's latest bout of economic protests has ceased to be reactive spasms of discontent triggered by the newest price shock and currency collapse. They have become something rather more persistent and worrying for Tehran's authorities: the steady drumbeat of a population whose resilience has been gr»»»

Eastern Yemen’s Hadhramaut province entered a critical phase on Friday as government-backed National Shield forces began deploying against an insurgency by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), seeking to regain control of military camps and restore the state’s grip over security and military in»»»

A staffer at Disney World in Florida was hailed as a hero after he blocked a 400-pound (180-kilogram) rubber boulder that was bouncing toward the audience at an Indiana Jones-themed live show. "Woah! That's heading right for us!" an audience member can be heard saying on a YouTube video of the inci»»»

A hiker in Colorado has died in the state's first suspected fatal mountain lion attack in over 25 years, authorities said. The woman was found unresponsive by other hikers on the Crosier Mountain trail northeast of Estes Park around noon on Thursday. The hikers saw a mountain lion near the woman's »»»

An employee works in a manufacturing plant) in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in March. Mexico closed 2025 with weak economic growth and is heading into 2026 with limited expansion prospects. File Photo by Luis Torres/.EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Mexico closed 2025 with weak economic growth and is heading into 202»»»

A woman has died after a rare suspected mountain lion attack on a hiking trail in Colorado, an incident that would mark the state's first such fatality in decades if confirmed. Two big cats potentially involved in the suspected New Year's Day mauling were euthanized, state wildlife officials said. »»»

Elon Musk's social media platform X has provoked outrage after people used its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of women by removing their clothing. The BBC has seen several examples of it undressing women to make them appear in bikinis without their consent, as well as putting them in sexual situat»»»

A woman in Colorado is believed to have been killed by a mountain lion on a hiking trail. File Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A woman in Colorado has died after a suspected mountain lion attack Thursday, officials said. The woman's identity hasn't been released, but she»»»

The FTSE 100 index has climbed above 10,000 points for the first time, passing a significant stock market milestone, on the first trading day of the year. Shares included in the index performed strongly in 2025, leaving the benchmark more than 21% higher than a year ago, when it stood at just over »»»

Skopje, 2 January 2026 (MIA) — After a brief disruption in passenger rail service that began Thursday at 4:47 pm due to National Railways Transport staff going on strike over their November pay, trains are back in service. According to National Railways Transport representative and Train Drivers La»»»

Swiss and Italian teenagers are thought to be among those missing following a fire at a bar in a ski resort that killed 40 people and injured 119 others. The blaze ripped through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, in the Alps in south-west Switzerland, in the early hours of New Year's Day. Veri»»»

Iranian business owners and shopkeepers block traffic in Tehran on Monday as they protest against skyrockering inflation and a collapse in the value of the rial currency. Photo by Stringer/EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. President Trump warned the Iranian government Friday that the United States would int»»»

Samsung Electronics, SK hynix boost Korean stock market. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI reached a record high on Friday. The index is expected to remain strong this year, driven by the robust performance of the country’s semiconductor industry. Photo by Yonhap SEOUL, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- South Korea's be»»»

Yemen's future hangs in the balance after a dramatic turn of events in the south which have brought Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates into unprecedented direct confrontation and threaten the country with partition. Both Gulf powers have intervened on behalf of Yemen's internationally recogn»»»

Precious metals kicked off the New Year on a strong note on Friday, rebounding from year-end declines as tensions between major powers and US rate cut hopes boosted investor appetite for bullion. Spot gold climbed 1.7% to $4,387.58 per ounce, as of 1322 GMT, after hitting a record high of $4,549.71»»»

The UAE this week announced a withdrawal of its troops from southern Yemen, marking a de-escalation in year-end tensions with its ally Saudi Arabia. But 2026 offers little hope for a strategic patch-up between the two Gulf powerhouses. That could mean more trouble for Yemen, the region, and the int»»»

Danish renewable energy company Orsted filed suit Thursday against the Trump administration for pausing its lease on a nearly completed wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Danish renewable energy giant Orsted filed suit Thursday again»»»

Across England, a new wave of nationalist activism is reshaping the political landscape. From demonstrations outside asylum-seeker hotels to mass rallies drawing tens of thousands in London, groups draped in Union Jacks and St George's Cross flags are making their presence felt. FRANCE 24's Clovis »»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, January 2: Several front pages headline on the tragic Swiss bar fire which killed dozens on New Year's Day. It's been described as the worst accident in recent Swiss history. In other news: the New Year brings new additions to the public domain, as cartoon Betty Boop, li»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has named spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff, just over a month after his previous top aide resigned amid a corruption row. "At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues," Zelensky said in a post on social media, publishing a ph»»»

A woman leaves flowers Friday at a makeshift shrine near the scene of the New Year's Day blaze in a bar in Crans-Montana on in Switzerland's southern Valais region. Photo by Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Rescuers in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana were continuing the search Friday »»»

Russia has accused Ukraine of killing at least 27 people in a drone strike on a New Year's party in a hotel and cafe in the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region. According to the Russia-installed regional governor, Vladimir Saldo, more than 30 people were injured in the alleged attack, which he»»»

London: Stock markets rose Friday, the first trading day of 2026, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index reaching 10,000 points for the first time. After indices smashed records in 2025, ending with double-digit annual gains, London continued the trend in early new year deals. The capital's top-tie»»»

Iran has been hit by a wave of mass protests prompted by an enduring economic crisis and the extreme volatility of the national currency. The unrest has been cheered by Israel’s Mossad spy agency, which claimed it has agents embedded with the protesting crowds. The events began over the weekend whe»»»

Russia has said it is open to supplying water to Iran if a formal request is made, highlighting growing concerns over water security in the country amid climate change and prolonged drought. Aleksei Efimov, acting hea»»»

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned US President Donald Trump that American interference in the country's domestic affairs would destabilise the entire region and destroy US interests, in a sharp response to Trump's threats of military intervention. »»»

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned US President Donald Trump that American interference in the country's domestic affairs would destabilise the entire region and destroy US interests, in a sharp response to Trump's threats of military intervention. »»»

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned US President Donald Trump that American interference in the country's domestic affairs would destabilise the entire region and destroy US interests, in a sharp response to Trump's threats of military intervention. »»»

Oslo: Norway came close to its objective of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025, with electric vehicles accounting for 95.9 percent of new registrations. Although Norway is western Europe's largest exporter of petroleum products, it has led the shift to electric vehicles, setting a non-binding »»»

Russia has said it is open to supplying water to Iran if a formal request is made, highlighting growing concerns over water security in the country amid climate change and prolonged drought. Aleksei Efimov, acting hea»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has strengthened buyer protections under its new Civil Transactions Law, introducing clearer rules for sale contracts, expanding remedies for defective goods, and extending the time limit for filing claims related to hidden defects. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheq»»»

More than 300,000 workers took part in New Year 2026 festivities at over 30 sites scattered across the country. Events, unified by the slogan “With You and Through You, We Step into the New Year”, were coordinated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) alongside multiple gover»»»

Seoul: Packed with missile tests, propaganda hailing the great leaders and tirades against the United States, North Korea's top newspaper was long considered so incendiary that South Korea banned its citizens from reading it. But dovish President Lee Jae Myung is now seeking better ties with Pyongy»»»

Crans-Montana, Switzerland: Teenagers Eleonore and Elisa started the year with a frantic search for friends who have been missing since a deadly fire tore through an establishment in a neighbouring Swiss town. "Are they OK? Are they just at the hospital?" one of the 17-year-olds says. They have not»»»

Tensions between Caracas and Washington flared this week after US President Donald Trump claimed American forces had destroyed a Venezuelan dock used by alleged drug traffickers. President Nicolas Maduro did not confirm the claim but suggested Venezuela remained willing to engage with the US despit»»»

Dubai: Cornelia Mihai has done what most people wouldn't dare to even dream of. She has jumped off Burj Khalifa, completed over 23,000 skydives in 23 years (equivalent of leaping off a plane every single day for 63 years), and made Dubai's skies her playground for 14 years. The Romanian daredevil i»»»

The Saudi-backed governor of Yemen's Hadramawt said on Friday that the province was launching what he described as a "peaceful operation" to retake military positions seized by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) last month. The declaration came as a series of Saudi air strikes struc»»»