Damascus: The Syrian Ministry of Defense confirmed Wednesday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have prevented hundreds of civilians from leaving the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted the Syrian Army's reconnaissance directorate as »»»

At least 12 people have reportedly been killed during two days of intense clashes between Syrian government and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo. Tens of thousands of civilians have also fled the Kurdish majority neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, which the Syrian army s»»»

France is working with its partners to develop a response plan should the United States carry out its threat to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Wednesday. Barrot stated that the matter would be raised for discussion during his meeting with t»»»

Behind closed doors at the Mar-a-Lago resort, history appears to be rewritten through deals whose details remain undisclosed, yet whose reverberations are already echoing from the alleys of Gaza to the protest-filled streets of Tehran. The meeting between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu was far»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has warned residents against dealing with unlicensed offices offering domestic worker recruitment services, cautioning that misleading advertisements circulating on social media platforms pose serious risks to families and househo»»»

Jan. 7 (UPI) -- A woman has died after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot her for allegedly trying to run an officer over during an enforcement action in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. The deadly incident occurred at East 34th Street and Portland Avenue in Minneapolis when prote»»»

A public prosecutor has filed charges of intentional homicide against a 16-year-old boy arrested for the fatal beating of a 17-year-old in the northern city of Serres earlier this week. The suspect, who has admitted responsibility for the assault, appeared before an investigating magistrate on Wedn»»»

Fierce fighting in Syria's northern city of Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters killed at least four people on Wednesday and drove thousands of civilians from their homes, with Washington reported to be mediating a de-escalation. The violence, and statements trading blame over who»»»

London: The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed Wednesday that British military plans are currently being prepared to determine the number of forces that would be deployed to Ukraine, should a peace agreement with Russia be reached. Speaking before the UK Parliament, Starmer affirmed that he wo»»»

Power is being restored to the last homes hit by a five-day blackout in Germany's snow-covered capital, Berlin. The outage was caused by a suspected arson attack and came as temperatures dipped below freezing. It is reportedly the longest blackout in the capital's post-war history. A far-left milit»»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced he will hold talks with Denmark next week amid concerns over America's desire to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland. Marco Rubio's statement to reporters following a closed-door briefing with US senators comes a day after the White House said U»»»

Mourners gather at a memorial of flowers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 29, 2022. File Photo by Jon Farina/UPI | License Photo Jan. 7 (UPI) -- A judge canceled Wednesday's hearing in the case of a former Uvalde officer after defense attorneys alleged a witness changed their testi»»»

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is seeking a new meeting with US President Donald Trump as their officials revisited the two most problematic issues in peace talks aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Kyiv is under US pressure to secure peace quickly but wants security guarantees from a»»»

Damascus, Jan. 7 (SANA) Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barniyeh discussed on Wednesday with a delegation from the Saudi Fund for Development, currently visiting Syria and headed by the Fund’s CEO, Sultan bin Abdul Rahman Al-Murshid, ways to finance a number of priority projects for the Syria»»»

Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner arrive for the Medallion Ceremony honoring the recipients of the 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in 2023. Their son Nick Reiner is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday for their alleged murders. File Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI | License Photo Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Nick Reiner,»»»

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged calm on Wednesday after a bus driver ran over and killed a teenage boy during a protest by thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish demonstrators against a law seeking to draft them into Israel’s military. “I call for restraint to prevent the mood from bec»»»

Forensic experts in the Bulgarian city of Shumen have identified and arrested a 35-year-old man who attempted to pay for a soft drink with a counterfeit 50-euro banknote, the police reported. The incident occurred on January 2, when the man entered a store and presented the 50-euro note for payment»»»

Damascus, Jan.7 (SANA) The Syrian Government affirms that a statement released by SDF organization regarding the situation in Aleppo—particularly in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods—includes fundamental inaccuracies and descriptions that do not reflect the reality on the ground, and contr»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says European allies have not given him sound guarantees that they will protect his country in the case of a new Russian agreession. "I am asking this very question to all our partners and I have not received a clear, unambiguous answer yet," he told reporters»»»

Dubai: Fresh clashes erupted in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday after hundreds — and later thousands — of civilians fled two predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods through corridors opened by government forces, with the Syrian army launching shelling once a deadline for evacuations expir»»»

A teenager was killed and three others were injured when a bus crashed into a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting conscription in Jerusalem on Tuesday. A disturbing video shows the bus dragging the 14-year-old victim as bystanders scream in horror as they run after the vehicle. The protesters h»»»

A spell of freezing weather bringing heavy snowfall and ice has caused transport disruption across western Europe. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at several airports, while Eurostar services and haulage have also been affected. More than 700 flights were cancelled at Schiphol Airport in Am»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Photography Center, a Ministry of Culture-affiliate, announced that it will host the GPU Photography Exhibition 'City Speaks' in its headquarters in the Cultural Village Foundation - Katara on Friday, in cooperation with the Global Photographic Union (GPU). The exhibition com»»»

Dubai Police have commended the efforts of thousands of volunteers who supported crowd management and organisation during the New Year’s Eve 2026 celebrations, saying their contribution played a key role in ensuring the smooth and safe delivery of one of the city’s largest annual events. Brigadier »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had assured him in a telephone conversation that the United States had no intention of invading Greenland. Earlier in the day, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familia»»»

Aleppo, Jan. 7 (SANA) The Operations Command of the Syrian Arab Army announced on Wednesday that the army has not launched any advance operations toward areas controlled by the SDF organization and continues to ensure the safe evacuation of residents from Aleppo‘s Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neigh»»»

The Bulgarian National Bank announced extended Saturday working hours at its cash desks throughout January, citing increased demand related to Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone on January 1, 2026. The additional working days are scheduled for January 10, 17, 24, and 31, all Saturdays, and will app»»»

In the days since the seizure of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelans have been coming to terms with an uncertain future as a new reality begins to set in. Marcelo, a student based in Caracas, is among those welcoming Maduro's seizure, although he is careful not to celebrate publicly. "There are still allie»»»

Families of Israeli soldiers who died by suicide since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in October 2023 have filed a petition with the High Court of Justice to demand their sons be fully recognized as fallen soldiers, Israeli media reported. The families are seeking to block the implementation of recommenda»»»

Civilians were fleeing Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo on Wednesday after the Syrian army declared them "closed military zones", amid ongoing fighting with Kurdish-led forces. The Syrian army said that Aleppo's Kurdish neighborhoods will be considered "closed military zones" as of 3.00pm (1200 GMT)»»»

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged calm after a bus driver ran over and killed a teenage boy Tuesday night during a protest in Jerusalem against a law seeking to draft the ultra-Orthodox community into Israel's military. "I call for restraint to prevent the mood from becoming further »»»

The cash desks of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) and of the local offices of the Cash Service Company AD will operate on four Saturdays in January – January 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2026, BNB announced on Wednesday. The measure is related to Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area as of January 1, 2026,»»»

Dubai Police has honoured Lieutenant Doha Ahmad Muhammad for her professional excellence and inspiring personal journey, highlighting how resilience and determination can be transformed into leadership and success. Lieutenant General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, rec»»»

Paris: Snow, ice and high winds brought transport chaos to swathes of Europe for a third day on Wednesday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and passengers stranded. Airports in Paris and Amsterdam were the worst affected, with the Dutch authorities saying more than 1,000 travellers had been force»»»

A flood in the Krumovgrad region has caused significant damage, with a swollen river washing away a bridge in the village of Grivka, Bulgarian authorities reported. Torrential rains across the Eastern Rhodopes over the past night caused river levels to rise sharply, destroying infrastructure and fl»»»

The Syrian army said that Aleppo's Kurdish neighborhoods will be considered "closed military zones" as of 3.00pm (1200 GMT) on Wednesday, creating "humanitarian corridors" for civilians to leave through beforehand. In a statement, the army said that "the Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods wi»»»

Families of the victims of a fire at a Swiss bar on New Year's Eve have expressed shock after officials admitted the venue had not undergone safety checks for five years. Romain Jordan, who represents some of the families, said the "staggering number of breaches and shortcomings in the inspections »»»

A group of European leaders have issued a joint statement defending Greenland as part of Denmark and calling on the US to uphold the NATO state’s territorial integrity. US President Donald Trump has restated his long-held interest in taking over the autonomous Danish territory shortly after Washing»»»

Damascus, Jan. 07 (SANA) Head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce Alaa al-Ali discussed with Alp Eran Yılmaz, governor of the Turkish Cilvegözü border crossing, the importance of land crossings in enhancing trade integration between Syria and Turkey. During the meeting, held on Wednesd»»»

Dubai: Pakistan is setting up a special protection unit in Islamabad dedicated to the safety of Chinese nationals, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Wednesday. Naqvi made the remarks during a meeting with China’s Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, at the headquarters of China’s M»»»

Aleppo, Jan. 7 (SANA) Syrian Civil Defense and Syrian Arab Red Crescent teams responded to the difficult humanitarian situation in Aleppo as the SDF organization increased shelling of residential areas near Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, forcing civilians to flee their homes. The Syria»»»

Dubai: A 39-year-old Saudi citizen has died after a jet ski he was riding capsized off the coast of West Java in Indonesia, local authorities said on Monday. The incident occurred at Bubalu Beach in Pelabuhanratu, a well-known coastal tourist destination in Sukabumi Regency, where the man was ridin»»»

Aleppo, Jan. 7 (SANA) The Syrian Arab Army Operations Command announced that Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo will be designated as “closed military zone” starting at 3:00 PM on Wednesday. In a statement, the command said, “A full curfew will be in effect in the two neighborhood»»»

The deadliest clashes so far broke out Tuesday between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo, as efforts to merge the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces with the national army have shown little progress. Syria 's state-run SANA news agenc»»»

Damascus: Schools and public institutions were shut in north Syria's Aleppo on Wednesday, as sporadic clashes between government troops and Kurdish-led forces continued into their second day, according to state media. Tuesday's clashes, which killed nine people, were the worst between the two sides»»»

Syria's new government and Israel will set up a joint group under US supervision to share intelligence and seek military de-escalation on the ground, they announced Tuesday after talks. The Syrian foreign minister traveled to Paris in his country's first known meeting in months with Israel, which h»»»

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued guidance aimed at preventing fraud linked to the circulation of euro banknotes. Citizens are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the security features of the new currency, while merchants are advised to use specialized devices to detect counterfeit »»»

Greek authorities are awaiting extradition of two Serbian members of the notorious “Pink Panthers” criminal network who were arrested in Bulgaria and Croatia following a jewelry heist at the Sani Resort in Halkidiki last September. The suspects, aged 48 and 46, stole luxury watches and jewelry wort»»»

Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Chief Executive Sultan Al-Marshad held talks in Damascus on Tuesday with Syrian Minister of Finance Mohammed Yusr Barniyeh, Minister of Health Dr. Musab Al-Ali, and Minister of Education Dr. Mohammed Abdulrahman Turko. They discussed opportunities for development co»»»

Western Europe braced for more snow and ice on Wednesday, with the first named storm of the year hitting the continent's Atlantic coast. More flights were cancelled, train ​services disrupted and roads blocked as storm Goretti advanced across the region. Heavy snow hit the Paris region as daylight »»»