For the Indian film industry, 2025 felt like a return to familiar ground. The year before that, women-led stories had briefly reshaped India's global cinematic image, bringing accolades and new attention. But last year, Bollywood's violent, male-driven action thrillers dominated the domestic box-of»»»

The Oscar-tipped Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, is a film that shows the full range of human emotions, from elation to despair. It begins with a young William Shakespeare falling in love with Agnes (the other name by which the playwright's wife, historically referred to as Anne Ha»»»

Maggie Hildebrand's first apartment in Toronto had a kitchen, a dining table, a workspace and a bed – all in the same 300-square-foot room. It was a decent home at first, close enough to her job downtown and with all the bare necessities for daily living. But it didn't take long for the 28-year-old»»»

Share: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday he had asked the interior ministry to “listen to the legitimate demands” of protesters after several days of demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran. Student protests also broke out on Tuesday as Iran’s embattled currency hit new lows on the»»»

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 19. He signed an executive order Friday blocking a semiconductor deal between U.S. and Chinese companies. Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- President Donald»»»

Share: Iranian opposition leader and son of the last Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi holds a press conference in Paris on June 23, 2025. Iran’s exiled opposition leader, Reza Pahlavi, has issued a New Year’s message to his compatriots that “the current regime has reached the end of»»»

Seven Pakistanis were tried in absentia and sentenced to life in prison on Friday for "digital terrorism" amid riots following the 2023 arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. File Photo by Rahat Dar/EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday sentence»»»

In tonight's edition: Nigerian police detain the driver of the vehicle involved in the Lagos highway smash in which two people were killed and boxer Anthony Joshua was injured. Also, supporters of Guinea's former junta chief-turned-president-elect celebrate his win of the weekend's election. P»»»

US President Donald Trump has promised to assist the Iranian protesters if needed, saying that Washington was ready to intervene at any moment. The Islamic Republic has been hit by the worst unrest since 2022, triggered by an economic crisis. The demonstrations began in late December when merchants»»»

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»»»

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday denied trafficking drugs to the United States and said he is willing to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss that matter and the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers. Photo courtesy Venezuelan President's Office | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Ven»»»

Elon Musk has indicated his intention to bankroll Republican candidates in the midterm elections later this year, saying that the US will cease to exist if the Democrats reclaim power in the Congress. On Friday, Tesla and SpaceX CEO commented on a post on X by a conservative influencer, who claimed»»»

A self-proclaimed prophet in Ghana who spent months spreading fears of an imminent doomsday flood has been arrested, local police in the West African country have confirmed to several media outlets. Evans Eshun, popularly known as Ebo Noah, was detained on December, 31 after repeatedly warning that»»»

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»»»

3269144 KUWAIT -- Minister of Information and Culture, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdurrahman Al-Mutairi inaugurates Kuwait Geopark. 3269145 RIYADH -- The Saudi Data and AI Authority launches a 480 MW data center on 30 million sq. feet in Riyadh. 3269136 GAZA -- Israeli occupation forc»»»

A news broadcast shows the latest developments in the conflict between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and southern separatists in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday. Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's military struck United Arab Emirates-backed separatists in Yemen on Friday, promp»»»

New York: The US dollar climbed in late trading on Friday. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, added 0.1 percent to 98.424 at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT). In late New York trading, the euro was down to 1.1724 dollars from 1.1746 dollars in the previous session, and the Bri»»»

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»»»

GERB quit the governing majority after its partners went too far, including [MRF Chair and MRF – New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan] Peevski, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said in a YouTube interview on Friday. Borissov spoke to journalist Yavor Dachkov at GERB’s party headquarters in Sofia. “Self-conf»»»

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced the completion of the return of all UAE Armed Forces personnel from the Republic of Yemen. The ministry stated that the return of the UAE forces follows the implementation of a previously announced decision to conclude the remaining missions of counter-te»»»

Doha, Qatar,: The opening day was attended by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), who visited Al Shaqab as Tour 1 of the HH The Father Amir Prix 2026 officially commenced in Doha. Tour 1 brings together international and regional riders across CSI1, CSI2 and»»»

The driver for British boxer Anthony Joshua, who was injured, and two others who were killed in a Monday collision in Nigera was charged on Friday and is jailed until posting bond. File Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The driver of the vehicle that crashed in Nigeria, in»»»

DOHA: The 48th edition of the Dakar Rally kicks off on Saturday, in Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the event for the seventh consecutive year. A total of 812 competitors are participating, including Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah of the Dacia team and Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi of the Toyo»»»

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bellingham Herald (@bellinghamherald) Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A Washington city may have broken a Guinness World Record by gathering nearly 5,000 people to take a "polar bear dip" into frigid water at the same time. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, Blaine Birc»»»

The BYD Sea Lion 7 is on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 at Makuhari messe in Chiba-Prefecture, Japan, in January. BYD delivered more cars in 2025 than Tesla. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Chinese electric car maker BYD surpassed Tesla in annual sales in 2025. BY»»»

The FBI worked with local law enforcement to arrest an 18-year-old accused of plotting a violent attack on a Mint Hill, N.C., grocery store and fast food restaurant. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The FBI foiled a terror plot to attack people at a grocery store and fa»»»

Official data show Argentines held about $254 billion outside the banking system as of September. Photo by QuinceCreative/Pixabay BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Argentina's government has enacted the so-called Fiscal Innocence Law, which changes tax evasion thresholds and seeks to encourage declarin»»»

Tunis, Jan. 2 (TAP)- The Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Tunis, on Friday, upheld the first-instance ruling convicting journalist Mohamed Boughalleb, while deferring the execution of the corporal punishment imposed, lawyer Hamadi Zaafrani...»»»

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-»»»

Senior sources in Hamas have played down what they described as an Israeli “scare tactic” over the group’s weapons, rejecting Israeli demands to disarm as a condition for moving to the second phase of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas possesses only light we»»»

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»»»

Saudi Arabia's air force conducted at least seven strikes on UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province, with STC forces reporting casualties amongst their ranks, according to a spokesman for the separatist group. »»»

Saudi Arabia's air force conducted at least seven strikes on UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province, with STC forces reporting casualties amongst their ranks, according to a spokesman for the separatist group. »»»

Oman has expanded visa-free travel arrangements for diplomats and tourists as part of a broader effort to ease mobility, boost tourism and strengthen regional ties, government statements and regional media reported. The mo»»»

Saudi Arabia's air force conducted at least seven strikes on UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province, with STC forces reporting casualties amongst their ranks, according to a spokesman for the separatist group. »»»

Europe imported a record 142bn cubic metres of liquefied natural gas in 2025, marking a 28% increase from the previous year as the continent continued reducing dependence on Russian pipeline gas. Higher LNG imports have co»»»

Poland's state railway operator PKP Intercity announced the country's first tender for trains capable of reaching speeds of 320 kilometres per hour, marking a significant step in developing the nation's high-speed rail network. »»»

Europe imported a record 142bn cubic metres of liquefied natural gas in 2025, marking a 28% increase from the previous year as the continent continued reducing dependence on Russian pipeline gas. Higher LNG imports have co»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed Kyrylo Budanov, head of the country's military intelligence directorate, as the new Head of the Office of the President, citing the need for greater focus on security and diplomatic negotiations. »»»

Kyrylo Budanov, 39, has been named President Volodymyr Zelensky's new chief of staff. File Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday that he named spy boss Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as his chief of staff. "I had a meeting with Kyrylo Budanov»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe UNIFIL reports two Israeli gunfire attacks on troops in South Lebanon, calls on the Zionist enemy to halt hostilities: statement 02-01-2026»»»