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»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli glider drops two bombs on Khiam town, South Lebanon: Al-Manar reporter 02-01-2026 19:36 PM Latest News Urgent News Israeli glider d»»»

Istanbul: Türkiye's flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) announced on Friday a major investment of around 100 billion Turkish liras (about 2.33 billion U.S. dollars) to build what it says will be the world's largest cargo terminal at Istanbul Airport. In a social media post, THY said the project wil»»»

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»»»

Farmers at the Malgara roadblock near Thessaloniki signaled a willingness to open talks with the government, spokesperson Kostas Anestidis said, ahead of a nationwide farmers’ meeting on Sunday. “We will drop anchor to open a channel of communication with the government,” he added, noting that some»»»

Ferry services to the island of Tinos from the ports of Piraeus and Rafina will be suspended on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions in the Aegean Sea. Blue Star Ferries announced the cancellation of the Paros sailings from Piraeus to Tinos, while Fast Ferries and Golden Star Ferries have als»»»

Dubai: The National Center of Meteorology has warned of a chance of fog formation and reduced horizontal visibility, dropping to near zero at times, across some internal and coastal areas of the country between midnight and 10am tomorrow, January 3, 2026. In an advisory, the NCM urged motorists to »»»

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 »»»

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has formed an online safety committee as the highest strategic advisory body to steer the direction of the nation's online safety, Azalina Othman Said, minister in the prime minister's department for law and institutional reform, said on Friday. This is in line with the enfor»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Information about the alleged Friday strike by the Russian armed forces on the city of Kharkov is untrue, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "Information about the alleged strike on the city of Kharkov by the Russian Armed Forces on January 2 of this year is untrue," the ministry»»»

Tunis, Jan. 2 (TAP) - Partly cloudy skies are expected over most regions Friday night, according to forecasts from the National Institute of Meteorology (INM). Winds will blow from the south to the west, relatively strong to strong near the eastern...»»»

1 of 2 | President Donald Trump stops to speak to the media as he departs on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., December 19. He said Friday his doctors announced he was in "perfect health." Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo Jan. 2 (UPI) -- President Donald»»»

Contributing to employment is Chinese company Build Your Dreams' factory, which will serve as the base for future expansion into the Latin American electric vehicle market. The factory is in Camacari, about 30 miles from Salvador. File Photo by Americo Roberto/EPA Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Brazil ended 2025 »»»