New York’s Times Square will sparkle in red, white and blue on New Year's Eve as a patriotic ball drop rings in 2026, marking the start of celebrations for the United States’ 250th anniversary. Organisers have planned hundreds of events nationwide, including fireworks, parades and volunteer initiat»»»

On a patch of rough ground near the Irrawaddy River, aspiring member of parliament and retired Lieutenant-General Tayza Kyaw tries to muster some enthusiasm from his audience with a speech promising them better times. He is the candidate for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), backed»»»

When Susanna Liew stepped in front of the TV cameras at Kuala Lumpur's High Court last month, she called the moment a "historic and emotional milestone". "Today... the High Court has delivered a judgment of what we have long believed: that Pastor Raymond Koh was a victim of a grave injustice," the »»»

Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatists on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out air strikes on their positions in the east of the country, a claim Riyadh has not acknowledged. While vowing they will not be deterred, the STC said it remains open to coordination with the kingdo»»»

Secretary of State Marco Rubio banned visas for five Brits accused of "censorship." On Friday, a judge ruled against a deportation order against one of them, Imran Ahmed. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A federal judge has blocked the deportation of a British man targ»»»

1 of 3 | A second ball drop will occur for the first time in New York City's Times Square on July 3 to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, the America250 committee said on Friday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A red, white and blue glass ball will drop on July 3 in»»»

The Thai military moves armored vehicles on Thursday near the Thai-Cambodian border as cease-fire negotiations continue following military actions on Friday morning. Photo by Rungroj Yongrit/EPA Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The Thai military advanced on Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey Province on Friday morning af»»»

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Paris, Dec. 26 (SANA) France strongly condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in the city of Homs, stressing that it is part of a deliberate strategy to destabilize Syria. “This heinous terrorist act, similar to the attack that targeted St. Elias Church in Damascus last June, is part»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday made Israel the first U.N. member state to formally recognize the independent Republic of Somaliland. File Photo by Ronen Zvulun/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Israel on Friday became the first U.N. member state to formally recognize the Rep»»»

National Transportation Safety Board staff and FBI agents walk the runway looking for evidence from the UPS Flight 2976 MD-11 that crashed November 4 in Louisville, Ky.. A 15th victim has died, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Friday. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -»»»

Head of Hezbollah Executive Council Sheikh Ali Daamoush affirmed that the resistance will not be drawn into confrontation with the Lebanese Army and will not permit internal discord, stressing that attempts to provoke division are doomed to fail. Speaking during Friday prayers at the Sayyeda Zainab»»»

With Donald Trump back in the Oval Office in early 2025, it took less than a year for his revamped “maximum pressure” campaign to set the pace for Iran. What began as an argument over reviving the nuclear deal quickly gave way to a far starker reality: war on Iranian soil, for only the second time »»»

Israel has become the first country to formally recognise Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel intended to immediately expand cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology. Somaliland's president, Abdirahman Mohamed A»»»

A medical evacuation helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro on Christmas Eve and killed all five on board. File Photo by Daniel Irungu/EPA Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A medical evacuation helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro on Christmas Eve killing all five people aboard. Tanzanian officials said the Air»»»

Dubai: The iconic Dubai Frame will light up the sky this New Year’s Eve with drone shows for the first time, complementing its traditional fireworks display. The new addition promises a unique experience for residents and visitors alike. Speaking to Gulf News, Adel Al Marzouqi, Executive Director o»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 28 in what he is billing as a possible breakthrough meeting to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as speculation swirls that Russian President Vladimir Putin may step down in favour of a»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 28 in what he is billing as a possible breakthrough meeting to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as speculation swirls that Russian President Vladimir Putin may step down in favour of a»»»

Israel on Friday formally recognized Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state" and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties, as the region's leader hailed its first-ever official recognition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "announced today the official recognition of the»»»

After the crystal ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York City, it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to usher in 2026 and kick off months of celebrations for the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. The patriotic touches at this year's Times Square gathering, including a second confet»»»

The introduction of the position of "regional coordinator of health mediators" is proposed in a draft amendment to the Ordinance on the Requirements for the Activities of Health Mediators. The draft has been published for a one-month public discussion on the website of the Health Ministry. The purp»»»

The US government has spent over $1.6 trillion this year on wasteful programs, such as teaching ferrets how to binge-drink alcohol and dosing dogs with cocaine, according to Senator Rand Paul’s latest annual ‘Festivus Report’. The Kentucky Republican’s 2025 edition notes a total of $1,639,135,969,6»»»

A Syrian refugee family that resettled in the West Midlands shares how they found kinship in the friendship of strangers. Khaled loved his job working at the department of water management in Syria. His wife, Bushra, spent her days teaching primary school children, while evenings were for maqluba a»»»

A woman lost two fingers after being attacked by a neighbor’s dog in the town of Atalanti, in Fthiotida, on Christmas Eve, local media reported. The incident occurred as the woman was returning home late after an outing with her family, when the dog reportedly attacked her, severing one finger from»»»

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for money laundering and abuse of power in the 1MDB scandal. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty Friday of abuse of pow»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE is set to see generally fair to partly cloudy weather on Saturday, with occasional cloud cover and a chance of light rain in some coastal and northern areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). In its daily forecast, the NCM said conditions will remain humid ov»»»

An explosion has killed at least eight people and injured 18 others during Friday prayers inside a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs, the health ministry has said. Pictures from Syria's state-run news agency, Sana, show the inside of the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque with black, scorched walls, sma»»»

A new video released by Sharjah Police offers a stark reminder of the dangers of distracted driving. The clip opens inside the force’s high-tech Operations Center, where officers vigilantly monitor a network of smart cameras across the emirate around the clock. Also Read: Distracted driving causes »»»

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida at the weekend, as talks continue on ending Russia's full-scale war. Zelensky said he expected the meeting to take place on Sunday and to focus on a US-brokered 20-point peace plan, as well as separate proposals»»»

BELGRADE - The Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija said on Friday Serb Sladjan Trajkovic had been sentenced to ten years in prison by a Pristina court without evidence or witnesses and noted that the ruling was a part of a broader plan aimed at intimidating the Serbs and expelling them fr»»»

Berlin, Germany: German Minister for Digital Affairs, Karsten Wildberger has expressed openness to introducing a ban on social media use for children, similar to recent measures adopted in Australia, the German News Agency, DPA, reported on Friday. Wildberger told DPA that restricting children's ac»»»

The US launched airstrikes against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists in Nigeria on Christmas Day, President Donald Trump has announced, accusing the militants of “viciously killing” Christians. Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group whose name means ‘(Western) books are forbidden,’ pledg»»»

President Donald Trump (R) escorts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18. Zelensky confirmed he'll have another meeting with Trump in the coming days. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Ukrainian Preside»»»

At least eight people died and 18 wounded in a blast that struck a mosque in an Alawite neighbourhood of the Homs province in Syria on Friday, according to local officials. At least eight people were killed in an explosion ⁠at a mosque of the Alawite minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Frid»»»

Moscow has made a "proposal" to France concerning the case of researcher Laurent Vinatier, who has been imprisoned in Russia since June 2024, the Kremlin said Thursday. Vinatier was sentenced by a Russian court to three years in prison for allegedly failing to register as a "foreign agent" but»»»

London: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is keen to ensure there is no repeat of Declan Rice's controversial red card against Brighton when his Premier League leaders face Brighton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The Gunners are just two points ahead of second-placed Manchester City and Pep Guardi»»»

Israeli security forces announced on Thursday the arrest of five Israeli settlers over their alleged involvement in an attack on a Palestinian home that injured a baby girl in the occupied West Bank. The eight-month-old infant suffered "moderate injuries to the face and head" in the late Wednesday »»»

Dubai: Dubai welcomed 17.55 million overnight visitors between January and November 2025, up 5% from the same period last year, according to the Dubai Economic and Tourism Department numbers. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The steady rise comes despite a more cautious»»»

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu speaks at U.N. Headquarters on September 19, 2023, in New York City. Nigeria's foreign minister said Tinubu gave the go-ahead on U.S. strikes on ISIS targets in his country. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Nigerian President Bola Tinu»»»

A major Gaza hospital has suspended several services because of a critical fuel shortage in the devastated Palestinian territory, which continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis, it said. Devastated by more than two years of war, the Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza district of Nuseirat ca»»»

The year 2025 entered Bulgaria’s political history as one marked by the collapse of a regular government under public pressure and by decisive steps toward eurozone membership, according to BTA. After a prolonged cycle of early parliamentary elections, a cabinet led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazk»»»

Dubai’s Event Security Committee (ESC) has confirmed that all security, organisational, and service preparations are in place for New Year’s Eve 2026, ensuring the celebrations uphold Dubai’s reputation for world-class events. The announcement was made at a press conference at Dubai Civil Defence h»»»

Phnom Penh: Thailand's prime minister expressed hope on Friday for a ceasefire with Cambodia, even as Phnom Penh accused the Thai military of intensifying its bombardment of disputed border areas. Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand's National Security Council had agreed to send the country's defence»»»

Twenty-two years have passed since the deadly attack in the Iraqi city of Karbala that claimed the lives of five Bulgarian servicemen. A truck bomb rammed into Camp India, where the Bulgarian contingent was stationed, killing Georgi Kachorin, Ivan Indjov, Svilen Kirov, Nikolay Saryev and officer ca»»»

It's been a rollercoaster of a year for U.S. trade policy. President Donald Trump launched a barrage of new tariffs in 2025, plunging the U.S. into trade wars with nearly every country in the world. Volley after volley of threats and steeper import taxes often arrived erratically — with Trump claim»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Unfriendly countries were forced to acknowledge the impossibility of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia and switched to calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. "[Russia's] firm defense of its national interests in relatio»»»

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Friday a Srpska lista win in Sunday's early elections for the Kosovo-Metohija provincial assembly in Pristina was crucial for the survival of Serbs in the province. Winning all ten seats guaranteed to th»»»

Thailand carried out air strikes on a disputed border area with Cambodia on Friday, as officials from both sides continued talks to try to end fighting. The Thai Air Force said it had hit a Cambodian "fortified military position" after civilians had left the area. Cambodia's defence ministry accuse»»»

Kyiv, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he would soon meet US leader Donald Trump, as part of efforts to end the Russian invasion. "We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level -- with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year»»»