Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai softened on January 1, easing from last week’s record highs as global markets closed out a volatile but historic year for precious metals. As of Thursday morning 9:15 am, 24-karat gold was priced at Dh520.25 per gram, while 22-karat stood at Dh481.75, offering some relie»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) provided over $667m in aid through 2025 for more than 45 countries, culminating in a year abounding with forged partnerships and achieving a concrete breakthrough in lending impetus to the agenda of development and humanitarian work on the global stage»»»

New York: Zohran Mamdani, the young upstart of the US left, was sworn in early Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a four-year term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. Also In This Package From 1-BHK to $100m mansion: Mamdani explains decision 'Mamdani is Indian': Mehd»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said a peace agreement to end the war with Russia is "90% ready", in a New Year address that largely focused on resistance to Moscow's full-scale invasion. Zelensky said the remaining 10% of the agreement to end nearly four years of conflict would "determi»»»

Dubai: Weather conditions across the UAE are expected to stabilise slightly today, with fair to partly cloudy skies prevailing and increased humidity developing overnight and into Friday morning across some coastal and internal areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The NCM h»»»

Sharjah: Families, friends and tourists came together across Sharjah’s waterfronts to welcome 2026 with fireworks, live performances and cultural celebrations, as Al Heera Beach, Al Majaz Waterfront and Khor Fakkan Beach hosted packed New Year’s Eve programmes. Al Heera Beach dazzles visitors with »»»

The United States (US) under President Donald Trump has entered a new and more confrontational phase in its campaign against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This includes what appears to be the first American strike on Venezuelan soil, a move that marks a significant escalati»»»

Dubai: Ras Al Khaimah ushered in 2026 with a 15-minute New Year’s Eve spectacle featuring drones and fireworks that set a new Guinness World Records title for the largest aerial display of a phoenix formed by multirotor drones. 2,300 drones form phoenixThe centrepiece of the celebration was a large»»»

In a dramatic escalation of anti-drug operations, US Southern Command (Southcom) announced on December 31, 2025, that forces under Joint Task Force-Southern Spear (JTF-SS) conducted "kinetic strikes" against three narco-trafficking vessels in international waters on December 30. Also Read: A timeli»»»

Dubai: Gold heads into 2026 carrying the weight of an exceptional year. Gold remained on track for its strongest annual gain in over four decades, while other precious metals fell sharply as investors booked profits after a strong, record-setting rally. Gold has gained around 70% this year and silv»»»

Happy New Year to all of our readers, viewers, customers and followers. We're full of excitement as we move into 2026 on the back of an epic evening across the UAE. No-one does it better than our seven Emirates, right? Spectacular fireworks, complex drone shows, incredible crowds, stunning lights..»»»

A worker at Walt Disney World is "recovering" after being injured by a 400-lb (180kg) runaway fake boulder prop in an incident that was caught on video, the Florida theme park confirmed. The incident took place at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! during a live recreation of a famous scene »»»

Revellers around the world toasted the start of 2026, bidding farewell on Wednesday to a volatile year when temperatures soared, US President Donald Trump upended global trade, and the brutal conflict in Ukraine raged on. While a fragile truce took hold in devastated Gaza, violence in Sudan continu»»»

PARIS: Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney were granted French citizenship because “they contribute, through their distinguished actions, to France’s international influence and cultural outreach,” the French government said Wednesday, defending their naturalisation that was questioned b»»»

Dubai: Dubai is ending 2025 with record numbers on the board and a noticeably different mood among buyers. After a year of momentum-led decisions, the property market is heading into 2026 with a sharper focus on long-term usability. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Sale»»»

Hanane Djoua Doha As Arab travellers increasingly seek destinations that combine authenticity, nature and cultural depth, Kazakhstan is emerging as a compelling choice one that surprises, reassures, and invites discovery. According to Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Qatar, HE Arman Issa»»»

Tribune News Network Doha As the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 concluded, Vodafone Qatar successfully delivered on its role as the Official Technology Sponsor, supporting the tournament with connectivity solutions that enabled seamless fan experiences and smooth tournament operations. Vodafone Qatar’s a»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Museums (QM) has honoured the patrons whose generosity has enriched its collections and played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s cultural landscape. From families sharing treasured heirlooms and artists donating unparalleled works, to corporations and diplomatic»»»

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday released the transcript and video of former special counsel Jack Smith's 8-plus hour closed-door testimony about his efforts to prosecute President Donald Trump. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Former special counsel Jack Smith de»»»

Chinese people will pay a 13% sales tax on contraceptives from 1 January, while childcare services will be exempt, as the world's second-largest economy tries to boost birth rates. An overhaul of the tax system announced late last year removes many exemptions that were in place since 1994, when Chi»»»

Sydney has welcomed the New Year with a message of peace following the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as huge crowds gathered to watch the city's annual fireworks display. The words peace and unity were projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as thousands of heavily armed police officers patrolled th»»»

Open-source imagery and data confirm that the vessels targeted by the Saudi-led coalition air strike on Mukalla, Yemen, on December 30, originated from the United Arab Emirates. The ships were carrying Emirati military vehicles used by a separatist group. Images of the air strike on Yemen’s port of»»»

Dozens of NGOs expect to see their licenses to operate in Gaza revoked on January 1 for failing to comply with Israel’s new rules for the Palestinian territory. Their expulsion comes as Gazans face harsh winter conditions and a deepening humanitarian crisis.  Medical charity Doctors Without Bo»»»

Amid conflicts and crises, 2025 also brought reasons for optimism, medical breakthroughs, encouraging signs for the planet and sporting and cultural surprises. As the world heads into 2026, FRANCE 24 looks back at some of the stories that offered moments of relief.  Welcome to 2026! As the new»»»

Bulgaria - the poorest country in the European Union - has become the 21st member of the eurozone - leapfrogging more obvious and prosperous candidates like Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. For mostly urban, young and entrepreneurial Bulgarians, it's an optimistic and potentially lucrative l»»»

Iran will meet any attempt to use ongoing protests driven by economic hardship to foment insecurity with a "decisive response", prosecutor-general Mohammad Movahedi-Azad said Wednesday. Shopkeeper-led demonstrations broke out Sunday to protest the sanction-hit country's rising cost of living. »»»

US President Donald Trump has said he is withdrawing National Guard troops from several US cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, after a Supreme Court ruling last week undermined his authority to use troops for policing. "We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when c»»»

“For the first time since the Second Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria is printing a currency that is accepted beyond the country’s borders. January 1, 2026 marks the beginning of an era. Bulgarians travel freely, work, and develop businesses as equal citizens in the richest union in the world,” said Cont»»»

1 of 2 | A menorah is projected onto the pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, during a New Years Eve tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting on Dec. 14. Photo by Dan Himbrechts/EPA Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Australia rang in 2026 with fireworks, solidarity, words of encou»»»

The US Congress has released the transcript of testimony by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, in which he defended his decision to lead two defunct criminal investigations into Donald Trump. The transcript, released on New Year's Eve by the House Judiciary Committee, is 255 pages. It features ques»»»

New York: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has strongly criticised Israel's decision to suspend the work of a number of humanitarian organisations, calling the move shameful and part of a pattern of unlawful restrictions on aid. In a statement issued in New York on Wednesday,»»»

The firm behind US President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform said it will issue a new cryptocurrency to its shareholders, marking the Trump family's latest foray into digital assets. The digital token from Trump Media and Technology Group will add to the Trumps' crypto ventures, which have gen»»»

The year has shown that there are still opportunities for restoring relations between Moscow and Washington, Russian Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev has said in a holiday message. ”The past year has been challenging, but it has also opened up opportunities for restoring Russian-American rel»»»

Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been allowed to participate in the Munich Security Conference (MSC) next year, the event’s chairman has said. The AfD, known for its anti-migrant rhetoric and calls for Berlin to stop sending military aid to Ukraine, had been barred from »»»

A potential threat caused a partial shutdown at Kansas City International Airport late Wednesday morning. The airport was reopened about an hour later following a search. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A late-morning threat on Wednesday caused a temporary lockdown at»»»

SNAP users in 18 states will have new restrictions this year on what they can buy with their benefits. Some take effect Thursday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo Dec. 31 (UPI) -- SNAP users in some states face additional limits on what they can buy that take effect Thursday. At least 1»»»

Protesters in Iran have tried to break into a local government building in the southern province of Fars, on a fourth day of demonstrations sparked by a currency collapse. Officials said three police officers were injured and four people arrested in the city of Fasa. Confrontations were also been r»»»

The nation's new jobless claims were less than expected at 199,000 seasonally adjusted claims for the week ending on Saturday, the Department of Labor reported. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The nation's new jobless claims exceeded expectations with fewer than 200,0»»»

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Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanon 2025: A Year of Resilience and Steadfastness Amid Accelerating Events 31-12-2025 21:21 PM Lebanon entered 2025 in the aftermath of »»»

Several US states are set to ban items like soda and candy for Americans who rely on government benefits to buy food. The bans will start New Years Day in five states - West Virginia, Utah, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska - and will impact lower-income families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Ass»»»

A Hezbollah delegation paid a holiday visit to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi at the Patriarchal See in Bkerke on Tuesday. The delegation included MPs Ali Fayad and Raed Brou, along with Political Council members Abu Saeed Al-Khansa and Abdullah Zaiour. They met with Patriarch Al-Rahi t»»»

The United States is the second-largest destination for Chilean cherry exports after China, with shipments exceeding 3.9 million 5-kilogram boxes in 2024. File Photo by Benjamin Hernandez/EPA SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The start of Chile's new cherry export season is delivering strong result»»»

Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that he is in discussions with US President Donald Trump about American troops being deployed to Ukraine, in line with the security guarantees Washington has offered Kiev, according to The Telegraph. The statement came despite Trump repeatedly ruling out such a scenari»»»

The faithful attend a Christmas mass at the damaged St. Anthony church in Al-Khiyam, southern Lebanon, on December 25. This is the first Christmas mass in the town since a cease-fire was agreed to between Lebanon and Israel in late November 2024 to halt more than a year of cross-border fighting wit»»»

Tunis, Dec. 31 (TAP) - Tunisia has about 20 billion dinars in untapped export potential to the European Union each year, Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Abid, estimated on Wednesday evening.He noted during a speech at a plenary...»»»

President Donald Trump has made the first vetoes of legislation since retaking the White House nearly a year ago, setting up a potential showdown with US lawmakers. The two bills he vetoed passed Congress with bipartisan support, meaning lawmakers could muster enough votes to override him in the ne»»»

In a step aimed at advancing construction activities, Expo 2030 Riyadh awarded its Main Utilities and Civil Works package to Nesma and Partners - marking a significant moment in the journey to bring to life one of the most ambitious global mega-events ever developed. The milestone demonstrates the »»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Police have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining safety and public order during celebrations and large gatherings, stressing that any negative behaviour will be addressed in accordance with clear legal procedures. Lieutenant Colonel Yousuf Al Mahmoud, Director of the Special »»»

New York, Dec. 31 (SANA) A year after the collapse of ousted regime, tens of thousands of Syrian families are still searching for answers about the fate of more than 100,000 people who disappeared into the country’s security prisons during nearly 14 years of war. Documents and Testimonies Reveal a »»»