President Nicolas Maduro Thursday dodged a question about an alleged US attack on a dock in Venezuela but said he was open to cooperation with Washington after weeks of American military pressure. "Wherever they want and whenever they want," Maduro said of the idea of dialogue with the United State»»»

Investigators raced on Friday to identify the victims of a fire that ripped through a bar in the Swiss Alps town of Crans-Montana, turning a New Year's celebration into one of the country's worst tragedies. It is not yet clear what set off the blaze at Le Constellation, killing around 40 people and»»»

Three people were injured, two of them critically, in two separate road accidents in the Attica region in the early hours of Friday, authorities said. The first crash occurred at about 2.10 a.m. in Ilion (Ano Liosia), in western Athens, on Radiofonias Street, when two passenger cars collided, accor»»»

Dubai: The UAE has introduced a clear new rule on what happens to a foreign residents' assets if they die in the country without a will or any claim from legal heirs, under the newly issued Civil Transactions Law. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Under the law, financia»»»

This file photo shows the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, taking part in the Spur Ride event at Camp Humphreys, a key U.S. base in Pyeongtaek, on Sept. 25, 2025. File Photo by Pfc. Kalisber Ortega/U.S. Army/UPI A U.S. Army squadron tasked with a reconnaissance mission in South Kore»»»

For three weeks, speculation has been rife about the potential secession of southern Yemen from the North after fighters aligned with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) took control of the eastern governorates of Hadramout and Al Mahrah, triggering a wave of commentary in Arab and internationa»»»

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- Pakistan and India on Thursday exchanged the lists of their respective nuclear installations and prisoners, continuing the annual practice under an agreement signed between the two nations in 1988.Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Hussain Andrabi, speaking at a »»»

Dubai: For many Britons relocating to the UAE, healthcare is one of the most underestimated adjustments. The shift from the UK’s tax-funded NHS to an insurance-led system changes how care is accessed, how quickly treatment is delivered and how much choice patients ultimately have. Sign up for our d»»»

A photo by state media released Friday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (front, R), his daughter Kim Ju Ae (front, C) and wife Ri Sol-ju (front, L) visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. Photo by KCNA/EPA SEOUL, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter made her»»»

Around 40 people were killed and at least 115 were injured after a fire ripped through a bar during New Year's Eve celebrations in a luxury resort town in southern Switzerland, police said Thursday.  A fire ripped through a bar’s New Year celebration in a Swiss Alpine resort shortly after midn»»»

Videos circulating online show the alleged moment a devastating fire broke out during New Yea'rs party inside the Le Constellation bar in Switzerland. What happenedIn the early hours of 1 January 2026, a deadly fire broke out inside the Le Constellation bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana, »»»

China’s largest electric carmaker, BYD, posted a fresh global record for electric vehicle sales in 2025, underlining the shifting balance of power in the world’s fast-evolving auto industry. The Shenzhen-based auto giant s»»»

China’s largest electric carmaker, BYD, posted a fresh global record for electric vehicle sales in 2025, underlining the shifting balance of power in the world’s fast-evolving auto industry. The Shenzhen-based auto giant s»»»

Ex-Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has urged President Nicusor Dan to share a report on the controversial annulment of the December 2024 election with the US and Israel for independent review. The conservative frontrunner was eliminated from the race by the Constitutional Court over»»»

Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight on Thursday, marking a historic moment with a low-key swearing-in ceremony held deep beneath Manhattan. The Democrat, who at 34 is the city’s youngest mayor in generations, takes office as one of the most closely watched political fig»»»

More than 20 million people in the United States will face sharply higher health insurance costs as of January 1 after enhanced tax credits that helped enrollees in the Affordable Care Act afford coverage expired overnight. The expiration of the subsidies will mostly affect families, small business»»»

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been discharged from hospital in Brasília and taken back into custody, a week after undergoing double hernia surgery, as he continues to serve a prison sentence for leading an attempted coup. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro left a hospita»»»

Commenting on doubts expressed in some media outlets about casualties from a Ukrainian drone strike on a cafe in Russia's Kherson Region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the West keeps silencing Kiev's crimes. "I am reading in some media outlets and blogs about 'doubts' th»»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai moved higher at the end of the first trading week of 2026, recovering from a muted start to the year as global markets reopened with a cautious but constructive tone. By 7.50 am on Friday, the price of 24-karat gold stood at Dh524 a gram, up from Dh520.25 the previous da»»»

Dozens of international humanitarian organisations will be banned from operating in the devastated Gaza Strip after Israel said the groups had not complied with a deadline to meet "security and transparency standards". A number of aid groups have refused to submit a list of their Palestinian staff »»»

A junior minister on Wednesday said the French citizenship granted to Hollywood star George Clooney despite his poor level of French suggested a "double standard". The Clooney family became citizens just days before language requirements were toughened under new rules from January 1. France's junio»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un heaped praise on Pyongyang's forces supporting Russia's war in Ukraine in a new year's message, hinting at the "remarkable feats" the country's troops will perform on overseas battlefields in years to come. Thousands of North Korean troops were deployed in Russia's K»»»

Protesters and security forces clashed in western Iran for the fifth day in a row on Thursday, with six civilians killed, according to the Fars news agency. A member of Iran’s security forces was also killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht, state television reported. Prot»»»

In a live New Year’s address, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te highlighted the need for increased defence spending and warned of a critical year ahead following a major Chinese military exercise that saw rockets fired towards Taiwanese territory. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday »»»

Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's teenage daughter Ju-ae has paid tribute at the family mausoleum for the first time, accompanied by her father, the North's state media images showed on Friday. Kim, his wife and Ju-ae, as well as key party and government officials, visited the family mausole»»»

Washington: US President Donald Trump blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep while attending public meetings in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday. In the interview defending his health, Trump also changed his previous statement about receiv»»»

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is among some 60 female lawmakers petitioning for more women's toilets in the parliament building to match their growing representation in the legislature. A record 73 women were elected into the 465-seat Lower House in October 2024, exceeding the previous high»»»

President Nicolas Maduro Thursday dodged a question about an alleged US attack on a dock in Venezuela but said he was open to cooperation with Washington after weeks of American military pressure. "Wherever they want and whenever they want," Maduro said of the idea of dialogue with the United State»»»

US President Donald Trump has branded his special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, an “idiot” over his public support for Vladimir Zelensky, the New York Times has reported, citing unnamed officials. Reuters claimed in November that Kellogg plans to step down from his post sometime this month. The»»»

US President Donald Trump said in a lengthy interview about his health that he takes more aspirin than doctors recommend, uses makeup to cover bruising on his hands, and does not get regular exercise because he finds it "boring". Trump also told The Wall Street Journal that he underwent a CT scan i»»»

China's BYD is set to overtake Elon Musk's Tesla as the world's biggest seller of electric vehicles (EVs), marking the first time it has outpaced its American rival for annual sales. On Thursday, BYD said that sales of its battery-powered cars rose last year by almost 28% to more than 2.25 million.»»»

The Muslim Brotherhood remains a formidable force in Sudan, fighting and contributing to the country’s destruction while operating from within the security apparatus and exerting influence over decision-making in pursuit of its own interests rather than those of the nation. After 33 months of fight»»»

With Congress failing to extend subsidies for health insurance bought through federal and state Affordable Care Act online exchanges, the roughly 24 million people who obtain coverage through the ACA are set to see their monthly premiums double. Screenshot via Healthcare.gov Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Insuran»»»

The cost of lots of the devices we all use could be forced up in 2026 because the price of Ram - once one of the cheapest computer components - has more than doubled since October 2025. The tech powers everything from smartphones to smart TVs, as well as things like medical devices. Its price has s»»»

When Caleb was nearing the end of his computer science degree and looking for his first job, one of few sectors actively recruiting graduates was defence. Salary, career path, and job security all looked good, but ultimately a defence sector career "didn't sit well" with him. "It's one of those job»»»

People buying cryptocurrency in the UK now need to share their account details or face penalties, in changes that came into effect on 1 January. The move by the UK's tax body is designed to ensure they pay all relevant tax on buying and selling crypto, including capital gains tax. HMRC will begin a»»»

Hundreds gathered in silence in the freezing night in Crans-Montana on Thursday evening, laying flowers and lighting candles to remember those killed and injured in a horrific blaze as they celebrated the New Year. Around 40 people died and more than 100 were injured in the blaze that ripped throug»»»

KUWAIT, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- 1912 -- Modern medical services were provided to women for the first time by the American Missionary Hospital in Kuwait. 1955 -- The State of Kuwait established a pension fund for civil servants and retirees. 1956 -- The Kuwaiti printing and publishing department issued its »»»

GENEVA, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- Swiss authorities revealed Thursday the preliminary toll of the tragic fire that broke out at a tourist ski resort in Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland during New Year celebrations, reporting about 40 deaths and 115 injuries mostly in critical condition due to severe»»»

RIYADH, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) has launched a new governmental data center covering 30 million square feet in Riyadh with an estimated capacity of 480 megawatt.In a statement following the launching, SDAIA President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi said the data center project, whi»»»

KUWAIT, Jan 1 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti Minister of Information and Culture, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdurrahman Al-Mutairi opened on Thursday the "Kuwait Geopark" project, north of Kuwait Bay.The scheme came within the framework of backing national projects to highlight the country's histo»»»

A potential catastrophe has been avoided for pasta lovers, as the Trump administration has pulled back on a tariff proposal that could have nearly doubled the price of some dry pastas imported from Italy. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo Jan. 1 (UPI) -- The Italian government said Thur»»»

QNA Doha The 3rd Souq Waqif Truffle Exhibition and Auction, held in the eastern square of the market, is witnessing a large turnout of visitors and truffle enthusiasts, following the outstanding success of its previous two editions. The event has helped establish a culture of purchasing truffles in»»»

QNA Doha The Criminal Studies Institute of the Public Prosecution announced that it trained 1,863 officers in 2025 through a range of courses covering judicial, legal and administrative disciplines. The figure also includes participants in training visits from Arab and international judicial and ac»»»

QNA Doha Qatar is intensifying efforts to protect its rawdas natural depressions that form one of the country’s most important and fragile ecosystems as part of wider plans to safeguard biodiversity and meet the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change sai»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly stated that reunification with Taiwan is “inevitable,” reiterated the notion in his address to the nation on New Year’s Eve, touting an unbreakable “bond of blood and kinship.” Taiwan has been ruled by Chinese nationalist forces as the Republic of Ch»»»

The US has destroyed three alleged narco-trafficking boats travelling in a convoy in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a number of people aboard, as part of Washington’s growing pressure campaign against Venezuela. The latest lethal “kinetic strike” was conducted in international waters on Decembe»»»

To be fair to the dismal year on the way out, at least 2025 won’t be a hard act to beat. In particular, if last January anyone was recklessly optimistic enough to hope for the West to come to its senses about its catastrophic relationship with Russia and the war in and over Ukraine, they will have »»»

President Donald Trump waves to the media while playing golf at Turnberry Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland in July. Trump has terminated the leases at the three public golf courses in Washington, D.C. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo Jan. 1 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump ended the le»»»

New York: Somalia officially assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council on Thursday, leading the Council's work during this January. The Somali National News Agency (SONNA) reported that the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that assuming the presidency of the Security Council represen»»»