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Thousands Stage Pro-Gaza Rally in Istanbul

World Demonstrators gather on the Galata Bridge holding Palestinian and Turkish flags during a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Thousands Stage Pro-Gaza Rally in Istanbul

Thousands joined a New Year's Day rally for Gaza in Istanbul Thursday, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags and calling for an end to the violence in the tiny…

Asharq Al Awsat
World In this handout photograph taken by the Ukrainian Emergency Service and released on January 1, 2025, Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire at the site following an air attack in Odesa region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE / AFP)

Ukraine Says Overnight Russian Drone Attack Damaged Power Infrastructure

A Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukraine's energy ministry said on Thursday. The ministry said a…

Asharq Al Awsat
World  Police officers inspect the area where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation bar and lounge leaving people dead and injured, during New Year’s celebration, in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

‘Several Tens’ Dead, About 100 Injured in Fire at Swiss Alps Resort During New Year’s Celebration

“Several tens of people” are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, following a fire at a Swiss Alps resort town bar during a New Year’s…

World US President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Trump Says National Guard Being Removed from Chicago, LA and Portland

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his administration was removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland but he added in his social…

World US President Donald Trump speaks next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025. (Reuters)

Israel’s Netanyahu Among Partygoers at Trump’s New Year’s Eve Fete

US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a glittering New Year's Eve party at his lavish Mar-a-Lago resort on Wednesday,…


World A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waving during an art performance celebrating the New Year 2026 at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, 01 January 2026. ( EPA/KCNA)

N. Korea’s Kim Hails ‘Invincible Alliance’ with Russia in New Year’s Letter

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised his troops fighting abroad as forging an "invincible alliance" with Russia in a new year's message, state media…

World New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (C) places his hand on a holy Quran as he is sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James (L) and his wife Rama Duwaji looks on in New York, on January 1, 2026. (AFP)

Zohran Mamdani Sworn in as New York City Mayor at Historic Subway Station

Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan…

World This handout photo taken and released by the Taiwan Presidential Office on January 1, 2026 shows Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivering a New Year’s Day speech at the presidential hall in Taipei. (Handout / Taiwan Presidential Office / AFP)

Taiwan’s President Pledges to Defend Island’s Sovereignty After Chinese Military Drills

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Thursday vowed to defend the self-ruled island’s sovereignty in the face of China’s “expansionist ambitions,” days after…

World A woman and a child hold hands as they walk down a street in the predominantly Somali neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis in May 2022. Jessie Wardarski/AP

Campaign Launched Against Somali Migrants in US after Vast Fraud Case

The Trump administration in recent months has latched onto news of a large-scale public benefit fraud scandal to carry out immigration raids and harsher…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World An Iranian woman walks with her shopping bag in a street in Tehran, Iran, 31 December 2025. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Member of Iranian Security Forces Reportedly Killed During Protests

A member of Iran's security forces was killed during protests that have swept across the country since last week, state television reported on Thursday citing…

Asharq Al Awsat
World (FILES) Migrants picked up at sea attempting to cross the English Channel from France, disembark from Border Force vessel 'Ranger' after it arrived at the Marina in Dover, south-east England, on May 21, 2025. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

Near Record Number of Small Boat Migrants Reach UK in 2025

The second-highest annual number of migrants arrived on UK shores in small boats since records were started in 2018, the government was to confirm Thursday. …

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World A Russian service member stands next to the remains of a drone, which, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, was downed during the repelling of an alleged Ukrainian attack on the Russian presidential residence in the Novgorod Region, in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image from a video released December 31, 2025. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters)

Russia Releases Video Footage to Challenge Kyiv Over Alleged Attack

Russia's defense ministry released video footage on Wednesday of what it said was a downed drone at a briefing intended to show Ukraine tried this week to…

World A screen broadcasting news about military drills conducted by China around Taiwan is seen on a street in Beijing, China, 30 December 2025. (EPA)

China Slams Countries That Criticized Taiwan Drills as 'Irresponsible'

Beijing slammed on Wednesday countries including Japan and Australia for their "irresponsible" criticism of China's military drills in waters around Taiwan. …

World A person walks past a sign at a currency exchange, as the value of the Iranian rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, December 30, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iran Appoints New Central Bank Governor After Record Currency Fall and Mass Protests

Iran on Wednesday appointed a new governor to the central bank after the former one resigned following a record currency fall against the US dollar that…

World Iranians walks past shops in Vali-Asr Square in the Iranian capital Tehran, on the last day of the year on December 31, 2025. (AFP)

Iran Government Building Attacked as Top Prosecutor Responds to Protests

A government building in southern Iran was attacked on Wednesday, authorities said, as the country's top prosecutor warned of a "decisive response" to any…

World A general view of the house where Turkish security forces launched an operation believed to contain suspected ISIS militants, in Yalova province, Türkiye, December 29, 2025. (Reuters)

Türkiye Detains 125 ISIS Suspects in Nationwide Sweep

Türkiye on Wednesday detained scores of people suspected of affiliation with the ISIS group during nationwide raids, the interior minister announced on X. …

World Shopkeepers and traders protest in the street against the economic conditions and Iran's embattled currency in Tehran on December 29, 2025. (Handout / Fars News Agency / AFP)

Israel’s Mossad Tells Iranian Protesters ‘We Are with You'

Israel's Mossad spy agency issued a direct call urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them "on the ground" as demonstrations…

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World Children play at the Balata camp for Palestinian refugees, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on December 30, 2025. (AFP)

Global ‘Fragmentation’ Fueling World’s Crises, Warns UN Refugee Chief

The outgoing United Nations refugee chief fears an increasingly fragmented world is fueling global conflicts and crises, and inflaming hostility towards people…

World Police officers carry an injured passenger from one of the two trains affected after a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu with Ollantaytambo in Pampacahua, Cusco Department, Peru, on December 30, 2025. (AFP)

Train Crash Near Peru’s Machu Picchu Kills One, Injures 40

A head-on collision between two trains on the line that services Peru's Machu Picchu killed one person and injured at least 40 others, authorities said,…

World Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) chairs a meeting to discuss Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, as Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov (R) sits nearby, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 29 December 2025. (EPA/Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)

Russia’s Gerasimov Says Putin Ordered Ukraine Buffer Zone Expansion in 2026

Russia’s top general said its forces were pressing forward in northeastern Ukraine and President Vladimir ​Putin had ordered expansion of territory Moscow…

World Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year in Sydney, Australia, January 1, 2026. (Reuters)

World Begins to Bid Goodbye to 2025 with Fireworks and Icy Plunges

10...nine...eight... As Wednesday turned to Thursday, people around the world said goodbye to a sometimes challenging 2025 and expressed hopes for the new…

World This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on December 25, 2025, shows damaged building on fire following an alleged air attack in Odesa region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Handout /Ukrainian Emergency Service / AFP)

Four Injured, Including Three Children in Russian Attack on Odesa, Ukraine Says

Russia launched an overnight drone attack on ​Ukraine’s Odesa region, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure and injuring four people, including…

World Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, center, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., appear on stage during a rally, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP)

Leftist Mamdani to Take Over as New York Mayor Under Trump Shadow

Zohran Mamdani, young upstart of the US left, was readying Wednesday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President…

World This handout photo taken and released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP) on December 31, 2025 shows Cambodian soldiers, who had been captured by Thai soldiers in July, being escorting by Cambodian soldiers after their release, as they walk at a checkpoint along the border with Thailand in Cambodia's Pailin province. (Ja Dina / Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP) / AFP)

Thailand Releases 18 Cambodian Prisoners of War as Part of Ceasefire Agreement

Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held for five months, fulfilling the terms of a ceasefire agreement the two countries signed to…

World Israeli soldiers mourn reservist Master sergeant Asaf Cafri, 26, who was killed in Israel's ground operation in the Gaza Strip, during his funeral. (AP)

Israel Grants Special Status to Soldiers Who Died by Suicide During War on Gaza

The Israeli army and the Defense Ministry announced that they will grant the special status of “died after service” to soldiers who served in the war on Gaza…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tel Aviv)
World Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, attends the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, on Sept. 25, 2025. (AP)

Iran’s President Says Answer to Attack Would Be Harsh in Apparent Response to Trump Warning

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said his country’s answer to an attack would be harsh, which appeared to be in response to a warning by US…

World 28 December 2025, US, Palm Beach: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump following their talks at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. (Ukrainian Presidency/dpa)

Ukraine Says No Evidence It Attacked Putin Residence

Ukraine said Tuesday there was no "plausible" evidence it launched a drone attack on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's residences, accusing Moscow of…

World This picture taken on November 7, 2024 shows a general view of the city of Hargeisa, capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. (Photo by LUIS TATO / AFP)

Thousands of Somalis Protest Israeli Recognition of Somaliland

Large protests broke out in several towns and cities across Somalia on Tuesday in opposition to Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland. …

Asharq Al Awsat
World Shopkeepers and traders walk over a bridge during a protest against the economic conditions and Iran's embattled currency in Tehran on December 29, 2025. (Handout / Fars News Agency / AFP)

Students Join Iran Demonstrations After Shopkeepers Protest

Iranian students staged street protests in Tehran on Tuesday, a day after the capital's shopkeepers demonstrated against economic hardship and won a message of…