Politics

The FBI announced it arrested an 18-year-old in North Carolina who is accused of planning a New Year's Eve attack and has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Israel announced it will deregister 37 NGOs operating in Gaza with a 1 March deadline; aid deliveries have resumed after a ceasefire but remain insufficient, and about 1.6 million people are reported to face acute food insecurity.

Swiss investigators say sparklers on Champagne bottles likely ignited a fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana that killed and injured dozens; the inquiry is ongoing.

The Government said the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will strengthen a reformed legacy commission and add protections for veterans, after Veterans Commissioner David Johnstone warned the bill treats veterans "worse than terrorists".

The US military reported that seven ISIS fighters were killed and around a dozen were captured in Syria after an ambush that killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter. The operations included airstrikes and a series of missions late in December.

Actress and heiress Sara Foster suggested on social media that the killing of Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman may be connected to an alleged Somali fraud scheme in Minnesota. Other lawmakers criticised the suggestion while authorities continue investigating both the shooting and separate fraud allegations.

A viral video flagged alleged fraud by Somali-run childcare and social service providers in Minnesota, prompting federal scrutiny. Officials have announced freezes on some state payments while investigations continue. For now, we'll stick to the confirmed facts.

Zohran Mamdani will take office on January 1 with a midnight oath at the decommissioned Old City Hall subway stop and a public ceremony at City Hall Plaza; he is New York City's first Muslim mayor and campaigned on affordability measures.

Officials said Russian drones struck Odesa overnight, injuring six people including a toddler and damaging apartment buildings and energy facilities.

A viral video alleges many Somali-run daycares in Minnesota were empty while receiving public funds, and lawmakers and federal officials have raised concerns about whether the state's election 'vouching' rule could be vulnerable to abuse.

Labour has ruled out removing dual national Alaa Abd El‑Fattah's UK citizenship over past tweets, saying they do not meet the high legal threshold; Abd El‑Fattah has apologised and returned to the UK after a pardon in Egypt.

The European Court of Human Rights has asked the UK to justify its 2019 decision to strip Shamima Begum of British citizenship and has sent four formal questions to the Home Office; the next step is a response from the UK government.

Russian authorities reported power outages in parts of the Moscow region after drone strikes, with estimates of affected residents ranging from about 100,000 to 600,000.

Police Scotland says drugs with an estimated street value of almost £80 million were seized across Scotland in 2025; arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing.

Bulgaria becomes the 21st country to adopt the euro on New Year's Day, amid political instability and public concern about price rises.

Huge crowds gathered outside Bangladesh’s parliament for funeral prayers for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died at age 80.

Nearly 60 female lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, submitted a petition for more women's toilets in the Diet building; reporters noted one lavatory with two cubicles near the lower house plenary for about 73 women.

Queen Camilla praised the Hunt family's courage on BBC Radio 4 and, for the first time publicly, described an attempted indecent assault she experienced as a teenager.

Guinea's electoral commission announced Mamady Doumbouya won 86.72% of the vote, and main opposition leaders had been barred and urged a boycott of the election.

Australia said it is deeply concerned about large Chinese military exercises near Taiwan and has raised the matter with Chinese officials; Taiwan reported missiles, military aircraft and ships were detected near its waters.

The head of Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission said gender recognition certificates remain important after the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of sex; official data show a record 1,987 applications in the year to September.

A patient at M Health Fairview Lakes Hospital in Wyoming, Minnesota, allegedly assaulted security guard Andrea Merrell on Christmas Day; she later died and the suspect has been charged with second-degree murder and is jailed awaiting further court action.

US executions reached 47 in 2025, the most in 16 years; the rise followed a presidential executive order on the death penalty and a pattern of the Supreme Court denying requests to stay executions.

Russia released night footage of a damaged drone it says was launched at President Putin's Valdai residence; Kyiv denies the claim and Russian officials say there were no injuries or damage.

Russia reopened the Mariupol Drama Theatre this week; Ukrainian officials and international groups criticised the move because the building was bombed in March 2022 while civilians were sheltering there.