Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 31st of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Protests over Iran’s soaring cost of living have spread across the country, with students joining shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran. The rial’s sharp decline and inflation surpassing 42% have fueled frustration. President Pezeshkian has called for dialogue, but unrest continues to grow amid a worsening economic crisis.
Russia carried out an overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure, and injuring four people, including three children. The attack adds to a series of Russian strikes on the key Black Sea port, with extensive damage to high-rise apartments.
Germany’s military planners warn that cyberattacks, sabotage, and disinformation could signal the onset of a new war, according to a confidential government document. The Operational Plan for Germany (OPLAN) details how the country would defend itself in a major NATO conflict. The plan underscores the importance of civilian infrastructure in military operations and highlights Germany’s role as a critical NATO logistics hub. Hybrid warfare tactics from Russia have already been on the rise.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel's airstrikes on Gaza following a ceasefire, stating U.S. President Donald Trump expressed no concerns about the actions. Netanyahu emphasised the need to disarm Hamas for peace in Gaza and warned Iran over its missile drills, stating any escalation would have serious consequences.
Thieves took advantage of the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a Sparkasse bank branch in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, making off with at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes. Police confirmed the crime was discovered early on 29 December after a fire alarm was triggered. Authorities are investigating the break-in, which involved drilling through a concrete wall and accessing several thousand vaults. Witnesses reported seeing suspects with large bags in a nearby parking garage and a stolen black Audi leaving the area. Police are still working to identify the perpetrators.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
Russia has agreed to work with Ghana on developing a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant following talks at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Saturday.
Foreign ministers from the U.S., Japan, Australia and India raised concerns over export restrictions and economic coercion at a Quad meeting in Atlanta, U.S., on Saturday, 31 October 2026, according to their joint statement.
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