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.
Yemen's air force carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets earlier on Friday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, Spokesman for t...
The European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus and European partners have put a six-wheeled Mars rover prototype through its paces in Spain’s Tabern...
Azerbaijan won 22 medals, including seven gold, at the Mingachevir Regatta 2026 as more than 100 young rowers from 12 countries competed in the int...
Yemen's air force carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets earlier on Friday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis denied targeting a power plant supplying energy to a mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel may participate in the investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, while investigators examine the motive of the co-pilot involved.
Swiss glaciers lost more than 5 per cent of their ice in 2026, making it one of their worst years on record as a dry winter and repeated heatwaves accelerated melting across the Alps.
Passengers from a flydubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft have arrived safely in Israel.
Russia has warned NATO that it would be prepared to use nuclear weapons if the Western alliance attempted to isolate Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, according to a diplomatic document seen by Reuters.
A retired Australian builder has arrived in Baku in his 1929 Pontiac Roadster during an epic journey from Bangkok to Istanbul, using the nearly century-old car to raise money for Parkinson’s research.
Around 400 schools across France remained closed on Friday as protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating buildings escalated into violence, leaving dozens injured and leading to 2,000 arrests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow wanted to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations as soon as possible, while insisting that any settlement must meet conditions acceptable to Russia and include security guarantees.
The family of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen fatally shot by an immigration agent in Minneapolis in January, has sued the Trump administration, accusing federal officials of excessive force and unconstitutional conduct.
Ukraine is working to resolve a diplomatic dispute with South Korea after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday, 1 October.
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