Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 1st of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ukrainian and European officials have rejected Russia’s claim that Ukraine tried to strike a residence of President Vladimir Putin with drones, calling the allegation unfounded and destabilising for peace talks. U.S. intelligence assessments reported by the Wall Street Journal found no evidence of such an attack, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the claim was a “deliberate distraction” as negotiations continue.
People around the world marked the arrival of 2026 with fireworks, traditions and muted commemorations, as hopes for peace and stability shaped New Year messages. Celebrations began in the Pacific and spread west, from Sydney’s major fireworks display to Seoul’s bell-ringing ritual, while some cities scaled back events after recent tragedies. In Kyiv and Moscow, residents welcomed the new year with renewed calls for an end to the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants the war to end but will not accept a “weak” peace that risks prolonging the conflict. In his New Year address, he said a U.S.-led deal is about 90% ready, with territory the main obstacle, and insisted any agreement must secure lasting peace without sacrificing Ukraine’s future.
President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan closed 2025 as a year of peace, security and stability, crediting national unity for the country’s achievements. In the New Year and World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day address, he said the Patriotic War victory was sealed politically and internationally, reconstruction is advancing, and Azerbaijan remains committed to peace while staying vigilant amid global instability.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has criticised Israel’s decision to ban electricity or water supplies to facilities run by the UN Palestinian refugee agency, warning it would seriously hinder humanitarian operations. Several Western countries said the move, alongside restrictions on international NGOs in Gaza, could force the closure of vital services, including healthcare facilities.
Iran has strongly condemned the renewed U.S. attacks on Thursday as a violation of the UN Charter, saying Washington has rendered its ceasefire deal s...
At the start of 2026, something unusual happened in China's car market. BYD, the company that had spent years at the top of the domestic sales charts,...
A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over charges linked to a military drone operation involving No...
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to become the biggest tournament in football history....
An adviser to the European Union’s top court said on Thursday that the European Commission’s appeal against a 2024 ruling, which required disclosu...
Iran has strongly condemned the renewed U.S. attacks on Thursday as a violation of the UN Charter, saying Washington has rendered its ceasefire deal struck in April with Tehran meaningless.
At the start of 2026, something unusual happened in China's car market. BYD, the company that had spent years at the top of the domestic sales charts, was knocked off its perch by a rival.
A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over charges linked to a military drone operation involving North Korea.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to become the biggest tournament in football history.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
The Pakistani city of Karachi is struggling under severe heat and humidity as the country enters a prolonged heatwave period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of above-normal temperatures across much of the country between 7 and 12 June.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American base in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides.
A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over charges linked to a military drone operation involving North Korea.
An adviser to the European Union’s top court said on Thursday that the European Commission’s appeal against a 2024 ruling, which required disclosure of information on COVID-19 vaccine contracts, should be dismissed.
Migrants in the U.S. who were prevented from being sent back to their home country due to the risk of persecution are set to be deported to the war-torn Central African Republic.
Finance ministers across East Africa unveiled their 2026/27 budgets on Thursday, as investors assessed how governments plan to protect their economies from shocks linked to the ongoing Iran war while managing rising debt levels.
More than a third of Belgium’s population now has a foreign background, according to new figures released by the national statistics office, Statbel. The data show that around 4.34 million of the country’s nearly 11.7 million residents do not have an entirely Belgian background.
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