Xi says China ready to work with all countries to advance world peace, development
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said China is ready to work with all countries to advance world peace and development.
In his 2026 New Year message, Xi said over the past year China continued to embrace the world with open arms.
To better address climate change, China announced new Nationally Determined Contributions, Xi said, adding that after announcing the three global initiatives on development, security, and civilization, he put forward the Global Governance Initiative to promote a more just and equitable global governance system.
"China always stands on the right side of history," Xi said.
Bulgaria enters eurozone
Bulgaria joined the eurozone and adopted the euro as its currency on New Year's Day, becoming the 21st eurozone member.
During the month of January, the Bulgarian lev (BGN) will continue to circulate. However, starting from Feb. 1, the euro will become the sole legal tender in the country.
From Jan. 1 to June 30, people can still exchange lev for euros free of charge at banks and post offices. After this period, a fee will be charged for the exchange.
On June 4, 2025, the European Commission announced that Bulgaria met the criteria to adopt the euro starting Jan. 1, 2026.
Iran open to "genuine, serious" talks with U.S.: FM
Though it does not fear war, Iran "has never sought a conflict" with the United States, and is open to "genuine and serious" negotiations, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday.
He made the remarks on X a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a major military strike if it resumed its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs.
Noting that Iran has never sought conflict with the United States, Araghchi said Iran's armed forces remain fully prepared to respond to any aggression with decisive measures.
"Our restraint, which should not be mistaken for weakness, is the only reason American military installations in our region remained intact," he said, adding that "Iranians do not shy away from genuine and serious negotiations aimed at achieving a fair and balanced agreement on issues of mutual interest."
Though Iran and its people do not seek nuclear weapons, Iranians would never give up on their "lawful rights," he said.
Yemeni gov't says UAE forces leaving amid rising tensions
Yemen's internationally recognized government said Wednesday the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has begun withdrawing its remaining forces from the country amid escalating tensions in the war-torn Arab nation.
In a statement carried by the official Yemen TV, the government said "four military cargo planes departed from Al Rayyan Airport in the southeastern province of Hadramout, carrying hundreds of UAE soldiers along with military equipment."
Local residents saw Saudi warplanes hovering over several areas in Hadramout in recent hours. Yet forces loyal to Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) reportedly refused to withdraw from the province and kept heavy deployment at key sites, amid concerns over a possible ground operation by Saudi-backed Yemeni government troops reportedly gathering near Hadramout.
Türkiye detains 125 suspected IS militants in nationwide operations ahead of New Year
Turkish police detained 125 suspected Islamic State (IS) members in simultaneous operations across 25 provinces on Wednesday, ahead of New Year celebrations.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on his social media account that the operations were carried out by provincial gendarmerie commands and provincial police departments.
The suspects have been apprehended and transferred to police stations, according to Yerlikaya.
Türkiye has stepped up counterterrorism operations against IS in recent weeks amid intelligence warnings of security risks during the New Year holiday.
3 dead, 150 fall ill after consuming polluted water in central India
At least three people died and nearly 150 were taken ill after consuming contaminated water in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh over the past few days, confirmed local officials on Wednesday.
All the deceased died due to diarrhoea. The victims, in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, reportedly had consumed water supplied from river Narmada.
The death toll was feared to rise as some of the patients admitted to various hospitals were said to be in critical condition.
Various media reports quoted different death tolls. An online report by "The Hindu" newspaper claimed that five persons had died while over 1,000 had fallen ill due to contaminated water supplied from the municipal pipeline in Indore.
Another media report by "India Today" claimed that the death toll had reached 7.
Thailand repatriates 18 detained Cambodian soldiers
Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that Thailand has repatriated 18 detained Cambodian soldiers to Cambodia.
In the statement, the MFA stated that the repatriation is in line with paragraph 11 of the Joint Statement between Thailand and Cambodia signed at the 3rd Special General Border Committee Meeting on Dec. 27, 2025, which states that the 18 Cambodian soldiers will be returned to Cambodia after the ceasefire has been fully maintained for 72 hours. The release is also in the spirit of the Joint Declaration between Thailand and Cambodia signed on Oct. 26, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Cambodia's Defense Ministry's Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata confirmed on the same day the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers that Thailand had captured since late July.
U.S. announces sanctions over alleged Iran-Venezuela weapon trade
The U.S. administration on Tuesday announced sanctions against 10 entities and individuals based in Iran and Venezuela, accusing Tehran of supplying conventional weapons to Caracas and threatening U.S. interests across the Western Hemisphere, including the U.S. homeland.
In separate statements, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of the Treasury said a Venezuelan company targeted by the sanctions had been involved in the sale of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian-designed combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Other sanctioned entities and individuals were accused of supporting procurement networks linked to Iran's drone and ballistic missile programs, said the statements.■
