EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas dismissed Moscow’s allegation that Ukraine attacked Russian government sites as a “deliberate distraction” on social media, rejecting the Kremlin’s suggestion that Kyiv attempted a drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences. The statement comes after Russian officials this week accused Ukraine of launching drones at Putin’s private … Read more
Lead: Richard Smallwood, the influential gospel pianist, composer and choir leader, died at 77 from complications of kidney failure at a rehabilitation and nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, his representative Bill Carpenter announced. Smallwood had battled health issues for years, including mild dementia in recent seasons, and remained a towering presence in contemporary gospel … Read more
As clocks struck midnight across time zones, cities from Auckland to Sydney and Paris to Beijing welcomed 2026 with a mix of fireworks, subdued tributes and stepped-up security. Celebrations were marked by visible policing and altered programs in places still reeling from recent tragedies: Hong Kong scaled back pyrotechnics after a November apartment fire that … Read more
Lead: New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been charged with a misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a household/family member stemming from an alleged Aug. 8 incident, according to court filings filed Dec. 16 in Attleboro District Court. An arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 3. The team says it was informed at … Read more
Lead Tatiana Schlossberg, 35, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, died Tuesday morning after a battle with terminal cancer, the JFK Library Foundation said. The environmental journalist had publicly disclosed last month in The New Yorker that she was diagnosed in May 2024 with a rare mutation of acute … Read more
Lead: Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Wednesday he strongly believes human remains found in a field a few hundred yards from a San Antonio home belong to 19-year-old Camila “Cami” Mendoza Olmos, who vanished on Dec. 24. Deputies and FBI agents located the remains Tuesday afternoon near the 11000 block of Caspian Spring; the … Read more
Lead Sydney rang in 2026 with an explicit message of peace and solidarity after the 14 December mass shooting at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah festival that left 15 people dead. Thousands of people gathered around Sydney Harbour to watch the city’s signature fireworks while authorities staged heightened security across the CBD. The Harbour Bridge displayed … Read more
Updated 12:53 PM EST, Wed December 31, 2025. Night skies from Makati to Sydney filled with fireworks and gatherings as communities worldwide marked the arrival of 2026. The transition to the new year unfolded over roughly 26 hours as midnight moved through 39 time zones, beginning on Christmas Island in Kiribati and concluding in places … Read more
An aging oil tanker that US authorities have chased at sea for nearly two weeks now shows a roughly painted Russian flag on its hull, US officials say. The vessel, identified as the Bella 1, is sailing in the open Atlantic away from Venezuela while Coast Guard personnel trail it about a half-mile behind. The … Read more
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will hold a private swearing-in ceremony on January 1 beneath the tiled vaults of the long-closed Old City Hall subway station, with a public inauguration to follow outside City Hall. The subterranean stop, opened in 1904 and closed in 1945, is normally reachable only on guided tours operated by the New York … Read more
Canada revealed a 25-player men’s hockey roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Dec. 31, 2025, selecting a mix of veteran leaders and rising stars. The squad, which includes 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini and New York Islanders center Bo Horvat, will open Group A play against Czechia on Feb. 12 in Milan. The roster … Read more
People around the world marked the start of 2026 with public gatherings, fireworks and traditional rituals from Asia to the Americas. The first New Year observances began in the South Pacific, and New York’s Times Square ball descended roughly 18 hours later as the final major U.S. celebration concluded. Photographers captured scenes from Taipei’s fireworks … Read more
Lead Tesla has published an analyst “consensus” on its investor website indicating 2025 deliveries will be lower than recent output and below company targets. The figures show an expected 423,000 deliveries in Q4 2025 and a total of 1.64 million vehicles for 2025, down from 1.79 million in 2024. Published estimates project deliveries of 1.75 … Read more
Lead On Dec. 24, 2025, Baylor announced it had signed James Nnaji, a 21-year-old, 7-foot center who was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft and has played professionally in Europe since 2020. The move — announced on Christmas Eve and expected to make Nnaji available for Big 12 play the following week — … Read more
In 2025 President Donald J. Trump returned to the White House for a second term and swept a series of high‑impact actions through the federal government, from broad executive orders to agency renamings. Over the year his administration pushed a major domestic package dubbed “One, Big Beautiful Bill,” pardoned roughly 1,500 people connected to Jan. … Read more
