From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach.
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Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor at historic subway station
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.
January 1, 2026
Viral '6-7' tops 2025 list of overused words and phrases
Respondents to an annual Michigan college survey of overused and misused words and phrases say " 6-7 '' is ''cooked'' and should come to a massive full-stop heading into the new year.
January 1, 2026
Capitol riot 'does not happen' without Trump, Jack Smith told Congress
The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol ''does not happen'' without Donald Trump, former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers earlier this month in characterizing the Republican president as the ''most culpable and most responsible person'' in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
January 1, 2026
Federal ruling blocks Hawaii's climate change tourist tax on cruise ships
A federal appeals court ruling on New Year's Eve blocked Hawaii from enforcing a climate change tourist tax on cruise ships passengers, a levy that was set to go into effect at the start of 2026.
January 1, 2026
A timeline of the US military's buildup near Venezuela and attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats
President Donald Trump has intensified his pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, with the CIA carrying out a drone strike on Venezuelan soil and the military seizing two tankers carrying Venezuelan oil in international waters.
January 1, 2026
US military strikes 5 more alleged drug boats, killing 8 and possibly leaving survivors
The U.S. military said Wednesday it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days, killing a total of eight people while others jumped overboard and may have survived.
January 1, 2026
Photos show the ancient art of Peking opera works hard to keep flourishing in the digital age
In a breakneck digital era, the ancient art of Peking opera works hard to keep flourishing.
January 1, 2026
Trump says he's dropping push for National Guard in Chicago, LA and Portland, Oregon, for now
President Donald Trump said he's dropping — for now — his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, a move that comes after legal roadblocks held up the effort.
January 1, 2026
New Year's Day: What's open? Retailers. What's closed? Government and banks
While schools, government and banks are closed on New Year's Day, most major retailers across the U.S. will be open, with many offering discounts on older inventory to clear the way for newer products.
January 1, 2026
Montana's Supreme Court dismisses misconduct case against the state's attorney general
Montana's Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a misconduct case against the state's attorney general after he defied court orders in a dispute over a law that gave the governor more power over the judiciary.
January 1, 2026
Tatiana Schlossberg, a grandchild of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died at 35
Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died after she was diagnosed with leukemia last year. She was 35.
January 1, 2026
What to know about Trump administration freezing federal child care funds
The Trump administration has said it is freezing child care funds to all states until they provide more verification about the programs in a move fueled by a series of fraud schemes at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents.
January 1, 2026