UN chief condemns Israeli law blocking electricity, water for UNRWA facilities
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January 01, 2026
January 01, 2026
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Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York mayor
New York Attorney General Letitia James, left, administers the oath of office to mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, center, as his wife Rama Duwaji looks on, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. Credit: Yuki Iwamura/AP
New York Attorney General Letitia James, left, administers the oath of office to mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, center, as his wife Rama Duwaji looks on, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. Credit: Yuki Iwamura/AP
Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the 112 mayor of New York City on Thursday just after midnight in a private ceremony.
As the ball dropped in Time Square, ushering in 2026, the short ceremony was held in the defunct Old City Hall subway station, with Attorney General Letitia James administering the Oath of Office alongside the Mamdani's family.
The 34-year-old former assemblyman is the youngest mayor in the city's history. He is also the first African born, having been born in Uganda.
Mamdani, who is also the city's first Muslim mayor, used his grandfather's Quran and one that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, the Black writer and historian for the swearing in ceremony.
UN chief condemns Israeli law blocking electricity, water for UNRWA facilities
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned on Wednesday a move by Israel to ban electricity or water to facilities owned by the UN Palestinian refugee agency, a UN spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the move would "further impede" the agency's ability to operate and carry out activities.
"The Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations remains applicable to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), its property and assets, and to its officials and other personnel. Property used by UNRWA is inviolable," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, said while adding that UNRWA is an "integral" part of the world body.
UNRWA Commissioner General Phillipe Lazzarini also condemned the move, saying that it was part of an ongoing " systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct" the role it plays in providing assistance to Palestinian refugees.
In 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a law banning the agency from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having contact with the agency.
As a result, UNRWA operates in East Jerusalem, which the U.N. considers territory occupied by Israel. Israel considers all Jerusalem to be part of the country.
IDF retrieves Israeli woman who entered Jericho in Area A of West Bank by mistake
The Israeli woman who mistakenly entered Jericho in the West Bank on Wednesday. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
The Israeli woman who mistakenly entered Jericho in the West Bank on Wednesday. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
The Israeli military says that the Civil Administration has retrieved a young Israeli woman who had been spotted walking through the West Bank city of Jericho on Wednesday after apparently taking a wrong turn.
Jericho is in Area A of the West Bank, under full Palestinian control, and Israelis are barred by law from entering.
The case has been transferred to the Israel Police for further handling.
One security force member killed, two wounded in Aleppo suicide attack, Syria says
A suicide bomber targeted a police patrol in Aleppo, killing one person and wounding two members of the security forces, a Syrian government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"The person who detonated an explosive belt within the patrol in Aleppo is believed to have an ideological or organizational background linked to Islamic State," Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba told state-owned news agency Al Ekhbariya, adding that investigations were ongoing to determine the attacker's identity.
The attacker detonated himself while being searched by the patrol after arousing suspicion, Ekhbariya TV reported, citing a security source.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier this month, two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected Islamic State attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead.
Netanyahu: I appreciate Biden's visit and help after October 7 – but Trump is consistent
U.S. President Joe Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, as he visits Israel 11 days after the October 7, 2023 attack. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
U.S. President Joe Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, as he visits Israel 11 days after the October 7, 2023 attack. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he appreciates the help of former U.S. President Joe Biden in the days following the October 7 attack, "but Trump is consistent." Netanyahu made these remarks in a speech at Mar-a-Lago.
RECAP: Hostages and Missing Families Forum announces headquarters' closure after 817 days of activity
Here are Thursday's latest updates:
■ The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has announced the closure of its headquarters after 817 days of activity. The organization's statement said that a dedicated team will continue to support the family of Ran Gvili, the last remaining deceased hostage in the Gaza Strip, until his body is returned.
■ In Australia, a Harbor Bridge fireworks display included a minute of silence for the victims of the Bondi Beach attack, projecting a menorah onto the Sydney landmark.
■ Defense Minister Israel Katz encouraged the IDF to examine the expansion of military operations across refugee camps in the West Bank, modelling Operation Iron Wall, which displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians and razed hundreds of buildings, according to UNRWA. Katz instructed commanders to "prepare to respond to a possible October 7 style attack on communities in Judea and Samaria."
■ More than 700 university and college faculty members signed a petition calling for the dismissal of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his prosecution for incitement to violence following threats against Supreme Court President Isaac Amit to "run him over."
■ The High Court of Justice issued an interim order on Wednesday suspending State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's investigation into the October 7 Hamas massacre, prohibiting him from summoning witnesses to provide testimony or documents. The order also stated that Englman cannot publish the reports or drafts he has compiled so far.
■ A group of anti-government protesters who gathered in front of a high school to protest the visit of Israel's Education Minister on Wednesday were confronted by a group of the school's students, who spat at the protesters and shouted "leftists to the ghetto."
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