Iran's Central Bank head has resigned as protests erupted in Tehran and other cities after the currency hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. State TV reported Mohammad Reza Farzin's resignation as hundreds rallied in Tehran's Saadi Street and the Shush neighborhood. The official IRNA news agency confirmed gatherings. Similar rallies were reported in Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad. Witnesses said police used tear gas in Tehran. Traders closed shops, urging others to join. Iran's rial fell to 1.38 million to the dollar Monday, worsening inflation and straining budgets. Reports of Farzin's possible resignation circulated last week.

The start of a new year usually brings new motivation to achieve goals. Sometimes it involves eating healthier or finally cleaning your basement. But, for many, it can also include goals to pay off credit card debt, save for a new house, or simply get more educated about money. As many start writing their New Year’s resolutions, financial goals are also making the list. When building your goals for 2026, experts recommend focusing less on the past and more on an optimistic yet realistic vision for the future.

Foreign ministers from Cambodia and Thailand have convened with their Chinese counterpart to discuss the border dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries. The trilateral meeting Monday was held in a southwestern Chinese province north of the region where the dispute is still simmering. The meeting came two days after Thailand and Cambodia signed a fresh ceasefire agreement. It ended weeks of fighting that killed more than 100 people and forced hundreds of thousands of people to be evacuated on both sides of the border. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for joint efforts to promote regional peace, stability and development.

Tiger Woods played a game with which hardly anyone could relate. And now he approaches a milestone that makes him like everyone else. Woods turns 50 on Tuesday. This celebration is more about appreciating the past than wondering about the future. Woods has had more surgeries than the 15 majors he won. He is eligible for the 50-and-older PGA Tour Champions without any indication he will play. Woods has played only 11 times since he was badly injured in 2021 car crash in Los Angeles. And this is the first year he didn't play at all. His impact on the game remains huge.

Authorities in China's Xinjiang region are threatening to detain residents over downloading, listening to and sharing Uyghur-language songs they consider sensitive. That's according to a recording of a public meeting obtained by The Associated Press. The tunes, ranging from traditional folk ballads to rap songs, are being targeted for allegedly threatening social stability, damaging the Chinese Communist Party’s reputation and bringing down the public’s morale, among other reasons. The renewed crackdown on cultural expression in Xinjiang suggests a continuation of the repressive policies over the past decade that have culminated in the extrajudicial detention, between 2017 and 2019, of at least 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Huis.

With a franchise scoring record there for the taking, Kawhi Leonard elected to take a pass in order to be fresh for another day. Team-oriented to the core, Leonard scored a career-high 55 points to push the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. The Clippers are now on a season-best four-game winning streak and a recent scoring burst from Leonard is the primary reason. Leonard was closing in on the franchise record but decided to keep his fourth-quarter floor time to six minutes and departed with just under a minute remaining. He now shares the team mark for points in a game with teammate James Harden.

It’s that time again when we turn the calendar page on one year and meet another. For many Americans, these last weeks of December are a time to take stock, to look at goals accomplished and those still unmet, to think about hopes and plans for the next year. Experts in different fields who deal with transitions and change have some advice - Plan what you can, but accept that some things will be unknown and unexpected. What works for someone else may not be the best way for you. Set goals that you can achieve, and then build on them.

The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump continues to slash U.S. foreign assistance funding. The money is a tiny fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities. The announcement caps a crisis year for many U.N. organizations as the U.S. and other Western donors have cut billions in funding, prompting massive cuts in spending and jobs.

The end of the year brings fewer new streaming options, but it's a great time to catch up on 2025's best movies, TV, music, and games. The Associated Press offers comprehensive guides on its Year in Review page. One standout this week is a music and television option perfect for New Year's Eve. On Dec. 31, you can enjoy all-star performances. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” is available to stream on ABC.com. Performers include Chappell Roan, 50 Cent, Diana Ross, Chance the Rapper, and many more.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. They aim to boost a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which faces challenges as it looks to move into a more complicated second phase. Trump hopes to leverage his relationship with Netanyahu to speed up the peace process. The ceasefire began in October and has mostly held, but progress has slowed lately. The second phase involves rebuilding Gaza under international supervision, creating an international security force and normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab world.

Zohran Mamdani has promised to transform New York City government when he becomes mayor. Can he do it? Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, already faces intense scrutiny, even before taking office in one of the country’s most scrutinized political jobs. Republicans have cast him as a liberal boogeyman. Some of his fellow Democrats have deemed him too far left. Progressives are closely watching for any signs of him shifting toward the center. On Jan. 1, he will assume control of America’s biggest city under that harsh spotlight, with the country watching to see if he can pull off the big promises that vaulted him to office and handle the everyday duties of the job.

Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points, James Harden added 28 and the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 112-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Leonard went 17 of 26 from the floor, including 5 for 10 from 3-point range, and made 16 of 17 free throws. Nicolas Batum scored 12 points, while Leonard added 11 rebounds and five steals for Los Angeles, which lost 10 of 11 games before its four-game run. Cade Cunningham finished with 27 points for the Pistons after being held scoreless in the first half while in foul trouble. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Jaden Ivey added 11 points for Detroit, which lost back-to-back games for just the second time.

At least four people have been killed and dozens wounded in clashes on Syria’s coast. Health officials said that the violence erupted Sunday between Alawite protesters and counterdemonstrators. This follows a bombing at an Alawite mosque in Homs on Friday that killed eight and wounded 18. Thousands protested in Latakia and Tartous. A group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the mosque attack. Security forces tried to break up the clashes by firing into the air. Syria’s state-run television reported injuries to security forces and damage to property. The country has faced sectarian clashes since the fall of former President Bashar Assad.

The moon and sun share top billing in 2026. Kicking off the year's cosmic wonders is the moon, drawing the first astronauts to visit in more than 50 years. A caravan of robotic lunar landers also will be launched, including Jeff Bezos' new supersized Blue Moon. The sun will generate buzz, too, with a ring-of-fire eclipse at the bottom of the world in February and a total solar eclipse at the top of the world in August. Each of those will be followed closely by lunar eclipses. The stargazing fun begins with a supermoon on Jan. 3.

The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen. He also said he wanted to target the country’s political parties because they were “in charge." That's according to a memo filed by the Justice Department on Sunday that argues that Brian J. Cole Jr. should remain jailed as the case moves forward. Cole was arrested earlier this month on charges of placing pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national committees.