At least 39 people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside a nightclub in Istanbul shortly after midnight on Sunday, the country’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has said, adding that at least 16 foreigners have been identified. 69 have been hospitalized after the shooting. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin branded the assault as a “terror attack.” It took place at the upscale Reina nightclub in the Ortaköy neighborhood by the Bosphorus as revelers enjoyed the first moments of the new year, leaving behind a turbulent 2016 that had brought Turkey a string of violent and deadly attacks and numerous security threats. The suspect is still at large. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a televised address on Saturday evening, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended New Year greetings to people across the Chinese mainland, compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, along with overseas Chinese and friends in other countries and regions around the world. During the speech, Xi recounted the achievements made through the year with regard to poverty relief, supply-side structural reform, science and technology development and the fight against corruption, while pledging that the Communist Party of China and the government will continue their efforts to improve people’s livelihood. Xi also called for joint efforts to build a community of common destiny through international cooperation. 

The UN Security Council has unanimously voted to back efforts by Moscow and Ankara to bring the raging conflict in Syria to an end, as a fragile truce the two sides brokered has been largely holding since Friday despite counter-accusations of violations by the Syrian government and rebels. Meanwhile, some insurgents warned of pulling out amid complaints of bombardment on Wadi Baradi, a rebel-held strategic valley northwest of Damascus which supplies water for around four million people in the Syrian capital. The final text of the UN resolution dropped an endorsement of the ceasefire agreement, and instead stated that the UN Security Council “welcomes and supports” the efforts of the two countries, as reports emerged that the members of the council had not seen the documents inked by the Syrian government and opposition. A statement released by a coalition of 11 rebel factions said that the two sides had signed different versions of the ceasefire deal, with that of the government missing "a number of key and essential points that are non-negotiable.”

Baghdad ended 2016 on a bloody note as three blasts ripped through a market and a busy street on the last day of the year. A double bombing, including one suicide attack, rocked a busy market in Al Sinak neighborhood in center Baghdad, leaving 28 dead and another 50 injured during the morning rush. The twin blasts were claimed by ISIL, which said they were targeted at Shia Muslims. A separate explosion killed four people in the eastern New Baghdad district, where an explosive-laden minibus went off in a busy commercial street. This comes as Iraqi government forces – backed by tribesmen, Kurdish militants and US-led coalition warplanes – press for advances in Mosul – the last stronghold of the terrorist group in the country.

China’s foreign exchange regulator announced on Saturday that it will strengthen scrutiny on individual foreign currency purchase through due diligence checks and post-purchase inspections, aiming at reining in illegal money outflows. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said the 50,000 US dollars annual individual quota will remain unchanged. SAFE explained that the number of Chinese people who traveled overseas has reached 120 million annually, leading to increasing needs for foreign currency; however, China’s reporting system for individual Forex purchase was too simple and out of date with potential system loopholes facilitating illegal money transfers and money laundering.

It’s official! “The Autobots” is a copycat of Disney-produced “Cars,” according to the Shanghai Pudong New District People's Court, which recently ruled in favored of Disney Enterprises Inc. and Pixar. The court ordered Bluemtv, the movie’s producer, and G-Point, which released the animated comedy, to pay a compensation of 194,440 US dollars to the plaintiffs for intellectual property right infringement and unfair competition. Despite the title of the two productions being different, the resemblance in the visual effect of the movie’s name on the poster constituted an act of unfair competition. Moreover, two characters in the Chinese production have infringed on the copyright of two original characters in the Hollywood-hit.

As of Sunday, prospective French employees will have one more point to negotiate with their bosses before signing their contract – when to switch off their phones. A law that has just come into effect guarantees the “right to disconnect” for employees, in an attempt to keep  extra working hours under check in a society that has grown addicted to working. Having to answer or send e-mails outside the office has caused an array of issues from relationship problems to insomnia and burnout. Under the new regulations, companies must come to an agreement with employees about when they can ignore their devices. If no deal could be reached, the company must publish a chart stating the out-of-hours responsibilities and rights of employees.

China has held 2,682 local officials accountable for poor environmental protection efforts, as the country tightens control over pollution and environmental degradation. The central government just concluded its month-long second round of inspections in seven provincial regions including Beijing, Shanghai and Hubei, to review local government work. Through public tip-offs and random checks, inspectors looked into 12,005 cases and imposed fines totaling 35 million US dollars.