Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian conflict
  • SDF–Syrian transitional government clashes
    • January 2026 Aleppo clashes
      • The Syrian Democratic Forces withdraw from Aleppo following negotiations with the Syrian transitional government. (Al Jazeera)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
    • A woman is killed and around a dozen residential buildings are damaged in an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Voronezh, Russia. (Reuters)

• Egypt signs renewable energy agreements worth US$1.8 billion with China and Norway. (Al Arabiya)

• Four people are killed and five injured after two cars collide head-on in Bolton, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. (MSN)

• 2025–26 Myanmar general election
  • Citizens of Myanmar vote in the second phase to elect the nation's bicameral legislature. One more phase of voting is expected in late January. (AP)
• 2026 Beninese parliamentary election
  • Citizens in Benin head to the polls to elect the 109 members of the National Assembly more than one month after a thwarted coup attempt. (RFI)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian conflict (2024–present)
  • SDF–Syrian transitional government clashes
    • January 2026 Aleppo clashes
      • A kamikaze drone of unknown origin strikes a governate building in Aleppo while government officials were holding a conference inside, a day after the government declared a ceasefire in the city. (Al Jazeera)
  • Operation Hawkeye Strike
    • The U.S. military launches airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria. (Sky News) (Fox News)
• 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela
  • United States–Venezuela relations
    • The U.S. State Department urges Americans to leave Venezuela immediately, following reports that Colectivos were targeting individuals holding American citizenship. (The Guardian)

• 2026 Paipa Piper PA-31 Navajo crash
  • Six people are killed, including Colombian musician Yeison Jiménez, when a Piper PA-31 Navajo crashes in Paipa, Boyacá Department, Colombia. (BNO News)
• The death toll from a garbage landslide in Cebu City, Philippines, rises to at least four, with authorities rescuing 12 of about 50 buried sanitation workers. (AFP via Arab News)

• 2025 Honduran general election
  • The Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces Héctor Valerio informs that the already confirmed election results and the transfer of power would be guaranteed despite President Xiomara Castro's decree demanding a recount of the results. (Tiempo)

• Pornography Act
  • Indonesia suspends access to the Grok chatbot over concerns about the generation of pornographic content and summons representatives of its developer, xAI, for investigation. (Reuters)

• 2025–26 FA Cup
  • Macclesfield 2–1 Crystal Palace
    • In association football, National League North side Macclesfield beat the FA Cup defending champions Crystal Palace 2–1, in statistically the biggest upset in the competition's 155-year history. (BBC Sport)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian conflict
  • SDF–Syrian transitional government clashes
    • January 2026 Aleppo clashes
      • The Syrian defense ministry declares a ceasefire in the Ashrafiyah, Bani Zeid, and Sheikh Maqsood districts of Aleppo after several days of armed conflict, between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, that killed at least 21 people. (AFP via Arab News)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Kyiv strikes, Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war
    • Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, kill four people and wound 28 others after several high-rise apartment buildings are targeted. The Qatari embassy is also damaged in the strikes. (Euronews)
    • Russia strikes Lviv in western Ukraine with its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, reportedly targeting a critical infrastructure site. (BBC News)
• Operation Southern Spear
  • United States oil blockade during Operation Southern Spear, Timor-Leste–United States relations
    • The United States military seizes a Timor-Leste-flagged oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, marking the fifth tanker seized as part of the blockade. (The Guardian) (The Patriot-News)
• Yemeni civil war
  • 2025 Southern Yemen offensive, Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war
    • A Southern Transitional Council (STC) delegation in Riyadh announces the group's dissolution following widespread territorial losses to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The STC rejects the announcement, saying the announcement was made under duress. (The New Arab)

• EU–Mercosur Association Agreement
  • Twenty-one of the 27 countries of the European Union approve a trade deal with Mercosur, which will create "the world's largest free trade area" after 25 years of talks. The deal is expected to be formally signed in Paraguay in the near future. (POLITICO)

• Fourteen people are killed and over 30 others are injured after a bus plunges into a gorge near Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, India. (Hindustan Times)

• 2026 Cedarbluff shootings
  • At least six people are in killed in spree shootings at three locations in Cedarbluff, Mississippi, United States. A 24-year-old man is taken into custody and charged with murder. (CTV News)

• 2025 Honduran general election
  • The National Congress of Honduras approves by majority vote a recount of the votes cast in the November 2025 general election, which is subsequently approved by a President Xiomara Castro's decree. (CNN in Spanish)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Operation Southern Spear
  • 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela
    • The death toll from the U.S. airstrikes on Caracas, Venezuela, five days ago increases to 100 people, including 23 Venezuelan military personnel and 32 Cuban personnel. (BNO News)
• SDF–Syrian transitional government clashes
  • January 2026 Aleppo clashes
    • As fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Army continues in Aleppo, Syrian authorities open an evacuation corridor for tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate the city. (Euronews)
    • The Syrian Army captures the Ashrafieh neighbourhood of Aleppo after three days of fighting with the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Al Jazeera)
• Yemeni civil war
  • 2025 Southern Yemen offensive, Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war
    • The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen claims that Southern Transitional Council (STC) president Aidarus al-Zoubaidi has fled to the United Arab Emirates through Somaliland. (Al Jazeera)
    • Government forces enter Aden and capture Aden International Airport as STC forces collapse in Aden Governorate. (AA via TRT World) (Al Jazeera)
• 2025–2026 Iranian protests
  • A police officer is reportedly killed during clashes with anti-government protesters in Malard, Iran, as the number of injured police officers rises to 568. (AA) (Africa News)
  • The Iranian opposition in exile calls for a general strike in the Kurdish areas in western Iran, which is widely observed. (Die Zeit in German)
  • NetBlocks reports a total internet outage in Tehran and other Iranian cities, continuing the following day. (Reuters) (RFERL)
• Gaza war
  • The Israeli military launches multiple attacks in Gaza, killing thirteen Palestinians, including five children. (The New Arab)

• Cambodia–China relations, Scam centers in Cambodia
  • The Cambodian central bank orders the liquidation of Prince Bank and suspends its operations after founder Chen Zhi was indicted by the United States for large-scale fraud and extradited to China. (AFP via France 24)

• At least one sanitation worker is killed when a landfill collapses in Cebu City, Philippines. Search and rescue operations are ongoing for the 34 others reported missing, while 12 people are hospitalized. (AFP via The Straits Times)
• A woman is killed in a shark attack off the coast of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The species of the shark involved is currently unknown but a witness described it as "a big, big shark". (AP)

• 2025–2026 deployment of federal forces in the United States
  • 2026 Portland shooting
    • Two people are hospitalized after being shot by Border Patrol officers in Portland, Oregon, United States. (KPTV-TV)
  • Killing of Renée Good
    • Protesters and police clash in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., after an ICE agent fatally shot a civilian woman yesterday. Pepper balls and a gas-like substance are fired toward the protesters outside a federal building. (CNN)
• Honduran congresswoman Gladys Aurora López is injured after being struck in the head by an explosive when entering the National Congress building in Tegucigalpa. (Times Now)

• Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Europe
  • The Spanish Episcopal Conference and the national government agree to let the ombudsman determine compensation for victims of clergy sexual abuse whose cases are time-barred or whose alleged abusers are deceased, opening a one-year claims process funded by the Catholic Church. (AP)
• Detention of Rocío San Miguel
  • Acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez's administration releases several political prisoners, including human rights activist Rocío San Miguel. (AFP via Barron's)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Operation Southern Spear
  • United States oil blockade during Operation Southern Spear, Russia–United States relations
    • The United States boards and seizes the sanctioned Russian-flagged tanker Marinera (Bella 1) in the North Atlantic Ocean after it breached the U.S. naval blockade around Venezuela. (Reuters) (Sky News)
    • The United States Coast Guard also seizes the Panamanian-flagged tanker M Sophia for its alleged "illegal activities" in international waters of the Caribbean Sea. (BBC News)
• Yemeni civil war
  • 2025 Southern Yemen offensive, Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war
    • The Saudi Arabia-led coalition launches airstrikes on Southern Transitional Council (STC) positions in the Dhale Governorate in southern Yemen. (Al Jazeera)
    • Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, head of the STC, is dismissed from the Presidential Leadership Council after failing to attend peace negotiations. (Al Arabiya)

• Five people are killed and 27 others injured after a bus plunged into a 100-foot-deep ravine in Chakwal, Pakistan. (The Express Tribune)

• Climate change policy of the United States, Proposals for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations
  • The United States announces its withdrawal from dozens of United Nations bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Population Fund, UN Trade and Development and four of the Economic and Social Council's regional commissions. (AFP via France 24)
• Cross-strait relations
  • China bans Taiwanese interior minister Liu Shyh-fang and education minister Cheng Ying-yao, along with their relatives, from entering the country, alleging their involvement in the Taiwan independence movement. (Reuters)
• Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue, Foreign relations of Niue
  • Germany formally recognizes and establishes diplomatic relations with the Pacific island of Niue, with the German mission in Wellington, New Zealand, coordinating ties. Niue remains in free association with New Zealand. (DPA via Yahoo News)
• Somalia–United States relations
  • The U.S. State Department suspends all ongoing assistance programs to Somalia, alleging that the Somali government destroyed an American-funded World Food Programme warehouse and stole 76 tonnes of food aid. (AP)

• Corruption in Malaysia
  • The Malaysian anti-corruption commission detains a former army chief and four other suspects and seizes RM2.4 million (US$591,000) in cash while seeking court approval to extend custody in a bribery investigation linked to military procurement contracts. (Reuters)
• Corruption in Nigeria
  • A Nigerian federal court grants bail to former justice minister Abubakar Malami and two co-accused in a money laundering and abuse of office case involving 16 charges, setting the bail at ₦500 million (US$350,000). (Reuters)
• Killing of Renée Good
  • A United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shoots a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis, Minnesota, prompting protests. (CNN)
  • Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz issues a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard in the event of civil unrest. (CBS News)
• Scam centers in Cambodia, Cambodia–China relations
  • Cambodia extradites three Chinese nationals, including Prince Group founder Chen Zhi, to China following a joint investigation into transnational fraud networks linked to large online scam operations in Southeast Asia. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Communal conflicts in Nigeria
  • Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria
    • Five farmers are killed in a shooting attack by herders in Kwande, Benue State, Nigeria. (Daily Post)
  • Nigerian bandit conflict
    • At least five Old Oyo National Park security personnel are killed and others injured in a bandit attack in Orire, Oyo State, Nigeria. (The Guardian)
• Syrian conflict
  • SDF–Syrian transitional government clashes
    • Seven people are killed and several others are wounded in Aleppo, Syria after clashes between the Syrian Armed Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
• 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela
  • Venezuela confirms that 23 members of its military were among the 80 people killed during the American airstrikes on the country, including its capital Caracas, three days ago. (Al Jazeera)

• At least 22 people are killed and 65 others are injured after a truck (lorry) carrying migrant workers overturns in Semera, Afar Region, Ethiopia. (BBC News)
• Six people are killed and 46 others are injured after a bus and a trailer collide head-on in Kericho County, Kenya. (Capital News)
• One person is killed and three others are injured after a bus collides with protesters in Jerusalem, Israel. (The Times of Israel)

• The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raises the alert level of the Mayon volcano in Luzon to three, citing signs of magma intrusion and possible explosive activity, and orders evacuations within a six-kilometer danger zone. (Reuters)

• China–Japan relations
  • 2025–2026 China–Japan diplomatic crisis
    • China tightens export controls on dual-use technology to Japan, banning shipments that could support the Japanese military, following diplomatic tensions over remarks related to Taiwan. (AFP via The Sun)

• Three locals and a company employee are killed and five others are wounded in clashes between residents and employees of a Chinese gold mining company in Takhar Province, Afghanistan. The company's operations are later suspended pending a probe into the incident. (AP) (Tolo)

• Communications in Palestine
  • Israel authorizes Palestinian mobile operators Jawwal and Ooredoo to begin upgrading to 4G services in the West Bank after they sign management contracts with the Swedish telecommunications firm Ericsson. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Gaza war
  • Four Palestinians are killed in an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced refugees in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza. Israel claims it was targeting a Hamas target. (The National)
• Terrorism in Pakistan
  • Pakistani counter-terrorism police seize two tons of explosives and arrest three people suspected of being members of the Baloch Liberation Army and planning attacks with them. (AP)

• A bluefin tuna is sold for a record 510 million (US$3.2 million) at the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo, Japan. (BBC News) (AP)

• At least 14 people are killed in flash floods in Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Reuters)

• Nestlé recalls selected batches of infant formula in several European countries after identifying a quality issue in a supplier ingredient that may involve the presence of the toxin cereulide. (AFP via The Manila Times)

• Israel–Syria relations
  • Israeli invasion of Syria
    • United States-mediated talks between Israel and Syria focused on reviving the 1974 disengagement framework resume after a several-month hiatus, with Syria pressing for an Israeli withdrawal from territory entered after the fall of the Assad regime. (Reuters)
• International reactions to the 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela, Swiss neutrality
  • Switzerland freezes all assets held in the country by de jure Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his associates for four years, following Maduro's abduction and transfer to the United States, and is intending to secure the assets while their legal status is under investigation. (Reuters)

• 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela
  • A Venezuelan decree authorizes a national manhunt for those involved in the American attack. (Reuters)
• United States v. Maduro et al.
  • De jure Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores plead not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and narcoterrorism in the United States. They will remain in prison until their next court appearance in March. (NBC News) (Fox News)
• Three Arab Israelis are killed in two separate shootings in Nazareth and Kafr Qara, Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

• 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela
  • Delcy Rodríguez is formally sworn in as acting and first female president of Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro's abduction and transfer out of the country. (Reuters)
• Censorship in Uganda
  • Uganda bans the live broadcasting and streaming of protests and violent incidents and restricts content deemed inciting or hateful ahead of the general election. (Reuters)