Portal:Current events/January 2025
January 2025 is the first month of the current common year. The month, which began on a Wednesday, will end on a Friday after 31 days. It is the current month.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip kill at least 26 Palestinians, including four children. At least ten others are missing and believed to be buried under rubble. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- 2025 New Orleans truck attack
- A man kills 14 people and injures 35 others, including two police officers, in a vehicle-ramming and shooting attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, before being shot dead. The FBI says that it found an Islamic State flag in the suspect's vehicle. (Reuters)
- Somali Civil War
- The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission, endorsed by United Nations Security Council on December 27, replaces the African Union Transition Mission as the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia. (Voice of Nigeria) (UN Press)
Arts and culture
- Public Domain Day, 2025 in public domain
- The novel A Farewell to Arms and the cartoon characters Popeye and Tintin enter the public domain in the United States. (Rolling Stone)
Business and economy
- 2022–2023 Russia–European Union gas dispute
- Russia's gas firm Gazprom suspends exports of Russian natural gas through Ukrainian pipelines after Ukraine refused to renew the transit agreement between its operator Naftogaz and Gazprom. However, Hungary will continue receiving Russian natural gas via the TurkStream pipeline. (Reuters)
- Foreign relations of Mexico
- Mexico's Tax Administration Service implements new tariffs, including a 19% duty on goods from countries without international trade agreements with Mexico and a 17% duty on goods from Canada and the United States under certain value thresholds. (Reuters)
- Moldova–Russia relations
- As announced, Russia's Gazprom halts its gas supplies both to Moldova and the self-proclaimed Transnistrian republic alleging non-compliance with payment obligations. (bne IntelliNews), (Politico)
Disasters and accidents
- European migrant crisis
- Twenty-seven migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are killed, and 83 others are rescued after two boats capsize off the Kerkennah Islands near Tunisia, with searches ongoing for additional missing passengers. (France 24)
- Three people are killed and over twenty others are injured in a fireworks explosion at a house in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. (CTV News)
International relations
- Honduras–United States relations
- Honduran President Xiomara Castro warns that she might remove all US military bases from Honduras and seek to cancel the military cooperation with the United States if President-elect Donald Trump fulfills his threat to order mass deportations of Hondurans when he takes office next January 20. (The Tico Times)
Law and crime
- 2024–2025 German New Year's Eve pyrotechnics incidents
- Five people are killed, several others are injured, and at least 330 people are arrested due to mishandling of pyrotechnics during New Year's celebrations in Germany. (RNZ) (1News)
- 2025 Cetinje shootings
- Twelve people are killed and four others are injured in a shooting spree in Cetinje, Montenegro. The perpetrator kills himself. (AP) (Al Jazeera)
- Al Jazeera controversies and criticism
- The Palestinian Authority suspends Al Jazeera's broadcasts and operations in Palestine, accusing the network of interfering in internal affairs and spreading incitement and misinformation. (Reuters)
- Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia announces the execution of six Iranian nationals convicted of smuggling hashish. In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador in protest. (AP)
- LGBTQ rights in Liechtenstein
- Liechtenstein becomes the 39th country to legalize same-sex marriage. (GCN)
- Trump International Hotel Las Vegas Tesla Cybertruck explosion
- A Tesla Cybertruck containing firework mortars and gas canisters explodes outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada, United States, injuring seven people. The driver died from a self-inflicted gunshot prior to the explosion. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently investigating the incident as a possible terrorist attack. (ABC News)
- Five people are killed in a familicide mass stabbing when a son kills his four sisters and mother in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. (The Hindu)
- Myanmar's Tatmadaw enacts a cybersecurity law imposing strict controls on digital communications, requiring service providers to store user data for three years, penalizing VPN use without government approval, and allowing authorities to block or shut down platforms deemed to spread disinformation or disrupt stability. (AP)
- A police officer is killed and four other people are injured in a vehicle-ramming attack during a patrol in Nelson, New Zealand. A 32-year-old suspect is arrested. (AP)
- Eleven people are injured during a mass shooting outside a nightclub in Queens, New York, United States. (The Nightly)
- FBI agents announce the seizure of more than 150 homemade pipe bombs and other explosive devices from a home in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States, "the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history". (AP)
Politics and elections
- Bulgaria and Romania finalize the process of joining the Schengen Area and lift their land border controls. (AP)
- Karin Keller-Sutter is sworn in as President of Switzerland. (Le News)
- Poland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union after Hungary. (Polsat News) (TVN24)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- Israeli invasion of Syria
- Israeli warplanes carry out airstrikes on defense factories and a research center in Al-Safira, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. (Xinhua)
- US intervention in the Syrian civil war
- According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, U.S. forces are deploying a new convoy to areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces in Kobani, Aleppo Governorate, as part of operations to establish a new US military base in north-eastern Syria. (SOHR)
- Israeli invasion of Syria
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Eleven people are killed, including a Hamas police chief, in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in al-Mawasi in the Gaza Strip. (BBC News)
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announces that it has approved a delegation to Doha, Qatar for ceasefire talks. (Reuters)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Somali Civil War, War against the Islamic State
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Puntland forces conduct airstrikes on ISIL hideouts in Bari, Puntland, Somalia, after they announced a military offensive against ISIL and Al-Shabaab. (Idil News) (VOA)
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- 2025 New Orleans truck attack, 2025 Las Vegas Trump Hotel bombing
- Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, says he believes that there is "no definitive link" between the two alleged U.S. Army servicemen perpetrators of the attacks, Shamsud-Din Jabbar in New Orleans and Matthew Alan Livelsberger in Las Vegas. (BBC)
Business and economy
- German economic crisis
- The Handelsblatt Research Institute reports that the German economy is in its "greatest crisis in post-war history" after projecting that the economy will enter its third year of recession in 2025 with a 0.1% contraction, following a 0.3% contraction in both 2023 and 2024. (TVP World)
Disasters and accidents
- A small plane crashes through the roof of a commercial warehouse in Fullerton, California, United States, causing a fire, killing two people and injuring at least 18 others. (KABC-TV) (AP)
- Two officers were injured in an explosion of an unknown object at a police fence in Berlin-Wittenau; the reasons for this are still unclear. (tagesschau)
International relations
- Iran–Italy relations
- Syria–Ukraine relations
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine will pledge support to the Syrian transitional government. (The Press Democrat)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Venezuelan political crisis
- The government of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro offers a US$100,000 reward for the capture of exiled opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims that he is ready to take office as the legitimate president on January 10. (El Universal) (El País)
- Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa decrees the suspension of his vice president Verónica Abad accusing her of contempt, and the handover of her functions to national planning secretary Sariha Moya. Noboa already appointed Moya to replace Abad in November 2024, but a constitutional judge reversed the decree in December. (Swiss Info)
- The Parliament of Ghana prevents a potential government shutdown by approving a provisional budget of ₵68.1 billion ($4.65 billion) to fund government operations through March, amid a transition to John Mahama's presidency. (Reuters)
- The Constitutional Court of Indonesia rules that the 20% electoral threshold for political parties to nominate a presidential candidate is not legally binding, potentially enabling smaller parties to participate in future presidential elections without the need to form coalition with larger parties. (Reuters)
- The Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, begins a historic three-day trip to Antarctica along with civil, scientific and military authorities. According to the Chilean Government, the codenamed Operación Estrella Polar III seeks to strengthen the country's presence in the territory. (Government of Chile)
- Jenniffer González Colón takes office as Governor of Puerto Rico. (PBS)
Science and technology
- 2025 in paleontology, Dinosaur finds in the United Kingdom
- The largest site of dinosaur footprints of the Cetiosaurus and Megalosaurus dating back to the Middle Jurassic Bathonian stage 166 million years ago is discovered at a quarry in Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom. (BBC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- East Aleppo offensive
- Clashes between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army escalate near the Tishrin Dam in Aleppo Governorate, Syria. The Turkish Air Force also conducts airstrikes on SDF positions. (SOHR) (SOHR 2)
- US intervention in the Syrian civil war
- Deputy U.S. Defense Press Secretary Sabrina Singh says that, despite local reports, the U.S. Army has "no plans" to build a military base in Kobani, Aleppo Governorate, which is currently under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Rudaw)
- East Aleppo offensive
- Haitian crisis
- Gang war in Haiti, Guatemala–Haiti relations, El Salvador–Haiti relations, El Salvador–Guatemala relations
- A contingent of peacekeeping troops from Guatemala and El Salvador arrive in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to enforce a United Nations-backed multinational security mission to restore order to Port-au-Prince amid an increase in gang violence. (Reuters)
- Gang war in Haiti, Guatemala–Haiti relations, El Salvador–Haiti relations, El Salvador–Guatemala relations
- Red Sea crisis
- The Israeli Defense Forces report the interception of a ballistic missile and a drone launched from Yemen. (France 24)
Business and economy
- Proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel
- U.S. President Joe Biden blocks a buyout bid by Japanese Nippon Steel for U.S. Steel. (BBC News)
- Qatar Airways announces the resumption of flights to Damascus International Airport in Syria beginning on January 7, becoming the first major international airline to resume scheduled service to Syria since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. (Aviation Week)
Disasters and accidents
- January 2025 North American winter storm
- The National Weather Service issues winter storm warnings across the central Great Plains and an ice storm warning in Missouri, in anticipation of severe freezing rain and icing events. The winter storm begins impacting the northwestern continental United States with heavy snowfall. (The Weather Channel)
- 2024–25 Ethiopian earthquakes
- Evacuations are ordered in central Ethiopia due to increasing volcanic tremor and other unrest at the Mount Fentale stratovolcano, which last erupted in the 19th century. (Reuters)
- At least twelve people are killed and 30 others are injured after a bus carrying tourists falls into a ravine near the Pan-American Highway between Pasto and Rumichaca in Nariño Department, Colombia. (EFE)
Health and environment
- Air quality technology company IQAir reports that Hanoi, Vietnam, has the worst air pollution of any city on Earth, with levels of hazardous small particles, known as PM2.5, measured at 266 micrograms per cubic metre. (Reuters)
International relations
- Egypt–Syria relations
- Egypt bans the entry of Syrians from all countries worldwide, except for those holding temporary residency permits for non-tourism purposes. The ban also includes Syrians married to Egyptians unless they obtain a security clearance. (The New Arab)
- Germany–Syria relations, France–Syria relations
- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot become the first European Union foreign ministers to travel to Damascus, Syria, after the fall of the Assad regime to discuss new diplomatic relations with the Syrian Transitional Government and Syrian civil society. (Der Spiegel) (France 24)
Law and crime
- 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
- Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
- Corruption investigators and prosecutors raid the central Seoul residence of recently-impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to arrest Yoon for refusing to respond to three court summons. The raid is unsuccessful due to the Presidential Security Service blocking further entrance into the residence, leading to a multi-hour standoff. (The Guardian) (AP)
- Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
- 2024 Estlink 2 incident
- A district court in Helsinki, Finland, denies a request to release the impounded oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 submarine power cable and carrying sanctioned Russian oil. (Al Jazeera)
- War crimes in the Syrian civil war
- The Syrian government arrests Aws Salloum, known as the "Angel of Death" of Sednaya Prison. Salloum is accused of multiple murders and abuse of prisoners at Sednaya, including the murder of Mazen al-Hamada. (Al Sharq Al Awsat)
- A suspect is arrested in Rotterdam, Netherlands, for shooting and killing three men between December 21 and January 2. The victims were selected at random. (The Sun)
- Human trafficking in Southeast Asia
- Chinese actor Wang Xing went missing at the Thailand-Myanmar border. He was rescued later (Jan 7) by Thai authorities. (The Star)
Politics and elections
- 2025 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election
- The United States House of Representatives, composed of 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats, re-elects Mike Johnson as House Speaker over incumbent House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (CBS News)
- Next Ukrainian presidential election
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the country will not hold presidential elections as long as the country is under martial law, even if Russia puts it as a pre-condition for negotiations. (Kyiv Independent)
- Pula Nikolao Pula is sworn in as Governor of American Samoa. (Samoa Observer)
Science and technology
- SpaceX successfully launches the United Arab Emirates Space Agency's communications satellite Thuraya 4-NGS via a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States. (Space News)
Sports
- 2025 PDC World Darts Championship
- Luke Littler defeats Michael van Gerwen 7–3 in the final at Alexandra Palace in London, England, to claim his first World Darts Championship title, becoming the youngest player to win a world title at the age of 17 years. (BBC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern Ukraine campaign, Journalists killed during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- A war correspondent for the Russian newspaper Izvestia is killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Reuters)
- The Russian Armed Forces claims to have shot down eight American ATACMS missiles fired by Ukraine and vows retaliation. (CNN)
- Eastern Ukraine campaign, Journalists killed during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Haitian crisis, Guatemala–Haiti relations
- Gang war in Haiti
- Another 75 Guatemalan Army troops arrive in Haiti, joining 75 that arrived yesterday, to combat escalating gang violence. (CNN) (BBC News)
- Gang war in Haiti
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- At least 70 Palestinians are killed and 14 others are reported missing in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. (Middle East Monitor) (India Today)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Kivu conflict
- M23 offensive
- M23 rebels capture the strategic town of Katale in Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Chimp Reports)
- M23 offensive
- Anglophone Crisis
- Gunmen from Nigeria kill at least five Cameroonian soldiers and injure several others in Bakinjaw, Southwest Region, Cameroon. (Reuters)
- Insurgency in Balochistan
- One person is killed and 35 others are injured, including soldiers, in a car bombing in Turbat, Balochistan, Pakistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army claims responsibility for the attack, which states it targeted a military convoy. (AP)
- Boko Haram insurgency
- The Nigerian Army repels an ambush in Borno State and kills 34 Islamist militants in a gun battle in which six soldiers also die. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- January 2025 North American storm complex
- Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declares a state of emergency for Kentucky, United States, amidst the upcoming winter storm. (WNKY)
- At least eight people are killed and 15 others are injured in a fire at a market in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China. (Al Jazeera)
- The Taiwanese Coast Guard intercepts the Cameroon-registered container ship Shunxin39 after it was suspected of damaging an undersea cable north of Taiwan yesterday. (Taiwan News)
Law and crime
- Myanmar state media reports that the ruling military junta will release 5,864 prisoners, including 180 foreigners, under an amnesty marking the country's national independence day. (Reuters)
- The Danish Security and Intelligence Service and police announce an investigation into sightings of unknown drones reportedly flying over Køge, Region Zealand. (DW)
- Four teenagers are arrested in Yekaterinburg, Russia, for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in the city. Two of the suspects are also accused of being involved in an arson attack on a Ministry of Internal Affairs vehicle in December. (DW)
Politics and elections
- 2024–2025 Georgian protests, 2024–2025 Georgian constitutional crisis
- Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs announces the expulsion of 91 foreign citizens, including 25 who participated in anti-Georgian Dream and pro-EU protests. (TVP World)
- 2024–2025 Austrian government formation
- Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announces his resignation after talks on forming the new post-election coalition government between his Austrian People's Party, the Social Democratic Party and NEOS collapsed. (Euronews)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kursk offensive
- The Ukrainian Army launches a new offensive in Kursk Oblast, Russia. (BBC News)
- Kursk offensive
- Boko Haram insurgency
- Six soldiers and 34 Boko Haram gunmen are killed during a shootout in Borno State, Nigeria. (AP)
Arts and culture
- 82nd Golden Globe Awards
- The film Emilia Pérez and the television series Shōgun win the most awards at the 82nd Golden Globes with four each. The Brutalist wins the awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director (Brady Corbet) and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for Adrien Brody. (NBC News)
- Fernanda Torres becomes the first Brazilian actress to win the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance in I'm Still Here. (Variety)
Disasters and accidents
- January 2025 North American storm complex
- The National Weather Service issues winter storm alerts for areas covering nearly 70 million people from the Great Plains to the East Coast of the United States, with nearly 4 million currently under blizzard warnings. (CNN)
International relations
- Israel–United States relations, United States support for Israel in the Israel-Hamas war
- The U.S. State Department notifies Congress of a planned $8 billion arms sale to Israel consisting of air-to-air and Hellfire missiles, artillery shells, and other ammunitions. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Capital punishment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- The Congolese government executes 102 individuals convicted of armed robbery and urban banditry, with an additional 70 prisoners reportedly awaiting execution. (AP)
- Former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas is evacuated from La Roca Prison in Guayaquil following an alleged assassination attempt. (Reuters)
- Resurfaced videos show Syrian Justice Minister Shadi al-Waisi overseeing the execution of two women in 2015 on prostitution charges according to Sharia. (The New Arab)
Politics and elections
- 2024–2025 Austrian government formation
- The ruling Austrian People's Party appoints Christian Stocker as its acting chairman to succeed Karl Nehammer, who resigned as party leader and Chancellor of Austria yesterday. Stocker says that he is open to negotiate with the Freedom Party of Austria to form the new post-election coalition government. (DNYUZ)
- The German government reduces funding for two Israeli human rights groups, Zochrot and New Profile, that had advocated for Palestinian rights and antimilitarism. (DW)
Sports
- 2025 United Cup
- In tennis, the United States wins its second United Cup title after defeating Poland 2–0 in the final at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, Australia. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Islamist insurgency in the Sahel
- French military withdrawal from West Africa
- French President Emmanuel Macron says France was right to intervene militarily in the African Sahel against the mujahideen, that he is still waiting for the Sahel states to thank France and that the French Armed Forces were not forced out. (Reuters)
- French military withdrawal from West Africa
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israel–Hamas war, Israeli incursions in the West Bank
- Al-Funduq shooting attack
- Three Israelis are killed and eight others are injured in a mass shooting by Palestinian gunmen firing at a bus and two vehicles on Highway 55 in Al-Funduq in the West Bank. (BBC News)
- Al-Funduq shooting attack
- Israel–Hamas war, Israeli incursions in the West Bank
- Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
- 2025 Bijapur Naxal attack
- A bomb blast attributed to Maoist rebels in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, India, kills eight police officers and a driver traveling in a police vehicle. (Reuters)
- 2025 Bijapur Naxal attack
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kherson strikes, Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- A Russian drone attacks a civilian passenger bus in Kherson, Ukraine, reportedly killing at least one person and injuring at least nine others. (Reuters)
- Kherson strikes, Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Magdeburg car attack
- The death toll in the vehicle-ramming attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, increases to six after a 52-year-old woman dies from injuries sustained in the attack. (BBC News)
- North Korean missile tests
- The South Korean military reports that North Korea has fired what appears to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, in what would be the country's first missile launch in two months. The launch comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Seoul, South Korea, for talks with South Korean leaders. (BBC News)
- Mexican drug war
- At least eight gunmen were killed and three policemen wounded, after security agents repelled an attack near the community of Buenavista, municipality of Yuriria, Guanajuato. Members of security forces seized four vehicles, balistic vests and 12 firearms. In the same area, another encounter had been reported two months ago, leaving three officers wounded(Revista Proceso)
- Two people are killed and two others are injured in an IED attack at a school near Abuja, Nigeria, with police identifying three men as suspects in bringing the device to the site. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- 2022–2023 Russia–European Union gas dispute
- According to Slovakia, a planned meeting between Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission officials over gas supplies scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled due to Ukraine's refusal to participate in the meeting. (Reuters)
- The Brazilian government announces that Indonesia has joined the BRICS trade bloc as a full member. (Reuters)
- Davivienda, of Colombia, and Scotiabank, of Canada, announced a merger where Davivienda absorbs Scotiabank operations in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, and, in turn, Scotiabank acquires 20% of the stakes in Davivienda. (Scotiabank)
Disasters and accidents
- Several miners are trapped in a coal mine in Dima Hasao, Assam, India, with rescue efforts underway involving the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, and the Indian Army. Local authorities state that flooding may have caused the incident. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- 2020–2025 H5N1 outbreak
- The United States reports its first death from H5N1 bird flu after a man died in the hospital in Louisiana. (Reuters)
International relations
- Syrian civil war
- Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war
- The International Committee of the Red Cross announces plans to expand its operations in Syria beyond an initial US$100 million program, citing urgent needs in the health, water, and power sectors. (Reuters)
- Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war
- International reactions to the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, Paraguay–Venezuela relations
- The Venezuelan government suspends diplomatic relations with Paraguay, after Paraguayan President Santiago Peña recognized Edmundo González as president-elect of Venezuela. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Volksverhetzung
- Germany reports a significant increase in far-right crime, primarily from increasing online expression offenses and hate speech, as well as an increase in Israel–Hamas war-related resentment. (Reuters)
- The Court of Appeal of Malaysia orders a lower court to reconsider former Prime Minister Najib Razak's claim of a royal order granting him home detention, which he alleges was issued alongside his reduced prison sentence for his involvement in the 1MDB corruption scandal. The ruling follows the disclosure of a letter confirming the existence of such an order, which the government asserts they have not received. (Reuters)
- Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello says that 125 foreign citizens have been arrested on suspicion of serving as United States mercenaries in order to cause a coup in Venezuela. (The Times of Israel)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Austrian legislative election
- After the Austrian People's Party fails to form a government, President of Austria Alexander van der Bellen gives the mandate to form a post-election government to the Freedom Party's leader Herbert Kickl, who is expected to rule within a coalition of the two parties. (DW)
- Conscription in Israel, Exemption from military service in Israel
- More than 50 Haredi Jews join the Israel Defense Forces for the first time since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, forming the Haredi Hasmonean Brigade, after repeated protests against the conscription of yeshiva students. (The Economic Times)
- Proposals for the United States to purchase Greenland
- The King of Denmark officially changes the Danish coat of arms to feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominently, following suggestions from United States president-elect Donald Trump about the nation purchasing Greenland. (The Guardian)
- Resignation of Justin Trudeau
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and also announces that he will resign as Prime Minister once a new Liberal Party leader is chosen. (BBC News)
- Second presidential transition of Donald Trump
- The U.S. Congress certifies the results of the 2024 presidential election. U.S. Vice President and Democratic Party candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Kamala Harris presides over the ceremony and certifies her defeat, officially making Donald Trump the President-elect and JD Vance the Vice President-elect. Trump and Vance are expected to be sworn-in on January 20. (ABC News)
- Pope Francis appoints Sister Simona Brambilla as Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, becoming the Vatican's first female prefect of the Roman Curia. (Vatican News)
- The President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, dismisses the Government of Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada. (Africa News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Three Pakistani soldiers and 19 Taliban insurgents are killed in shootouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (AP)
Business and economy
- Argentine debt restructuring
- Argentina's country risk index, measured by the JPMorgan GBI-EM Index, briefly drops to 444 points, its lowest level since 2018, before closing at 561 points due to technical adjustments linked to upcoming bond payment amid improved market sentiment driven by cooling inflation and signs of economic recovery. (Reuters)
- International flights resume from Damascus International Airport in Syria for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime. (France 24)
- The merger of the providers of stock photography Getty Images and Shutterstock, by the acquisition of the latter by the former, is announced. (AP News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- An exceptional Santa Ana wind event reaching hurricane-force in some locations in southern California, United States, cause multiple power outages and wildfire outbreaks, including a rapidly-spreading >2,900 acre wildfire in Los Angeles County which causes several burn injuries and forces 30,000 people to evacuate. (CNN) (NBC News)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- 2025 Tibet earthquake
- At least 126 people are killed and dozens of others are injured when a magnitude Mw 7.1 (Ms 6.8) earthquake strikes Tingri County, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. (Al Jazeera) (AP)
- 2025 Swan River Seaplanes Cessna 208 crash
- A light aircraft crashes near Rottnest Island, Western Australia, killing the pilot and two tourists from Denmark and Switzerland while injuring three other passengers. (Reuters)
- Thirteen Cuban soldiers go missing after explosions at an arms and ammunition depot in Holguín Province. (CNN)
Health and environment
- HMPV outbreak in East Asia
- India confirms their first cases of the human metapneumovirus disease. (CBS News)
International relations
- Denmark–United States relations, Proposals for the United States to purchase Greenland, Panama–United States relations
- U.S. president-elect Donald Trump refuses to rule out using military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, declaring U.S. control of both to be "vital to American national security". (AP)
- Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. makes a personal visit to Greenland weeks after Trump announced that "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity". In response to the visit, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen states that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders". (BBC News)
- Panamanian foreign minister Javier Martínez-Acha asserts that only Panamanians operate the Panama Canal and that its sovereignty is non-negotiable, dismissing Trump's claims that China operates the canal and his suggestion of potential U.S. military action to regain control. (DW)
- Hungary–United States relations
- The U.S. Treasury imposes sanctions on Hungarian cabinet minister Antal Rogán for alleged corruption, accusing him of using his position to secure financial benefits for himself and political allies. (Reuters)
- Sudan–United States relations
- The United States accuses the Rapid Support Forces of committing genocide in Sudan during the ongoing civil war and imposes sanctions on the group's leader Hemedti. (AP)
Law and crime
- 2024 Venezuelan political crisis
- Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González reports the kidnapping of his son-in-law Rafael Tudares by masked men in Caracas, as political tensions persist following González's contested claim of victory in the country's July presidential election. (Al Jazeera)
- Former Cambodian opposition lawmaker Lim Kimya is shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle in Bangkok, Thailand. Cambodian officials deny allegations of involvement in Lim's death. (The Guardian)
- Lebanon approves the extradition of Abdul Rahman Yusuf, the son of late Egyptian ulama Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates following his detention on December 28 after returning from Syria. (Reuters)
- Mauritius issues an arrest warrant for former finance minister Renganaden Padayachy over alleged embezzlement involving the disbursement of Rs. 45 million (US$1 million) from the Mauritius Investment Corporation. (Reuters)
- Two people are killed and one is injured in a mass shooting at Zahnradfabrik Hanel in Bad Friedrichshall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The perpetrator is arrested. (DW)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Venezuelan political crisis
- Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro announces the arrest of seven foreign individuals, whom he accuses of planning terrorist acts to disrupt his upcoming inauguration, with security forces conducting a nationwide deployment. (Al Jazeera)
- Death and state funeral of Jimmy Carter
- The body of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter arrives in Washington, D.C. for a three-day mourning period, including a lying in state at the Capitol. (Reuters)
- Libyan crisis
- The House of Representatives of Libya approves a national reconciliation and transitional justice law aimed at unifying the country after over a decade of conflict. (Reuters)
- John Mahama is sworn in for a second term as President of Ghana, having previously served as president from 2012 to 2017. (Reuters)
Science and technology
- Meta Platforms announces an end to its third-party fact-checking program and a transition to a crowd-sourced model similar to X's Community Notes. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Boko Haram insurgency
- 2025 N'Djamena attack
- Gunfire and military vehicles are reported near the Presidential Palace in N'Djamena, Chad, with the Chadian government accusing Boko Haram of being behind the attack. The Chad National Army has reportedly regained stable control of the capital, with 18 insurgents and one security force member being killed in the attack. (Devdiscourse) (Deutsche Welle)
- 2025 N'Djamena attack
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip kill at least 27 people. (Arab News)
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Zaporizhzhia strikes, Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian forces attack an industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, killing 13 people and injuring 18 others. Further strikes on Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs kill 13 more people and injure 32 others. (Ukrainska Pravda) (Ukrainska Pravda 2)
- Zaporizhzhia strikes, Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Twenty-eight soldiers are killed during a mass shooting in northern Benin near the border with Burkina Faso. (Punch)
- Myanmar civil war
- At least 40 people are killed and 12 others are injured in Tatmadaw airstrikes on Ramree, Rakhine State, Myanmar. (Al Jazeera) (India Today)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire
- More than 100,000 people are evacuated from approaching wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Hollywood neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Altadena, California, United States, that have burnt more than 3,000 acres, aggravated by an ongoing extreme windstorm and drought conditions. Five people are killed, dozens of others are injured, and around 1,000 structures are destroyed. (AP) (The Independent) (NBC News) (Reuters)
- The CALNEV Pipeline connecting oil refineries in southern California to Clark County, Nevada, shuts down due to power outages, temporarily cutting off the gasoline supply to Las Vegas and Nellis Air Force Base. The Kinder Morgan SFPP Pipeline connecting southern California to Phoenix, Arizona, also shuts down. (KTNV) (Reuters)
- Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Deadly human stampedes in Hindu temples
- Six people are killed and over forty others are injured in a stampede at the Hindu Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. (AP) (Business Today)
International relations
- Iran–Italy relations
- The Iranian government releases Italian journalist Cecilia Sala from prison, with Sala arriving back in Rome later that day. (Euronews) (Yahoo! News)
- Lithuania–Russia relations
- Lithuanian prime minister Gintautas Paluckas deploys the police to secure the country's electricity link with Poland in response to reported attempts to disrupt the planned decoupling of the Baltic states' power systems from the grid shared with Belarus and Russia. (Reuters)
- Azerbaijan protests Eritrea's detention of three Azerbaijani-flagged vessels and 18 crew members since November 2024, stating the ships entered Eritrean waters due to adverse weather en route to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- The British government freezes the assets of neo-Nazi music network Blood & Honour, becoming the first far-right group in the UK to be sanctioned by the government. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- Politics of New Caledonia
- Alcide Ponga of the pro-France The Rally party is elected President of New Caledonia by six of the eleven government ministers. (Radio New Zealand)
- The ruling party in São Tomé and Príncipe, Independent Democratic Action, proposes Hélio Vaz de Almeida as Prime Minister to replace Patrice Trovoada, who was fired by President Carlos Vila Nova two days ago. (RFI)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Somali Civil War, War against the Islamic State
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Puntland forces carry out drone strikes on Islamic State targets in the Cal Miskaad mountains near Balidhidhin District, Bari, Puntland, Somalia, killing several militants. (Idil News) (VOA)
- Puntland counterterrorism forces capture four foreign Islamic State fighters from Ethiopia, Yemen, and Tanzania, while intercepting and destroying multiple explosive-carrying drones in Bari, Puntland. (Idil News) (VOA) (Garowe Online)
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip kill at least 22 people. (Al Jazeera)
- A study published in The Lancet claims that around 3% of the Gaza Strip population has died from traumatic injury due to the conflict with Israel, with the death toll from other causes due to the military campaign likely higher. (CNN)
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian artillery strikes kill two people in Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, according to the region's governor. In the Russian-controlled area of Kamianka-Dniprovska, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, the region's Russia-appointed governor says that two people were killed by Ukrainian artillery strikes. (Reuters)
- Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- At least six people are killed due to spreading wildfires in Los Angeles County, United States.
- The Kenneth Fire ignites in Woodland Hills, adding to the 179,000 people placed under evacuation orders. (NBC News)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- 2024–25 European winter
- Twelve miners are trapped in a collapsed coal mine in Balochistan, Pakistan, following a methane gas explosion. (AP)
International relations
- Armenia–European Union relations
- The Armenian government approves a bill to launch a bid for the country to join the European Union. (Reuters)
- Azerbaijan–Russia relations
- Russia declines to confirm whether Russian forces accidentally shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, despite calls by Azerbaijan to do so. (The Straits Times)
- Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute
- Guyana says that it will resort to the United Nations to deter Venezuela from unilaterally appointing a governor for the Essequibo, a region under Guyanese control but claimed by Venezuela. (AP)
Law and crime
- International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Israeli leaders
- Poland's government confirms that it will not comply with an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes if he chooses to attend a ceremony at Auschwitz concentration camp later this month. (Times of Israel) (Notes from Poland)
- The U.S. House of Representatives votes 243 to 140 to sanction the ICC for issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. (Reuters) (Middle East Eye) (Haaretz)
- U.S. Senate majority leader John Thune promises swift consideration of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act so President-elect Donald Trump can sign it into law shortly after taking office. Under the act, any foreigner who investigates, arrests, detains or prosecutes U.S. citizens or those of an allied country, including Israel, not under ICC jurisdiction would be sanctioned along with their family members. (Reuters) (The New York Times)
- 2024 Venezuelan political crisis
- Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado makes her first public appearance in 133 days and is briefly arrested when her convoy is intercepted by security forces as it departs an anti-government protest in Caracas. The incident occurs the day before the ruling party-controlled National Assembly is scheduled to swear in Nicolás Maduro for a third term as president. (AP) (The Guardian)
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo bans Al Jazeera from operating in the country and revokes its press credentials, citing the network's interview with M23 rebel leader Bertrand Bisimwa as an endorsement of terrorism. Authorities warn against reporting on the group, with the justice minister threatening to invoke the death penalty, although no formal law bans such coverage. (AP)
- The Kuwaiti public prosecution detains media personality Fajer Al-Saeed for 21 days and after investigating charges related to "calling for normalization with the Israeli occupation and harming the state's interests". (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Mozambican general election
- 2024 Mozambican protests
- PODEMOS presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who alleges that the October election was rigged, returns to Mozambique from exile in South Africa amid protests. (Reuters)
- 2024 Mozambican protests
- 2022–2025 Lebanese presidential election
- Military commander Joseph Aoun is elected as President of Lebanon, ending the power vacuum that began in October 2022. (AP)
- Death and state funeral of Jimmy Carter
- The state funeral for former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. All five living presidents, including incumbent president Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump, attend the funeral. (CBS News)
- President of São Tomé and Príncipe Carlos Vila Nova rejects a proposal by his Independent Democratic Action party to elect Hélio Vaz de Almeida as prime minister. Vila Nova instead appoints Ilza Amado Vaz. (RFI), (Xinhua)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Somali Civil War, War against the Islamic State
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Puntland forces fight against ISIS in the IL-Ameira mountains, stopping seven drones loaded with bombs and removing ten landmines. The forces also destroy five ISIS bases. They capture military bases, including a water well in Jeceel Valley near Cal Miskaad mountains of Balidhidhin District, Bari, Puntland. (Horseed Media) (Hiiraan Online)
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Red Sea crisis
- The Israeli Air Force launches airstrikes on a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile attacks on Israel, with pro-Houthi media reporting that at least three people were injured. (Al Arabiya)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Amid ongoing wildfires, authorities in Los Angeles County, California, United States, impose a curfew and announce the deployment of the California National Guard in order to protect homes in evacuated areas from looting. (KNBC-TV)
- The United States Department of Health and Human Services issues a public health emergency for California in response to injuries and mental health impacts caused by the ongoing wildfires. (CNN)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Three of the twelve miners that were reported missing yesterday in an explosion at a coal mine in Singidi, Balochistan, Pakistan, are found dead by rescue workers. (CTV News)
- Three women are killed and five children are injured in a stampede at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. (Reuters)
- Three people on the ground are killed and three others are injured when a Cessna 172 aircraft crashes into a road near Malindi, Kenya. (AP)
Health and environment
- 2024 in climate change
- The Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms that 2024 was the warmest calendar year since records began in 1850, with the average global temperature reaching 1.6 °C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the 1.5 °C warming benchmark set in 2016 by the Paris Agreement for the first time. (C3S) (Politico) (BBC News)
International relations
- 2025 Moldovan energy crisis
- Moldova's unrecognized breakaway region of Transnistria extends its state of emergency for another month due to an energy crisis following the suspension of Russian gas supplies. (Reuters)
- Colombia–Venezuela relations
- The government of Venezuela closes the border with Colombia ahead of the swearing-in of Nicolás Maduro for a third term as President of Venezuela. (Le Monde)
- Denmark–United States relations, Proposals for the United States to purchase Greenland
- The Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Bourup Egede, says that his country "has a desire for independence" and he, in particular, is ready to speak with US President-elect Donald Trump. (Bloomberg)
- International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia–United States relations
- The United States government imposes a new series of sanctions targeting Russia's energy sector, including the Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas oil companies. (CNN)
- Italy–Syria relations
- The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, meets in Damascus with Ahmed al-Sharaa, de facto leader of Syria. (Euronews)
Law and crime
- Indictments against Donald Trump
- Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York
- U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is sentenced for falsifying business records, with judge Juan Merchan ordering an unconditional discharge, stating that imprisonment or fines could cause Trump to eventually have his convictions overturned. (AP)
- Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York
- Death and funeral of Alexei Navalny
- Russia financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring rejects requests to remove former opposition leader Alexei Navalny from their state sponsor of terrorism list despite his death a year ago. (Reuters)
- International reactions to the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, United States–Venezuela relations, Sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis
- U.S. authorities announce an increased $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. (BBC News)
- Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announces that former WWE CEO Vince McMahon has agreed to pay a $400,000 fine and reimburse $1.3 million to WWE as part of a settlement to drop accounting fraud charges. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Venezuelan political crisis
- Third inauguration of Nicolás Maduro
- Nicolás Maduro is sworn in for a third six-year term as President of Venezuela in Caracas. The ceremony takes place under heavy security measures with the opposition boycotting and protesting the ceremony while continuing to insist that the legitimate president-elect is Edmundo González Urrutia. Many countries and international organizations also consider the election to be fraudulent. (CNN)
- Third inauguration of Nicolás Maduro
- 2024 Austrian legislative election
- Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen appoints foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg as acting chancellor to succeed Karl Nehammer, who resigned six days ago. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israel–United States relations, Calls for a ceasefire during the Israel–Hamas war
- Incoming U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. (Sky News)
- Netanyahu sends Mossad director David Barnea to ceasefire talks in Doha. (ABC News)
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- An Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced civilians in Jabalia, northern Gaza, kills at least eight Palestinians and leaves 30 others injured. (Middle East Monitor)
- Israel–United States relations, Calls for a ceasefire during the Israel–Hamas war
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern Ukraine campaign
- The Russian Army says that it has gained control of the settlement of Shevchenko in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Anadolu Agency)
- Kursk offensive, North Korean involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announces that Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers in healthy condition in Kursk Oblast, Russia, for the first time since North Korea entered the war, as the two previous North Korean prisoners of war died of their injuries shortly following their capture. (Reuters)
- Eastern Ukraine campaign
- Somali Civil War, War against the Islamic State
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- The Counterterrorism Forces of Puntland's disclosed a cave that was being used to store food by ISIL was captured by Puntland forces in Al-Miskad mountains, killed ISIL fighters and captured including foreigners and destroyed improvised explosive devices and hideouts, and downed three explosives-laden drones as the troops continued their offensive against ISIL militants hiding in the remote areas of the Bari region, Puntland. (Garowe Online) (The Somali Digest) (VOA)
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Sudanese civil war
- Battle of Wad Madani
- The Sudanese Armed Forces say that they liberated Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State, Sudan, from the Rapid Support Forces. (Al Arabiya)
- Battle of Wad Madani
- Myanmar civil war
- At least fifteen civilians are killed and 10 others are wounded in a Tatmadaw airstrike on a market, targeting Kachin Independence Army fighters, in Tanai Township, Kachin State, Myanmar. (The Defense Post) (Daily Post)
- Nigerian bandit conflict
- Twenty-one government-backed fighters are killed during an ambush against a convoy in Baure, Katsina State, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- At least 939 CDCR inmates are deployed to fight the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County, California, United States. (BBC News)
- The number of deaths in the California wildfires rises to 16. (NBC)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- 2024–25 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
- France places the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte on red alert due to approaching Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi, roughly one month after the French overseas department was devastated by Cyclone Chido. (Reuters)
- Al-Bayda gas station explosion
- At least 15 people are killed and 67 others are injured, including 40 critically, in an explosion at a gas station in Al Bayda Governorate, Yemen. (CTV News)
- Six people are killed and eleven injured when a propane-butane cylinder explodes in a restaurant in Most, Czech Republic. (Reuters) (DW)
- Two people are killed and eleven others are injured when a bus flips on its side on a highway near Prenzlau, northeast of Berlin, Germany. (CTV News)
- At least 50 people are injured when two trams collide in a tunnel in Strasbourg, France. (DW)
International relations
- Ethiopia–Somalia relations
- Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed and President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as part of a Turkey-brokered rapprochement to restore bilateral relations after a yearlong dispute due to the 2024 Ethiopia–Somaliland memorandum of understanding. (Bloomberg)
- Lebanon–Syria relations
- Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati and Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa hold a meeting in Damascus, Syria, the first time that the two countries have met since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. (24 Digital) (MTV)
Law and crime
- A person throws a Molotov cocktail at the consulate of Venezuela in Lisbon, Portugal. No injuries are reported. (Euronews)
Politics and elections
- 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
- Thousands of people demonstrate in Seoul, South Korea, to protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol as he defies an arrest warrant from his attempt to institute martial law in December 2024. (Al Jazeera) (TRT World)
- At least 12,000 people gather in Riesa, Saxony, Germany, to protest an Alternative for Germany convention as well as the party's far-right views. (Al Jazeera)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis
- Israel–United States relations, Calls for a ceasefire during the Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden discuss efforts to reach a deal to solve the hostage crisis as well as a ceasefire to end the war. (USA Today)
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- At least eight Palestinians are killed in Israeli airstrikes on areas of the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua)
- Kivu conflict
- M23 offensive
- The Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo says that over the days it has recaptured several towns that fell to M23 rebels and other armed groups in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.(AP)
- M23 offensive
- Nigerian bandit conflict
- At least 40 people are killed during an attack by Boko Haram gunmen in Dumba, Borno State, Nigeria. (AP)
- At least 16 civilians are killed in an airstrike conducted by the Nigerian Air Force in Zamfara State, apparently after being mistaken for criminal gangs. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- California Governor Gavin Newsom states that the ongoing wildfires impacting Los Angeles County could become the worst natural disaster in American history "in terms of the scale and scope", amid current estimated damages of more than US$135 billion. (The Independent) (NBC News)
- The death toll from the wildfires increases to 24. (BBC News)
- Officials say that the Kenneth Fire has been contained. (KCAL-TV)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Ten people are killed and several others are injured after large floods engulf the city of Ipatinga in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (BBC)
- Three people are killed and two others are injured in an avalanche in Trasquera, Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italy. (Rai News)
- At least 17 miners are trapped in a gold mine in La Libertad Department, Peru, after a group of illegal miners attacked the mine. (Xinhua)
Health and environment
- HMPV seasonal outbreak in China
- The Bangladeshi IEDCR reports the country's first case of HMPV in Bhairab, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. (New Age)
International relations
- Germany–Syria relations
- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pledges €50 million in food, emergency shelters, and medical care to Syria following talks with the Syrian transitional government in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (DW)
- Foreign ministers and senior officers of Arab countries, the European Union, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States hold a series of diplomatic meetings focused on Syria in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Saudi Gazette)
Politics and elections
- 2024–25 Croatian presidential election
- Croatians vote in the second round to elect the president between incumbent Zoran Milanović and former science and education minister Dragan Primorac. (The Dubrovnik Times) (Sarajevo Times)
- 2025 Comorian parliamentary election
- Voters in Comoros elect the 33 members of the Assembly of the Union. (Reuters)
- Ilza Amado Vaz unexpectedly resigns as Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe three days after being appointed Prime Minister by President Carlos Vila Nova. The ruling Independent Democratic Action party then proposes Adelino Pereira to replace Vaz, but Vila Nova appoints Américo d'Oliveira dos Ramos. (Xinhua 1), (Xinhua 2)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Somali Civil War
- War against the Islamic State
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Twenty-six Islamic State militants are allegedly killed, including a female combatant and two soldiers, and several others are injured when Puntland forces capture eight Islamic State bases during ongoing offensive military operations in Bari, Puntland, Somalia. (Idil News) (AFP)
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- War against the Islamic State
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of Lebanon
- 2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement
- The Israel Defense Forces strike several Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, alleging that the targets violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement. (The Times of Israel)
- 2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement
- Sudanese Civil War
- Battle of Khartoum
- The shelling of an area of Omdurman results in the death of at least 120 civilians, according to volunteer rescuers. (Al Arabiya News)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting the Russkaya compressor station in the Krasnodar Krai, which feeds gas for the TurkStream pipeline, in a failed drone attack two days ago. (S&P Global)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Business and economy
- A general strike by Belgian unions to protest against government plans for pension reform occurs, with the work stoppages severely disrupting public transport in Brussels as well as rail and air travel throughout the country. (Politico)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- AccuWeather releases a preliminary estimate of the total physical and economic losses caused by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California of between $250–275 billion, a figure attributed to exceptionally high property values in and near Santa Monica, which would surpass their estimates of the costs of the entire 2020 United States wildfire season as well as Hurricane Helene in 2024. (NBC News)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Twelve people are killed and many others are missing in a landslide in Hpakant, Kachin State, Myanmar. (AP)
Law and crime
- Venezuelan attorney general Tarek Saab asks for an arrest warrant and a red notice from Interpol against opposition figure Leopoldo López, who is currently in exile. Venezuela accuses López of instigating the use of arms against the state and treason, among other charges. (Reuters)
- A judge in Peru dismisses charges of money laundering against Popular Force leader and former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Efforts to impeach Sara Duterte
- Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo hold a nationwide National Rally for Peace in the Philippines to express their disapproval of impeachment efforts against Vice President Sara Duterte. (Rappler)
- International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam becomes the prime minister-designate of Lebanon after winning an absolute majority of votes from parliament, while stepping down from the ICJ. (TVN24)(CNN)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis, Calls for a ceasefire during the Israel–Hamas war
- Hamas officials say that they have accepted a draft agreement for a potential ceasefire as well as the release of hostages. Mediators in the United States and Qatar also state that this is the closest that both sides have been to a ceasefire agreement so far. (AP)
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank
- Four Al-Qassam Brigades militants and two civilians are killed during an Israeli airstrike in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera)
- Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis, Calls for a ceasefire during the Israel–Hamas war
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Ukraine strikes targets in the Republic of Tatarstan and Bryansk, Saratov, and Tula oblasts, Russia, with more than 200 drones and five ATACMS ballistic missiles, hitting ammunition depots, industrial plants and a refinery, in what Ukraine says is its "most massive" and "deepest" attack inside Russia so far. (CNN) (BBC News)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- North Korean missile tests
- North Korea launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. (Reuters)
- Red Sea crisis
Health and environment
- The World Health Organization reports a suspected Marburg virus outbreak in Kagera, Tanzania, with nine cases and eight deaths. (Reuters)
International relations
- 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions, NATO operations
- At the Summit of Baltic Sea Allies in Helsinki, Finland, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announces the establishment of the Baltic Sentry military mission, which will strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in the region, such as energy and communication cables, from "destabilizing acts". (NATO News)
- Armenia–United States relations
- The Armenian Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, and the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, sign in Washington, DC a Strategic Partnership Charter between Armenia and the United States. (The Defense Post)
- Cuba–United States relations
- U.S. President Joe Biden announces that the United States will remove Cuba from its state sponsors of terrorism list as part of a prisoner release deal. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
- Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
- A military unit assigned to guard the presidential residence of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol approves the entry of anti-corruption officials and police, which is contested by the Presidential Security Service. (Yonhap)
- The Constitutional Court of South Korea adjourns the opening session of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial after Yoon failed to attend the session due to alleged safety concerns. (NBC News) (Xinhua)
- Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
- Moldova detains former Kyrgyzstan presidential advisor Aidar Khalikov, who has accused Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov of corruption and election rigging. (OCCRP)
Politics and elections
- British Treasury Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq resigns amid an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh involving her family. (BBC News)
- The new Government of Prime Minister Américo Ramos is sworn in São Tomé and Príncipe. (Xinhua)
Science and technology
- The government of Venezuela lifts its ban on the social media and instant messaging app Telegram. (TechRadar)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Kivu conflict
- Allied Democratic Forces militants kill ten people in an attack on a village in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP)
- Kivu conflict
- Israel–Hamas war
- 2025 Israel–Hamas war ceasefire
- Israel and Hamas reach a diplomatic agreement mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. to initiate a ceasefire and an end to military operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as to facilitate the exchange of hostages and prisoners, marking the first major cessation of hostilities since November 2023. (CNN)
- 2025 Israel–Hamas war ceasefire
- Syrian civil war
- Israeli invasion of Syria
- The Israeli Air Force strikes a Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) vehicle convoy in Quneitra Governorate, Syria, killing two HTS personnel and the mayor of a local village. It is the first time that Israel has targeted HTS forces since the fall of the Assad regime. (Al Arabiya)
- Israeli invasion of Syria
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia launches a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid. (AP)
- Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Red Sea crisis
- Yemen's Houthi movement claims that it launched a missile attack targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and accompanying warships of the United States Navy in the Red Sea. (Anadolu Agency)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 Istanbul alcohol poisonings
- Bootleg alcohol kills 37 people and leaves 80 others hospitalized over the last 48 hours in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish health officials say many of those in hospital are in intensive care. (ABC News)
- Stilfontein mine deaths
- Seventy-eight bodies of workers are retrieved from a closed illegal gold mine in Stilfontein, North West Province, South Africa following a months-long siege by police. Over 200 survivors are arrested as they exit the mine. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans the usage of Red No. 3 artificial food coloring, due to research showing that the food coloring is carcinogenic. (NBC News)
International relations
- Poland–Russia relations
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country of plotting terror attacks on airliners around the world. (The Independent)
Law and crime
- 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
- Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
- Anti-corruption officials and police attempt to breach the residence of impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol for a second time in order to execute an arrest warrant, while facing resistance from the Presidential Security Service, People Power Party lawmakers, and pro-Yoon protesters. Following a five-hour standoff, Yoon is arrested, becoming South Korea's first sitting president to be arrested. (Yonhap) (Yonhap 2) (AP)
- Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
- 2024 drone sightings
- The German government authorises the Bundeswehr to shoot down suspicious drones seen near military sites or other critical infrastructure with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stating that Russia is suspected of being behind the drone activity. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- 2024–2025 Georgian protests
- A general strike takes place in Georgia with hundreds of Georgian firms urging the government to release all political prisoners and hold new elections amid nationwide protests. Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Giorgi Gakharia is hospitalized after being assaulted, allegedly by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party. (Civil Georgia) (BBC News)
- 2024–2025 Mozambican protests
- Daniel Chapo is sworn in as President of Mozambique, succeeding Filipe Nyusi. The inauguration takes place amid ongoing political unrest in Mozambique, with opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane continuing to insist that the October 2024 election was rigged. Since then, over 300 people have died in clashes with Police. (France 24) (Reuters)
- Rosen Zhelyazkov of the GERB–SDS coalition is tasked by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev with forming the new goverment, following the parliamentary election in October 2024. (Fakti.bg)
Science and technology
- Exploration of the Moon, Commercial Lunar Payload Services
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States, carrying the American Blue Ghost M1 moon lander from Firefly Aerospace and the Japanese Hakuto-R Mission 2 moon lander from ispace. (BBC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli airstrikes kill at least 82 people across the Gaza Strip, including 30 in Gaza City, hours after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement. (Al Jazeera)
- Three-phase Israel–Hamas war ceasefire proposal
- The Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams sign the hostage release and ceasefire deal in Doha, Qatar. (The Times of Israel)
- Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
- Somali Civil War, War against the Islamic State
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- The Puntland Security Force claims to have captured a training facility used by ISIL militants, with over forty ISIL fighters killed following heavy fighting. (The Eastleigh Voice)
- Thousands of families are displaced as the military campaign intensifies, forcing locals to flee their homes in Bari region of Puntland, Somalia. (Idil News) (Horn Observer)
- Islamic State insurgency in Puntland
- Red Sea crisis
- The leader of the Houthis Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announces that the group will monitor the implementation of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire agreement and continue its attacks on vessels and on Israel if the ceasefire is breached. (Middle East Monitor)
- Sudanese civil war
- The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for "destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition" to a civilian-led government. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 California wildfires
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- It is reported that the Eaton Fire, which has burned over 14,000 acres and has killed 17 people, is 65% contained. (CBS News)
- January 2025 Southern California wildfires
- Stilfontein mine deaths
- The bodies of nine illegal miners trapped inside a gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, are recovered by police. (CTV News)
- Two deminers are killed in an explosion while attempting to remove a Cambodian Civil War-era anti-tank mine from a rice field in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. (AP)
International relations
- Ukraine–United Kingdom relations
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Kyiv, Ukraine, to sign a 100-year agreement with Ukraine that will formalize British economic and military support for Ukraine. (Sky News) (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Capital punishment in Taiwan
- Taiwan carries out its first execution in five years on a man who was convicted of the 2013 murder of his former girlfriend and her mother. (Yahoo! News)
- Spišská Stará Ves school stabbing
- Two women are killed and a third is injured in a mass stabbing at a school in Spišská Stará Ves, Slovakia. The perpetrator is arrested. (BBC News) (Devdiscourse)
- Two homeless people are killed and two others are injured in a mass stabbing attack in Miami, Florida, United States. A 30-year-old suspect is arrested. (NBC News)
- The Government of Cuba releases dissident and human rights activist José Daniel Ferrer from jail. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2021–present Bulgarian political crisis
- The Parliament of Bulgaria approves a coalition government consisting of the GERB-SDS, BSP – United Left, and There is Such a People parties, with GERB's Rosen Zhelyazkov becoming Prime Minister. (Euronews)
- 2024 French political crisis
- The government of French Prime Minister François Bayrou survives a no-confidence motion by the opposition New Popular Front electoral alliance. (Euronews)
- 2025 Vanuatuan general election
- Citizens of Vanuatu vote for the 52 members of Parliament. (RNZ)
Science and technology
- 2025 in spaceflight
- Blue Origin launches its New Glenn rocket for the first time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States. The rocket's second stage, carrying a prototype Blue Ring spacecraft, successfully reaches a geocentric orbit, but its reusable first stage is lost during landing. (CNN)
- The twin satellites SDX01 and SDX02 of the SpaDeX mission, launched in December by the Indian Space Research Organisation, successfully conduct India's first spacecraft docking, with India becoming the fourth country to successfully dock a spacecraft after the United States, Russia, and China. (BBC News)
- SpaceX launches its seventh test flight of the Starship launch vehicle, with an improved second stage, at Starbase in Texas, United States. The first stage is successfully caught by the launch tower but the second stage breaks up shortly before engine shutdown. (CNBC)
- Nintendo officially reveals the Nintendo Switch 2 video game console, the successor to the Nintendo Switch. (Nintendo)
Sports
- 2025 in sumo
- Shortly after withdrawing from the January 2025 Grand Sumo Tournament due to injuries, the 73rd yokozuna Terunofuji Haruo announces his retirement. If no other wrestler is promoted this tournament, his retirement leaves sumo without a yokozuna for the first time since 1993. Terunofuji also announced his intention to remain in the Japan Sumo Association as an oyakata. (Kyodo News) (Nikkan Sports)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Internal conflict in South Sudan
- Three people are killed and seven others are injured in clashes with security forces in Juba and Aweil, South Sudan, with three Sudanese-owned houses set on fire in Aweil. This comes after videos emerged allegedly showing Sudanese soldiers killing South Sudanese civilians in Wad Madani, Sudan. (BBC News)
- Israel–Hamas war
- The Security Cabinet of Israel approves the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement, which is expected to take effect on Sunday. (The Guardian)
- Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
- Twelve Naxalites are killed in a police raid in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, India. (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
- British oil and gas company BP announces that it will lay off 4,700 employees and 3,000 contractors globally to reduce costs. (AP)
International relations
- 2024 United States telecommunications hack
- The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions a cybersecurity company and hacker, both with ties to China's Ministry of State Security, for their alleged roles in hacking American telecommunications companies. (Reuters)
- Iran–Russia relations
- Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian president Vladimir Putin sign the Iranian–Russian Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The 20-year deal will see cooperation between the two countries in multiple areas, including nuclear energy, counterterrorism, and environmental issues. (Middle East Eye)
Law and crime
- TikTok v. Garland
- The United States Supreme Court upholds a law that could ban TikTok in the United States on January 19 unless the social media platform is sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance. (AP)
- A judge in Bolivia orders the arrest of former Bolivian President Evo Morales on statutory rape charges. (The Guardian)
- Brazilian police raid a ranch in Ponta Grossa, South Region, Brazil, in an operation to dismantle a gang planning large-scale bank heists, killing six suspects and seizing weapons, including a .50-caliber machine gun and explosives. (AP)
Politics and elections
- Colombian conflict
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspends dialogue with the National Liberation Army following accusations of war crimes against the group. (Reuters)
- Second inauguration of Donald Trump
- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announces that his upcoming second inauguration will be held indoors at the United States Capitol rotunda due to cold temperatures forecasts. Trump also announces that the inaugural parade will be held indoors at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. (Reuters)
- Didier Guillaume, the head of government of Monaco, dies suddenly at the age of 65. Isabelle Berro-Lefèvre is appointed acting Minister of State by Prince Albert II. (Monaco Tribune)
Science and technology
- Censorship of TikTok
- TikTok warns that it could "go dark" on Sunday without assistance from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration. (Politico)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- At least four people are killed in Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine. (Al Jazeera)
- Kryvyi Rih strikes
- Four people are killed and 14 others are wounded in a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, according to the Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Serhiy Lysak. (Euronews)
- Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Israel–Hamas war
- The Government of Israel approves the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement, previously approved by the Security Cabinet of Israel. (CNN)
- 2025 assassination of Sharia judges in Iran
- Two judges are killed while a third and a bodyguard are wounded in a mass shooting at the Supreme Court of Iran in Tehran, Iran. The perpetrator has killed himself. (DW)
- A Palestinian man from Tulkarm illegally enters Israel and stabs a man in his 30s on Levontin Street in central Tel Aviv, leaving him seriously injured. An armed civilian intervenes and fatally shoots the attacker. (The Times of Israel)
Disasters and accidents
- 2025 Suleja fuel tanker explosion
- At least 77 people are killed and several are injured after a fuel tanker overturns on a highway in Niger State, Nigeria and later exploded when people went to the side to get the spilled fuel. (Vanguard) (The Straight Times)
- The fall of a chairlift at the ski resort Astún, Aragon, Spain, causes 30 injuries, 17 of them in serious condition. (The Mirror)
Health and environment
- 2023–2024 mpox epidemic
- Azerbaijan's Ministry of Healthcare reports the country's first case of mpox in a 22-year-old patient who had recently travelled abroad. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Israel–Hamas war protests
- Israel–Hamas war protests in the United Kingdom
- Several pro-Palestine protesters in Whitehall, UK are arrested for breaching protest conditions, with some allegedly breaking through police lines. (The Guardian)
- Israel–Hamas war protests in the United Kingdom
- Protests against Donald Trump
- The Women's March holds a protest rebranded as the People's March in Washington, D.C. against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his second presidency. (Reuters) (WRC-TV)
- Women's March protests are also held in the United Kingdom including Manchester, Liverpool, and Plymouth. (BBC) (Plymouth Herald)