Portal:Current events

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Three Pakistani soldiers and 19 Pakistani 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 payments, 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)

Disasters and accidents

• 2025 California wildfires
  • Santa Ana winds reaching hurricane-force in some locations in southern California, United States, cause multiple power outages and wildfire outbreaks, including a rapidly-spreading 1,200 acre wildfire in Los Angeles County which forces 30,000 people to evacuate. (CNN) (NBC News)
• 2025 Tibet earthquake
  • At least 126 people are killed and dozens of others are injured when a magnitude M_w 7.1 (M_s 6.8) earthquake strikes Tingri County, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. (Bangkok Post) (Al Jazeera) (AP)

Health and environment

• HMPV outbreak in Northeast 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)
  • Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. makes a personal visit to Greenland weeks after Donald 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)
• 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

• 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)

Politics and elections

• 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)
• 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 Twitter's Community Notes. (AP)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Islamist insurgency in the Sahel
  • French military withdrawal from West Africa
    • French President Emmanuel Macron states that France was right to intervene militarily in the African Sahel against Islamist militants, and states that he is still waiting for the Sahel states to "thank" France while also denying that the French military was forced out of the region. (Reuters)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Israel–Hamas war, Israeli incursions in the West Bank
    • Three Israelis are killed and eight others are injured in a mass shooting attack by Palestinian gunmen firing at a bus and two vehicles on Highway 55 in Al-Funduq in the West Bank. (BBC News)
• 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)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Kherson strikes, Attacks on civilians during 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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
  • Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen gives a mandate to form the new post-election government to the Freedom Party's leader Herbert Kickl after the Austrian People's Party failed to form a government. However, Kickl is still 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) (The Jewish Chronicle)
• 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

• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Kursk offensive
    • The Ukrainian Army launches a new offensive in Kursk Oblast, Russia. (BBC News)

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

• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)

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

• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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
  • Yoon Suk Yeol residence standoff
    • 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)
• 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)

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 negotations. (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

• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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

• 2025 Fullerton plane crash
  • 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
  • Italy summons Iran's ambassador to demand the release of Il Foglio reporter Cecilia Sala, detained in Tehran for alleged legal violations. (AP)
• 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)