Sunday, January 29th, 2023 

Forces of the Wagner Group say that they have captured the village of Blahodatne, north of Bakhmut. However, Ukraine rejects the claim and says that it repelled the attack. (AFP via The Moscow Times) 

The city of Kherson is shelled, killing three people, injuring six others, and damaging a hospital, school, and bus station. (Reuters via U.S. News & World Report) 

Unidentified warplanes, suspected to be Israeli, strike a convoy of Iranian trucks that entered Syria from Iraq through the Al-Qa’im border crossing. At least six trucks are believed to have been destroyed. There are no immediate reports of casualties. (Times of Israel) 

An 18-year-old Palestinian man is shot and killed by a group of Israeli civilians near the settlement of Kedumim, in the occupied West Bank. In a separate incident, a Palestinian civilian home is set on fire by settlers. The occupants were not there at the time of the attack. (Al Jazeera) 

At least 41 people are killed and two others are injured when a bus falls off a bridge and catches fire in Lasbela District, Balochistan, Pakistan. (Reuters) 

At least 22 people are killed and nearly two dozen are injured after a bus crashes near Dassa-Zoumé, Collines Department, Benin. (AP) 

At least nine people are killed when a container falls from a truck onto a commercial bus in Lagos, Nigeria. (The Guardian Nigeria) 

Azerbaijan suspends diplomatic activities at its embassy in Tehran after accusing Iran of failing to ensure the security of its embassy staff. (TASS) 

Voters in Liechtenstein reject a proposed ban on casinos. The proposal, which Prince Hans-Adam II opposed, was rejected by around 73 percent of voters. (Euronews) 

Tunisians head to the polls to elect the members of the third Assembly of the Representatives of the People in a run-off. The electoral board reports a voter turnout of 11.3 percent as most opposition parties boycott the election. (AFP via RFI) 

United Kingdom prime minister Rishi Sunak dismisses Nadhim Zahawi as chairman of the Conservative Party and minister without portfolio after Sunak’s ethics adviser, Laurie Magnus, found that Zahawi had breached the Ministerial Code for failing to disclose a £5 million tax penalty payment to HM Revenue and Customs while serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer under former prime minister Boris Johnson. (BBC News) 

Novak Djokovic defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, 6–3, 7–6^(7–4), 7–6^(7–5), to win the men’s singles tennis title at the 2023 Australian Open in Melbourne, tying him with Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slams in men’s tennis history with 22. (BBC Sport) 

Saturday, January 28th, 2023 

Russia claims that a Ukrainian HIMARS missile strike on a hospital in Novoaidar, Luhansk Oblast, has killed 14 people and injured 24 others, including patients and medical staff. (Reuters) 

The Russian Air Force launches an airstrike on the city of Seredyna-Buda in Sumy Oblast, destroying a kindergarten and damaging nearby residential buildings. No casualties have been reported. The towns of Esman and Shalyhyne are also damaged by cross-border shelling. (Ukrinform) 

The Iranian Defence Ministry says that a drone attack on a military plant in Isfahan, Iran, was “unsuccessful” with at least three drones shot down by air defenses. No casualties have been reported. (Reuters) (AP) 

Explosions are reported at military sites and factories across Iran, including near the capital Tehran. Videos on social media appear to show explosions and large fires in the cities of Karaj, Dezful, and Tabriz. (Iran International) 

An explosion occurs at an oil refinery in Azarshahr, East Azerbaijan province, according to Iranian media. (Urdu Point) 

Two Israelis are shot and critically injured by a 13-year-old Palestinian in East Jerusalem, in the West Bank and the attacker is shot and injured by one of his victims before being arrested. (Al Jazeera) 

British regional airline Flybe collapses into administration with 277 job losses, while 75,000 customers are affected by flight cancellations. (BBC News) 

Three people are killed and 816 others are injured by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Khoy, West Azerbaijan province, Iran. (Al Jazeera) 

Six people are killed and three others are injured in a collision between a bus and a truck in Louisville, New York United States. (NBC News) 

At least 24 people are killed when a bus plunges off a cliff in the El Alto District, Talara Province, Peru. (Reuters) 

Three people are killed inside a vehicle and four others are injured on the street during a mass shooting in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. (AP) 

The Czech Statistical Office reports that former NATO Military Committee chair Petr Pavel has been elected president, defeating former prime minister Andrej Babiš with 58 percent of the votes. (AFP via France 24) 

Aryna Sabalenka defeats Elena Rybakina in the final, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, to win the women’s singles tennis title at the 2023 Australian Open in Melbourne, winning her first major singles title. (AFP via Deccan Herald) 

The End