01.15.2026 thursday

One person is killed and 35 others are injured in a meteotsunami at several beaches in Argentina. (People) 

Fifteen people, including eight children, are killed by gunmen in a mass shooting in Gidado, Cameroon. (AP) 

Prosecutors in South Korea request the death penalty against former president Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection by declaring martial law in December 2024. (Time) 

The price of gold reaches an all-time high of US$4,644.56 per ounce, surpassing December’s previous peak of $4,383.76. (Royal Mint) 

At least 31 people are killed and 79 others are injured when a construction crane falls onto a passing train in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. (Sky News) 

The non-governmental organization HRAI reports that at least 2,000 people have been killed during nationwide protests in Iran. Meanwhile, independent activist sources contend that the nationwide crackdown has resulted in at least 12,000 to 20,000 people killed. (CBS News) 

HRANA reports that at least 2,000 people were killed during nationwide protests in Iran(AP) 

Activist sources in Iran report that the nationwide crackdown has resulted in at least 12,000, and possibly as many as 20,000 people having been killed. (CBS News) 

Adelaide Writers’ Week in Adelaide, Australia, cancels its 2026 festival after director Louise Adler resigned and more than 180 writers withdrew in protest over the board’s decision to disinvite Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah(Reuters) 

January 6 United States Capitol attack The BBC files a motion to dismiss United States president Donald Trump’s lawsuit over its splicing of footage to imply that he had directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Reuters) 

Sexual deepfake generation on X The United Kingdom’s Ofcom opens an investigation into X over complaints about the creation of deepfake sexualised images(RTÉ) 

Argentina records a 31.5% annual inflation rate in December, the lowest end-year level since 2017, while monthly prices rise 2.8%, driven mainly by transport, housing, and fuel. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Spanish police, in coordination with the UK National Crime Agency and the US DEA, seize 10 tonnes of cocaine hidden among a cargo of salt on a cargo ship off the Canary Islands. It is the country’s largest ever seizure of drugs at sea. Thirteen people on board the vessel are arrested. (The Guardian) 

Swedish police seize three tonnes of cocaine found in a shipping container from South America at the Port of Helsingborg, making it the country’s single-largest seizure of the illegal drug. (Reuters) 

Venezuelans regain access to the social network X after more than a year of blockage under de jure president Nicolás Maduro. (AFP via CP24) 

Venezuela releases between 41 and 116 political prisoners who were detained due to acts associated with civil disobedience the constitutional order. (Al Jazeera) 

A ferry strikes rocks and sinks on the Niger River in Tombouctou Region, Mali, killing at least 38 people. (AP) 

The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates sign a free trade agreement. (The Star) 

Mexican police arrest six alleged Tren de Aragua members operating in Mexico City on charges of drug trafficking, extortion, and human trafficking. (AP) 

Uganda orders a nationwide internet shutdown two days before its general election, with the communications regulator directing service providers to suspend access to curb alleged misinformation and incitement.  (Al Jazeera) 

Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro receives political asylum in Hungary while Polish prosecutors investigate him on 26 counts related to alleged misuse of a crime victims fund and other abuses of office under the first Morawiecki cabinet(The Guardian) 

Former National Liberation Front of Corsica leader Alain Orsoni is assassinated by a gunman at his mother’s funeral in Vero, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France. (Reuters) 

A landslide triggered by hours of heavy rain kills thirteen people and leaves over 30 others missing in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo(AP) 

Amidst the ongoing internet blackout, the Iranian government successfully shuts down the Starlink internet for the first time. (The Times of Israel) 

The Israeli-backed Counter-Terrorism Strike Force assassinates Mahmoud Al-Astal, head of a Hamas-run police unit in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip. (Reuters) 

A seven-year drought ends in Morocco after a 95 percent increase in winter rainfall compared with 2025 was recorded. (Reuters) 

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez issues a decree that tightens rent regulations by limiting short-term rentals and offering full tax refunds to landlords who renew contracts without rent increases, as the country faces a housing shortfall of about 500,000 homes and average rents that have doubled over the past decade. (Reuters) 

Former National Liberation Front of Corsica leader Alain Orsoni is assassinated by a gunman at his mother’s funeral in Vero, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France. (Reuters) 

A roadside bomb targeting a police vehicle kills six officers near the Afghan border in northwestern Pakistan. (AP News) 

A Rapid Support Forces missile strike kills ten civilians and wounds nine others in Singa, Sennar State, Sudan. (AA) 

Cabinets of the Federal Government of Somalia claim to repel the United Arab Emirates from operating in the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo for their support of Somaliland. The Somaliland, Puntland, and Jubaland governments subsequently dismiss the decision. (Middle East Eye) 

Cambodian and South Korean police arrest 26 suspects accused of impersonation scams and sexual exploitation that allegedly defrauded 165 South Korean victims of about ₩26.7 billion (US$18.25 million), with authorities set to extradite the suspects to South Korea. (Reuters) 

Bangladesh detains 53 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army members that crossed into Bangladeshi territory amid fighting with the Arakan Army in Rakhine State, Myanmar. (The Straits Times) 

Former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili pleads guilty to large-scale money-laundering charges and receives a five-year prison sentence and a 1-million (US$371,829) fine after investigators seize about $6.5 million in cash during raids on his residence. (Reuters) 

Former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro receives political asylum in Hungary while Polish prosecutors investigate him on 26 counts related to alleged misuse of a crime victims fund and other abuses of office under the first Morawiecki cabinet(The Guardian) 

After the Australian Online Safety Amendment came into effect on December 10, 2025, Meta shuts down over 544,000 accounts of users under the age of 16 on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads(DW) 

At this year’s Golden Globe AwardsHamnet and One Battle After Another win Best Dramatic and Best Comedic or Musical Film, respectively, while The Pitt and The Studio win Best Drama and Best Comedy or Musical in television, respectively. (Los Angeles Times) 

Non-governmental organization HRAI says it has verified the deaths of 483 protesters and 47 security personnel in Iran since the start of the protests.  (Reuters) 

Two people are injured in a suspected vehicle-ramming attack when a U-Haul truck strikes multiple people during an anti-Iranian government protest in Los Angeles, California, United States after protesters strike the vehicle with hands and flags. No one is hospitalized after the incident. (BNO News) 

The Syrian Democratic Forces withdraw from Aleppo following negotiations with the Syrian transitional government. (Al Jazeera) 

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

At least four people are killed and 20 others are injured in overnight Russian drone attacks across Ukraine. (Euronews) 

A woman is killed and around a dozen residential buildings are damaged in an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Voronezh, Russia. (Reuters) 

Sudanese prime minister Kamil Idris announces that the government will return to the capital of Khartoum after previously operating out of Port Sudan for much of the conflict. (Al Jazeera) 

One person is killed and at least 300 properties are destroyed by wildfires across Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. A state of emergency is declared in Victoria with thousands of firefighters and more than 70 aircraft deployed to combat the fires. (BBC News) 

Eight people are killed and 12 others are injured in an explosion during wedding festivities at a house in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Dawn) 

The death toll from avalanches in the French Alps over the weekend rises to six as three more skiers are killed. (AFP via South China Morning Post) 

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