Author / JR

by JR

02.05.2026 thursday

x

x

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi and presidential candidate, is assassinated outside his home in Zintan, Libya. Four gunmen reportedly fled the scene after the shooting. (Al Arabiya) 

Vanguard Tech claims several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy gunboats attempt to stop and seize a U.S. tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker ignored the demands to stop and continued on its journey towards the Arabian Sea under escort of a United States Navy warship. (CBS News) 

The U.S. military claims to shoot down an Iranian Shahed 139 drone on approach to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with an F-35 fighter jet. (Reuters) 

Peter Mandelson steps down from the United Kingdom House of Lords amid allegations he passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein. (RTÉ) 

Eswatini‘s high court upholds an agreement with the United States that accepts third-country deportees in exchange for $5.1 million and at least 15 transfers initiated during the presidency of Donald Trump, rejecting claims that the deal requires parliamentary approval or greater disclosure. (Reuters) 

At least 19 Palestinians, including seven women, five children, and a paramedic, are killed by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip. (AP) 

Nine city government employees are killed when a dump truck, also carrying crude oil, overshoots and falls into a river in Bayawan, Negros Oriental, Philippines. (ABS-CBN News) 

Tuesday,  February 3rd, 2026 

The Metropolitan Police of Greater London, UK, launches an investigation into House of Lords peer Peter Mandelson following allegations of misconduct in public office. (BBC News) 

The United Kingdom’s Ofcom announces that it is continuing its investigation of X-owned chatbot Grok, and that the Information Commissioner’s Office has opened its own investigation. (BBC News) 

Criticism of X (formerly Twitter) Europol, the public prosecutor office in Paris, France, and a cybercrime investigation unit search the Paris office of X (formerly Twitter) in relation to allegations about biased algorithms distorting the operation of a data processing system, denial of crimes against humanity, sexually explicit deepfakes and child sexual abuse material. (France 24) 

Satellite images show Turkey has recently deployed at least three F-16 fighter jets to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, to support Somali military operations against al-Shabaab and other militant groups. (Forbes) 

Myanmar and Russia sign a five-year military cooperation pact, which will last until 2030. (CNA) 

Following a brief moratorium on strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Russian forces launch strikes involving drones and cruise missiles, including Zircon missiles across Ukraine. The strikes target Kyiv, Kharkiv, among other regions. (The Independent) 

Two civilians are killed and eight others are wounded in a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia. (Reuters) 

Armed bandits kill at least 35 people in a village in Kwara State, Nigeria, forcing residents to flee into surrounding areas with several missing. (Reuters) 

At least 16 people are killed, including four children, and multiple others are injured when a bus returning from a religious festival veers off the road and overturns on a highway in São José da Tapera, Alagoas, Brazil. (Al Jazeera) 

Fourteen migrants are killed after their boat collides with a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel and capsizes off the coast of Chios, Greece. (Reuters) 

Three people are killed and dozens are injured after a bus plunges into a gorge in Sirmour district, Himachal Pradesh, India. (The Indian Express) 

Monday, February 2nd, 2026 

A South African separatist group, Boervolk of the Orange Free State, files a formal claim in a government gazette seeking land in KwaZulu-Natal, citing historical transactions with Zulu rulers and invoking a United Nations decolonization resolution. (Reuters) 

As part of a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces formally hands over control of Al-Hasakah to government forces. (Reuters) 

Israel partially reopens the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which has been closed since May 2024, allowing 150 people to leave Gaza and 50 to enter per day. (The Guardian) 

At least five people, including a 3-year-old boy, are killed in Israeli attacks according to the Gaza Health Ministry, including two at the Nuseirat refugee camp and one each in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis, and Jabalia. The Israeli military says it targeted “militants operating near the demarcation line“. (Haaretz) 

Five children are killed and six are injured when a bus collides with a truck in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. (APA) 

More than 50,000 people in Ksar el-Kebir, Larache Province, Morocco, are evacuated as flooding from heavy rain and controlled dam releases caused the Loukkos River to overflow, prompting school suspensions, power cuts, and military rescue operations across nearby areas. (Reuters) 

Nigerian police state that at least 80 people abducted from Christian churches in Kaduna State on January 18 return to their homes after fleeing during the abduction, but the Christian Association of Nigeria disputes the figure and says most of the 177 worshippers seized remain missing. (Reuters) 

Sunday, February 1st, 2026 

Peter Mandelson resigns from Labour Party (UK) after the United States Department of Justice releases files showing that convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein made £55,000 ($75,000) in payments to Lord Mandelson in three separate transactions in 2003 and 2004. (BBC) 

Portugal launches a €1 billion (US$1.2 billion) loan program to rebuild uninsured storm-damaged factories and a €500 million ($593 million) facility for short-term liquidity, while the government extends the state of calamity in about 60 municipalities amid forecasts of further heavy rain and flooding. (Reuters) 

At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Kendrick Lamar wins five awards and surpasses Jay-Z as the most awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history, while Bad Bunny‘s Debí Tirar Más Fotos becomes the first Spanish-language album to win Album of the Year.  (The Hollywood Reporter) 

“Golden” from the film KPop Demon Hunters becomes the first K-pop song to win a Grammy after winning Best Song Written for Visual Media. (AP via ABC News) 

Steven Spielberg becomes the 22nd competitive EGOT awardee after winning a Grammy for Best Music Film for producing Music by John Williams (2024). (AA) 

Costa Ricans vote to elect the president and all 57 members of the Legislative Assembly. From a field of 20 candidates, Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO) wins the presidency with 48% of the vote. (BBC News) 

Tens of thousands of people gather in Prague, Czech Republic, in support of President Petr Pavel in his dispute with foreign minister Petr Macinka and his party Motorists for Themselves. (AP) 

The End

by JR

02.01.2026 sunday [i orig cmp]

Sunday, February 1st, 2026 

A Russian drone strike hits a minibus transporting mineworkers in Dnipro, Ukraine, killing at least 15 people and injuring seven others. (BBC News) 

Pakistani military and Balochistan Police forces announce the end to a 40-hour counterterrorism operation which resulted in the death of 145 Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) insurgents, 18 civilians, and 15 security personnel. The Pakistani government accuses India of backing the BLA. (AP) 

Nigeria reports that its forces have killed a senior Boko Haram commander known as Abu Khalid, describing him as the group’s deputy leader in the Sambisa Forest, and ten other fighters during a raid in the Borno State. (Reuters) 

A Sudan Airways passenger flight lands at Khartoum International Airport, Sudan’s main international airport, for the first time since the war began in 2023, resuming limited operations after renovations and earlier drone attacks. (AFP via Al-Ahram) 

Portugal launches a €1 billion (US$1.2 billion) loan program to rebuild uninsured storm-damaged factories and a €500 million ($593 million) facility for short-term liquidity, while the government extends the state of calamity in about 60 municipalities amid forecasts of further heavy rain and flooding. (Reuters) 

Nine people are killed and 21 others are injured, including seven critically, after a bus rolls off a road and crashes in Antalya province, Turkey. (AP) 

Four people are killed and 28 others are injured after a bus carrying wedding guests collides with a truck and overturns in Lodhran District, Pakistan. (Dawn) 

Costa Ricans vote to elect the president and all 57 members of the Legislative Assembly. With 69% of polling stations reporting, Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party leads the presidential race with 49% of the votes cast. (AFP via France 24) (BBC Mundo) 

Tens of thousands of people gather in Prague, Czech Republic, in support of President Petr Pavel in his dispute with foreign minister Petr Macinka and his party Motorists for Themselves. (AP) 

In tennis, Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz defeats Serbian player Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5, to win his first Australian Open title, becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in singles. (AFP via ABS-CBN) (ESPN) 

In handball, Denmark defeats Germany 34-27 and becomes European Champions in addition to being the reigning World Champions and Olympic Champions. 

Saturday, January 31st, 2026 

United States federal judge Fred Biery orders the release of asylum applicants Adrian Conejo Arias and his five-year-old son Liam Conejo Ramos, whom ICE agents detained, along with several other children, during a raid in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. Biery cites constitutional limits on arrests based solely on administrative warrants for his verdict. (Reuters) 

In Slovakia, Miroslav Lajčák resigns as a European Union Special Representative following the United States Department of Justice release of extensive correspondence between Lajčák and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2017 to 2019, during which Lajčák served as the President of the United Nations General Assembly. (Reuters) 

Protester Erfan Soltani is released on bail in Iran after his arrest on charges of propaganda and national security offenses. (AFP via NDTV) 

Multiple explosions, attributed to gas leaks, are reported across the Iranian cities of Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Karaj, and Parand, leaving at least six people dead and several injured. (Reuters) 

A historic Dutch fort building in Siak Regency, Indonesia, collapsed, injuring 16 people including visiting school children. (Tempo English) 

At least 31 Palestinians, including at least six children, are killed from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera) 

Coordinated attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army militants across Balochistan, Pakistan, kill 33 people, including 18 civilians. At least 92 insurgents are killed by security forces. (AP) 

Five people are killed and eight injured after a truck rams motorcycles in Ganjam district, India. (Hindustan Times) 

In tennis, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan wins her first Australian Open title and second major title after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles final in three sets, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4. (USA Today) 

Friday, January 30th, 2026 

The United States Department of Justice releases more files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the largest single-day release of said files, including over 3 million previously undisclosed documents. (AP) (Reuters) 

United States president Donald Trump declares a national emergency regarding Cuba in order to impose tariffs on countries that provide oil to it. Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla describes the tariffs as amounting to “a total [fuel] blockade” (UPI) 

United States president Donald Trump declares a national emergency regarding Cuba in order to impose tariffs on countries that provide oil to it. (UPI) 

United States federal judge Margaret Garnett dismisses the federal murder and weapon charges against Luigi Mangione in the killing of former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, ruling out the death penalty against Mangione. The judge maintains the stalking charges, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. (DW) 

Israel expels South Africa’s chargé d’affaires Shaun Byneveldt to reciprocate South Africa’s persona non grata declaration on the Israeli ambassador following international incidents between the two countries in the wake of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. (CNN-News18) (DW) 

Pakistani security forces raid two militant hideouts and kill 41 insurgents in separate shootouts in the Harnai and Panjgur districts. (AP) 

At least one person is killed and six others are reported missing when a 72 ft (22 m) fishing vessel sinks off Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States. (WCVB-TV) 

Tunisian president Kais Saied extends a decade-long national state of emergency for 11 months. (Reuters) 

In tennis, Carlos Alcaraz defeats Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles semifinal of the Australian Open in a 5-hour and 27-minute match, the longest semifinal match in tournament history. (Al Jazeera) 

In tennis, Carlos Alcaraz defeats Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles semifinal in a 5 hour and 27 minutes match at the Australian Open, the longest semifinal match in tournament history. (AO) 

Two serving British Army officers are to face a court martial over the handling of a case of sexual assault of the teenage soldier Jaysley Beck. (Yahoo News) 

The End

by JR

ancient geeks

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announces that the Doomsday Clock has been set to 85 seconds before midnight, the closest it has been to midnight, citing rising global tensions.  (Reuters) 

all pics CineStill 800T – Nikon FE2 – Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 – Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Thursday, January 29th, 2026  

The Hague district court orders the Dutch government to create a legally binding plan to protect Bonaire from climate change, including setting enforceable emissions-reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement, after ruling that existing measures fail to safeguard residents from rising seas and extreme weather. (AP) 

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization arrest six people, including an Iranian national, who are suspected of spying for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, including at the NATO Incirlik Air Base in Adana. (AP) 

In response to the violent crackdown on protests earlier in January, the European Union designates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. (BBC News) 

Saudi Arabia bans the use of its territory or airspace for any military action against Iran. (AFP via The Times of Israel) 

The United States begins releasing frozen Venezuelan assets under sanctions, as acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez confirms renewed diplomatic contacts between the two countries. (AFP via France 24) 

Ecuador’s prosecutor’s office raids the homes of politicians from the Citizen Revolution party, including presidential candidate Luisa González, as part of an investigation into alleged illicit Venezuelan money used to finance their 2023 campaign. (Reuters) 

Eleven members of a Burmese crime family are executed in China after being convicted of various crimes related to operating scam centers in Myanmar. (BBC News) 

Russia and Ukraine conduct a swap of bodies, with Russia receiving the remains of 38 soldiers and Ukraine receiving the remains of 1,000 soldiers, marking the first such swap since November 2025. (BBC News) 

The World Food Program ends its operations in northern Yemen following harassment from the Houthis. (DW) 

Heavy gunfire and several explosions are reported around Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger. The causes are unknown. (BBC News) 

At least six people are killed and over 1 million people are without power in damage caused by Storm Kristin in Portugal. (Euronews) 

Eleven people are killed and several others are critically injured when a truck collides with a minibus taxi near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (AP) 

Two people are killed when a Royal Thai Air Force Beechcraft AT-6TH aircraft crashes in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. (Bangkok Post) 

Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 

Sarah Mullally is confirmed as the first female archbishop of Canterbury and primate of the Church of England. (Reuters) 

Three people are killed and three others are injured in overnight Russian strikes on the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Odesa oblasts of Ukraine. (Al Jazeera) 

Two militants are killed in a shootout with police in Karabudakhkentsky District, Dagestan, Russia. (News.Az) 

Five people are killed and severe damage is caused by Storm Kristin in Portugal. (AA) 

A SATENA Beechcraft 1900 crashes near Cúcuta in North Santander, Colombia, killing all 15 people on board. (BNO News) (El Heraldo) 

Five people are killed, including three children, in a house fire in Sakha Republic, Russia. (Xinhua) 

In association football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fines the Senegal Football Federation US$615,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during the final match against Morocco, fines Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw $100,000, and bans him for five 2027 AFCON qualifying matches. Senegalese players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr are also banned from the first two qualifier matches. (DW) 

The CAF also fines the Royal Moroccan Football Federation $315,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and interfering with referees. Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi is banned for two games and player Ismael Saibari is banned for three. (DW) 

New above thursday posted by 4pm 

Five people, including Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar, are killed after a Learjet 45 crashes and explodes at Baramati Airport in Maharashtra, India. (CNN-News18) 

A court in Seoul, South Korea, sentences former first lady Kim Keon Hee to 20 months in prison for corruption. (AP) 

Tuesday,  January 27th, 2026 

In an overnight session, the National Assembly in France approves a bill banning social media for children under the age of 15. The bill will now go to the Senate for approval. (The Guardian) 

Philippine officials ground the fleet of passenger ships belonging to Aleson Shipping Lines, owner of the sunken ferry Trisha Kerstin 3.  (GMA News) 

Seven people are killed and three injured after a minibus carrying Greek PAOK FC fans crashes on E70 in Timiș County, Romania.  (Caliber) 

Four Cuban nationals are killed and another is injured in a fire at an unlicensed migrant hostel in Balashikha, Moscow Oblast, Russia. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

At least five people are killed and two others are injured in a Russian drone strike on a passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. (The Guardian) 

Three people are killed and two others injured after a boat carrying 25 tourists from France capsizes off the coast of Muscat, Oman. (Al Jazeera) 

The European Union and India sign a free trade agreement, eliminating tariffs on metals, plastics, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products. (The Guardian) 

The Azerbaijani State Security Service announces that it has foiled an attempt by the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province to bomb an embassy in Baku. (Al Jazeera)  

Nasry Asfura is sworn in as President of Honduras, succeeding Xiomara Castro. (AFP via France 24) 

Monday, January 26th, 2026 

The death toll of the winter storm in the United States rises to 34. (USA Today) 

Italy declares a state of emergency in Calabria, Sardinia, and Sicily after a severe storm causes more than €1 billion in damage and floods coastal towns, prompting the government to allocate an initial €100 million for relief and reconstruction. (Reuters) 

Israeli forces locate and repatriate the remains of the last Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip. (CNN) 

Three Palestinians are killed by Israeli forces in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip. (Reuters) 

Spanish police dismantle an international maritime cocaine smuggling ring that uses offshore vessels and high-speed crafts to deliver drugs to Europe, seizing 10 tonnes of cocaine, confiscating dozens of vessels and vehicles, and arresting 105 suspects after a year-long multinational investigation. (Reuters) 

Interpol reports that an operation in November 2025 to crack down on human traffickers resulted in 3,744 arrests in 119 countries. (AP) 

In Lagos, Nigeria a crackdown on human traffickers done by Interpol results in 3,744 arrests (AP) 

Oman becomes the 61st country to sign the Artemis Accords, which constitutes space law and cooperation in space exploration. (NASA) 

Opposition members of Guyana‘s National Assembly elect businessman and We Invest in Nationhood leader Azruddin Mohamed as their leader. (Reuters) 

The People’s Defense Units and the Syrian transitional government accuse each other of ceasefire violations as reports of resuming clashes near Kobani and Qamishli emerge. (Al Jazeera) 

Spain expels Nicaragua’s ambassador and another diplomat to reciprocate Nicaragua’s removal of Spain’s ambassador and deputy amid longstanding bilateral tensions linked to Spain’s criticism of Nicaragua’s domestic policies and support for sanctions on the European Union. (Reuters) 

Al-Shabaab militants kill a village chief and a teacher in Garissa County, Kenya, near the border with Somalia, prompting police to deploy additional security forces and launch a multi-agency manhunt for the attackers. (Reuters) 

Ethiopia declares an end to its two-month Marburg virus outbreak which killed nine people. (Reuters) 

The South Sudanese army orders all civilians, United Nations personnel, and aid workers in the Akobo, Nyirol, and Uror counties of the Jonglei State to evacuate ahead of an imminent operation against opposition forces. (Reuters) 

The Allied Democratic Forces kill at least 25 people in several communities in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via New Vision) 

Sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 At least 18 people are killed, 316 others are rescued, and ten are reported missing when a ROPAX ferry sinks near Basilan, Philippines. (Reuters) 

A massive fire destroys dozens of buildings, including schools and houses, in Central Kalimantan, Kalimantan, Indonesia. (Anadolu Agency) 

Five people are killed in a fire at a food factory near Trikala, Greece. (BBC News) 

The End