Syrian civil war Five soldiers are killed and 20 more are injured during an Islamic State rocket attack on a military transport bus in the Syrian Desert. (Al Jazeera)
Cyberwarfare and Iran The website of Israel's Jerusalem Post newspaper is hacked by suspected Iranian hackers. The website's content was replaced with a threat targeting the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center and an apparent reference to Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated exactly two years earlier in Baghdad, Iraq. (Reuters)
Five soldiers are killed and 20 more are injured during an Islamic State rocket attack on a military transport bus in the Syrian Desert. (Al Jazeera)
2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies A series of small roadblocks and fires are set up by protesters in the municipality of Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe. Some hospital workers are also attacked. (Yahoo! News Singapore) (MSN)
A series of small roadblocks and fires are set up by protesters in the municipality of Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe. Some hospital workers are also attacked. (Yahoo! News Singapore) (MSN)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff say that North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile ballistic missile. No confirmation has been given. (BBC News)
The Cyberspace Administration of China announces that, beginning on February 15, all companies with at least one million users will be required to undergo cybersecurity reviews before they can be listed on foreign stock exchanges. Companies that are deemed to have an impact on national security will be barred from being listed. (Al Jazeera)
The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff say that North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile ballistic missile. No confirmation has been given. (BBC News)
64th Annual Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards is postponed amidst concerns of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC)
79th Golden Globe Awards It is announced that the upcoming Golden Globe Awards will be held without a live audience or celebrities due to COVID-19 concerns. (Vanity Fair)
It is announced that the upcoming Golden Globe Awards will be held without a live audience or celebrities due to COVID-19 concerns. (Vanity Fair)
The Grammy Awards is postponed amidst concerns of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC)
Two journalists are killed and their bodies burned during a gang attack in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (BBC News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic The Chicago Public Schools announces that schools in Chicago, Illinois, has been canceled for a third consecutive day as teachers in the city go on a strike over COVID-19 protocols. (National Review) (Chicago Tribune)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic The Chicago Public Schools announces that schools in Chicago, Illinois, has been canceled for a third consecutive day as teachers in the city go on a strike over COVID-19 protocols. (National Review) (Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Public Schools announces that schools in Chicago, Illinois, has been canceled for a third consecutive day as teachers in the city go on a strike over COVID-19 protocols. (National Review) (Chicago Tribune)
Discoveries of exoplanets Researchers from the University of Bern announce the discovery of TOI-2257 b, an eccentric exoplanet that orbits near a red dwarf. (Phys.org)
Researchers from the University of Bern announce the discovery of TOI-2257 b, an eccentric exoplanet that orbits near a red dwarf. (Phys.org)
COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Japan declares a quasi-state of emergency for Okinawa, Yamaguchi, and Hiroshima prefectures, which host U.S. military bases and are reporting an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The quasi-emergency measures will take effect on January 9. (Kyodo News)
Tigray War Dedebit airstrike At least 56 people are killed by an airstrike on an IDP camp in Dedebit, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. (Sky News)
At least 56 people are killed by an airstrike on an IDP camp in Dedebit, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. (Sky News)
Dedebit airstrike At least 56 people are killed by an airstrike on an IDP camp in Dedebit, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. (Sky News)
Nigerian bandit conflict 2022 Zamfara massacres At least 200 people were killed by a bandit group from January 4 to 6 in Zamfara State in northwestern Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
79th Golden Globe Awards South Korean actor O Yeong-su wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Squid Game television series, becoming the first person from South Korea to win the honor. (Korea Times) Mj Rodriguez wins the Best Actress in the Pose television series, becoming the first trans actress to win a Golden Globe. (CNN)
South Korean actor O Yeong-su wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Squid Game television series, becoming the first person from South Korea to win the honor. (Korea Times)
2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis Ukrainian authorities arrest an alleged Russian intelligence agent who they claim attempted to recruit others to launch attacks in the port city of Odesa. (MSN)
Ukrainian authorities arrest an alleged Russian intelligence agent who they claim attempted to recruit others to launch attacks in the port city of Odesa. (MSN)
Somali Civil War A car bombing kills at least eight people in Mogadishu. (Reuters)
Talks between NATO and Russia over Ukraine hit a breaking point as Poland warns of possible war. (Al Jazeera)
As part of the fallout from his ongoing civil sexual assault trial, Prince Andrew hands back all of his royal patronages and military titles to his mother, the Queen, and drops the use of the title "His Royal Highness" in an official capacity. (BBC News)
Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes Banten and Sumatra Island at 16:05 local time. The earthquake hit 52 kilometres (32 miles) of a depth of 10 kilometres. There was no immediate reports of casualties though.
Mali War Operation Barkhane Sweden announces that it will withdraw its troops from a French-led special forces mission in Mali later this year, in response to Mali's ruling military junta inviting private Russian military contractors to fight Islamist rebels. The deployment was originally expected to end in 2024. (Reuters)
Operation Barkhane Sweden announces that it will withdraw its troops from a French-led special forces mission in Mali later this year, in response to Mali's ruling military junta inviting private Russian military contractors to fight Islamist rebels. The deployment was originally expected to end in 2024. (Reuters)
Sweden announces that it will withdraw its troops from a French-led special forces mission in Mali later this year, in response to Mali's ruling military junta inviting private Russian military contractors to fight Islamist rebels. The deployment was originally expected to end in 2024. (Reuters)
2022 Kazakh protests The death toll from the civil unrest in Kazakhstan increases to 225, including 19 members of the security forces, according to a statement from the Prosecutor General's Office. (Reuters)
The death toll from the civil unrest in Kazakhstan increases to 225, including 19 members of the security forces, according to a statement from the Prosecutor General's Office. (Reuters)
Military personnel from the Swedish Armed Forces are deployed to the island of Gotland in response to fears that Russia may attempt an invasion of Swedish territory amidst tensions between NATO and Russia over their intention to invade Ukraine. (Euronews)
Sweden-Russia relations, 2021-2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis Military personnel from the Swedish Armed Forces are deployed to the island of Gotland in response to fears that Russia may attempt an invasion of Swedish territory amidst tensions between NATO and Russia over their intention to invade Ukraine. (Euronews)
Spillover of the Yemeni Civil War 2022 Abu Dhabi attack Three people are killed in a drone attack on petrol tanks at a major oil storage facility near Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates. The Yemen-based Houthis claim responsibility, saying that they launched "five ballistic missiles and a large number of drones". (Hindustan Times) (CNN)
2022 Abu Dhabi attack Three people are killed in a drone attack on petrol tanks at a major oil storage facility near Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates. The Yemen-based Houthis claim responsibility, saying that they launched "five ballistic missiles and a large number of drones". (Hindustan Times) (CNN)
Three people are killed in a drone attack on petrol tanks at a major oil storage facility near Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates. The Yemen-based Houthis claim responsibility, saying that they launched "five ballistic missiles and a large number of drones". (Hindustan Times) (CNN)
Canada deploys a small contingent of special forces to Ukraine as part of a NATO response to deter Russian aggression. The unit is also being tasked with evacuating diplomatic personnel from the Canadian embassy in Kyiv in the event of a full-scale invasion. (Reuters)
Royal Air Force C-17 transport aircraft arrive in Ukraine with "light anti-armour weapons" as part of British military support for Ukraine. (UK Defence Journal)
The United Kingdom begins supplying anti-tank guided missiles to Ukraine amid tensions with Russia, according to a statement from Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace. A small number of British military personnel will also be deployed to help train Ukrainian troops. (Reuters)
Red Cross cyberattack The International Committee of the Red Cross appeals to hackers who stole personal data from the organisation to come forward. (TheJournal.ie)
Russo-Ukrainian War 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–NATO relations The U.S. State Department approves the delivery of U.S.-made weapons systems from the Baltic states to Ukraine, including FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. (Euractiv)
The International Committee of the Red Cross appeals to hackers who stole personal data from the organisation to come forward. (TheJournal.ie)
2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–NATO relations The U.S. State Department approves the delivery of U.S.-made weapons systems from the Baltic states to Ukraine, including FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. (Euractiv)
Terrorism in Pakistan 2022 Lahore bombing Two people are killed and 26 others injured by a bombing in Anarkali, Lahore, Punjab. (Al Jazeera)
Syrian Civil War Battle of al-Hasakah ISIL militants attack Al-Sina'a prison in the city of Al-Hasakah, freeing prisoners and leading to clashes that kill 67 people. (SOHR)
Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen, Saada prison airstrike A Royal Saudi Air Force airstrike on a prison in Saada, Yemen, kills at least 100 people and injures more than 200 others. Médecins Sans Frontières reports over 200 casualties. The United Nations condemns the attack. (Dawn) (CNN) (BBC News) Three children are killed when a missile strikes the port city of Al Hudaydah. (Sky News)
A Royal Saudi Air Force airstrike on a prison in Saada, Yemen, kills at least 100 people and injures more than 200 others. Médecins Sans Frontières reports over 200 casualties. The United Nations condemns the attack. (Dawn) (CNN) (BBC News)
Battle of al-Hasakah ISIL militants attack Al-Sina'a prison in the city of Al-Hasakah, freeing prisoners and leading to clashes that kill 67 people. (SOHR)
ISIL militants attack Al-Sina'a prison in the city of Al-Hasakah, freeing prisoners and leading to clashes that kill 67 people. (SOHR)
Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen, Saada prison airstrike A Royal Saudi Air Force airstrike on a prison in Saada, Yemen, kills at least 100 people and injures more than 200 others. Médecins Sans Frontières reports over 200 casualties. The United Nations condemns the attack. (Dawn) (CNN) (BBC News) Three children are killed when a missile strikes the port city of Al Hudaydah. (Sky News)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Variants of SARS-CoV-2 The UK Health Security Agency designates the recently discovered Omicron sub-lineage known as BA.2 as a "variant of investigation". (Sky News)
The UK Health Security Agency designates the recently discovered Omicron sub-lineage known as BA.2 as a "variant of investigation". (Sky News)
Three children are killed when a missile strikes the port city of Al Hudaydah. (Sky News)
Mali War A French soldier is killed in a mortar attack on a military camp in Gao, northern Mali. (France 24)
A French soldier is killed in a mortar attack on a military camp in Gao, northern Mali. (France 24)
Russo-Ukrainian War 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis The U.S. State Department orders its diplomats' families to leave Ukraine, and authorizes voluntary departure of non-essential embassy staff in Kyiv. "Due to the continued threat" of a Russian invasion on Ukraine, American citizens are also urged to leave the country. (France 24)
Spillover of the Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces intercepts two ballistic missiles over the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. The Yemen-based Houthis claim responsibility for the attack. American troops stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base near the capital take shelter in bunkers during the attack. (ABC News)
Russo-Ukrainian War 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Ukraine–United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom begins withdrawing staff and their dependants from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion. Around half of all staff are being withdrawn, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. (The Guardian)
2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Ukraine–United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom begins withdrawing staff and their dependants from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion. Around half of all staff are being withdrawn, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. (The Guardian)
The United Kingdom begins withdrawing staff and their dependants from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion. Around half of all staff are being withdrawn, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. (The Guardian)
Mali War The Malian junta demands that Denmark withdraw its forces from the country, saying they were never given authorization to participate in the ongoing European-led peacekeeping operations. (AP)
Syrian civil war Battle of al-Hasakah The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces recapture a prison in al-Hasakah from Islamic State. (Al Jazeera)
2022 Kech District attack Ten Pakistan Army soldiers are killed in an insurgent attack in Kech District, Balochistan, Pakistan. The separatist Baluch Liberation Front claims responsibility for the attack. The army says that it has killed one of the attackers and arrested three others in a clearance operation. (Reuters)
At a special Pentagon press briefing, United States Army General Mark Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be "horrific" and could result in "significant casualties". (Reuters)
Insurgency in Balochistan 2022 Kech District attack Ten Pakistan Army soldiers are killed in an insurgent attack in Kech District, Balochistan, Pakistan. The separatist Baluch Liberation Front claims responsibility for the attack. The army says that it has killed one of the attackers and arrested three others in a clearance operation. (Reuters)
Ten Pakistan Army soldiers are killed in an insurgent attack in Kech District, Balochistan, Pakistan. The separatist Baluch Liberation Front claims responsibility for the attack. The army says that it has killed one of the attackers and arrested three others in a clearance operation. (Reuters)
North Korea launches a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from its Chagang Province. The missile reached an altitude of 2,000 km before landing in the Sea of Japan. It is North Korea's first IRBM launch since 2017. South Korea's National Security Council holds an emergency meeting in response to the launch. (BBC News) (Reuters)
North Korean missile tests North Korea launches a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from its Chagang Province. The missile reached an altitude of 2,000 km before landing in the Sea of Japan. It is North Korea's first IRBM launch since 2017. South Korea's National Security Council holds an emergency meeting in response to the launch. (BBC News) (Reuters)
War in Donbas A Ukrainian Air Force drone strike kills a pro-Russian insurgent on the frontline in Donbas, according to the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. (Skai) The Luhansk People's Republic accuses Ukraine of deploying a 9K33 Osa anti-aircraft missile system in a residential area of Popasna, a majority Russian-speaking city near the frontline. (TASS)
A Ukrainian Air Force drone strike kills a pro-Russian insurgent on the frontline in Donbas, according to the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. (Skai)
