A shooting takes place at a pub in Tel Aviv, Israel, leaving two dead and eight injured. The gunman managed to escape and possibly killed his accomplice, an Arab taxi driver, whose body was found nearby. The police identified the shooter as 30 year old muslim Nisa'at Melkham from Ar'ara and searched his home. (Haaretz)
Arts and culture
A new 28-foot tall statue of
Imo state, which is described as the tallest Jesus statue in Africa. (USA Today)
Heavily armed terrorists, reportedly members of Jaish-e-Mohammed, attack an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab; three security force personnel and four of the terrorists are reported to have been killed. (DNA)
List of politicians killed in the Mexican Drug War
Armed militiamen, including members of the Bundy family of Nevada, take over and occupy the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon following a peaceful rally in support of Dwight and Steve Hammond, who were convicted of arson in 2012 for setting fires on public land adjacent to their property. (Oregon Live)
Iraqi Army base (Camp Speicher, now known as Tikrit Air Academy), near the town of Tikrit, north of Baghdad, that killed at least 15 and injured 22. (Reuters)
Gunfire and loud explosions are heard at an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab, as anti-terrorist operations continue. A further two militants, for a total of six, are reported to have been killed; seven military and paramilitary personnel are reported to have been killed, with up to 20 other security personnel wounded. (DNA)
Five of the terrorists who attacked an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab are reported to have been killed; mopping-up and search operations continue. National Security Guard officials state the operations will continue until the air base is made safe. (Indian Express)
Second Libyan Civil War
The
branch in Libya attacks the Libyan oil port of Sidra, which is Libya's largest oil depot. Two members of the Petrol Facilities Guard militia, which is defending Sidra, were reportedly killed in clashes. Islamic State militants were reportedly pushed back from the port, but the group now says it controls the town of Bin Jawad, 30km west of Sidra on the road from its stronghold in Sirte. (BBC)
Saudi Arabia will end all air traffic and trade links with Iran, and demands that Iran must "act like a normal country" before it would restore severed diplomatic relations. (Reuters)
Syrian National Coalition declared its support for Riyadh's move, calling on "all Arab and Islamic countries to take a similar step", and criticized what it said was Iran's support for Shia militias in Syria and Iraq. (Jerusalem Post)
European migrant crisis
In efforts to control an influx of migrants, Denmark introduces ten days of identity checks on its southern border with Germany, while Sweden introduces similar measures on the Øresund Bridge between itself and Denmark. All three countries are subject to the Schengen Agreement on the free movement of people. (BBC)
California's state climatologist Michael Anderson mentions that the recent
El Niño-fueled storms will put a dent in the ongoing drought, but not end the conditions citing larger reservoirs that are still below normal. (USA Today)
The Ground Force is re-organized under the People's Liberation Army Ground Force Command, under commander Li Zuocheng. (SCMP)
Former Beijing
Lu Xiwen is expelled from the Communist Party of China for "interfering with the market economy and law enforcement" and "living a luxurious lifestyle", among other offenses. (SCMP)
Ra's Lanuf, resulting in at least 10 security personnel deaths and 40 injured. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) reports that fires continue to rage in both Sidra and Ra's Lanuf after oil storage tanks were hit by shells. (Al Jazeera)(BBC)
Gunmen open fire on tourists at a hotel close to the Giza pyramids. There were no casualties in the attack, which caused some damage to the hotel, and the attackers were arrested shortly afterwards. (BBC)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Sana'a, wounding several of its guards. The Associated Press reports there is no visible damage to the building. A Saudi-alliance spokesman promises to investigate the accusations. (RT)(The Washington Post)(AP)(Reuters)
Saudi-led coalition
Sana'a, causing children and teachers in several schools to flee. There were no immediate reports of casualties. (Reuters)
Tribal chair Charlotte Rodrique of the local Burns Paiute Tribe has joined in asking the occupiers to leave saying "The protesters have no claim to this land". Rodrique further cites a treaty, never ratified by the United States Congress, giving ownership of the land to the tribe. (The Washington Post via MSN)
Islamic State flag and claim for the attack written in Arabic was found on his body. The incident is noted for taking place on the anniversary of last year's Charlie Hebdo shooting. (BBC)
In the United States, a swarm of 30 (and counting) earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater struck Oklahoma from Wednesday evening through Thursday mid-afternoon. The biggest, a magnitude 4.8, happened yesterday at 10:27 p.m. CST, 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma. (The Weather Channel)
The bodies of six people are found in a rural village in Guerrero state in southern Mexico. (La Prensa)
Scotland Yard confirms that they are investigating a triple murder in relation to the death of British actress Sian Blake and her two sons after the discovery of their dead bodies on Tuesday. (AAP via News Limited)
Three people are unaccounted for and at least 135 structures are destroyed, including the historic Yarloop Workshops, following a bushfire in the small Western Australian town of Yarloop. Reports coming out of the area suggest the town of Yarloop has been almost completely destroyed with one local official, Murray Cowper, saying, "A big fireball came through and there was no way they were going to stop it. This could well be the end of the town". (SBS)(BBC)
Law and crime
New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany
The chief of Cologne's police force, Wolfgang Albers, is relieved of his duties following criticism of his handling of violent clashes and sexual assaults by migrant gangs in the city on New Year's Eve. (The Independent)
Anti-Serbian protesters set fire to the government's headquarters in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, over an EU-brokered deal that will give Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority greater local powers. (RT)
Law and crime
Sian Blake's partner Arthur Simpson-Kent is arrested in Ghana in connection with the murder of Blake and her two children. (The Guardian)
Bolivian spectator dies in the seventh stage between Bolivia and Argentina after being hit by a Mitsubishi driven by French driver Lionel Baud. (ABC News Australia)
Poland summons the German ambassador in Warsaw over "anti-Polish" remarks made by German politicians. (BBC)
Law and crime
U.S. Army officials set August 8 as the start date for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s court-martial. Bergdahl, charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, was held captive by the Taliban for five years after he left his base in Afghanistan. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for early this week. (AP)
Mexican Drug War
Mexican authorities want to question American actor
Armed militiamen, also known as the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, who are occupying the USFWS administered Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, tear down a part of a fence that they claim was erected by the federal government in order to allow privately owned cattle to graze on the adjacent public land. USFWS condemns the actions through a written statement which states that, "Removing fences, damaging any refuge property, or unauthorized use of equipment would be additional unlawful actions by the illegal occupiers. Any movement of cattle onto the refuge or other activities that are not specifically authorized by [the Fish and Wildlife Service] constitutes trespassing." (The Guardian)(The Oregonian)
record refugee influx they blame for mass sexual violence at New Year's Eve events in Cologne and other German cities. Many chanted 'We are the people', 'Resistance!' and 'Deport them!'. The rally was organized by a local chapter of PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident). Six Pakistani men and one Syrian man were also attacked by so-called vigilantes in Cologne, following calls on social media for "revenge" in the wake of the New Year's Eve assaults. (Daily Mail)
Sport
In
Luis Enrique is named FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football. Carli Lloyd of the Houston Dash and the USA is named FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, and USA coach Jill Ellis is named FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football. (AP via Sportsfan)
Three winning Powerball lottery tickets are sold in the U.S. states of California, Florida, and Tennessee. Each will share the estimated jackpot of US $1.6 billion dollars, the largest lottery jackpot in world history. (ABC News)
Subtropical Storm Alex is located 785 miles (1,260 km) south-southwest of the Azores. Alex is one of just four tropical or subtropical storms to occur in January since 1851, the first year records were kept. The hurricane season begins on June 1 of each year. Alex is expected to hit the Azores on Friday with average rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches. (The Washington Post)(NHC)
A major indication that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are increasingly normalized will be the island nation’s participation later this month at an annual
Three men are arrested in the outskirts of Jakarta in connection with the attacks. Police have identified the attackers killed in the raid with two of the men having been imprisoned for terrorism related offences. (AP via Newser)
A trial of the facts regarding allegations of child abuse against 12 former residents of children's homes in Leicester by British lord Greville Janner ends due to his death. (BBC)
American rapper
Mos Def is banned from South Africa for five years, having been living illegally in the country since 2013 on a tourist visa. (BBC)
A special court is set up at The Hague to try Kosovo Liberation Army suspects for alleged war crimes against ethnic minorities and political opponents. (BBC)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports ISIL fighters had advanced into the northern tip of Deir ez-Zor city, and captured the suburb of Al-Baghaliyeh. The pro-government Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports that government forces had repelled an attack on the city leaving dozens of militants dead. (AFP via the Daily Mail)
Hundreds of civilians are reportedly killed by
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants throughout the city of Deir ez-Zor. Syria's state news agency SANA, quoting residents, said "around 300 civilians" were killed. If confirmed it would be one of the deadliest days in Syria's nearly five-year war. (AFP via Yahoo!)
Americans are missing, feared kidnapped, in Baghdad. Several unconfirmed reports claim that they were kidnapped by a shi'ite militant group. (Washington Examiner)
Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the United Kingdom. Almost all of the 50 MPs (member of parliament), of the 650-member legislative body, present criticized Trump -- especially his comments on Muslims -- but few supported an entry ban. (CNN)(The Guardian)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant over the past few days with the fiercest battles near the city of Deir ez-Zor. (Jerusalem Post)
ISIL confirms the death of militant Jihadi John in an airstrike in November. (BBC)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights releases a report stating that at least 18,802 civilians have been killed and another 36,245 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015. Of these, 3,855 civilians were killed and 7,056 wounded between 1 May and 31 October 2015, with approximately half of these deaths occurring in Baghdad. (United Nations)
Arts and culture
Pakistan lifts a three-year ban on YouTube after Google launches a local version that allows the government to demand removal of material it considers to be offensive. Similar systems have existed in China for many years. (Reuters via Yahoo!)
U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal that may redefine the boundaries of insider trading in U.S. law and regulation, especially as it relates to tips shared among family and friends. (Bloomberg)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants. (Independent)
International relations
Kyrgyzstan's parliament revokes an agreement with Russia to construct hydropower plants, officially ending a deal that in reality was going nowhere, due to the "unfavorable economic situation" in Russia. (Radio Free Europe)
A British inquiry alleges that Russian President Vladimir Putin "probably" personally approved the FSB's murder of Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006 based on findings from a public enquiry. (CNN)
electric car project for Apple Inc. for two years, will leave that company soon for personal reasons, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Wall Street Journal)
La Loche, Saskatchewan, Canada, while injuring others. A suspect has been arrested. (CBC)(Reuters)
Politics and elections
Wei Hong resigns as Governor of Sichuan province in China after it was revealed that he was undergoing investigation for "breaching party discipline." Former World Health Organization executive committee member Yin Li becomes acting governor. (SCMP)
Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War
Jordanian soldiers kill 12 "infiltrators" and wound several others, on the border with Syria, foiling an attempt by dozens of smugglers to cross into the kingdom. The soldiers also confiscated more than 2 million narcotics pills that were left behind. (Reuters)
This potentially record storm, which is predicted to generate blizzard conditions through a third day on Sunday, has caused at least 10 deaths, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, led to more than 8,300 canceled flights, stranded many travelers on major highways and, with up to 70 mph winds, produced record-high tides along the Delaware and New Jersey shores. (NBC News)(Reuters)(ESPN)
Law and crime
European migrant crisis
Around 200 migrants storm the
Calais jungle camp, with approximately 50 of them boarding the P&O Ferries operated MS Spirit of Britain cross-border ferry. The port was closed following the incident. (Reuters)
Poland surveillance law plan angers protesters: Thousands of Poles take part in marches in Warsaw and other cities to protest about plans of the conservative government, which they say will curtail privacy and freedom. (BBC News)
Heavy snowfall in western and central Japan leaves at least two people dead and over a hundred injured. Snowfall was also recorded for the first time in 155 years on Amami Ōshima, a subtropical island in Japan's southern Kagoshima Prefecture. (The Japan Times)
Officials from the New York State parks system have proposed to temporarily "shut off" the American portion of Niagara Falls (also known as American Falls) within three years. The shut off will allow the replacement of two 115-year-old pedestrian stone bridges that are unsafe for the public. (Sky News)
At least eighty-five people are killed in Taiwan and tens of thousands stranded in airports as an unprecedented cold snap hits several Asian countries including China and South Korea. (Focus Taiwan)(CNN)
United States Supreme Court ruled in Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) that its prohibition of mandatory life sentences for juveniles convicted of murder (under Miller v. Alabama (2012)), had to be applied retroactively, potentially affecting 1300 to 2300 cases nationally. (New York Times)
In Texas, a grand jury has cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing while it has indicted two anti-abortionists who were involved in making videos of the organization. (New York Times)
Romania offers neighboring Moldova a $65 million (60 million euros) loan to help stave off economic collapse and keep the former Soviet Republic on a pro-European course, provided the Moldovan government implements major reforms. Government funds were needed to cover more than $1 billion that "disappeared" from three Moldovan banks in November 2014. In the frigid capital Chișinău, 15,000 people from both the pro-European and pro-Russian sides of the political divide, protested on Sunday against the current government and demanded new elections. Prime MinisterPavel Filip, who took office last week, is the country's sixth PM in a year. (AP)(Reuters)(The New York Times)
People's Republic of China say that Wang Baoan is under suspicion for "serious violation of discipline" (a phrase usually associated with corruption charges) as the head of that country's powerful National Bureau of Statistics. (BBC)
vote of no confidence. Nemra had just been elected President in early January 2016. A successor is expected to be selected soon. (Radio New Zealand International)
Amnesty International reports that at least 160 young Iranians are currently awaiting execution and 73 others have been put to death between 2005 and 2015, which including sentencing girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to death. (The Huffington Post)
In tennis, the sport's governing bodies launch an independent inquiry into the anti-corruption unit following a report published by the BBC and BuzzFeed about allegations of failing to pursue allegations of match fixing. (ABC Australia)
Fox News, and the final debate before voting begins with the Iowa caucuses on February 1, is held in Des Moines, Iowa. The seven candidates featuring in the primetime debate were Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio. Donald Trump, the current front-runner in the polls, was also invited to the primetime debate but opted to boycott the debate and instead hosted a town hall with charitable proceeds going to veterans groups. (Fox News)
negative interest rate policy to support the economy. (Bloomberg)
U.S. corporation Xerox announces it will split into two companies, separating its business process outsourcing line from its legacy business, document technology. (Reuters)
Human rights activists claim that three pro-democracy advocates have been sentenced to up to five years imprisonment on charges of attempting to overthrow the
emails on Hillary Clinton's home server contained closely guarded information rated as "Top Secret". (AP)
Politics and elections
The Mexican Federal District is officially renamed to
32 first-level administrative entities of Mexico. (The Guardian)
Science
Scientists from UCLA conclude that study of the geology of the Earth and Moon indicate that both consist of a mixture of rocks from the original Earth and a hypothesized planetary-mass object called Theia after a collision. (The Telegraph)
USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54), sails within 12 nautical miles of the disputed Triton Island. The Pentagon said that the mission aimed at countering the "excessive maritime claims of parties that claim the Paracel Islands", while China's Ministry of Defense said the U.S. action “severely violated the law." (BBC)(The Washington Post)
Japan deploys two MIM-104 Patriotsurface-to-air missile interceptor systems in Tokyo in preparation for any North Korean ballistic missiles potentially heading for the city. The deployment comes amid concerns of an imminent North Korean missile launch following the detection of "increased activity" at a North Korean missile facility. (RT)
