Portal:Current events/January 2022

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry survives an assassination attempt when shooters opened fire at a ceremony celebrating the country's independence anniversary in a church in the city of Gonaïves. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021–2022 Boulder County fires
  • At least three people are confirmed missing, and at least 988 homes are confirmed destroyed, after a wildfire struck Boulder County, Colorado, United States, since December 30. (CNN)
• Vaishno Devi Temple stampede
  • Twelve people are killed and 13 others injured during a stampede at the Vaishno Devi Temple in Indian-administered Kashmir, triggered by many people who were at the temple to celebrate the New Year. (Al Jazeera) (The Times of India)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • England reports a record 162,572 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France surpasses 10 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the sixth country to reach the milestone. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • The Republic of Ireland reports a record 23,281 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Irish Independent)
    • Europe surpasses 100 million cases of COVID-19. (Voice of America)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain, COVID-19 drug development
      • Bahrain authorizes the emergency use of Pfizer's anti-viral oral drug Paxlovid for adults over the age of 18 years. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The United Arab Emirates announces that unvaccinated citizens will be banned from travel and that vaccinated citizens will need to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning on January 10. (Gulf News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina imposes a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination certificate for people over the age of 13 years to participate in many types of activities, both indoors and outdoors. (Buenos Aires Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Australia reports a record for the twelfth consecutive day of 35,326 new cases of COVID-19. New South Wales, Victoria and other states report record numbers of new cases. (The Guardian)
• Birth control in France
  • France begins to introduce free birth control to women aged 18 to 25 years to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. Up to three million women will receive enhanced access to contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices, patches and injectables. (DW)
• France officially bans the use of plastic packaging for large vegetables and fruits, such as cucumbers, carrots, and bananas. Spain plans to introduce a similar law in 2023. (The Guardian)
• Israel reports the world's first case of "florona," which is believed to be a double infection of COVID-19 and influenza, in an unvaccinated pregnant woman who was admitted to the Rabin Medical Center to give birth. (Hindustan Times)

International relations

• Finland–Russia relations, Enlargement of NATO
  • Finland rejects Russian demands that it never join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with President Sauli Niinistö saying that it is his country's right to join the military alliance if it wants to. (The Daily Telegraph)

Law and crime

• Austria legalizes assisted suicide for people over the age of 18 years who are terminally ill or who suffer from a permanent, debilitating condition. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Protesters in Baghdad, Iraq, hold a rally to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qasem Soleimani. (AP)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war
    • The rebel-held city of Idlib loses its supply of water after Russian Air Force jets bombed a nearby water station. Airstrikes have increased in the past 24 hours with attacks also reported on farms near the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing, and on IDP camps near Jisr al-Shughur which killed three people. (Reuters)
• Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports that Mossad was responsible for three bombings of German and Swiss firms in 1981 to try to halt Iranian and Pakistani development of nuclear weapons. (The Jerusalem Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Parliament of South Africa fire
  • A fire breaks out in the South African parliament building in Cape Town, destroying its roof and the wing housing the National Council of Provinces. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident. (France 24)
• February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm, 2021 Texas power crisis
  • The death toll from a destructive winter storm that triggered statewide blackouts in Texas, U.S., last year is updated to 246. (The Texas Tribune)
• A magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan, China, injuring 22 people. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
    • Bulgaria reports its first 12 cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in five vaccinated people and seven unvaccinated people, most of whom had not travelled abroad. (Metro)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (Politico)
  • COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
    • AIDAnova, a cruise ship operated by German cruise line AIDA Cruises and carrying 4,197 people, has docked in Lisbon, Portugal, after 52 crew members tested positive for COVID-19 and isolated at various hotels. (The New York Times)

International relations

• North Korea–South Korea relations
  • A South Korean citizen crosses the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone in a rare case of defection to North Korea from the South. (BBC News)
• Ethiopia–United States relations, Guinea–United States relations, Mali–United States relations
  • The United States cuts off Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali from the African Growth and Opportunity Act trade preference program citing their human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• An Azerbaijani State Border Service guard kills three fellow servicemen at his post and escapes. A manhunt is underway. (Trend News Agency)

Politics and elections

• 2019–2024 Sudanese transition to democracy
  • 2019–2022 Sudanese protests
    • Interim Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigns in response to security forces killing three anti-coup protestors in Omdurman earlier that day. (CNN)

Science and technology

• COVID-19 misinformation
  • Twitter announces that they have permanently suspended U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for allegedly violating the company's policies about COVID-19 misinformation. (The New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Colombian conflict
  • 2022 Arauca clashes
    • Clashes between the revolutionary far-left armed groups ELN and FARC dissidents in Arauca Department leave 23 people dead near Colombia’s border with Venezuela. (Al Jazeera)
• 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)
• Spillover of the Somali Civil War
  • Six men are killed by suspected al-Shabaab militants in a village in Lamu County, Kenya, near the border with Somalia. (Reuters)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi forces capture a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo ship, the Rwabee, off Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The UAE government says that the vessel was carrying equipment from a closed coalition field hospital on Socotra while the Houthis say that the vessel was carrying military equipment. (MSN)

Business and economy

• Evergrande liquidity crisis
  • Chinese property developer Evergrande Group suspends trading of its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ahead of a planned restructuring of the firm. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • India begins administering COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 15 and 18 years using the domestically produced Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
      • The Metro Manila Council passes a resolution imposing a lockdown on all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated residents and minors due to an increase in the number of cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports its first confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people in their 90s who died last week at a senior care hospital in Gwangju. (Yonhap News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports its first two locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Taiwan News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Scotland reports a record 20,217 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Belgian government finalizes an agreement to buy 20,000 courses of Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 drug and Merck & Co.'s Molnupiravir COVID-19 drug. (The Brussels Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France begins to require children over the age of 6 years to wear masks while indoors and also reduces the self-isolation period for fully vaccinated people to seven days and five days if a person has received a negative PCR or antigen test due to a record number of COVID-19 cases driven by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Hill) (Politico.eu)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mozambique
    • President Filipe Nyusi and his wife Isaura test positive for COVID-19. (News24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
    • The Food and Drug Administration authorizes the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for children between the ages of 12 and 15 years, becoming the world's first vaccine to be authorized as a booster shot for this age group. (ABC News)

Science and technology

• 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)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• A blast hits a vehicle for the Sodicars Racing team as it leaves a hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two days prior to the Dakar Rally, critically injuring French driver Philippe Boutron, who is in a medically-induced coma. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

• COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage
  • Rio de Janeiro cancels the 2022 edition of its world-famous carnival street parade, which was scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 1, amid the surging COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Radio France Internationale)

Business and economy

• 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)

Disasters and accidents

• Eight people are killed, 14 more are injured and two are missing during flash floods in southern Iran, primarily in Fars Province. (Al Jazeera)
• A search continues for 14 people missing at sea in the Solomon Islands, after their boat failed to reach the Shortland Islands. Efforts were called off yesterday due to bad weather. (RNZ Pacific)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record 271,686 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News)
      • France reports the first discovery of a new variant called the Lineage B.1.640.2 IHU variant in 12 patients near Marseille which contains 46 mutations. (Firstpost)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden test positive for COVID-19. (The Hill)
      • Sweden reports a record 11,507 new cases of COVID-19 on December 30 due to delayed records of additional cases that were added in the previous days. (The Local Sweden)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus reports a record 5,457 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 183,178. (Cyprus Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports a record 50,126 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,344,923. (Kathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record 170,844 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6.57 million. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 218,724 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which includes backlog data from Northern Ireland for the past four days and from Wales for the past two days. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China orders 1.1 million people in Yuzhou, Henan to stay at home after three asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that the "vaccine bubble" will be expanded to restaurants, leisure venues and schools beginning on February 24, which will require people over the age of 12 years to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination of at least one dose in order to enter those venues. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania
      • Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani tests positive for COVID-19 and is displaying mild symptoms. (News24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an elderly woman who had not received the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Morocco World News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record 81,210 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.82 million. (Buenos Aires Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Australia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 47,738 new cases of COVID-19 and surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19. (Nine News) (SBS World News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    • Mexico surpasses four million cases of COVID-19. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

International relations

• 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)

Politics and elections

• 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)
• 2022 Kazakh protests
  • Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev imposes a two-week state of emergency in Almaty, the country's largest city, and in Mangystau District due to violent protests that have been occurring in the region over an increase in the price of gasoline. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2022 Kazakh protests
  • A nationwide state of emergency is declared in Kazakhstan. (Sky News)
  • Eight police officers are killed and 317 others injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. No figures on civilian casualties have been released. (Reuters)
  • The presidential residence and offices of Äkim of Almaty Bakhytzhan Sagintayev are set on fire by protesters. (AP)
  • The government of Kazakhstan resigns following the protests, with Alihan Smaiylov becoming acting Prime Minister. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also announces the reintroduction of the price cap on liquefied petroleum gas. (Deutsche Welle)
  • President Tokayev dismisses former president and Security Council of Kazakhstan Chairman Nursultan Nazarbayev. Protesters also seize control of Almaty International Airport with all flights to and from the airport being cancelled. (Reuters)
  • President Tokayev requests military assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, saying that "terrorist gangs are overrunning strategic facilities across the country." (Trend News Agency)
• Kivu conflict
  • Two soldiers and 18 rebels are killed in a clash between Banyamulenge rebels and government forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Arabiya)

Arts and culture

• 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)
• 64th Annual Grammy Awards
  • The Grammy Awards is postponed amidst concerns of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Philadelphia apartment fire
  • Twelve people are killed and two others are injured in a fire at a row house converted into apartments in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (ABC News)
• Fourteen people are killed and three others are injured by a landslide at a construction site in Bijie, Guizhou, China. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • Mumbai reports a record 15,166 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Deccan Herald)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan
        • India reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 73-year-old man who died last week at a hospital in Udaipur, Rajasthan. (The Economic Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his First Lady Michal Herzog receive their fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as Israel launched the second booster dose vaccination campaign. (i24NEWS)
      • Israel reports a record 11,978 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,423,289. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • Iloilo City reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a 46-year-old man who traveled from Kenya. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
      • Singaporean Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announces that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be mandatory beginning on February 14 in order for people to maintain fully vaccinated status. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development
      • South Korea signs an agreement to buy an additional 400,000 doses of Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 drug. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record for the second consecutive day of 189,109 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6,566,947. (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata)
      • The Draghi Cabinet signs a decree that makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people over the age of 50 years and also mandates that public and private sector workers of this age group need to show proof of vaccination or recovery or face fines of between €600 and €1,500 beginning on February 15. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 332,252 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the highest daily total recorded in any European nation since the beginning of the pandemic. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands reports a record 24,590 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (NL Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Polish President Andrzej Duda tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. He previously tested positive in October 2020. (Voice of America)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina confirms their first locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Buenos Aires Times)
    • Argentina reports a record for the second consecutive day of 95,159 new cases of COVID-19. (India Today)
    • The government implements self-testing in order to avoid queues at testing centers. (Buenos Aires Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Australia announces rapid antigen tests will be made free to concession card holders amid a nationwide shortage, but resists calls for universal free access. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorses the use of booster shots of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12. (CNN)

International relations

• 2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis, Belarus–Lithuania relations
  • The Lithuanian government announces that it will not extend the state of emergency at the border with Belarus. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2022 Kazakh protests
  • Twenty-six anti-government protestors are killed during a military operation in Almaty. The death toll of security forces increases to 18 with two of the officers being beheaded. (BBC News)
  • Explosions and heavy gunfire are reported near the main Republic Square in Almaty. (The Independent)
  • The Collective Security Treaty Organization military alliance approves what it describes a peacekeeping mission in Kazakhstan in response to an official request for military assistance from Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. (Yahoo! Finance Canada)
  • Russian-led CSTO forces enter Kazakhstan in order to help the government restore control of the country, according to a statement from Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova. (Al Arabiya) (The Guardian)
• Two journalists are killed and their bodies burned during a gang attack in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hits Nicaragua. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
        • Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam announces a travel ban from eight countries with high SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases from January 8 to January 21. (Al Jazeera)
      • High-risk establishments such as bars and gyms will be closed from January 7, while dining in restaurants will be banned after 6 p.m. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
      • Iraq reports its first five cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in the northern city of Duhok, in Iraqi Kurdistan. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel reports a record for the second consecutive day of 16,115 new cases of COVID-19. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The United States Armed Forces order all personnel stationed in Japan to wear masks when traveling off-base amid criticism of their handling of the increase in COVID-19 cases in areas where they are based in large numbers, such as Okinawa and Iwakuni. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
      • Malaysia grants conditional approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be used in children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistani president Arif Alvi tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (Business Recorder)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand raises its COVID-19 Alert level to level four following a rapid increase in cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record for the third consecutive day of 219,441 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6.97 million. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record for the second consecutive day of 68,413 new cases of COVID-19. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine
      • Ukraine begins administering booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults who received their second dose at least six months prior. (Ukrinform)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina surpasses 6 million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record for the third consecutive day of 109,608 new cases of COVID-19. (NHK World-Japan)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
      • Peru raises its pandemic Alert level in 24 provinces from "moderate" to "high", resulting in an extended curfew between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., as well as tightened capacity limits in shopping centers, banks and restaurants. This comes as the number of daily COVID-19 cases increased 25% from the previous week. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory
      • The Northern Territory imposes a lockdown until Monday for people over the age of 16 years who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 after the territory reported a record 256 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
      • Density limits are reintroduced to hospitality and entertainment venues and non-urgent elective surgeries are paused as cases and hospitalisations rise in the state. (The Guardian)
  • 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)
• 2020–2022 H5N8 outbreak
  • A 79-year-old man in Buckfastleigh, Devon, becomes the first person in the United Kingdom to test positive for bird flu. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The French National Assembly votes 214−93 with 27 abstentions to approve a bill to transform the COVID-19 health pass into a vaccine pass, which would require people over the age of 12 years to show proof of vaccination in order to enter most public places and use inter-regional public transport. The bill will be debated in the Senate early next week and is expected to come into effect later this month. (Euronews)
• Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte signs into law a bill outlawing child marriage, with violators facing up to 12 months in prison. Some portions of the law will not go into effect for one year in order to allow Muslim and indigenous communities to prepare. (NDTV)
• United States President Joe Biden blames former President Donald Trump squarely over his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. (CNN)

Sports

• 2022 Australian Open, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2021 Men's Singles champion Novak Djokovic is detained by the Australian Border Force for failing to provide a valid medical exemption to explain his not being vaccinated against COVID-19 under federal guidelines. The Victoria State Government and Tennis Australia had previously approved Djokovic's exemption under their own guidelines, which was not endorsed by the federal Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2022 Kazakh protests
  • Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issues his security forces a shoot-to-kill without warning order in an attempt to end the ongoing protests. (Reuters)
  • The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that Russian troops deployed to Kazakhstan have maintained control of the Almaty International Airport and secured critical government buildings in Nur-Sultan, including the Ak Orda Presidential Palace. (Bloomberg) (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• Chongqing explosion
  • Sixteen people are killed and 10 others injured by a gas explosion in Chongqing, China. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 testing
        • The Food and Drug Administration begins accepting requests for certification of COVID-19 antigen test kits for home use. Previously, antigen test kits were only available for professional use. (CNN Philippines)
      • The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases places 14 more provinces and cities under Alert Level 3 from January 9 to January 15. Five areas including Metro Manila were already placed into Alert Level 3 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
    • 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)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka begins its COVID-19 vaccination rollout for children between the ages of 12 and 15 years using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer tests positive for COVID-19 and begins a period of self-isolation. (Politico.eu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Bulgaria imposes a rule that requires almost all travellers aged above 12 years from the European Union and the United Kingdom to have a negative PCR test in the previous 72 hours along with a valid COVID-19 certificate prior to arrival, in order to limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of 16 states agree to reduce the isolation period for people who have received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and also toughen the requirement to enter bars and restaurants to include a booster shot or a negative test result in addition to proof of vaccination or recovery as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the country. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet announces that the state will suspend elective surgeries as well as ban singing and dancing in hospitality venues, entertainment facilities and major recreation facilities due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. These restrictions will be in effect until January 27. (News.com.au)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory
      • The Northern Territory reports a record for the third consecutive day of 412 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 1,686. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 110,553 new cases of COVID-19. (Infobae)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 drug development
    • Mexican health regulator COFEPRIS grants emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.'s anti-COVID-19 drug Molnupiravir for the treatment of severe disease. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria
    • Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announces that Nigeria is working on developing its own COVID-19 vaccine. (CNN)

Law and crime

• Murder of Ahmaud Arbery
  • The three defendants convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery are sentenced to life in prison. Travis and Greg McMichael are sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, while William Bryan is sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. (NBC News)

Science and technology

• 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)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War
  • 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)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Murree snowstorm
  • At least 21 people are killed by a snowstorm on a highway in Murree, Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. (BBC News)
• Capitólio rock collapse
  • At least seven people are killed and 32 others injured when a rock face collapses onto boats at Furnas Lake in Capitólio, Minas Gerais, Brazil. (The Washington Post)
• A traffic collision between two buses in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, kills 16 people and injures 18 others. (Reuters)
• Volcán Wolf, the tallest mountain and volcano in the Galápagos Islands, erupts. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • A Cypriot scientist reportedly detects a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 called "Deltacron", which combines genomes found in the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and genetic signatures found in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reintroduces mandatory face mask wearing in outdoor and indoor public spaces; reduces the operating hours and capacity of bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, and sporting events; and also reduces the quarantine period, amidst concern that the next wave of COVID-19 could overwhelm the health system. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden tests positive for COVID-19 for a second time. (U.S. News & World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Australia surpasses 100,000 for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, with Victoria reporting a record 51,356 new cases in the past 24 hours after including rapid antigen tests as part of the total number of cases. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    • Mexico reports a record 30,671 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.1 million. The country also surpasses 300,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    • The Philippines reports a record 26,458 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,936,875. (ABS-CBN News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2022 Kazakh protests
  • The death toll from the protests in Kazakhstan increases to 164, including 103 who were killed in Almaty. 5,135 people have also been detained. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• 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)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Bronx apartment fire
  • Seventeen people are killed and 44 others are injured after a fire spreads through a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx, New York City, United States. (CNN) (ABC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • Tianjin begins city-wide COVID-19 testing for 14 million people after 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, two of whom were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • Kuwait reports a record 2,999 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 433,919. (Kuwait News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev announces that 55% of the Kyrgyzstan population has received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (AKIPress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports a record for the second consecutive day of 28,707 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,965,447. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
      • Qatar reports a record 3,487 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 266,344. (Qatar Tribune)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports a record 16 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the statewide death toll to 727. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, COVID-19 vaccination in Greece
    • The Greek government announces that fully vaccinated people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose seven months after receiving their second dose will be banned from entering most indoor venues and participating in many types of activities beginning on February 1. (Times of Malta)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surpasses 10 million. (Barron's)

International relations

• Foreign relations of Mali
  • The West African nations of the 15-member bloc ECOWAS suspend diplomatic relations with Mali and announce that they are closing their borders with and imposing economic sanctions on Mali in response to an "unacceptable delay" to the country's next general election. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • The pro-Yemeni government militia Giants Brigades say that they are in "full control" of the Shabwah Governorate after ten days of fighting Houthi forces. (France 24)

Arts and culture

• The United States Mint announces that they have started shipping the first coins of the American Women quarters program. American poet Maya Angelou will become the first African American woman to be featured on a U.S. quarter. (The Hill) (NPR)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 East London floods
  • Ten people are killed and hundreds more are left homeless due to floods in East London, South Africa, as poorly built homes are swept away, especially in Mdantsane just outside the city. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India begins administering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for high-risk individuals, such as healthcare workers and people over the age of 60 with comorbidities. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
      • The Indonesian Drug and Food Control Agency issues an emergency use authorization of five COVID-19 vaccines as booster dose, namely Pfizer–BioNTech, AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, and Zifivax's ZF2001 for one dose, and half dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal bans mass public gatherings of more than 25 people, closes schools until January 29 and mandates proof of vaccination in order to enter hotels, parks, restaurants, cinema halls, and public office beginning on January 21 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports a record for the third consecutive day of 28,707 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,998,530. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • The Ontario government says that the province will resume in-person learning for students by January 17. (Ottawa Citizen)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (NPR)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports a record for the second consecutive day of 18 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the statewide death toll to 745. (The Guardian)
    • Australia surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile begins administering second booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, including immunocompromised people, becoming the first country in Latin America to do so. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    • Italy restricts the access of public transport, coffee shops, gyms, and many other activities to people who have been vaccinated or has been recovered from COVID-19 amid the surge of the COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
    • Uganda reopens schools for the first time since March 2020 after a nearly two year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 vaccine development
    • Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says that the company will develop a COVID-19 vaccine to target the Omicron variant by March. (CNBC)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • Russia and the U.S. begin a series of talks in Geneva in an effort to defuse tensions between both countries as well as tensions with Ukraine. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• 2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies
  • Roadblocks are set up by demonstrators and stones are thrown at the police in Basse-Terre. (France info)
• The Peoples Gazette, a Nigerian online newspaper, claims that it has been raided by the National Intelligence Agency. (Peoples Gazette)

Science and technology

• Xenotransplantation
  • Doctors at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, successfully transplant a pig heart into a human patient for the first time. (ABC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2022 Australian Open
    • The Federal Court of Australia orders that Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic be released from immigration detention and allowed to compete in the Australian Open in order to defend his Championship, and also orders the federal government to pay Djokovic's legal fees. (BBC News)
• 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship
  • In American football, Georgia defeats Alabama to win the national championship, its first since 1980. (CBS News)

Disasters and accidents

• At an apartment construction site in Gwangju, South Korea, an outer wall of the building collapses, trapping six workers. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, COVID-19 vaccination in Quebec
      • Quebec announces plans to impose a "significant" tax on those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, with exemptions for those who have legitimate medical exemptions from taking the vaccine. However, few additional details were revealed on a policy which would be a first in Canada. (The Globe and Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record 368,149 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record 220,532 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7.77 million. (Agenzia Italia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the 15th nation to do so. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
      • Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, tests positive for COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Slovenia reports a record 5,164 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Slovenia Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 74,266 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentina reports a record 134,439 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6,533,635. (Infobae)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bolivia
      • Bolivian vice president David Choquehuanca tests positive for COVID-19 for the third time. Six government ministers also test positive for COVID-19. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
    • The Israeli Health ministry approves a reduction of the isolation period for asymptomatic positive COVID-19 patients from ten to seven days in order to keep the economy running despite an increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases. The changes will be in effect on January 13. (The Times of Israel)

Politics and elections

• President of the European Parliament David Sassoli dies in Aviano, Italy. (Politico)
• Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola becomes acting President of the European Parliament. Metsola is the first Maltese person to hold this position. (Politico)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • A car bombing kills at least eight people in Mogadishu. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Ban of Twitter in Nigeria
  • The Nigerian government lifts its Twitter ban, which was implemented in June 2021, after Twitter agreed to pay an "applicable tax" and also establish a legal entity within the country sometime in the first quarter of the year. (The Guardian Nigeria)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
      • Indonesia begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for elderly and immunocompromised people amid fears of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Jakarta Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia reports a record 5,362 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 593,545. (Al Arabiya English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
      • South Korea authorizes the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for adults, making it the fifth vaccine to be approved for use in the country. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria reports a record 17,006 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,378,747. (Vienna.at)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
      • Bulgaria reports a record 7,062 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 794,240. (BTA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 80,430 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7,661,811. (Euronews)

International relations

• Israel and the Argentine foreign ministry separately issue condemnations against the presence of Iranian minister Mohsen Rezai at the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Rezai is wanted by Argentina for his alleged connections to the 1994 AMIA bombing. (The Jerusalem Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–United States relations
  • Talks between NATO and Russia over Ukraine hit a breaking point as Poland warns of possible war. (Al Jazeera)
  • Vladimir Putin warns that Russia will cut ties with the United States if sanctions are placed upon him. (Business Insider)
  • The U.S. Senate rejects a bill that would sanction the Nord Stream pipeline amidst fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. (The New York Times)
• Unidentified militants launch several rockets at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, injuring a woman and a child. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• Maynaguri train accident
  • At least nine people are killed and about 50 others injured when a train derails in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India. (CNN)
• Six people are missing and three others are hospitalized following an explosion and subsequent fire at a commercial building in Ottawa, Canada. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
        • The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 17 years should receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least three months after having received their second dose, becoming one of the first countries to authorize booster doses for this age group. (Deutsche Welle)
      • Germany reports a record for the second consecutive day of 81,417 new cases of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • British health secretary Sajid Javid announces that the self-isolation period for positive COVID-19 patients in England will be reduced to five days in order to reduce the impact of absences caused by the Omicron variant on businesses and the health sector. This change will take effect on January 17. (Financial Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Finland reduces the quarantine period for positive COVID-19 patients to five days because the duration of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant's virus cycle is shorter than other variants. (Yle News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Sweden reports a record 25,215 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (U.S. News & World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • The Philippine Department of Transportation issues a memorandum banning unvaccinated individuals from using all forms of public transportation in the National Capital Region beginning on January 17. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
        • The Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government issues an administrative order to all barangays in the Philippines to submit a list of unvaccinated residents in order to prevent their movement in response to the recent increase in cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (GMA News)
        • The Philippines reports a record of 34,021 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,092,409. This is the highest reported number of cases in a day since the start of the pandemic. (GMA News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh bans all public gatherings, restricts the capacity of public transportation to 50%, and mandates that face masks be worn in all public places in an attempt to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Business Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development
      • South Korea receives their first shipment of Pfizer's Paxlovid anti-COVID-19 oral drug. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
      • Senegal authorizes the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children over the age of 12 years and also authorizes the use of booster doses for adults. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reimposes a nighttime curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the next two weeks and also orders the suspension of all public gatherings due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 drug development
    • The WHO guideline development group of international experts recommends the use of rheumatoid arthritis drug Baricitinib for severe and critical COVID-19 patients in combination with corticosteroids. (The Times of India)
• Heat waves of 2022
  • Onslow, Western Australia, reports the hottest day in recorded Australian history, reaching a high of 50.7°C (123.3°F). (The Guardian)
• African swine fever
  • Italy imposes a six-month ban of hunting and other activities involving direct or indirect contact with infected boars in 114 rural areas in the north-western regions of Piedmont and Liguria, where the spread African swine fever has infected the animals. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The French Senate votes 249–63, with 26 abstentions, to approve a bill that would ban unvaccinated people from entering bars, restaurants, and other public places and also from using long-distance public transport. However, the modified bill would only apply to people over the age of 18 years and would only be in effect if the number of hospitalized patients exceeds 10,000 nationwide. (The Independent)
• 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)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami
  • The Hunga Tonga, an undersea volcano, erupts, sending ash and steam 20 kilometers into the air. The government of Tonga issues a tsunami warning and advises people in all islands of Tonga to avoid the coasts. (RNZ)
• 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.

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases issues a resolution stating that all foreign nationals entering the Philippines must present proof of full vaccination. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
      • The Philippines reports a record for the second consecutive day of 37,207 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,129,512. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan
      • Bhutan reports its first 14 cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in people who travelled abroad. (The Economic Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia, COVID-19 vaccination in Cambodia
      • Cambodia begins administering fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for high-risk groups, including healthcare workers, government ministers, and members of the armed forces. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record for the third consecutive day of 92,223 new cases of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson tests positive for COVID-19. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
      • Brazil begins a COVID-19 vaccination program for children aged 5 to 11 years old with the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine despite objections from President Jair Bolsonaro. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
      • Uruguay opens its borders to citizens and residents who have been infected with COVID-19. People will need to travel in private vehicles across the border and be in a family "bubble". (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 drug development
    • Mexican health regulator COFEPRIS approves the emergency use of Pfizer's anti-COVID-19 oral drug Paxlovid. (The Hindu)
• Earthquakes in Indonesia
  • A magnitude 6.6 earthquake is felt in Java and neighbouring islands in Indonesia. (Antara News) (CNA)

Science and technology

• 2022 Ukraine cyberattack
  • Up to 70 Ukrainian government websites are affected by cyberattacks. (BBC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2022 Australian Open
    • The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Alex Hawke, invokes his ministerial powers under the Migration Act 1958 to cancel Novak Djokovic's visa on "health and good order grounds". (ABC News Australia)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)

• Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis
  • An armed man claiming to be the brother of Pakistani Al-Qaeda suspect Aafia Siddiqui holds congregants hostage at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, United States. He is later shot and killed by police. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) (Jerusalem Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami
  • Tonga is hit by ashfall and a tsunami after the eruption of Hunga Tonga, destroying homes as locals struggle to find higher ground. Major flooding is reported in the capital Nukuʻalofa. Shock waves from the eruption are detected as far away as Alaska, United States. Other Pacific countries have also advised their citizens to seek higher ground. Internet access has reportedly been disrupted in Tonga. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (The Guardian) (VOA)
  • King Tupou VI is evacuated from the Royal Palace by His Majesty's Armed Forces. (CNN)
  • Two people are killed by a small tsunami in Lambayeque, Peru. (Bio-Bio Chile)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports its first three confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in people from the cities of Tabriz, Yazd and Shahrekord. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports a record for the third consecutive day of 39,004 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,168,379. (Rappler)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
    • France restricts the validity of health pass for fully vaccinated people to seven months after received their second dose and require them to receive booster dose. (Deutsche Welle)

International relations

• 2022 Serbian constitutional referendum, Kosovo–Serbia relations
  • In an extraordinary session, the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo votes to ban Kosovo Serbs from voting in Serbia's upcoming constitutional referendum on Kosovan territory. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 NFL season
  • 2021–22 NFL playoffs
    • In American football, the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-19, ending their 31-year playoff drought and winning a playoff game for the first time since 1991. (BBC Sport)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • Dankade massacre
    • Authorities say that gunmen have killed more than 50 people, including two soldiers and a police officer, in a raid on a village in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria. Security forces were forced to flee the area, leaving the militants to burn down shops and kidnap women and children. (Reuters)
• Somali Civil War
  • Somali government spokesperson Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu is injured in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu. (Al Jazeera)
• 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)

Business and economy

• Television licensing in the United Kingdom
  • Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announces that the United Kingdom's state broadcaster BBC will be reformed, with the television licence fee being abolished in 2027. Funding of the BBC will also be frozen for the next two years. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami
  • Satellite imagery of Hunga Tonga shows that most of the volcanic island was destroyed by the eruption. (BBC News)
  • The Australian Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force send aircraft to assess the damage in Tonga as communications continue to be disrupted in the Pacific islands. (ABC News Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
    • Denmark reopens cinemas, zoos, museums and theatres as well as allowing limited number of spectators in indoor and outdoor sports despite the rising number of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases in the country. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    • Thailand reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 86-year-old woman who died last month in Songkhla Province. (Bangkok Post)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The French National Assembly votes 215–58 to give a final approval of mandatory vaccine pass that will require people aged above 16 years to be fully vaccinated in order to enter public places and long-distance public transport. The new law regarding vaccine pass will take effect in coming days once the law gets approved from the Constitutional Council. (Voice of America)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Serbian constitutional referendum
  • Serbians vote in a referendum on whether to approve a constitutional reform that would bring the Serbian judicial system closer to the model required for the country to join the European Union. (ABC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2022 Australian Open
    • The Federal Court of Australia confirms the lawfulness and legality of the visa cancellation and deportation order against Novak Djokovic issued by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Alex Hawke. Djokovic's lawyers are considering legal recourse while Djokovic himself has said that he is disappointed with the decision but will cooperate with Australian authorities. (ABC News Australia)
    • Djokovic is deported from Australia, and disqualified from the Australian Open. He is replaced with Salvatore Caruso from Italy. (ABC News Australia)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–NATO relations
    • 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)
    • 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)
    • 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)
• 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)

Arts and culture

• Capital of Indonesia
  • The Minister of National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa reveals that the name of the new Indonesian capital will be Nusantara. Nusantara is a term that has been used to describe the Indonesian Archipelago. (VOI)
• An independent investigation team identifies Arnold van den Bergh, a member of Amsterdam's Jewish Council, as the most likely person responsible for reporting The Diary of a Young Girl author Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis in 1944, leading to their deaths in a concentration camp. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Afghanistan earthquake
  • At least 26 people are killed by a magnitude 5.3 earthquake in Qadis, Badghis Province. (France 24)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark reports a record 28,780 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours as the country eases many of its pandemic restrictions. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, COVID-19 vaccination in Greece
      • Greece begins to introduce monthly fines for people over the age of 60 who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 amid an increase in the number of new cases in the country. The monthly fine will initially be €50 this month and will be €100 per month thereafter. (NPR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands reports a record 42,472 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (NL Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 drug development
      • Health Canada approves the use of Pfizer's anti-COVID-19 viral drug Paxlovid for people over the age of 18 years who are at risk of severe disease and death. (CBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      • Alberta Minister of Health Jason Copping tests positive for COVID-19 as the province reports 1,007 total hospitalizations. (CBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila
      • The Philippines begins to ban people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 from riding public transport and entering commercial planes despite protests from labour and human rights groups. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• A Parisian court fines far-right French television pundit and presidential candidate Éric Zemmour €10,000 for calling unaccompanied migrant children "rapists" and "murderers" during a September 2020 television broadcast. (BBC News)

Business and economy

• Argentine debt restructuring
  • Argentine minister of economy Martín Guzmán warns that the International Monetary Fund will "lose legitimacy" if it fails in negotiations with the country, with Guzmán citing his country's growth of nearly 10 percent as an argument. (Ámbito)
• Puerto Rican government-debt crisis
  • A federal judge signs a plan to restructure Puerto Rico's economy, allowing it to start repaying debt to creditors and lifting it out of bankruptcy. (AP News)
• Microsoft announces that it will acquire gaming company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. If the acquisition is successful, Activision Blizzard will become part of Xbox Game Studios, which will become the world's third-largest gaming company behind Tencent and Sony Interactive Entertainment. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Antananarivo floods
  • At least ten people are killed by floods in Antananarivo, Madagascar. (Africanews)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong orders the culling of 2,000 small animals, such as hamsters, chinchillas and rabbits, closes pet shops, and sends 100 people to a quarantine camp after nearly a dozen hamsters imported from the Netherlands and sold at Little Boss pet shop were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant which also spread to two people. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 32,197 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (The Mainichi)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal reports a record 10,258 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 972,198. (La Prensa Latina)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
      • Bulgaria reports a record 9,996 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 830,604. (Bulgarian Press Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record 464,769 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Yolanda Díaz and Minister of Science and Innovation Diana Morant both test positive for COVID-19. (El Periódico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
      • The Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and his deputy Edgar Peña Parra both test positive for COVID-19. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil reports a record 137,102 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 23,211,894. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay
      • Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez tests positive for COVID-19. (Yahoo! News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Australia reports a record 77 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (SBS News)
  • COVID-19 drug development
    • Merck & Co. and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics sign an agreement with UNICEF to distribute up to 3 million courses of their COVID-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir to 100 low and middle-income countries in the first half of the year. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–NATO relations
    • US President Joe Biden says a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine will result in a more severe penalty than a "minor incursion" as he predicts that Russian President Vladimir Putin "will move in [on Ukraine]; he has to do something". (Reuters)
    • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Kyiv, Ukraine, in a show of support for Ukraine. During a one-day visit, Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said yesterday that "Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine" and that "No option is off the table". (France 24)
    • Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas warns that the presence of Russian troops in Belarus poses a "direct threat" to Lithuania. (Politico.eu)
    • The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force continues flights to Ukraine delivering "thousands" of MBT LAW anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainian military. Russia accuses Britain of "fuelling the crisis" by sending lethal weapons to Ukraine. (UK Defence Journal) (The Times)

Business and economy

• Employees of the STB, Bucharest's largest public transport company, go on strike demanding the resignation of its chairman, Adrian Criț. The city authorities, led by the Save Romania Union-backed mayor Nicușor Dan, condemn the strike, blaming it on the Social Democratic Party-backed trade unionist Vasile Petrariu as an attempt to undermine his authority. (Digi24)

Disasters and accidents

• Six people are killed in a fire at a nursing home in Moncada, Valencia, Spain. (The Washington Post)
• Twenty-nine people are killed during a stampede at an open-air Pentecostal church in Monrovia, Liberia. The stampede was triggered by panic after gangsters entered the prayer ground after a collection. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese government announces that it will place Tokyo and 12 other prefectures under a quasi-state of emergency from January 21 to February 13 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases due to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, with the country reporting a record for the second consecutive day of 41,487 new cases of COVID-19. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports its first confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two unvaccinated people in their 60s who had underlying health conditions. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports its first three locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Ho Chi Minh City. (Hanoi Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
      • Bulgaria reports a record for the second consecutive day of 11,181 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 841,785. (Bulgarian Press Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech government suspends plans to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for key workers and people over the age of 60, which was expected to come into effect in March. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 112,323 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Deutsche Welle)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in American Samoa
      • A seventh passenger from a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu, Hawaii, tests positive for COVID-19. The plane landed in American Samoa on January 6, 2022. (Samoa News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kiribati
      • Kiribati announces a curfew and mandatory face masks after 36 passengers on a charter flight from Fiji test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival. The plane was the first international commercial flight to land in the country since March 2020. Kiribati reopened its borders on January 10th. (Stuff.co.nz)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
    • The Algerian government announces that all elementary and high schools will be closed for 10 days due to an increase in the number of Omicron variant cases in the country. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    • Mexico reports a record for the second consecutive day of 60,552 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,495,310. (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

• Westminster lockdown parties controversy
  • Conservative Party MP Christian Wakeford crosses the floor to the opposition Labour Party, stating that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's behaviour has been "disgraceful". There are growing calls within the ruling Conservative Party for Johnson to resign amid public outrage over "Partygate". (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)
• Terrorism in Pakistan
  • 2022 Lahore bombing
    • Two people are killed and 26 others injured by a bombing in Anarkali, Lahore, Punjab. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies
  • Rioters injure a police officer with live ammunition on the sidelines of unauthorized demonstrations. The administrative building of the Basse-Terre hospital is invaded by about forty people. (Le Figaro)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Bogoso explosion
  • A truck carrying explosives to a gold mine explodes after crashing into a motorcycle in Apiate, Western Region, Ghana; the explosion destroyed nearby buildings and vehicles, killing 17 people and injuring 59 others. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • The Austrian National Council votes 137–13 to approve a bill requiring people over 18 years to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning February 1, thereby becoming the first country in the European Union to do so. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • French Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that a new COVID-19 vaccine pass will go into effect on January 24 pending approval from the Constitutional Council. The new pass will ban unvaccinated people from entering most public venues and travelling on domestic flights and inter-regional trains. Additionally, the mandate to work from home for more than 3 days per week will be lifted on February 2 and children between the ages of 12 and 17 years will be eligible to receive a booster dose beginning on Monday. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record for the second consecutive day of 133,536 new COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reports a record 19,105 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,964,021. (Agerpres)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record for the third consecutive day of 46,199 new COVID-19 cases and surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (Nippon.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Thailand decides to resume its quarantine-free travel for all vaccinated travellers beginning on February 1 due to low hospitalization and death rates despite the surging COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant. (Nikkei Asia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia
      • Western Australia indefinitely suspends the reopening of its borders to fully vaccinated international and inter-state travellers in order to allow people to receive a booster dose due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 drug development
      • The Therapeutic Goods Administration grants provisional approval for Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 drug and Merck & Co.'s Molnupiravir COVID-19 drug. (News.com.au)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
    • Brazilian drug regulator Anvisa approves the use of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for children between the ages of 6 and 11 years. (Agência Brasil)
  • COVID-19 drug development
    • The Medicines Patent Pool signs an agreement with 27 pharmaceutical companies in 11 countries to produce both raw ingredients and finished products of Merck & Co.'s Molnupiravir COVID-19 drug, which will be used in 105 low- and middle-income developing countries. (France 24)

Law and crime

• Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis
  • Two men are arrested in Manchester and Birmingham, England, as part of an investigation into the standoff that occurred at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, United States, on Saturday. (The Guardian)
• 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)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Barbadian general election
  • Mia Mottley and her Barbados Labour Party government are re-elected for a second term in a landslide, winning all 30 seats. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

• Nineteen-year-old Belgian-British pilot Zara Rutherford returns to Kortrijk, Belgium, to complete her five-month circumnavigation, becoming the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)
• 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)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh closes schools, universities, and other educational institutions until February 6 and bans social, political, religious, and state events of more than 100 people amid the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Daily Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 49,854 new COVID-19 cases. (Jiji Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports a record 7,678 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.35 million. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
      • The Singaporean Ministry of Health announces the extension of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 beginning on March 14. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reports a record 36,665 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,443,217. (Polskie Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reports a record 19,649 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 49,513 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 10,987,774. (Barron's)
    • 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)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Australia reports a record 88 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including a record 46 deaths in New South Wales, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,976. (SBS News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The World Health Organization recommends the usage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (Reuters)

International relations

• Argentina–Iran relations, AMIA bombing
  • Argentina formally requests that Russia arrest Iranian minister Mohsen Rezai, who is on a trip to Russia, based on the accusation by Argentina of Rezai's involvement in the 1994 AMIA bombing. Russia did not immediately respond to the request. (Infobae)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The French Constitutional Council conditionally approves a new COVID-19 vaccine pass law that would require adults over the age of 16 years to be fully vaccinated in order to enter public venues and use intra-regional public transport but rejects the mandatory use of the vaccine pass for political rallies. The new vaccine pass will take effect on January 24. (France 24)
• Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation announces it is officially investigating the standoff at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, U.S., on Saturday as a "federal hate crime" and an "act of terrorism". (WFAA-TV)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–NATO relations
    • The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says that, according to the available information, the Russian government is planning to "install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv as it considers whether to invade and occupy Ukraine." (CNN)
    • Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach resigns as Inspector of the German Navy following comments at a think tank in New Delhi, in which he called Russia's intention to attack Ukraine "nonsense", saying that Russian president Vladimir Putin "deserves respect" and dismissing the prospects of Ukraine ever regaining Crimea and joining NATO. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports its first confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an unvaccinated 64-year-old man and a vaccinated 54-year-old woman who both had underlying health conditions. (CNN Indonesia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record for the fifth consecutive day of 54,576 new COVID-19 cases, including a record 11,227 new cases in Tokyo and a record 7,675 new cases in Osaka Prefecture. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an unvaccinated 92-year-old woman. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reports a record for the second consecutive day of 40,876 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,484,095. (Polskie Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (Digi24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 57,212 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11.04 million. (The Times of India)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kiribati
      • Kiribati goes into lockdown for the first time during the pandemic after dozens of passengers onboard a January 14th charter flight from Fiji test positive for COVID-19. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa
      • Samoa Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa announces a three day lockdown in response to ten positive COVID-19 passengers from repatriation flight. (RNZ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands
      • The number of new COVID-19 cases rises to 48, despite ongoing lockdowns in Ontong Java Atoll, Honiara, and Guadalcanal Province. The current outbreak began last week when 23 crew members onboard an illegal fishing vessel from Papua New Guinea tested positive after entering Ontong Java Atoll. (RNZ)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)
• Mali War
  • A French soldier is killed in a mortar attack on a military camp in Gao, northern Mali. (France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• Yaoundé nightclub fire
  • At least 16 people are killed and eight others are injured in a fire caused by fireworks at a nightclub in Yaoundé, Cameroon. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 63,205 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11.1 million. (Anadolu Agency)

Politics and elections

• President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian resigns on the grounds that the Constitution does not give him enough influence in the country's decision-making process. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)
• Ethnic violence in South Sudan
  • At least 31 ethnic Dinka people are killed in clashes with suspected Murle armed youth in Jonglei State, South Sudan. (AP)
• 2022 Burkinabé coup d'état
  • Troops detain President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré amid reports of gunfire overnight in the capital Ouagadougou. Access to the internet has reportedly been disrupted nationwide. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• Tropical Storm Ana
  • Tropical Storm Ana kills 23 people in Madagascar. (Bloomberg)
• Yaoundé stadium disaster
  • Eight people are killed in a crowd crush at Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • A COVID-19 vaccine pass that requires people over the age of 16 years to be fully vaccinated or show proof of recovery in order to enter bars, restaurants, and other public spaces, and to use inter-regional transport takes effect in France. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 65,109 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11,173,300. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (El Periódico)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
    • The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation gives the final approval for use of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 18 years. The rollout of the vaccine will begin on February 21. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    • China lifts its lockdown for 13 million people in Xi'an as the number of COVID-19 infections decreases in the city. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, COVID-19 drug development
    • Egypt's drug regulator issues an emergency use authorization for Merck's Molnupiravir anti-COVID-19 drug. (Ahram Online)

Law and crime

• Heidelberg University shooting
  • A mass shooting occurs in a lecture hall at the New Campus of the University of Heidelberg in Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. A woman is killed and three other people are injured before the gunman commits suicide. (Evening Standard)
• A fire at a nightclub in Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia, following an armed clash between two groups, kills at least 18 people. (AFP via France 24)
• Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights suspects former Regent of Langkat, a regency in Sumatra, Indonesia, of practicing modern slavery after KPK, in a sting operation, finds a jail-like facility to house the workers. (Tempo English)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Italian presidential election
  • Voting for the election of the President of the Italian Republic begins, with the process expected to take multiple days. (ANSA)
  • In the first round of voting, two-thirds of electors cast blank ballots. (Euronews)

Science and technology

• The James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration among NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, successfully enters orbit at its target destination, located near the Sun–Earth L₂ Lagrange point about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 mi) from Earth. (AFP via Manila Standard)
• The second stage of the Falcon 9 v1.1 used to launch the Deep Space Climate Observatory in 2015 is projected to impact the Moon on March 4, 2022. (arsTECHNICA)

Arts and culture

• The Australian Government announces that it has purchased the intellectual property rights to the Australian Aboriginal Flag from its designer Harold Thomas for over $20 million (US$14m), allowing for the public use of the flag. (BBC News) (AFP via France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• Millions of people are left without electricity after a major power outage affects Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's energy ministry reports that the power outage had been triggered by an "energy imbalance" in Kazakhstan's power grid. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese government announces that the quasi-state of emergency measures will be expanded to 18 more prefectures including Hokkaido, Osaka, and Fukuoka from January 27 to February 20 amid the spread of the Omicron variant. (The Japan News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 8,571 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 749,979. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
      • Bulgaria reports a record 12,399 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 903,676. (Bulgarian News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic reports a record 30,350 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a record 501,635 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (The Connexion)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reduces the mandatory isolation period for close-contact COVID-19 patients to seven days amid an unprecedented increase in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases with the country reporting a record for the fifth consecutive day of 67,509 new COVID-19 cases. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina surpasses 8 million cases of COVID-19. (Perfil)
  • History of COVID-19 vaccine development
    • Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech begin a clinical trial to test the safety and immune response of their Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine for adults under the age of 55 years. (NPR)

Law and crime

• Canadian Indian residential school gravesites
  • The Williams Lake First Nation in British Columbia, Canada, discovers 93 potential unmarked graves around the former Saint Joseph's Mission residential school near Williams Lake, British Columbia. (Vancouver Sun)
• A prison riot in the Mexican state of Colima results in the deaths of nine inmates and seven others being injured. (ABC News)
• Four victims of a shooting are found dead inside a home in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The shooting is believed to have happened the night before, and the victims are believed to have known each other. (CTV News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Battle of al-Hasakah
    • The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces recapture a prison in al-Hasakah from Islamic State. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces that the United States has given a written response to Russia, aimed at the de-escalation of tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The response, coordinated with European allies and Ukraine, addresses Russia's demands and actions. (CNN)
• 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)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 164,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Al-Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports a record 20,174 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,471,276. (Daily News Hungary)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland reports a record 53,420 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,637,776. (Polskie Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the sixth consecutive day of 74,692 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11.3 million. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
      • Israeli Health ministry approves the second round of booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for people aged above 18 years who have underlying medical conditions. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the second consecutive day of 13,102 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 762,983. (The Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil reports a record 224,567 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 24.5 million. (Reuters)

International relations

• Canada–Ukraine relations
  • Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces the extension of Operation Unifier for three years. Sixty more troops will also be deployed to Ukraine in the coming days. Trudeau's government also announces a shipment of non-lethal equipment and intelligence sharing. (CTV News)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in France
  • The National Assembly votes to criminalize conversion therapy, with violators facing three years in prison and up to €45,000 in fines. The bill will now be sent to President Emmanuel Macron to be signed into law. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russian-Ukrainian crisis
  • The United States rejects Russia's demand that Ukraine be barred from joining NATO. (BBC News)
  • U.S. President Joe Biden, during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, says "the Russians could invade Ukraine in February". (BBC News)
• Spillover of the Syrian civil war
  • Jordanian troops kill 27 "armed smugglers" after they tried to cross the border from Syria with a large quantity of amphetamines. Several other smugglers, who were "supported by other armed groups", were wounded, according to a statement from the military. (Reuters)
• 2022 Dnipro shooting
  • Five people are killed and five more are injured in a mass shooting at a Yuzhmash production facility in Dnipro, Ukraine, after a member of the Ukrainian National Guard opens fire. (The Straits Times)
• Aftermath of the 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes
  • Two civilians are killed while 21 more people are wounded near the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan after troops from both countries engage in a battle. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Finland reports its first ten cases of the Omicron sub-lineage named BA.2 sublineage in Southwest Finland. (Yle News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record for the second consecutive day of 203,136 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 9.2 million. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the seventh consecutive day of 88,816 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11,404,617. (Azeri Press Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports its first two cases of the Omicron sub-lineage named BA.2 sublineage in Catalonia. (The Olive Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 82,180 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The government's Plan B restrictions, including mandatory usage of face masks on public transport and in shops, and usage of NHS COVID passports for large events are lifted in England. (Sky News)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 drug development
      • The European Medicines Agency conditionally approves the use of the Pfizer anti-COVID-19 oral drug Paxlovid for high-risk adult patients. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil reports a record for the second consecutive day of 228,954 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 24.7 million. (Business Standard)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record for the third consecutive day of 14,518 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 777,497. (Asian News International)

Politics and elections

• Xiomara Castro is officially sworn in as the 56th President of Honduras, making her the country's first female president. (AFP via NDTV)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Russia–NATO relations
    • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Russia is not interested in starting a war after U.S. President Joe Biden warned Ukraine that Russia may invade Ukraine in February. (NBC News)
    • 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)
  • Belarus–NATO relations
    • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that Belarus might go to war if they or Russia are attacked. Lukashenko also insists that his country does not want to go to war with Ukraine. (Politico.eu)
• 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)

Business and economy

• Chinese espionage in the United States
  • The Federal Communications Commission votes unanimously to revoke the authorisation of China Unicom to operate in the United States, citing national security and espionage concerns. The Chinese telecommunications operator must stop providing telecoms services in the U.S. within 60 days. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• The Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, collapses, causing a gas leak. Ten people are injured, none of them seriously. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippine Department of Tourism announces the lifting of quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated tourists from countries under its visa waiver program, effective February 10. (AFP via NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the third consecutive day of 16,096 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 793,582. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil reports a record for the third consecutive day of 228,954 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 24.7 million. (Business Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
      • Chile reports a record 26,727 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.075 million. (Xinhua News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      • New South Wales reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BA.2 sublineage. (The Guardian)
    • Australia reports a record 98 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including a record 35 deaths in New South Wales. (SBS News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record for the eighth consecutive day of 98,040 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11.5 million. (ABC News)

International relations

• 2022 Burkinabé coup d'état
  • The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States agree to suspend Burkina Faso's membership in the bloc in response to the coup d'état. (AFP via RFI)
• Foreign relations of Rwanda, Foreign relations of Uganda
  • The Rwandan foreign ministry announces the reopening of the country's border crossing with Uganda following political tensions between the two countries that led to the closure of the border crossing for three years. (AFP via Seychelles News Agency)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Russia–NATO relations, France–Romania relations
    • France announces that it will deploy "several hundred" troops to Romania in order to support NATO's eastern flank amid tensions with Russia. (Times of India)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021–22 European windstorm season
  • Storm Malik impacts the British Isles, killing two people, and causing widespread damage in Scotland and Northern England. (The Independent)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the ninth consecutive day of 113,122 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.61 million. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 94,783 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 17,542 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 811,122. (The Korea Herald)

International relations

• 2022 Russian military exercise controversy
  • Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney announces that the Russian Minister of Defence has agreed to his request that the exercises would be moved outside the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone. (RTÉ)

Law and crime

• Freedom Convoy 2022
  • Participants in the convoy arrive at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to protest vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. (CTV News Ottawa)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Italian presidential election
  • After seven inconclusive ballots, Sergio Mattarella is elected for a second term as President on the eighth ballot. (ANSA)

Sports

• 2022 Australian Open
  • Australian tennis player Ashleigh Barty defeats American Danielle Collins in two sets, 6–3, 7–6,^(7–2) to win the women's singles title at the Australian Open. Barty is the first home player to win the title since Chris O'Neil in 1978. (AFP via France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• A multiple-vehicle collision in North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, kills nine people and injures six others. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases announces that the National Capital Region and seven other provinces will be downgraded to Alert Level 2, which will allow for resumption of in-person classes and usage of contact sports venues. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
      • Qatar begins administering the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged between 5 to 11 years. It comes after the Ministry of Public Health approves the use of the vaccine for this age group. (The Peninsula Qatar)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record for the tenth consecutive day of 121,288 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11.37 million. (Euronews)

International relations

• 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)

Law and crime

• Manchester United F.C. and England player Mason Greenwood is arrested by Greater Manchester Police on suspicion of rape and assault after videos and images of alleged abuse of his partner were posted on social media. (BBC News)
• Ten members of the Sunni Islamist organization Muslim Brotherhood are sentenced to capital punishment by an Egyptian court for their involvement in a deadly attack against security personnel in 2015. (AFP via The Times of Israel)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Portuguese legislative election
  • Voters in Portugal head to the polls for a snap parliamentary election. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2021 NFL season
  • 2022 NFL playoffs
    • The Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 27–24, to win the AFC Championship, while the Los Angeles Rams defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 20–17, to win the NFC Championship. The Bengals and Rams will meet in Super Bowl LVI, set to be played in SoFi Stadium on February 13. The Rams will also become the second team after the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. (CNN)
• 2022 Australian Open
  • Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal defeats Russian Daniil Medvedev in five sets to win the men's singles title at the Australian Open. The victory is Nadal's 21st Grand Slam title, which is an all-time record. (The Guardian)
• 2022 European Men's Handball Championship
  • Sweden beat Spain 27–26 in the finals to be crowned champions, their first major title since 2002. (Olympics) (Euro Handball)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Spillover of the Somali Civil War
  • Thirteen people are killed after a bus hit a roadside bomb planted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera, Kenya, near the border with Somalia. (VOA)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Brazil floods and landslides
  • Flash flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains kill at least 19 people and leave hundreds more homeless in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. This brings the total death toll from flooding in the country to more than 50 people since the start of the wet season. (BBC News)
• 2022 Ecuador landslides
  • At least 23 people are killed in and 47 injured in landslides in Quito, Ecuador. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Prime minister Justin Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19. (Toronto Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The U.S. FDA issues a full approval for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
    • Indian President Ram Nath Kovind announces that 90% of adults in India have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (ThePrint)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record for the 11th consecutive day of 124,070 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11.86 million. (Interfax)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa scraps the mandatory self-quarantine period for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and cuts the mandatory self-quarantine period for symptomatic patients to seven days because 60% to 80% of its population now had COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
• The Ecuadoran environmental ministry reports that approximately 2 hectares (4.9 acres) of the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve have been contaminated following an oil spill attributed to a ruptured pipeline. (AFP via RFI)

International relations

• France–Mali relations
  • The Malian military junta orders the French ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours in response to "outrageous comments" made by the French authorities about Mali's transitional government. (France 24)
• 2022 Burkinabé coup d'état
  • The African Union suspends Burkina Faso in response to last week's coup d'état. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Murder of Ahmaud Arbery
  • Gregory and Travis McMichael, two of the three people convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, have reached plea agreements with federal prosecutors on hate crimes charges. However, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejects the plea deal. (NPR) (AP)
• 2022 Kusel shooting
  • Two police officers are shot dead during a routine traffic stop in Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Partygate
  • The initial findings of a report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into allegations of rule breaking at 10 Downing Street during COVID-19 lockdowns are published. (BBC News)
• Peruvian Prime Minister Mirtha Vásquez resigns in response to a reshuffle of the government by President Pedro Castillo. (Bloomberg)