A Paris court found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron by spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality. The defendants received prison and suspended sentences, and were also ordered to undergo cyberbullying awareness training.
At the first auction of 2026 in Tokyo, a 243 kg tuna was sold for $3. 2 million to Kiyomura Corp. The owner of the Sushi Zanmai sushi bar chain set a new record, surpassing his 2019 figure.
On January 4, a small private plane crashed at Provincetown Municipal Airport, Massachusetts. The pilot, the only person on board, died at the scene; the airport is closed, and an investigation has been launched.
The Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, has regained control of the city of Mukalla and Hadramaut province. This happened after a series of Saudi coalition airstrikes on separatist positions.
At least 25 people have died after a passenger boat capsized on the Yobe River in Nigeria. Of the 52 passengers, 13 have been rescued and 14 are missing.
Myanmar's military government has pardoned 6,134 prisoners, including 52 foreigners, on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of independence. This happened amid preparations for the 2026 elections and ongoing armed confrontation.
K-pop group BTS will return to the stage as a full group on March 20, 2026. This will happen after an almost four-year hiatus, during which all members completed their military service.
Former world champion Anthony Joshua has returned to the UK after a car crash in Nigeria that killed his trainer Sina Gami and personal coach Latif Ayodele. Joshua sustained minor injuries, and the driver has been charged.
On January 4, the DPRK launched several ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan. The launches were recorded from the Pyongyang area at about 07:50 a.m. local time.
Northern California faced massive flooding due to heavy rains and the strongest tides in two decades. The elements paralyzed traffic, flooded residential areas, and caused people to be evacuated from their cars.
A vessel carrying over 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia, with at least 102 people rescued and dozens still unaccounted for. Gambian President Adama Barrow confirmed seven deaths and promised an investigation.
A woman died in hospital from injuries sustained during the derailment of a passenger train in southern Mexico. The total death toll from the accident has risen to 14.
Turkmenistan has officially legalized cryptocurrency mining and exchange by signing a law regulating virtual assets. Digital currencies will not be recognized as a means of payment, currency, or security.
Mamdani became New York's first Muslim mayor, taking the oath of office on January 1. He used the Quran for the ceremony, a first in the city's history.
A UN team visited Al-Fashir in Sudan after its capture, confirming a catastrophic humanitarian situation and signs of mass killings. Hundreds of people remain in the city without access to water, medicine, and food.
On December 27 and 28, severe snowstorms swept across the US and a number of European countries, leading to fatalities in Sweden and thousands of flight delays in the United States. Storm Johannes left hundreds of thousands of people without power in Scandinavia, and 11 centimeters of snow fell in New York.
A tourist boat with 11 people on board sank off Padar Island in Indonesia. Four members of a Spanish family are missing, seven have been rescued.
Residents of Jabo village in northwestern Nigeria witnessed a massive airstrike that shook houses and lit up the sky in a bright red color for hours. US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, calling it a "powerful and deadly blow" against Islamic State forces.
Separatists in southern Yemen accused Saudi Arabia of airstrikes on their forces in Hadhramaut after a warning about troop withdrawal. This escalates the situation in the country and jeopardizes the coalition fighting the Houthis.
An independent prosecutor is demanding a 10-year prison sentence for ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of obstruction of duty and abuse of power. The court could issue a verdict as early as next month.
The Japanese government has planned a record defense budget of over 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) to strengthen its defense capabilities amid tensions with China. The country is also developing long-range missiles and the SHIELD drone system to protect its coast.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that experts have begun analyzing the black boxes of the crashed plane, which killed eight people, including the head of military units in western Libya. Libyan officials cited a technical malfunction of the aircraft as the cause of the crash.
In Kajiado County, Kenya, four people have died from elephant attacks in a week, sparking protests. Experts attribute this to a severe shortage of vegetation and water in the region.
A court in the Russian Federation found Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front movement, guilty of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison. Udaltsov denied the charges, calling them fabricated, and announced a hunger strike.
Southern California is bracing for a new wave of storms and rains, increasing the risk of floods and mudslides. More than 120,000 consumers are without power, and there are casualties due to the bad weather.
The president of the Turkish football club Fenerbahçe, Sadettin Saran, has been detained in Istanbul as part of a drug investigation. The detention occurred after traces of drugs were found in his hair samples.
The countries of the "Alliance of Sahel States" are preparing for large-scale military operations, having created a joint battalion of 5,000 personnel. The junta leaders emphasize sovereignty and a break with former Western partners, choosing Russia as their main security ally.
The Yemeni government and the Houthis have agreed to release 2,900 prisoners, the largest exchange in 11 years of civil war. The agreement, signed in Muscat with the support of the UN and the Red Cross, includes citizens of Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
The US has suspended the lease of five major offshore wind farms along the US East Coast. The reason cited was classified risks identified by the Pentagon related to radar interference.
Alphabet acquired Intersect for $4. 75 billion to address the electricity shortage needed for the development of AI technologies. Intersect will operate independently, diversifying energy sources and curbing electricity prices.
