Armed Conflicts and Attacks

  • A Russian drone strike on a minibus in Dnipro, Ukraine, kills at least 15 mineworkers and injures seven others amid the Russo-Ukrainian war.[1]
  • Pakistani forces end a 40-hour counterterrorism operation in Balochistan, killing 145 Baloch Liberation Army insurgents, 18 civilians, and 18 security personnel; Pakistan accuses India of backing the group.[1]
  • Nigerian forces kill Boko Haram deputy leader Abu Khalid and 10 fighters in a raid in Borno State.[1]
  • Syrian Democratic Forces hand over control of Al-Hasakah to Syrian transitional government forces as part of a ceasefire.[1]
  • Israel partially reopens Rafah Crossing, allowing 150 people to exit Gaza and 50 to enter daily after closure since May 2024; separate Israeli attacks kill at least five, including a child, per Gaza Health Ministry.[1][3]

Politics and Elections

  • Laura Fernández of Costa Rica’s Sovereign People’s Party wins the presidency with 48% in the general election.[1]
  • Tens of thousands rally in Prague supporting Czech President Petr Pavel amid his dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka.[1]
  • U.S. President Trump orders Kennedy Center closed for two years for $200 million renovation amid declining audiences; Kennedy family responds.[2][3]
  • FBI raids Fulton County, Georgia election office, seizing 700 boxes of records including ballots; Trump reportedly speaks with agents.[2]
  • U.S. Senate passes bipartisan bill averting full government shutdown, funding most operations for two more weeks while negotiating ICE limits.[4]
  • Questions arise over UAE royal’s investment in Trump family’s crypto firm.[3]

Disasters, Accidents, and Weather

  • Bus-truck collision in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, kills five children and injures six.[1]
  • DA40 aircraft crash in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, kills three.[1]
  • Bus crash in Antalya, Turkey, kills nine and injures 21.[1]
  • Bus carrying wedding guests overturns in Lodhran, Pakistan, killing four and injuring 28.[1]
  • Flooding from heavy rain and dam releases evacuates 50,000+ in Ksar el-Kebir, Morocco; schools close, power cuts, military rescues underway.[1]
  • U.S. weather: Bitter cold and winter storms tracked; Bay Area hit by earthquake swarm; Northeast cold prompts penguin sheltering.[2]
  • Lindsey Vonn injured in World Cup crash ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics.[5]

U.S. News and Investigations

  • Search intensifies for missing 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie in Arizona; sheriff suspects kidnapping from her Tucson home.[2]
  • Epstein survivors demand DOJ remove 3 million accidentally released pages containing their names and reportedly graphic images.[2][3][4]
  • Hennepin County medical examiner rules Alex Pretti’s death a homicide.[2]
  • Virginia jury convicts Brendan Banfield of killing his wife and a stranger to be with au pair.[2]
  • Nebraska man arrested in kidnapping of Florida teen siblings.[2]
  • FBI investigates possible “biological lab” discovery in Las Vegas.[2]

Other Developments

  • Sudan Airways resumes limited flights to Khartoum International Airport after 2023 war hiatus and renovations.[1]
  • DOJ releases over 3 million Epstein-related pages.[3][4]
  • UNICEF launches education efforts in Gaza amid challenges.[3]
  • Iran repairs nuclear facilities per satellite images; death toll rises as supreme leader warns of regional war.[3]