Thursday

January 15, 2026

Armed conflicts and attacks

Operation Southern Spear

Disasters and accidents

At least 19 people are killed and hundreds are evacuated across South Africa in flooding caused by torrential rains in several provinces, including Limpopo and Mpumalanga. (AP)

At least four people are injured and several buildings collapse following an explosion in the Utrecht city centre in the Netherlands. (NOS in Dutch) (Al Arabiya)

International relations

Denmark–France relations

French president Emmanuel Macron announces the deployment of additional military forces to Greenland after a Defense Council meeting. (France 24)

Japan–Philippines relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea

Japan and the Philippines sign a defense pact to mutually allow tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food, and other forms of aid. (AP)

United Arab Emirates–Yemen relations

Faraj Al-Bahsani is dismissed from Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, becoming the last United Arab Emirates-backed member to leave the body. (The New Arab)

Law and crime

Sexual deepfake and illegal content generation on X

The "Get Grok Gone" campaign delivers letters to Apple and Google demanding they remove Grok from their app stores because of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material being generated by Grok. (The Register)

Politics and elections

2026 Ugandan general election

Ugandans vote to elect the President of Uganda and 529 members of Parliament. (AP)

Science and technology

The members of NASA commercial Crew-11, who were docked at the International Space Station since August 2025, land on Earth one month early following the first ever medical evacuation from the ISS. (Space) (NPR)

Frigidaire issues a recall for 330,000 mini-fridges for fire risks, after previously recalling 634,000 last year. (AP)

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