January 19, 2026

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• The U.S. is expected to announce its official list of members for the so-called "Board of Peace" to oversee the cease-fire and reconstruction in Gaza this week during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. More than a dozen countries say their leaders have received invitations from the U.S. to join the Board, and reports note that invitations indicate a $1 billion contribution toward rebuilding Gaza secures permanent membership on the board instead of a three-year appointment, which has no contribution requirement. [more]
• The U.S-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that it has verified at least 3,919 deaths that took place in Iran during weeks of recent protests. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that the protests left "several thousand" people dead and blamed the U.S. and Israel for the deaths, while reports cite other Iranian officials as saying at least 5,000 people were killed, including about 500 security personnel. [more]
• Syrian government officials and the leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced yesterday that they had reached a cease-fire agreement. SDF leader Mazloum Abdi said the terms of the agreement would be released "in the coming days." [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,423 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Officials in the Russia-held part of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region say more than 200,000 households are without power after regional power networks were damaged in weekend Ukrainian drone strikes. [more]

U.S. AND EUROPE | U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would impose a 10% tariff starting next month on all goods from eight European nations that have signaled their opposition to U.S. attempts to take control of Greenland. Trump said the tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be increased to 25% in June if no deal is reached for the "complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the United States. European leaders have broadly condemned the threats from Trump, who, in a message to Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, also seemed to link his drive to take control of Greenland to his failure to win last year's Nobel Peace Prize, saying "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace." [more] [and more]

MINNESOTA | Amidst continuing protests against the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, the Department of Defense is reported to have ordered some 1,500 active-duty military personnel from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division to prepare for possible deployment to the city in the event President Donald Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, as threatened, to assist in law enforcement efforts. [more]

MORE MINNESOTA | The Department of Justice says it is investigating potential federal civil rights violations by anti-immigration enforcement protesters who are alleged to have disrupted services yesterday at a Minneapolis church where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apparently serves as a pastor. [more]

GLOBAL ECONOMY | In an updated projection released today, the International Monetary Fund says it expects global economic growth of 3.3% this year – the same as seen in 2025, but up from the 3.1% IMF growth projection for 2026 made in October. The group says the unexpectedly strong global economy is being driven by "easing trade tensions, higher-than-expected fiscal stimulus, accommodative financial conditions, the agility of the private sector in mitigating trade disruptions and improved policy frameworks especially in emerging market economies," as well as "the continued surge in investment in the information technology sector—especially in artificial intelligence." [full projection] [more]

CHILE | President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in the Biobio and Ñuble regions of Chile after weekend wildfires killed at least 18 people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and burned an estimated 8,500 hectares of land. Emergency officials say the country's more than two dozen active wildfires have forced the evacuation of about 50,000 people. [more]

SPAIN | At least 39 people were killed, and 159 others were injured, when two high-speed trains collided in Spain's southern Andalusia region yesterday evening. Recovery efforts continue today at the site of the crash, and authorities say the death toll is likely to rise. [more]

SOUTH AFRICA | The National Disaster Management Center declared a national disaster in South Africa yesterday amidst flooding brought on by torrential rains in which at least 30 people have died. Authorities say at least five provinces have been severely affected by flooding, with the northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga being the worst hit. [more]

TAJIKISTAN | Tajik authorities say four suspected members of a terrorist organization who crossed into Tajikistan from neighboring Afghanistan overnight were killed by security forces in the second such border incident since November. Afghan officials say the gunmen who crossed the border were attempting to smuggle drugs and that Afghanistan would not allow the border region with Tajikistan to be destabilized. [more]

PAKISTAN | Authorities in Karachi, Pakistan, say at least 19 people are dead, and more than 60 others remain missing, following a weekend fire at the city's Gul Plaza shopping mall. Search and rescue operations are continuing at the site today, though authorities say they have little hope of finding survivors. [more]

CHINESE ECONOMY | According to government data released today, China's economy grew at a 5% annual rate in 2025 amidst a record trade surplus of $1.2 trillion. Reports note that the country's economic growth slowed to 4.5% in the fourth quarter of last year – the lowest quarterly growth since late 2022. [more]

MORE CHINA | Government population data released today indicates that the birth rate in China fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people in 2025 – the lowest level since the country's communist revolution in 1949 and the fourth-straight yearly decrease. The country's population in 2025 was 1.404 billion – down about 3 million from 2024. [more]

E.U. AND SOUTH AMERICA | After years of negotiations, the European Union and South America's Mercosur trade bloc, which consists of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, formally signed a free-trade agreement Saturday. Reports note that the agreement must still be ratified by the E.U. parliament to take effect. [more]

GUATEMALA | President Bernardo Arévalo declared a 30-day "state of siege" in Guatemala yesterday after seven police officers were killed by suspected gang members in the capital of Guatemala City in apparent retaliation for the government retaking control of Renovación prison in Escuintla where inmates rioted earlier in the weekend. [more]

FOOTBALL | Conference championship matchups are set following this weekend's divisional NFL playoff games. The Los Angeles Rams will play the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC championship, and the Denver Broncos will play the New England Patriots for the AFC championship, this coming Sunday, with the winners of each game advancing to the Super Bowl. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Avatar: Fire and Ash" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $13.3 million in receipts, followed by "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" and "Zootopia 2." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1955, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower held the first-ever televised presidential press conference. [video excerpt] [more history]