Thursday 5 February 2026

Kordofan Campaign

At least 22 people are killed and eight others are injured in a bombing by the Rapid Support Forces at a military hospital in South Kordofan, Sudan.

English Channel illegal migrant crossings

Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo agree to take back foreign offenders and illegal migrants from the United Kingdom after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood threatened them with visa penalties. Around 3,000 people are expected to be returned following the deal.

Kidnapping in Nigeria

The remaining 89 people kidnapped from three churches in Kaduna State, Nigeria, by criminal gangs on January 18, are released.

United States strikes on alleged drug traffickers during Operation Southern Spear

The United States Navy strikes a boat suspected of transporting illegal narcotics in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people.

Disasters

At least three people are killed and seven others are injured when a car crashes into a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Disasters

Ten people are killed and several others injured after a bus falls down a 100-meter ravine in Eliodoro Camacho Province, Bolivia.

Mexican drug war

The mayor of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, is arrested on charges of alleged extortion and organized crime.

Disasters

An explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, India, kills at least 25 people.

2026 Pacific typhoon season

At least eight people are killed and more than 28,000 are displaced after Tropical Storm Penha makes landfall in the southern Philippines.

International sanctions against North Korea

The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea approves exemptions for 17 humanitarian projects in North Korea, allowing international organizations and non-governmental groups to deliver humanitarian aid despite existing restrictions linked to the country's nuclear program.

Disasters

Thirteen people are killed and 34 others are injured after a bus carrying wedding guests falls down a 200-meter slope near Kathmandu, Nepal.

Russia–United States relations

New START, the last treaty on limiting strategic nuclear weapons between Russia and the United States, expires.

Science & Tech

SpaceX deactivates Starlink terminals in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, preventing their use by Russian forces following pressure from Ukraine.

Russia–United States relations

Russia and the United States agree to re-establish high-level military communication for the first time since it was suspended in 2021 under the Biden administration.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

An Azerbaijani military court sentences 13 former Nagorno-Karabakh officials, including ex-leader Arayik Harutyunyan, to penalties ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment after convicting them of offences such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, terrorism, genocide, and attempting to seize power by force.

Disasters

One person is killed and three others are injured when a double-decker bus strikes pedestrians in Dublin, Ireland.

2026 Winter Olympics

The match between Finland and Canada in the women's ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics is postponed to February 12 after a norovirus outbreak affected 13 members of the Finnish team.

World

The Moldovan parliament ratifies the United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty.

Middle Eastern crisis

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seizes two foreign oil tankers allegedly smuggling fuel in the Persian Gulf. Fifteen crew members onboard both tankers are taken into custody.