The edition of
Tuesday 20 January 2026
12 stories, section by section, the most important first.
International
The Israeli military demolishes the main UNRWA building in East Jerusalem, forcing staff out and confiscating their devices, following the Israeli ban on the organization operating in the region.
The British government approves China's new embassy at London's Royal Mint Court, despite security concerns. The planning decision affirmed development compliance, while MI5 raised no objections. The embassy will be the largest Chinese embassy in Europe upon completion.
Politics
Bulgarian president Rumen Radev resigns, marking the first voluntary resignation of the country's president in its post-communist history. Vice president Iliyana Yotova is sworn in as acting president, becoming the country's first female president.
Thousands of people protest across Germany, particularly in Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, in support of Kurdish forces against the Syrian Armed Forces in clashes in northeastern Syria.
The Law
The Australian parliament passes laws introducing a nationwide gun buyback program, stricter background checks, and tougher penalties for hate crimes, following the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people.
Thai authorities announces the end of a 4-month operation to combat drug trafficking in the country, resulting in the seizure of 330 million methamphetamine tablets, the arrests of over 88,000 suspects, and frozen assets worth ฿3.39B (US$140M).
Portuguese police arrest 37 suspects linked to an ultra-right network accused of racially motivated hate crimes, seizing weapons and neo-Nazi materials during a nationwide operation targeting Grupo 1143 [pt], whose leader is already imprisoned.
Environment
Search and rescue crews rescue a motor banca crewman off a capsized boat in Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Philippines, while continuing to search for the other three missing crew members and 11 passengers.
A sightseeing helicopter carrying three people, including two Taiwanese nationals, goes missing near Mount Aso, Japan.
The driver is killed and 37 other people are injured when a commuter train collides with a wall and derails in Gelida, Catalonia, Spain.
At least four people are killed in flooding in Monastir Governorate, Tunisia, the worst floods in the country since 1950.
At least two people are killed in flooding in Algeria.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 20 January 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.