All news: Sunday 18 January 2026

2026 northeastern Syria offensive

Tribal forces allied with the Syrian Army take control of the Mashlab neighbourhood in Raqqa from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

2026 northeastern Syria offensive

Syrian government forces seize control of the Al-Omar field in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, the largest oil field in Syria, following the withdrawal of SDF forces.

Syrian conflict

The Syrian government announces a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Boko Haram insurgency

The Nigerian Air Force launches airstrikes against Boko Haram in Borno State, Nigeria, reportedly killing at least 40 militants.

Kidnapping in Nigeria

Gunmen abduct about 163 Christians after storming two churches in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Dnipro strikes

At least two people are killed and dozens are injured in Russian drone strikes across Ukraine, including in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.

Colombian conflict

Clashes between two factions of the FARC dissidents in El Retorno, Guaviare Department, Colombia, leave at least 27 insurgents dead.

2026 Adamuz train derailments

At least 39 people are killed and 245 more are injured after two high speed trains derailed in Adamuz, province of Córdoba, Spain.

2026 Binaliw landslide

Search and rescue operations in the collapsed landfill in Cebu City, Philippines, conclude after retrieving the last victim, bringing the total number of deaths to 36.

2026 Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42 crash

Search and rescue finds the wreckage of an Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42-512 aircraft that crashed in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The crew recovers one body of the eleven passengers from a ravine.

Five people are killed and over 80 others are injured after a bus overturned due to brake failure in Latehar district, India.

Four people are killed, 84 others are injured, and six are reported missing in an explosion at a steel factory in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China. Chinese police detain those in charge of the factory the following day.

2026 Portuguese presidential election

Portuguese citizens vote in the first round of the presidential election between 11 candidates to succeed incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has reached his term limit. Socialist Party candidate António José Seguro and CHEGA leader André Ventura advance to the second round.

Crime in Guatemala

Guatemalan president Bernardo Arévalo declares a 30-day nationwide state of emergency after gangs killed eight police officers and took dozens of prison staff hostage, while security forces have retaken three prisons and freed the captives.

Libyan authorities say they have freed more than 200 migrants from an underground prison in Kufra held by a human trafficker in inhumane conditions. The freed migrants were mostly Sub-Saharan Africans, mainly from Somalia ⁠and Eritrea.

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirms that Russian YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, who was previously arrested in the Philippines last year, has been deported to Irkutsk, Russia. Additionally, the Bureau of Immigration adds his name to the agency blacklist from entering the country.

2025 Africa Cup of Nations

In association football, Senegal wins its second Africa Cup of Nations title after defeating hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time in the 2025 final in Rabat. Sadio Mané is named the tournament's best player.

2026 Australian Open

In tennis, Venus Williams becomes the oldest player to participate in the women's singles draw of an Australian Open at the age of 45 years and 7 months, surpassing Kimiko Date's record from 2015.