Life on Mars An article published in "Nature" announces that the "Perseverance" rover discovered vivianite, greigite, and various organic compounds in rocks at Cheyava Falls on Mars, in what NASA administrator Sean Duffy says may be "the clearest sign of life that we've ever found on Mars".
Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan parliament votes 151–1 to abolish state-funded benefits, including housing, pensions, transport, and office staff, for former presidents and their spouses.
Australian government The Australian government announces plans to bolster its military through a US$1.1 billion fleet of "Ghost Shark" underwater drones, with the first batch delivered to the Australian Navy in January 2026.
2024–2025 French political crisis His appointment coincides with country-wide protests and strikes against austerity measures previously announced by Bayrou, with protestors calling to "block everything". Eighty thousand police officers and gendarmes are deployed nationwide, with at least 200 people arrested as of 10 a.m. local time.
Human trafficking in South Africa The high court in Gauteng, South Africa, sentences seven Chinese nationals to 20 years in prison each for trafficking 91 Malawian workers and forcing them to labor under abusive conditions at a Johannesburg factory.
Far-right politics in Germany German public prosecutors charge eight suspected members of a far-right group who plan to secede from Saxony to create a Nazi state after the group were discovered in 2024 to be conducting paramilitary training and amassing weapons. One of the men was a former AfD local politician.
2025 Vancouver car attack A court in British Columbia, Canada, rules that a man accused of killing eleven people during a vehicle-ramming attack in April at a Filipino Heritage Month event in Vancouver, is mentally fit to stand trial.
2024 Solingen stabbings A German state court convicts a Syrian national of murder, attempted murder, and Islamic State membership for a 2024 mass stabbing in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, sentencing him to life imprisonment without parole eligibility after 15 years.
Israel–European Union relations European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announces intentions to seek sanctions against and a partial suspension of trade with Israel, while also immediately suspending certain bilateral funds, citing the ongoing Gaza Strip famine as the reason.
Deportation in the second Trump administration Ghanaian president John Mahama announces that Ghana can accept citizens of West African nations who have been deported from the United States under a regional visa-free travel arrangement.
China–United States relations NASA confirms that Chinese citizens, including those holding a valid U.S. visa, are barred from accessing its facilities and systems and working on its programs, citing security concerns.
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea China approves the establishment of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a territory also claimed by the Philippines and Taiwan.
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil Four people are killed when a Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil crashes into a mountainside in Jila, Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Western New Guinea, Indonesia.
Tank truck Eight people are killed and 90 others are injured, including up to 19 seriously, after a tank truck carrying around 49,500 liters (13,000 gallons) of LP gas explodes at a highway interchange in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City. The shockwave caused by the explosion set another eighteen cars on fire.
Bali At least 19 people are killed and six others are missing due to widespread flooding in Bali and East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
Basankusu At least 86 people are killed when a boat capsizes in Basankusu, Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2024–2025 Cuba blackouts Cuba experiences its fifth nationwide power outage in less than a year, affecting about 10 million people.
Finance in India India's Securities and Exchange Board announces that rules exempting foreign investors who purchase only government bonds from disclosing investor group details will take effect on February 8, 2026.
Belgium–Germany relations A music festival in Ghent, Belgium, cancels a performance by the Munich Philharmonic orchestra, citing the Israeli conductor Lahav Shani's attitudes towards the Israeli government as the reason.
Killing of Charlie Kirk American right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk is shot dead during a debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, United States.
2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport reopens nearly a day after the Nepali Army occupied it.
Nepal deploys its military to enforce an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu following anti-corruption protests.
Russian invasion of Ukraine Polish prime minister Donald Tusk invokes Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty following the incursion.
Poland closes multiple airports due to the airspace breach, including Warsaw Modlin Airport, Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport, and Lublin Airport.
The Polish Armed Forces confirms it has shot down four Russian drones over the country, marking the first time Poland has directly engaged Russian military assets since the start of the war.
The Polish Air Force and NATO allies scramble fighter jets in response to 19 Russian drones penetrating up to 250 km into Polish airspace during an overnight air attack on Ukraine.
Middle Eastern crisis Israel carries out a series of airstrikes against alleged Houthi targets and civilian structures in Sanaa and Al Jawf Governorate, Yemen, killing 35 people and wounding 131 others.
Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip kill at least 72 Palestinians amidst the ongoing offensive to capture Gaza City.