Thursday, February 5, 2026
19 stories, grouped by subject, the most important first
Conflict
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.
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.
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.
World
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.
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.
Russia–United States relations
New START, the last treaty on limiting strategic nuclear weapons between Russia and the United States, expires.
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.
World
The Moldovan parliament ratifies the United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty.
Crime & Justice
Kidnapping in Nigeria
The remaining 89 people kidnapped from three churches in Kaduna State, Nigeria, by criminal gangs on January 18, are released.
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.
Mexican drug war
The mayor of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, is arrested on charges of alleged extortion and organized crime.
Disasters
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.
Disasters
An explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, India, kills at least 25 people.
Disasters
Ten people are killed and several others injured after a bus falls down a 100-meter ravine in Eliodoro Camacho Province, Bolivia.
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
One person is killed and three others are injured when a double-decker bus strikes pedestrians in Dublin, Ireland.
Science & Tech
Science
SpaceX deactivates Starlink terminals in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, preventing their use by Russian forces following pressure from Ukraine.
Sport
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.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for February 5, 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.