The World Bank projected in its January 2026 Global Economic Prospects report that global economic growth will ease to 2.6% in 2026. While noting increased resilience, the report indicates this growth rate is too slow to effectively reduce extreme poverty

• The wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission around the Moon is underway.
• The prelaunch test began at 8:13 p.m. EST on Jan. 31. 

• Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced attempts by a “fascist, criminal and genocidal” U.S. cabal to “suffocate”

• On 3 January 2026, the United States launched a military strike in Venezuela and captured incumbent Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
• The US operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, began around 2 a.m. local time, when explosions were observed.

• Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus (specifically, species within this genus, often known as flying foxes) are identified as the primary natural hosts of the Nipah virus (NiV). 

• Indonesia topped the index with a score of 62.6. The survey covered over 21,000 adults across 30 countries.

• South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Wednesday after a court found her guilty of accepting bribes tied to the Unification Church

• After years of strained ties, China and the U.K. are looking to develop a long-term strategic partnership following a high-stakes meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

• The world is closer than ever to destruction, scientists have said, as the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight for 2026, the gloomiest assessment of humanity's prospects since the beginning of the tradition in 1947.

• Data Privacy Day is internationally observed annually on 28 January. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting personal data and privacy in the digital age.