The early part of the year saw escalating armed conflicts in the Americas and Middle East. In January, the United States launched a military operation in Venezuela that captured sitting President Nicolás Maduro, leading to a blockade of Venezuelan oil exports that contributed to a crisis in Cuba. In Syria, an offensive by the Syrian government led to the Syrian Democratic Forces eventually being integrated into the Syrian Army, ending the Rojava Revolution, while in Yemen, a counteroffensive by the Yemeni government led to the collapse of the Southern Transitional Council. In February, Pakistan launched airstrikes against Afghanistan, leading to an open war between both nations. In Iran, in response to authorities cracking down on protests, the United States and Israel began a war in late February with the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which resulted in widespread economic grief, fuel shortages and retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a naval blockade.
The continued release of the Epstein files that began the previous year has influenced scrutiny, media coverage, and in some cases arrests of high profile individuals in politics, business, and academia in the western world. Businessman Elon Musk became the first person to have a verified net worth exceeding $1 trillion upon the initial public offering of his company SpaceX in June.
In politics, a conservative wave spread through Latin America, with right-wing victories in Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru. Far-right parties in Europe continued to gain ground in the United Kingdom and across the European Union, though the long ruling right-wing government in Hungary lost power after ruling since 2010, and Portugal elected a centre-left social democrat over a right-wing populist in their presidential election.
In science and technology, the dominant headline has been NASA's Artemis II flyby of the Moon, the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, sending the first woman, Black man, and non-American beyond low Earth orbit. Artificial intelligence has continued to advance, with increasing focus on scaling models, infrastructure, and commercial applications. These developments have also brought growing scrutiny of the potential risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems, including concerns over alignment, misuse, loss of human control, and their wider societal and economic effects. Notably, autonomous cyberattacks conducted by OpenAI's AI agents during cybersecurity tests in mid-2026 led to major AI companies prioritizing the safety and alignment of their models.
In sports, the 2026 Winter Olympics were the first Olympic Games to be officially co-hosted by two cities (Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy). The 2026 FIFA World Cup became the first edition to be hosted by three nations (United States, Mexico and Canada) and the first to include 48 teams, in addition to setting the record for the highest attendance in World Cup history; a short time later, a crisis in FIFA erupted following a proposal of creation of a commercial subsidiary, largely rejected by confederations.
In seismology, earthquakes in the Philippines, Venezuela, Colombia and Indonesia caused widespread destruction; in nautics, several incidents, such as a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius, the capsizing of the ferry Mbuya Nehanda on Lake Kariba, a fire on the vessel MV June Aster and the sinking of the ship Virgo Transport 8, resulted in large numbers of casualties; in mining, two collapses at the Rubaya mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an explosion at a coal mine in China and a landslide at a gold mine in Angola became some of the worst disasters of their types in recent years of these countries.
In health, an epidemic of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.
Events January
January 1 Bulgaria adopts the euro, becoming the 21st member state of the eurozone. Cyprus begins its role as President of the Council of the European Union. 41 people are killed and 116 injured in a fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. January 2 – Equatorial Guinea moves its capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz. January 3 – The United States launches several airstrikes on multiple locations across northern Venezuela, capturing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores. January 5 – Delcy Rodríguez is formally sworn in as the acting president of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro. January 6 The 2025 Jubilee ends. Fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish armed group Syrian Democratic Forces begins. January 7 – The United States seizes two shadow fleet tankers, including one under a Russian flag, in the United States oil blockade during Operation Southern Spear. January 8 – Thongloun Sisoulith is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party at the 12th Central Committee's first meeting. January 8–9 – Iran retaliates against nationwide protests, with tens of thousands reportedly killed on the 8th and 9th alone, and many thousands more detained amid a severe government crackdown. January 9 – 2025–2026 Southern Yemen campaign: The Southern Transitional Council announces its dissolution following territorial losses, including its capital Aden. January 11 – The 2026 Beninese parliamentary election is held. January 14 – Operation Arctic Endurance is launched by Denmark, with multiple European countries sending troops to Greenland in response to US President Donald Trump's threats of invasion or annexation of the island. January 15 – 2026 Ugandan general election: Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni wins reelection amidst protests over allegations of election fraud, leading to deaths of dozens of protestors and the abduction of main opposition candidate Bobi Wine. January 17 – A fire at a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, kills 80 people. January 18 – 46 people are killed and 292 are injured after two trains derail in Adamuz in southern Spain. January 19 The 56th World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland. Islamic State insurgency in Afghanistan: Seven people are killed and twenty others injured in a bombing at a Chinese restaurant in Shahr-e Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claims responsibility. January 20 – The Syrian transitional government captures most of the territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces following an offensive and subsequent ceasefire. January 22 The United States officially leaves the World Health Organization. France seizes one shadow fleet tanker, under a Russian flag, in the Mediterranean. January 23 Tô Lâm is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the 14th National Congress. Iliana Iotova becomes the first female President of Bulgaria after the resignation of Rumen Radev. The 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland ends. 50 people are killed when a boat capsizes in Malta during Storm Harry. The Italian coastguard estimates a further 380 migrants who set off from Tunisia also drowned during the storm. January 24 – At least 70 people are killed and 10 others missing after major landslides in West Java, Indonesia. January 25 – 2025–26 Myanmar general election: In an election widely considered as neither free nor fair, the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party wins a supermajority of seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw and the Amyotha Hluttaw. January 26 – The body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip, is recovered by the IDF from northern Gaza, thus ending the Gaza war hostage crisis. January 27 – The India–European Union Free Trade Agreement is signed after nearly two decades of negotiations, eliminating Tariffs on a broad range of products and services between the two regions. January 28 Sarah Mullally becomes the first female primate of the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury. Successive mine collapses at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo kill more than 600 people. Storm Kristin causes a catastrophic impact in Portugal and Spain with €6 billion in damage in the central region of Portugal, 15 deaths and 2,000 injuries. January 29 Ethiopian civil conflict: Clashes erupt in the Tigray region in Ethiopia between Tigrayan fighters and Federal Forces. Insurgency in Balochistan: Fighting between the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Pakistani armed forces in several districts of Balochistan, Pakistan, leaves at least 225 people dead. January 30 – Three million pages related to the Epstein files are released to the public, mentioning many high-profile public figures worldwide.
February
February 1 – 2026 Costa Rican general election: Laura Fernández Delgado is elected president of Costa Rica, and her party additionally wins a majority in the Legislative Assembly. February 3 – Boko Haram insurgency: Boko Haram attacks two villages in Kwara State, Nigeria, killing at least 162 people. February 5 – The New START treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia expires. February 6–22 – The 2026 Winter Olympics are held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. February 6 – At least 31 people are killed and another 100 are injured in a suicide bombing at the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan. February 7 The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka begins. The Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti is dissolved, transferring executive power to acting prime minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. February 8 2026 Japanese general election: Incumbent Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wins a landslide victory, securing a supermajority in the House of Representatives. 2026 Thai general election and constitutional referendum: Incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wins a plurality in the House of Representatives, and the Referendum to begin drafting a new constitution passes. 2026 Portuguese presidential election: Socialist candidate António José Seguro is elected President of Portugal in the second round, beating Chega leader André Ventura. February 10 – At least nine people, including the perpetrator, are killed, and 27 are injured in a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and at a residence in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. February 11 – 2026 Barbadian general election: Incumbent Prime Minister Mia Mottley wins every seat in the House of Assembly in a landslide victory. February 12 – 2026 Bangladeshi general election and constitutional referendum: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Tarique Rahman wins a supermajority in the Jatiya Sangsad, and the referendum on the July Charter passes. February 13–15 – The 62nd Munich Security Conference is held. February 17 – President of Peru José Jerí is censured by the Congress of Peru, removing him from office. He is succeeded by José María Balcázar. February 16–21 – The AI Impact Summit takes place in New Delhi, India. February 22 Kim Jong Un is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea at the 9th National Congress. The 2026 Laotian parliamentary election is held. 2026 Jalisco operation: A military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, kills 62 people including Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader El Mencho. February 23 – 2025–2026 Dutch cabinet formation: Rob Jetten is sworn in as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, heading a minority government. February 26 – 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan war: The government of Pakistan declares "open war" against the Taliban in Afghanistan. February 27 – 2026 Zona da Mata floods: Floods and landslides in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais, Brazil leave at least 70 people dead and thousands of others displaced.