Portal:Current events/2016 January 23

January 23, 2016 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Deir ez-Zor offensive (January 2016)
  - Airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-controlled areas in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, leaves at least 47 civilians dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Sky News Australia)
Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War
- Jordanian soldiers kill 12 "infiltrators" and wound several others, on the border with Syria, foiling an attempt by dozens of smugglers to cross into the kingdom. The soldiers also confiscated more than 2 million narcotics pills that were left behind. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

January 2016 United States blizzard
- This potentially record storm, which is predicted to generate blizzard conditions through a third day on Sunday, has caused at least 10 deaths, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, led to more than 8,300 canceled flights, stranded many travelers on major highways and, with up to 70 mph winds, produced record-high tides along the Delaware and New Jersey shores. (NBC News) (Reuters) (ESPN)
Thirteen people are killed after a van skidded off a bridge and plunged into a canal near Changa Manga, Pakistan. (Dawn)

Law and crime

European migrant crisis
- Around 200 migrants storm the French port of Calais, near the Channel Tunnel to Britain, after a demonstration in support of migrants living in the nearby Calais jungle camp, with approximately 50 of them boarding the P&O Ferries operated MS Spirit of Britain cross-border ferry. The port was closed following the incident. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2016 United States presidential election
- Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is seriously considering a possible independent presidential run if Donald Trump or Texas Senator Ted Cruz face Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the general election. (The New York Times) (CNN) (NBC News)
Polish Constitutional Court crisis, 2015, Committee for the Defence of Democracy
- Poland surveillance law plan angers protesters: Thousands of Poles take part in marches in Warsaw and other cities to protest about plans of the conservative government, which they say will curtail privacy and freedom. (BBC News)

Science and technology