Two judges, both female, are shot dead in an ambush while en-route to their offices at the Supreme Court in Kabul; their driver is wounded. Afghan officials claim the Taliban is responsible, however no one has claimed responsibility for the attack and a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, says that the group was not responsible. (Al Jazeera)
More bodies are found under debris in Sulawesi, Indonesia, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the island two days ago, bringing the death toll to 78. (Reuters)
Oman announces the closure of all land borders for at least one week, beginning tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Times of Oman)
The United Arab Emirates reports a record 3,453 new confirmed cases in a single-day, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 253,261. (The National)
Massachusetts reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman in her 20s from Boston who traveled to the United Kingdom and began experiencing symptoms the day after she returned. (WBZ-TV)
Austria extends their nationwide lockdown until February 7 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amid fears about new SARS-CoV-2 variants. People will also be required to wear full protective masks beginning January 25. (DW)
Opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny is arrested upon landing in Moscow, according to a statement from the prison service. The prominent Putin critic was arrested on charges of parole violations and terms of a suspended prison sentence and will be held in custody until a court makes a decision in his case. (Politico)