The first Global Health Security Summit was held in Islamabad, Pakistan from January 10–11, 2024. The summit brought together global experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to collaborate on future preparedness. The summit’s goal was to ensure equitable pandemic preparedness and response. More than seventy national and international delegates are also attending the summit.

China successfully launch a satellite named Einstein Probe in Sichuan province. It will observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, to unveil the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The International Court of Justice started hearing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the Hague today. A seventeen-member bench with ICJ president Joan Donoghue hearing the case. South African Advocate told the court that Israel’s genocide intent against the Palestinians in Gaza is evident from how Israel’s military attack is being conducted. He demanded an emergency suspension of Israel’s aerial and ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave. The court will meet tomorrow to hear Israel’s arguments. South Africa filed the lawsuit in December, in a move welcome by several countries amid a global chorus for a ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian demonstrators held protests outside the court and called for an end to Israel’s atrocities in Gaza that have killed more than 23,000 Palestinians.

On January 12, 2024, the US and UK launche retaliatory air and sea strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. The strikes were in response to the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The US, UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea issued a joint statement on Friday saying the strikes were in response to “continued illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi attacks against vessels, including commercial shipping”.

NATO announced the signing of a $5.5 billion contract by member countries in Europe to purchase up to 1,000 Patriot air defense missiles to bolster security given the threat from Russia. The deal comes as Moscow has unleashed barrages of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine. Patriot systems supplied by nations like the US and Germany have been used by Kyiv to shoot down Russia’s attacks in the 11-month war.

On January 21, 2024, the French LHD Dixmude military ship will dock at the Egyptian port of Al-Arish and treat around 1,000 injured Gazans. The Dixmude is a floating hospital equipped with wards, operating theaters, and 70 medical staff. The Dixmude has been docked in Al-Arish since November 2023, which is 30 miles west of the Gaza Strip.

On 4 January the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on Telegram. It later released images on its news outlet Amaq showing two masked individuals whom it claimed were brothers who carried out the attack as suicide bombers. Based on U.S. intelligence assessments, the attack was executed by the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State, known as ISIS–-K.

Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, according to a source familiar with the plans and a document.Customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases, said the document, which was seen by Reuters.The move is a milestone in the kingdom’s efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announce the designation of several countries as “Countries of Particular Concern” for engaging in and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom. This list includes Burma, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. This action reflects the US’s commitment to advancing the freedom of religion or belief, a core objective of its foreign policy since the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. The designation is aimed at highlighting and addressing significant violations of religious freedom in these countries, which include various forms of abuses against members of religious minority communities, attacks on places of worship, communal violence, and other forms of persecution and intolerance.

Japan has marke a significant achievement in space exploration by becoming the fifth country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down near the Shioli crater, south of the lunar equator, utilizing precision technology that allowed it to land closer to its target site than any previous mission.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) largest military exercise since the Cold War, name “Steadfast Defender 2024,” began on January 28, 2024. The exercise is designed to demonstrate the alliance’s ability to quickly deploy forces from North America and other parts of the alliance to defend Europe. It also simulates the 31-nation alliance’s response to an attack from a rival like Russia.

NASA’s VIPER Rover, short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, represents the agency’s groundbreaking robotic lunar mission. Scheduled to land at the Moon’s South Pole in late 2024, VIPER is tasked with closely examining the presence and distribution of ice and other resources in this region. As NASA’s first mobile robotic mission to the Moon, VIPER will analyze surface and subsurface ice at varying depths and temperatures across four distinct soil environments. Over a mission duration of 100 Earth days, covering three lunar day and night cycles, VIPER will navigate the challenging terrain of the lunar South Pole, transmitting valuable data back to Earth.

General elections took placed in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024, which was controversial and by the current constitutional requirement, stating that elections must take place within 90 days before the expiration of the current term of the Jatiya Sangsad on 29 January 2024. The Awami League, led by incumbent Sheikh Hasina, won the election for the fourth consecutive time with less than 40% of the eligible voters voting according to an Election Commission, which is run by the ruling political party. The party won 223 seats while independent candidates, most of whom were Awami League members propped up as dummy candidates to give a semblance of competition, won 62 seats

On January 12, 2024, the US and UK launched retaliatory air and sea strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. The strikes were in response to the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The US, UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea issued a joint statement on Friday saying the strikes were in response to “continued illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi attacks against vessels, including commercial shipping”.

On January 12, 2024, South Africa filed a cased against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The case accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during its war on Gaza. South Africa is asking the ICJ to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza. The ICJ is the United Nations’ highest court. Its rulings are theoretically legally binding on parties to the ICJ but are not enforceable.