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According to the Ukrainian International News Agency, a Ukrainian military spokesperson stated regarding the drone attack on a hotel in Kherson that the targets of their forces were solely Russian military facilities and energy sites.

The China Earthquake Networks Center automatically determined that an earthquake of approximately magnitude 4.4 occurred near Dong Ujimqin Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia at 03:26 on January 2. The final result is subject to the official rapid report.

January 2nd - On January 1st, 2026, local time, the new round of entry restrictions announced by the Trump administration in the United States officially took effect. These restrictions apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, and fall into two categories: "full restrictions" and "partial restrictions." The United States imposed full entry restrictions on individuals from five countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria—as well as those holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian National Authority; it also imposed full entry restrictions on two countries previously subject to partial restrictions—Laos and Sierra Leone; and it imposed partial entry restrictions on individuals from the following 15 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

January 2nd - New tax measures for certain cross-border remittances in the United States will officially take effect on January 1st, 2026 (local time). According to regulations from the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS, starting January 1st, 2026, remittance service providers will be required to collect a 1% tax on eligible remittance transactions and declare and pay it as required. The regulations indicate that this tax will be payable when remitters use cash or similar "instruments of payment in kind" (including money orders, bank drafts, etc.) as the source of funds for cross-border remittances; transactions using U.S. bank accounts or debit cards, credit cards, etc., are generally not subject to this tax. This measure is part of the Trump administration's "Big and Beautiful" tax and spending bill. According to the IRS, this tax applies to overseas remittance recipients, including U.S. citizens and residents.

Kremlin: Putin spoke by phone with the governor of Kherson region. He received a briefing on the situation and progress of the investigation into the attack by Ukrainian armed forces.

January 2nd - On the evening of January 1st, 2026, local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he had received a briefing from Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexei Umerov regarding his visit to Turkey. Earlier that day, Umerov met with Turkish Foreign Minister Fedan and Turkish National Intelligence Director Ibrahim Kalin in Turkey. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has been fully committed to resuming prisoner exchanges at the beginning of the new year, which is the core issue of the talks with Turkey. Ukraine needs Turkey's assistance to help Ukrainian citizens in Russia return home. He noted that last year's exchange operations were very active but stalled at the end of the year and now need to be restarted.

On January 2nd, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on January 1st that it had transferred the instrument decoding data and flight controller of the Ukrainian drone that flew towards Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence on December 29, 2025, to the United States. The transfer was conducted by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Kostyukov stated that the decoding of the controller of the Ukrainian drone shot down on December 29, 2025, unequivocally confirmed that its target was the Russian presidential residence complex. Transferring the relevant data to the United States will help clarify all doubts and facilitate the ascertainment of the truth.

The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces stated that the declassified data handed over by the United States came from a Ukrainian drone that flew to the Russian presidential residence, which will help to determine the truth.

Swiss police stated that the possibility of foreign nationals being involved in the bombing cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, the Swiss Attorney General stated that it is too early to draw any conclusions.

A Reuters poll showed that nine out of ten economists expect the Bank of Israel to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.25% next Monday, while one expects a 25-basis-point cut.

Venezuelan authorities say at least 87 people arrested during protests following the 2024 elections have been released.

The mayor of Moscow reported that air defense systems shot down two drones flying toward Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that those responsible for the attack on civilians in Holli, Kherson Oblast, will inevitably face punishment.

According to The Information: OpenAI's integration team is working to improve the performance of audio AI models in preparation for upcoming devices.

January 1st - Australian house price growth slowed in December, with both major markets experiencing slight declines, due to the risk of interest rate hikes, casting a shadow over the sentiment and outlook for the property market this year. Data released by property consultancy CoreLogic on Friday showed that the house price index for major cities rose 0.5% month-on-month, but Sydney and Melbourne both fell by 0.1%. Mining hub Perth and the southern city of Adelaide led the gains, both rising 1.9%, followed by Brisbane and Darwin, both rising 1.6%. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Bullock has essentially ruled out further interest rate cuts – following a brief easing cycle between February and August – and warned that rate hikes could resume if inflationary pressures persist. Given that most Australian borrowers use variable-rate mortgages, this policy shift could quickly impact market sentiment.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Moskalkova called on the international community to condemn the attacks by Ukrainian armed forces on civilians in the Kherson region.

Saudi sources say the Yemeni government has imposed restrictions on air traffic between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in an effort to ease the escalating situation in the country.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that since early morning, a total of 58 drones have been shot down across various regions of Russia.

January 1st - According to data from the Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, on New Year's Eve, the city's cultural and tourism consumption reached 910 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 32%. On January 1st, 2026 (the first day of the New Year's Day holiday), the city's scenic spots, rural tourism destinations, and national-level nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clusters received 1.961 million visitors, a 19.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025 on a comparable basis.

Turkey raised its fixed excise taxes on fuel, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages on January 1st, but the increase was less than the producer inflation rate, a move policymakers aim to support the central bank's efforts to curb rising prices. According to a resolution published in the Turkish Official Gazette on Wednesday, the government increased the fixed tax on gasoline and diesel by 6.95% and on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages by 7.95%. Turkey adjusts its fixed excise taxes twice a year, in January and July, based on changes in the producer price index over the past six months.