January 16, 2021 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Boko Haram insurgency
- Hundreds of residents flee and government forces withdraw after the town of Marte in Borno State, Nigeria, is captured by Islamic State – West Africa Province militants. The military says it "tactically withdrew" troops, while confirming the town is under insurgent control. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- Automotive manufacturers Fiat Chrysler and PSA finalize their 50–50 merger agreement, founding Stellantis. The new corporation becomes the world's fourth largest automobile manufacturer by volume. (AFP via RTL)
Disasters and accidents
- Five people die of carbon monoxide poisoning at a nursing home in Lanuvio, Lazio, Italy. Seven other people are hospitalized in critical condition. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- Canada surpasses 700,000 cases of COVID-19. (Global News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in California
- Los Angeles County surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first county in the United States to do so. (NBC News)
- Los Angeles County reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man who traveled to the United Kingdom and is currently in quarantine in Oregon. (NBC Los Angeles)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
- Michigan reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman from Washtenaw County who traveled to the United Kingdom. (WEYI-TV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana, Variant of Concern 202012/01
- Louisiana reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the Greater New Orleans area. (Office of the Governor of Louisiana)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming, Variant of Concern 202012/01
- Wyoming reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man from Teton County with no known travel history. (Casper Star Tribune)
- COVID-19 pandemic in California
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the world's largest vaccination programme against COVID-19 in India, which plans to vaccinate more than 1.3 billion people. A sanitation worker is the first person to receive the vaccine. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesia reports a record 14,224 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 896,642. (CNN Indonesia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia reports a record 4,029 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 155,095. (New Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
- The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan approves the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the country. (Livemint)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, 501.V2 variant
- Denmark reports their first case of the South African variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who travelled to Dubai. (Politiken)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
- COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
- Serbia receives one million doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. They are the first European country to receive a Chinese-made vaccine. (AFP via Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
- Vice President Fuat Oktay receives the first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine at a hospital in Ankara. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, 501.V2 variant
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
- Argentina receives their second batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (U.S. News & World Report)
- Argentina also reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man who travelled from the United Kingdom in late December and later tested positive. (MedicalXpress)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
- The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency announces that the country has returned documents from União Química seeking approval for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as it didn't meet the criteria. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
International relations
- Qatar–Saudi Arabia relations, Qatar diplomatic crisis
- Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud announces that Saudi Arabia will re-open its embassy in Qatar in the coming days, after a diplomatic crisis that saw the nations severing ties for three years. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Capital punishment in the United States
- The federal government carries out its final execution under the Trump administration, executing convicted murderer Dustin Higgs by lethal injection at USP Terre Haute in Indiana. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election
- North Rhine-Westphalia minister-president Armin Laschet is elected leader of the Christian Democratic Union, one of the ruling parties in the Bundestag and the party of incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel. Laschet's election makes him a front-runner to be the party's candidate in the federal election in September. (AFP via The Local)
- 2021 Ugandan general election
- The Electoral Commission of Uganda declares incumbent President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the presidential election, winning about 59% of the vote, while opposition leader Bobi Wine received only 35% of the vote, according to the commission. (BBC News)