January 18, 2015 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Lebanese conflict
- Boko Haram militants kidnap 80 people and kill three others from villages in north Cameroon. (Daily Mirror)
- A clash with Hindu villagers in Sarayian village in India's Bihar state leaves at least three Muslim villagers burned to death. (AP)
- Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- State-sponsored army and Islamist-sponsored opposition declare a ceasefire. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
Arts and culture
- Pope Francis's visit to the Philippines
- Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass in Manila to a crowd of 6 to 7 million, the largest papal gathering since 1995 World Youth Day mass celebrated by late Pope John Paul II in the same place, despite pouring rain. (CNN) (BBC) (Rappler)
- In his homily, Pope Francis speaks out against poverty and corruption but he sends a message about the importance of family, particularly children. (Reuters) (AP via Fox News)
Disasters and accidents
- Icy roads from a freezing-rain storm cause at least four deaths in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. (KGO) (Bloomberg) (ABC News America) (NBC10)
Law and crime
- Indonesia executes six people for drug trafficking including foreign citizens from Brazil, Malawi, the Netherlands, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Brazil and the Netherlands withdraw their ambassadors in protest. (News Limited), (ABC Australia), (BBC)
- Chinese police shoot dead two ethnic Uighurs in Pingxiang, Guangxi while they attempt to cross into Vietnam after members of their group resisted arrest with knives. The public security ministry accuses a separatist group of orchestrating hundreds of cases of human smuggling. (The New York Times)
Sports
- AB de Villiers made the fastest century in ODI cricket history, reaching 100 off just 31 balls against the West Indies. (BBC)
- Lennar Urban cancels their demolition plans to implode Candlestick Park due to concerns over public health issues from the concrete dust and pollution. (KTVU)
- The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots win their respective conference championships to advance to the February 1 Super Bowl XLIX. (NFL.com)