January 4, 2018 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Afghanistan War
- A suicide bomber attack near a group of security personnel investigating illegal drugs and alcohol dealing in Kabul, Afghanistan, kills at least 20, wounding another 27 policemen. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. (The New York Times) (AP via Time)
Business and economy
- Munich Re reports that the insurance industry faces record claims of US$135 billion from natural catastrophes, such as the Mexico earthquakes, South Asian floods, California wildfires and Atlantic hurricanes in 2017. Overall economic losses from natural disasters are estimated at the second highest amount since 2011. (Insurance Journal)
Disasters and accidents
- January 2018 North American blizzard
- The Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship travels through the storm, delaying its arrival in New York City. (CBS News) (Cruisefever.net)
- A massive winter storm hits the East Coast of the United States with up to 18 inches of snow predicted to fall between The Carolinas and Maine. So far, three people have died in North Carolina and one person has died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AP via Yahoo!)
- 2018 Kroonstad train crash
- A Shosholoza train collides with a vehicle at a crossing near Kroonstad in the Free State, South Africa, killing 19 and injuring at least 100 people. (BBC News) (The Independent) (News24)
International relations
- Pakistan–United States relations
- The U.S. State Department suspends its security assistance to Pakistan. (ABC News)
- Iran–United States relations
- The U.S. Treasury sanctions five Iranian entities associated with Iran's ballistic missile program. (Politico)
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea accepts South Korea's proposal for official talks, and will meet on January 9 to discuss North Korea's possible involvement with the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. These are the first high-level talks between the Koreas in more than two years. (CNN) (BBC)
Law and crime
- Marijuana policy of the Donald Trump administration
- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinds three Obama-era memos that had adopted a policy of non-interference with states that have legalized recreational marijuana. (Associated Press)
- A United Airlines flight headed from Chicago to Hong Kong makes an emergency landing in Anchorage, Alaska, after a passenger allegedly became unruly. (KTUU-TV)
Politics and elections
- Virginia House of Delegates election, 2017
- A drawing is held to resolve a tied election between Democrat Shelly Simonds and Republican David Yancey, with Yancey being randomly chosen as the winner. (ABC News)