Rulers
January 2026
1
Gabon: A new government is appointed including Alexandre Barro Chambrier as vice president, Hermann Immongault as vice president of the government, Marie-Édith Tassyla-Ye-Doumbénény as foreign minister, Brigitte Onkanowa as defense minister, Adrien Nguema Mba as interior minister, and Thierry Minko as finance minister.
Kosovo: Former acting president (2006) Nexhat Daci dies.
Switzerland: Guy Parmelin takes office as president. Stephan Attiger becomes Landammann of Aargau, Philippe Demierre president of the Council of State of Fribourg, Martin Bühler president of the government of Graubünden, Rosalie Beuret Siess president of the government of Jura, Cornelia Stamm Hurter president of the government of Schaffhausen, and Susanne Schaffner Landammann of Solothurn.
United States: Sean Ryan takes office as mayor of Buffalo, Mary Sheffield as mayor of Detroit, Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City, Katie Wilson as mayor of Seattle, and Sharon Owens as mayor of Syracuse.
2
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Former prime minister of Republika Srpska (1993-94) Vladimir Lukic dies.
Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky nominates Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister. Parliament approves the dismissal of Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal (265 votes) on January 13 and the appointment of Fedorov (277 votes) on January 14.
United States: Kaohly Her is sworn in as mayor of Saint Paul.
3
Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro is abducted by the United States. On January 4 Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is declared acting president (sworn in January 5).
4
Congo (Kinshasa): Paulin Lendongolia Lebabonga resumes office as governor of Tshopo (see Dec. 26, 2025).
Egypt: In the final phase of the parliamentary elections, held January 3-4, 49 seats are decided. Overall turnout is given as 32.4%. The Nation's Future (Mostaqbal Watan) Party has 227 of 568 elected seats, the Homeland Defenders Party 87, the National Front Party 65, and the Republican People's Party 25; 28 members will be appointed by the president, for a total of 596.
Jordan: Former prime minister (2000-03) Ali Abu al-Ragheb dies.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Stanley John is named governor-general (sworn in January 6).
5
Tonga: The full cabinet is announced, including Fane Fituafe as internal affairs minister and Lataifaingata'a Tangimana as finance minister.
United States: Corey O'Connor is sworn in as mayor of Pittsburgh.
6
Malawi: In a cabinet reshuffle, Feston Kaupa becomes defense minister.
7
Côte d'Ivoire: President Alassane Ouattara accepts the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé. On January 21 Ouattara reappoints Mambé. The new government is named on January 23 with Nialé Kaba as foreign minister, other key ministers staying in place.
Italy: Antonio Decaro takes office as president of Puglia.
8
The Gambia: Former foreign minister (2005) Musa Gibril Bala Gaye dies.
Laos: Thongloun Sisoulith is reelected as general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
Yemen: The Presidential Leadership Council dismisses Defense Minister Mohsen al-Daeri in the internationally recognized government. On January 15 the council accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Salem Bin Breik and appoints Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsin al-Zindani in his place.
9
Congo (Kinshasa): The government adopts a 113th extension of the state of siege in Ituri and Nord-Kivu.
11
Benin: In parliamentary elections, the Progressive Union for Renewal wins 41.1% of the vote (60 of 109 seats), the Republican Bloc 36.6% (49), and The Democrats 16.1% (0). Turnout is 36.7%.
United States: Richard J. Codey, former acting governor (2002, 2004-06) and governor (2006) of New Jersey, dies.
12
Bulgaria: Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov receives a mandate from President Rumen Radev to form a new government, but immediately returns it unfulfilled. On January 14 We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria also declines a request from the president to try to form a government, as does the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms on January 16.
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon: Marc Didio takes office as prefect.
Trinidad and Tobago: In elections to the Tobago House of Assembly, the Tobago People's Party wins 60.4% of the vote and all 15 seats; the People's National Movement wins 38.9%. Turnout is 50.7%. Farley Chavez Augustine is sworn in again as chief secretary on January 15.
United States: Helena Moreno is sworn in as mayor of New Orleans.
13
Cameroon: The Constitutional Council declares itself incompetent to rule on a petition for the dismissal of President Paul Biya.
Cyprus: Former president (1988-93) Georgios Vasiliou dies.
Spain: Former president of the Diputación General of Aragón (1982-83) Juan Antonio de Andrés Rodríguez dies.
14
Canada: The premier of Quebec, François Legault, announces his resignation.
France: The government of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survives two no-confidence motions, which receive 256 and 142 votes respectively (288 needed), two more on January 23 (269 and 142 votes), and two more on January 27 (267 and 140 votes).
Palestine: It is announced that Ali Shaath will be head of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The committee holds an inaugural meeting (in Cairo) on January 16.
Papua New Guinea: In a cabinet reshuffle, Sir John Pundari is appointed police minister.
15
Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Republika Srpska government of Prime Minister Savo Minic resigns but Interim President Ana Trisic Babic renominates Minic as prime minister, who is endorsed with 49 votes in the 83-seat parliament on January 18.
Czech Republic: The government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis wins a confidence vote in parliament (108-91).
Mexico: Former governor of San Luis Potosí (1973-79) Guillermo Fonseca Álvarez dies.
Uganda: In presidential elections, incumbent Yoweri Museveni (National Resistance Movement) wins 71.6% of the vote and Bobi Wine (National Unity Platform) 24.7%. Turnout is 52.5%.
United States: James Solomon is sworn in as mayor of Jersey City.
16
Mozambique: Former prime minister (2004-10) Luísa Diogo dies.
Palau: President Surangel Whipps, Jr., renominates Kaleb Udui, Jr., as finance minister (see March 26, 2025).
17
Guinea: Mamadi Doumbouya is sworn in as president. On January 22 the government of Prime Minister Bah Oury resigns, but on January 26 Doumbouya reappoints Oury.
Niue: Former premier (1999-2002) Sani Lakatani dies.
United States: Abigail Spanberger is sworn in as governor of Virginia.
Yemen: Former foreign minister of Yemen (Aden) (1969-71) and president of the secessionist Democratic Republic of Yemen (1994) Ali Salim al-Baidh dies.
18
China: Former governor of Jilin (1985-87) Gao Dezhan dies.
Portugal: In the first round of presidential elections, António José Seguro wins 31.1% of the vote, André Ventura 23.5%, João Cotrim de Figueiredo 16.0%, Henrique Gouveia e Melo 12.3%, and Luís Marques Mendes 11.3%. Turnout is 52.3%. The runoff will be held on February 8.
19
Bulgaria: President Rumen Radev announces his resignation, formally submitted to the Constitutional Court on January 20, which accepts it on January 23, Vice President Iliyana Yotova succeeding as president.
Fiji: Sakiasi Ditoka takes office as foreign minister.
South Sudan: President Salva Kiir dismisses Interior Minister Angelina Teny and appoints Aleu Ayieny Aleu in her place.
20
Australia: Former governor of New South Wales (2001-14) Dame Marie Bashir dies.
Chile: President-elect José Antonio Kast names his cabinet, with Francisco Pérez Mackenna as foreign minister, Fernando Barros as defense minister, Claudio Alvarado as interior minister, and Jorge Quiroz as finance minister.
United States: Mikie Sherrill is sworn in as governor of New Jersey.
21
Georgia: The president of South Ossetia, Alan Gagloyev, dismisses the government of Prime Minister Konstantin Dzhussoyev. Dzambolat Tadtayev is appointed acting prime minister.
Georgia: Former prime minister of South Ossetia (1996-98) Aleksandr Shavlokhov dies.
Guinea-Bissau: Transitional President Horta Nta Na Man announces that presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on December 6.
Haiti: Five of the seven voting members of the Transitional Presidential Council sign a resolution dismissing Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. However, the execution of the resolution is blocked by the president of the council, Laurent Saint-Cyr.
Luxembourg: Former foreign minister (1980-84) Colette Flesch dies.
22
Belarus: Uladzislau Tatarynovich is appointed finance minister.
European Union: The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, survives a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament (rejected 390-165).
23
Vietnam: To Lam is reelected general secretary of the Communist Party.
24
Iraq: The majority bloc in parliament nominates Nuri al-Maliki as prime minister. On January 27 the parliamentary session to elect a president is suspended for lack of a quorum.
25
Honduras: President-elect Nasry Asfura names Mireya Agüero as foreign minister and Emilio Hernández as finance minister. Asfura takes office January 27; Isaías Barahona becomes defense minister and Sulmy Ortez Maldonado interior minister.
South Korea: Former prime minister (2004-06) Lee Hae Chan and former foreign minister (1994-96) Gong Ro Myung die.
Myanmar: In parliamentary elections held on December 28 and January 11 and 25, the Union Solidarity and Development Party wins 232 of 263 elected seats in the lower house and 109 of 157 in the upper house. Overall turnout is about 55%.
26
Niger: In a cabinet reshuffle, Mamane Laouali Abdou Rafa becomes finance minister.
27
Germany: The minister-president of Sachsen-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, resigns. On January 28 the Landtag elects Sven Schulze as minister-president (58-38).
Myanmar: Lt.Gen. Phone Myat is appointed interior minister.
29
United Kingdom: Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, former acting first minister of Scotland (2000, 2001), dies.