News Digest for January 29, 2026
Every day, many events occur in the world, and it is impossible to keep up with the news flow. Therefore, we collect the main news in this digest. Today we summarize January 29.
Passenger Plane Crashes in Colombia, 15 People Killed
A Beechcraft 1900 passenger plane with 15 people on board crashed in Colombia, and no one survived. This was reported by the Spanish newspaper El País.
The aircraft of the Satena company was flying from the city of Cúcuta to the municipality of Ocaña. Contact with it was lost approximately 12 minutes after takeoff. The last coordinates of the plane were recorded over a mountainous area.
Search teams found the plane completely destroyed. Among the dead, according to the Caracol TV channel, are Colombian Congressman Diógenes Quintero, congressional candidate Carlos Salcedo, and a former member of the municipal council.
Russia Changes University Admission Rules from 2026
Starting in 2026, new admission rules will come into effect in Russian higher education institutions. The main innovation will be the centralized submission of documents through the super-service «University Admission Online» on the «Gosuslugi» portal. Alternative methods—in-person application or mail—will remain, but the main emphasis will be on the digital format.
Prospects and Risks of Digitalization
The transition to «Gosuslugi» has two sides, noted Alexei Nezhivoy, a representative of the «New Labor» trade union, in a comment for Izvestia. On one hand, it creates risks due to the need for stable internet, especially in the regions. On the other hand, it provides long-term advantages: equal opportunities for applicants from different cities, reduced financial burden, and the development of hybrid learning formats.
Key Changes in the Rules
For college graduates: internal university exams can only be taken when applying for a specialty that matches the profile of secondary vocational education. The decision on compliance is made by the university.
Targeted admission: target places will be strictly assigned to specific organizations with indication of the program and form of study. Unclaimed quotas will go to the general competition.
Minimum Unified State Exam (EGE) scores: The Ministry of Education and Science has raised the minimum threshold for foreign languages to 40 points. Requirements for other subjects have also been adjusted.
Recognition of exams: results of exams taken in Belarus will be taken into account for Russian citizens.
Timeline of the 2026 Admission Campaign
For programs with additional entrance tests (DVI): document submission—from June 20 to July 15;
based on EGE results—until July 25;
priority enrollment (without entrance tests, quotas): consent—until August 1, orders—August 3;
general competition: consent—until August 5, orders—August 7;
for paid education: document acceptance—from June 20 to August 18–21.
It was previously announced that starting September 1, 2026, Russia will abolish the «bachelor» and «master» formats, transitioning to a system of basic and specialized higher education. Eleven more Russian universities were included in the project to transition to the new system.
Dollar Plunge Causes Chaos on Global Financial Markets
The rapid weakening of the U.S. dollar, which has reached lows since spring 2022, has triggered a massive shake-up in global financial markets. Analysts name political uncertainty, initiated by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who made it clear that he does not intend to hinder the weakening of the national currency, as the key cause of the crisis.
The Bloomberg Dollar Index fell by 3.15% over the last two weeks of January. This caused a chain reaction: the euro soared to a high since 2021, the British pound and Swiss franc updated multi-year records. Gold and silver prices showed a historic jump, adding 3% and 60% since the beginning of the year in one session, respectively.
In addition to Trump«s policies, analysts see the cause in the »ticking Japanese bomb«—the risk of Japanese investors selling off foreign assets worth $5 trillion to strengthen the yen, which requires a weaker dollar.
The consequences could be fundamental: capital will continue to flow into safe-haven assets such as gold and the euro, reducing the dollar«s dominance in global settlements. For Russia, the strengthening of the ruble against this background creates risks for the export-oriented economy and may force the Central Bank to consider raising the key rate.
Banks Block Transfers Due to Comments
Innocent, at first glance, comments in the «Message to recipient» field during a bank transfer can lead to additional verification or blocking of the transaction. This is warned by lawyer Alexander Khaminsky.
All banks are required to analyze transfers as part of the fight against money laundering, and special systems automatically check every message. According to the Association of Russian Banks, about 22% of transfers between individuals undergo enhanced checks. In 2024, the share of operations blocked specifically due to comments grew by 15%.
The main danger comes not from jokes, but from phrases indicating commercial activity. Words like «payment for services,» «for goods,» «rent,» or «order» may be interpreted as a sign of conducting business from a personal card, which is against the rules. The universal way to avoid problems is to leave the «Message to recipient» field empty and send all necessary information via SMS or messenger after the transfer, notes the expert in a conversation with Prime.
When the New Pandemic Will Begin
A new global pandemic may begin in 9–10 years, and its most likely cause will be the influenza virus. This forecast was given by Gennady Onishchenko, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Vice President of the Russian Academy of Education.
«9–10 years. Right now, the flu is also widespread. Today, the USA and all of Europe are burning from the flu. So, of course, it will happen,» said Onishchenko in an interview with TASS.
According to him, this is a natural process of evolution.
Crime Rate Decreased in Russia
The crime rate in Russia at the end of 2025 showed a steady decline. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to the ministry, the total number of registered crimes over the year decreased by 7.3%. The number of crimes against the person decreased especially significantly—by 9.2%. In particular, the number of murders decreased by 11.8%, and cases of intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm decreased by 14.8%.
The positive trend also affected property crimes: the number of robberies decreased by 11.2%, robberies by 18.3%, and thefts by 9.3%. At the same time, the number of apartment thefts decreased by 27.1%, and car thefts by 23.7%. The total number of fraud cases decreased by 7.6%.
Scientists Discover Potentially Habitable Planet
An international team of researchers from Australia, the USA, the UK, and Denmark discovered the planet HD 137010 b, located 146 light-years from Earth, which has characteristics potentially suitable for life. The discovery was made based on data from NASA«s Kepler space telescope collected in 2017.
As noted in the study published in the Astrophysical Journal, this is the first candidate with a radius and orbit similar to Earth«s that orbits a Sun-like star. The planet has a radius only 6% larger than Earth»s and completes a full orbit around its star in 355 Earth days. The probability of it being in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist, is estimated at 50%.
At the same time, the surface of HD 137010 b, as scientists assume, may be very cold—with a temperature comparable to that of Mars, i.e., below -70 °C (-94 °F). If the planet«s status is confirmed, it could become one of the closest Earth analogs with similar characteristics.
Weekends May Be Excluded from Paid Vacation
In Russia, it is proposed to change the method of counting days of annual paid vacation by excluding weekends from it. The corresponding bill has been submitted to the State Duma for consideration.
«The bill proposes not to include weekends in the number of calendar days of the annual main or annual additional paid vacation,» the explanatory note states.
According to current legislation, the duration of the main vacation is 28 calendar days, including both working days and weekends. When dividing the vacation into parts, one of the parts must be at least 14 calendar days. The new initiative aims to change this rule.
Dismembered Remains of Missing Woman Found in Dagestan
In Dagestan, dismembered and burned remains of a 36-year-old woman who went missing on January 23 have been discovered. Her body was found on the outskirts of the village of Chukhverkent in the Suleiman-Stalsky district, writes RIA Novosti with reference to the republic«s Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the ministry, a resident of the Derbent district left her home at night and did not return.
According to the Telegram channel Mash, the murder was committed by a 28-year-old resident of Dagestan. Shortly before the crime, the couple performed a Muslim marriage ceremony (nikah), after which the man sold the Lada Priora that the woman received as a dowry. Later, she filed a report about the car theft with the police, and after meeting with her husband, she disappeared.
According to acquaintances, the deceased had three children from her first marriage. The suspect in the murder has been detained, writes TASS.
