Rafah border crossing begins operation

The Rafah land crossing began operating on Monday, with a number of Palestinians arriving on the Egyptian side of the crossing to prepare for entry into the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

The limited operation followed an initial trial phase conducted on Sunday and comes as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to the sources.

Several Egyptian buses carrying around 50 Palestinians arrived at the terminal, where official procedures began for their return to Gaza, according to Palestinian sources.

Egypt starts admitting wounded, ill Palestinians from Gaza through Rafah crossing

The first group of wounded and ill Palestinians crossed from the Gaza Strip into Egypt on Monday, marking a key step in the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

Palestinian sources said five patients, accompanied by 10 relatives or caregivers, were transported from southern Gaza into Egypt for medical treatment. While the agreement facilitates two-way movement, no Palestinians have yet re-entered the enclave from the Egyptian side.

Footage on social media showed a convoy of yellow ambulances ferrying patients across the border. Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News, citing government officials, confirmed the transfer and said authorities had finalized logistical preparations to ensure "smooth passage."

Iranian president orders start of talks with U.S. on nuke profile

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of negotiations with the United States within the framework of the nuclear issue, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source.

Fars, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei's remarks earlier in the day as saying, added that talks between Iran and the United States will probably be held in Trkiye in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, quoting an unidentified informed source, also confirmed that senior officials from the two sides will probably begin negotiations in the coming days.

Laura Fernandez claims victory in Costa Rica's presidential election

Laura Fernandez, the candidate from the ruling Sovereign People Party, on Sunday celebrated her victory in the Costa Rican presidential election after securing 48.3 percent of the vote.

Fernandez marked the occasion with her supporters in downtown San Jose, declaring her commitment to continuing the transformative changes the country needs and leading a government focused on dialogue.

According to data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, with 93.8 percent of polling stations reporting, Fernandez defeated Alvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, who received 33.4 percent of the vote, and Claudia Dobles of the Citizen Agenda Coalition, who garnered 4.9 percent. In Costa Rica, a candidate must secure over 40 percent of the vote to win the presidency in the first round.

France adopts 2026 state budget after gov't survives no-confidence votes

France adopted its 2026 state budget after the government led by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes over the issue in the National Assembly on Monday.

The motions, filed separately on Friday by left-wing parliamentary groups including La France Insoumise, the Democratic and Republican Left group (GDR) and the Ecologists, as well as by the far-right National Rally and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), accused the government of abusing constitutional powers to force the budget through parliament.

The first motion, put forward by 113 left-wing deputies, garnered 260 votes, falling 29 votes short of the 289 required for adoption, according to the National Assembly.

Wife of S. Korea's ex-president Yoon appeals against 20-month prison sentence

Kim Keon-hee, wife of the impeached former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, filed an appeal against her 20-month prison sentence, Yonhap news agency said Monday.

The legal team of Kim, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison with a forfeiture of 12.81 million won (about 8,780 U.S. dollars) for corruption charges, submitted the notice of appeal to the Seoul court.

The court charged Kim with receiving valuables from Unification Church officials in return for favorable treatment of the religious group in 2022. Meanwhile, the court found her not guilty of the charges of violating the Capital Markets Act and the political funds act.

UK imposes new sanctions on Iranian officials

Britain on Monday imposed another package of sanctions against 10 individuals and an organization, blaming their role in dealing with the recent unrest in Iran, according to a statement by the country's foreign office.

Those sanctioned include Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Police Chief in Lorestan Province Mohammad Reza Hashemifar, Public Security Police Chief Seyed Majid Feiz Jafari, Commander of Fars Province in Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Yadollah Bouali, as well as several other military and judicial personnel, according to the statement.

Britain has already imposed more than 550 relevant sanctions on Iranian individuals and organizations, including the IRGC in its entirety, said the statement.

Death toll in Indonesian landslide reaches 80 after 10 days of search

The search for victims of a landslide in Indonesia's West Java province continued on Monday, with the number of recovered bodies reaching 80, local media Kompas.com reported.

The news website quoted Ade Dian Permana, head of the Bandung Search and Rescue Office, as saying that by 11:45 a.m. local time Monday, all recovered bodies had been evacuated.

The landslide struck the Cisarua area in West Bandung regency on Jan. 24, affecting 158 people, displacing 564 individuals from 164 families, and damaging 48 homes.