Candidate tough on crime wins Costa Rica presidential election
Laura Fernández won the election outright in the first round amid concern about a rise in organised crime.
World
Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopens for limited traffic
Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened on Monday for limited traffic, a key step as the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire moves ahead, according to Egyptian and Israeli security officials.
Watch: Snake at train station scares Sydney commuters
People were seen running away as soon as they came across the venomous snake.
News24 | Trump hopeful of deal with Iran, despite Ayatollah Khamenei ‘regional war’ warning
US President Donald Trump said he was hopeful of agreeing to a deal with Iran after the country’s supreme leader warned that any US attack on the Islamic republic would trigger a regional war.
News24 | Former UK ambassador Mandelson quits Labour Party over ties to Epstein
Former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson quit the Labour Party, seeking to avoid causing it “further embarrassment” after newly released US documents revived scrutiny of his connection to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
China executes four more Myanmar mafia members
China has executed four members of the Bai family mafia, which ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report.
Watch: Giant rat leads floating parade to kick off 2026 Venice Carnival
The grand opening took place on Sunday, with a variety of boats and floats making their way through the city’s canals.
Kennedy Center to close for two years for renovations, Trump says
The move follows several artists cancelling performances at the storied institution after it was recently renamed as the Trump Kennedy Center.
Three West African juntas have turned to Russia. Now the US wants to engage them
The US signals that restoring democracy is no longer a priority and it is ready to work with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Stars hit red carpet at Grammy Awards show
A collection of some of the best looks from Sunday’s awards in Los Angeles.
Syria’s only female minister pushes for change: ‘I’m not here for window dressing’
The BBC’s Lyse Doucet follows Hind Kabawat as she confronts the challenges of fragmented, post-Assad Syria.
Takeaways from the millions of newly released Epstein files
Three million new documents include hundreds of mentions of Trump and emails between Epstein and a person called “The Duke”.
What does normal look like in Caracas one month after the Maduro operation?
Nearly a month after U.S. forces seized Nicolás Maduro, Caracas is settling into an uneasy normal, with major changes and lingering questions about what lasts and what comes next.
With Iran in turmoil, the U.S. pressures Lebanon’s Hezbollah to disarm
Hezbollah is being squeezed in Lebanon as Iran’s economic crisis limits support, and the U.S. presses Beirut to force the group to disarm while Israel keeps bombarding Lebanon.
Venezuela release rights activist Javier Tarazona
It is latest in a series of prisoner releases announced by the government amid US pressure for reforms.
Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national
Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the owners of Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, where a fire in the early hours of Jan. 1 killed dozens.
News24 | Israel shuts down Doctors Without Borders operations in Gaza over Palestinian staff list dispute
Israel said on Sunday it was terminating the humanitarian operations of the international charity Doctors Without Borders in Gaza after the organisation failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff.
News24 | Epstein scandal deals new blow to Norway crown princess
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway faces backlash over her past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in newly unsealed documents, including emails and a four-day stay at his Florida home in 2013.
French tech giant Capgemini to sell US subsidiary working for ICE
The firm’s move comes amid global scrutiny of the methods used by the US immigration enforcement agency.
Teenager dies from Swiss bar fire injuries, bringing death toll to 41
The 18-year-old Swiss national died at a hospital in Zurich, the local prosecutor said.
Trump has sent an armada of ships to Iran. What are the implications of a regional war?
NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Mehrzad Boroujerdi of the Missouri University of Science and Technology about the path ahead for Iran as President Trump threatens new strikes there.