Daily World Briefing, Feb. 2
Trump says Iran is "seriously talking" with U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran was "seriously talking" with the United States.
Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One whether he had made a final decision on Iran, Trump said, "Certainly, I can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction."
"I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable," Trump said, adding, "We could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory, with no nuclear weapons, and they should do that, but I don't know if they will."
Judge allows U.S. Minnesota immigration operation to continue
A U.S. federal judge on Saturday denied Minnesota's request for an emergency order to immediately halt a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the state, allowing the controversial federal deployment to continue.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul did not meet the legal requirements needed to stop "Operation Metro Surge," despite acknowledging what she described as "profound and even heartbreaking consequences" for communities in the state.
Operation Metro Surge, which began in December 2025, involves approximately 3,000 federal immigration enforcement agents deployed to Minnesota's Twin Cities region currently. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has called it "the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out."
Rafah border crossing reopens on limited, trial basis
The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reopened on Sunday on a limited and trial basis.
Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the current step is a preliminary trial opening and does not restrict the movement of travelers or patients.
"The Rafah crossing has reopened for movement of people only," said the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, a body under Israel's Defense Ministry. "The movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, is expected to begin tomorrow."
"Technical issues" delay Gaza committee's entry via Rafah crossing
"Technical issues" are preventing members of Gaza's newly formed administrative committee from entering the strip through the Rafah crossing on Monday, a committee member said Sunday.
Aed Yaghi, a member of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, told Xinhua that the group remains in Cairo due to unspecified "technical problems and obstacles." He expressed hope that the 15-member body would be able to enter Gaza in the coming days.
Another committee member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the group still lacks a headquarters and an operational budget. He added that no financial support has been received yet, though the committee expects to rent a facility in Gaza City soon.
Iran releases list of nearly 3,000 killed in recent unrest
The office of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday released a list naming 2,986 people killed during recent unrest in the country.
In a statement posted on its website, the president's office said the list, which includes both civilians and security personnel, was compiled from data provided by the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization at Pezeshkian's order.
The office said the total death toll stands at 3,117, meaning 131 victims remain unidentified. It pledged to release a supplementary list once their identities are established.
Russia rejects NATO troops deployment in Ukraine as security guarantees
Russia does not accept the deployment of EU or NATO military forces on Ukrainian territory as part of security guarantees, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Sunday.
"We have stated that this is unacceptable, no NATO membership and no foreign forces," Grushko told RIA Novosti. "There is no difference whether a French corporal is wearing a cap with 'NATO' or 'EU' written on it. That does not change the situation. We have not deviated from our position."
Grushko's comments came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that current security guarantee proposals include plans to deploy military contingents from several European countries, mainly France and Britain, to Ukraine, with support from Washington. Rubio did not provide details on the nature of U.S. support.
Early voting for Thailand's House of Representatives election kicks off
Early voting for Thailand's House of Representatives election started at 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, with more than 2 million eligible voters unable to cast their ballots on the official polling day of Feb. 8 participating in the process.
Voters taking part in early voting received two ballot papers at polling stations: one to elect a constituency candidate for the House of Representatives, and the other to vote for their preferred political party. The early voting concluded at 5 p.m. on the same day, and all ballots will be counted together after Feb. 8.
Over 50 million Thai voters will elect a total of 500 members of the House of Representatives, among whom 400 will be elected from local constituencies and the remaining 100 will be allocated to political parties based on the proportion of their popular votes.
Death toll in S. Philippine ferry sinking rises to 40 as search continues
The death toll from a ferry that sank off Basilan province in the southern Philippines rose to 40, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Sunday.
Search and rescue teams recovered three more bodies, and one additional victim, a six-month-old baby who had initially been omitted from the official count, was added to the tally, according to Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao.
Search and rescue operations are continuing nearly a week after the ferry sank in waters northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island while en route from Zamboanga City to Jolo town in Sulu province.■