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World News Update: Ceasefires, Executions, and Budget Battles Dominate Headlines
Several significant international developments unfolded on Monday, February 2, 2026, ranging from ceasefire implementations in Syria to executions in China and political maneuvering in France.
In northeastern Syria, government forces moved into the city of Hasakah, previously controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Al Jazeera reported. This deployment marked the initial step in implementing a US-backed ceasefire deal. A large convoy of trucks entered the city hours after the SDF declared a curfew. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on February 2, 2026, after nearly two years, allowing limited humanitarian aid and enabling Palestinians to return. According to Euronews, the reopening was part of the ceasefire process, with approximately 50 people expected to cross in each direction during the initial days. State television showed ambulances and microbuses advancing from the Egyptian side as the gates swung open.
Meanwhile, in China, authorities executed four individuals involved in a Myanmar-based scam and gambling syndicate, Sky News reported. The individuals were convicted of establishing industrial parks that ran gambling and telecom scam operations. These operations involved kidnappings, extortion, forced prostitution, and drug manufacturing and trafficking in Myanmar's Kokang region, which borders China. The defendants had been sentenced to death in November. The group's leader, Bai Suocheng, died from an illness.
Tensions remained high in the Middle East as Iran faced a critical week in averting potential war with the United States, according to Sky News. The next seven days could determine whether the region heads towards conflict or a diplomatic breakthrough. "It's make or break this week for averting war between America and Iran," Dominic Waghorn, International Affairs Editor for Sky News, stated.
In France, the government successfully adopted its 2026 state budget after surviving two no-confidence votes in parliament, Euronews reported. The motions were tabled in response to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's decision to invoke Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allowed the government to pass legislation without a vote from MPs. Both motions, one from the far-right National Rally and the other from left-wing parties excluding the Socialists, failed to pass.
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