Fernández Wins Costa Rican Presidency, Steering Latin America Further Right
Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People party won Costa Rica's presidential election in a landslide victory, marking a shift to the right in Latin American politics, according to The Guardian. Fernández, a right-wing populist, secured the presidency after campaigning on a platform of cracking down on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade. Her nearest rival, center-right economist Álvaro Ramos, conceded defeat as results became clear on Sunday in San José, Costa Rica.
In other global news, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify in a congressional investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Al Jazeera reported. A spokesperson for the former president confirmed the decision, which could avert a planned vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives to hold the Clintons in contempt for refusing to appear before lawmakers. The announcement was made on Monday, February 3, 2026.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a group of citizens and immigrant rights organizations launched a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, according to Al Jazeera. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, argues that the administration is relying on a "false narrative" to justify what they describe as one of the most substantial restrictions on legal immigration in the country's history.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued an apology to British football fans after making a joke that was criticized as "cheap" by the Football Supporters' Association, Sky News reported. Infantino suffered a backlash after joking last month that "For the first time in history... no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really really special." The apology was reported on Monday, February 2, 2026. Infantino also insisted that Donald Trump deserved a peace prize.
The reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt proved to be far from straightforward, according to Sky News. Despite initial announcements from Israeli authorities that the crossing was open for civilians, only a limited number of people were able to cross. Adam Parsons, Middle East correspondent for Sky News, reported that of the many thousands of people in Gaza requiring urgent medical attention, only five had managed to reach Egypt for help as of Monday, February 2, 2026. Parsons noted, "It was inevitable, of course. How could anyone have thought that the reopening of the Rafah crossing could have been straightforward?"
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