Early Edition: February 6, 2026

A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

IRAN

Oman today mediated indirect talks between Iran and the United States, with convoys for the two countries arriving separately to meet with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. Oman’s foreign ministry published a statement saying the al-Busaidi met separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and then U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, adding that “the consultations focused on preparing the appropriate circumstances for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.” It is not clear if that was the end of the talks for the day. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – CEASEFIRE

The United Arab Emirates has drafted plans to build the “UAE Temporary Emirates Housing Complex” to house thousands of displaced Palestinians in a part of southern Gaza under Israeli control, according to a map seen by  Reuters and several sources. Diplomats said there are doubts about the viability of the Emirati project as Palestinians will not agree to being housed in Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza. Alexander Cornwell reports.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

A Russian blogger wrote yesterday that the Starlink connections on Russian drones and Starlink satellite internet communications for Russian troops in Ukraine had been disrupted, warning that it could set the Russian force back “a couple years” to outdated technologies. “The Starlink saga has created a serious breach in communications, which the enemy may attempt to exploit,” another blogger wrote. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedrov contacted SpaceX last month about Russia’s unofficial use of Starlink. As a result, Elon Musk’s firm blocked access to Starlink in Ukraine, except for terminals registered and verified by the Ukrainian government. Paul Sonne and Maria Varenikova report for the New York Times.

Lt. Gen Vladimir Alekseyev, deputy head of the Russian military intelligence agency, was shot in Moscow today and the incident is being investigated as an attempted murder, the authorities said. Ukrainian officials, who claimed responsibility for previous attacks on Russian officials, did not immediately comment on the attack on General Alekseyev. Nataliya Vasilyeva reports for the New York Times.

Ukraine and Russia yesterday concluded a second day of U.S-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, with the two sides agreeing to an exchange of 314 prisoners of war and to resume negotiations again soon. Olena Harmash and Max Hunder report for Reuters.

SUDANESE CIVIL WAR 

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification released a report yesterday saying that acute malnutrition has reached famine levels in two more towns in Darfur, Sudan. In Umm Baru, nearly 53% of children between 6 months and nearly 5 years suffered from acute malnutrition, the IPC said – almost double the famine threshold, which stands at 30%. In Kernoi, 32% of children are suffering from malnutrition, the group said. Noha El Hennawy reports for AP News.

Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary yesterday killed 22 people in an attack on a military hospital in Kouik in the South Kordofan province, including the hospital’s director and three medical staff, according to Sudan’s Doctors Network. Noha El Hennawy reports for  AP News.                                                                  

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Saudi Arabia is budgeting nearly $3 billion to cover salaries for Yemeni forces and civil servants, according to four Yemeni and two Western Officials, who said about $1 billion is earmarked for salaries for southern fighters previously paid by Abu Dhabi. Riyadh wants a success story in the parts of Yemen controlled by the internationally recognized government that it backs, the officials said, adding that the Saudis hope that this pressure will bring the Iran-backed Houthis to the table for talks. Timour Azhari reports for Reuters.

Al-Qaeda and its network of affiliates have 50 times more recruits now than they had at the time of 9/11, according to data compiled by a U.N. monitoring group. The figures show that there are now 25,000 potential fighters across the world. The statistics were shared at a briefing at the Royal United Services Institute before the publication of the U.N. Security Council monitoring team’s annual report on the global terrorist threat. Larisa Brown reports for the Times.

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS

The U.S military yesterday killed two people in a strike against a suspected drug trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, according to the U.S. Southern Command. Reuters reports.

The Trump administration yesterday announced an additional $6 million in aid for Cuba, State Department Official Jeremy Lewin said. He warned that officials with the U.S. embassy in Cuba will be out in the field “making sure that the regime does not take the assistance, divert it, try to politicize it.” Lewin also rejected that a halt in oil shipments from Venezuela is responsible for the humanitarian situation in Cuba. Danica Coto reports for AP News.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

Argentina and the United States yesterday signed a trade agreement, reducing reciprocal tariffs and expanding the exports of key goods such as Argentine Beef. Emma Bubola reports for the New York Times.

President Trump yesterday rejected an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to extend the caps on strategic nuclear weapons deployments after the New START treaty expired. “Rather than extend ‘New START’ … we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” Trump said on social media. Axios reported yesterday that U.S. and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi discussed the possibility of informally adhering to the limitations outlined under the old treaty for the next few months while they come to a new agreement. When asked whether such a deal was in the works, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Not to my knowledge.” Dmitry Antonov, Mark Trevelyan, and Jonathan Landay report for Reuters; Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Daniella Cheslow report for POLITICO.

The United States and Russia yesterday agreed to reestablish high-level military dialogue for the first time since late 2021. The restored communication channel “will provide a consistent military-to-military contact as the parties continue to work towards a lasting peace,” U.S. European Command said in a statement. Kamila Hrabchuk and Emma Burrows report for AP News.

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers traveled to Europe in December to meet influential, rightwing think-tanks and has spoken to key figures in Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party about providing funding to facilitate the spread of U.S. values, according to three sources. A senior Reform figure said that they had been told that Rogers “had a state department slush fund to get Maga-style things going in various places.” Anna Gross, Lucy Fisher, David Sheppard, and Amy Mackinnon report for the Financial Times.

MINNESOTA

The Homeland Security Department filed a motion on Wednesday seeking to end asylum claims for the family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and expedite deportation proceedings, according to the lawyer representing the family. A hearing is scheduled for today, though the family’s lawyer is seeking more time to respond. Regina Medina reports for MPR News.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari’s office yesterday disclosed numerous investigations into the department. The probes span ICE’s hiring surge, expedited removal of individuals, use of force, and compliance with detention standards. An additional review pertains to “DHS’ processes for determining U.S. citizenship for individuals detained or arrested during immigration enforcement operations.” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the probes, writing in a statement that “the supposed number of ongoing matters doesn’t say anything about their disposition or the facts.” Jacob Wendler reports for POLITICO.

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review yesterday announced that the DOJ has hired 33 new immigration judges, after firing or pushing out more than 100 others last year. “After four years of Biden administration hiring practices that undermined the credibility and impartiality of the immigration courts, this Department of Justice continues to restore integrity to our immigration system,” a DOJ spokesperson said.  Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.

The Trump administration is testing a citizenship question in Alabama and South Carolina in early planning for the 2030 census, reviving concerns after a similar effort was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2019. Russell Contreras and Rebecca Falconer report for Axios.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) said yesterday that they had rejected a request from U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro to interview them about a video they made urging military service members to resist illegal orders. The Trump administration has not said what crime the Democrats are alleged to have committed to warrant being investigated. Megan Mineiro reports for the New York Times.

A Pentagon official has rejected a proposal to settle the USS Cole bombing case with a plea agreement and a sentence of up to life in prison. Lawyers said yesterday that the Pentagon’s decision sets the stage for the first death penalty trial at Guantánamo Bay to start this summer. Carol Rosenberg reports for the New York Times.

Hillary Clinton said yesterday on social media that even though she and Bill Clinton agreed to a closed-door deposition, they are continuing to push for a public hearing as part of the House Oversight Committee’s probe into Jeffrey Epstein. Oren Oppenheim, Lauren Peller, and John Parkinson report for ABC News.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

The Trump administration yesterday finalized a policy that would strip job protections from up to 50,000 federal workers, making it easier to fire or discipline career employees with policy-related roles and shifting whistle-blower complaints inside agencies. The policy did not say precisely which positions would be affected. Eileen Sullivan reports for the New York Times.

The White House said yesterday that Trump has not outlined any formal plans to deploy ICE agents to polling locations during November’s midterm elections, while adding, “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling station.” Leavitt’s comments followed Steve Bannon’s remarks on his War Room podcast on Tuesday, “You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November.” Nandita Bose reports for Reuters.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

A federal judge yesterday ordered the Internal Revenue System to stop sharing residential addresses with Immigration and Customs Enforcement until the court can review the case further. The judge also barred ICE from using information already provided by the IRS. Danny Nguyen and Toby Eckert report for POLITICO.