February 6, 2026

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional tensions:

• U.S. and Iranian envoys met separately with mediators in Oman today for discussions surrounding the resumption of U.S.-Iran diplomatic and technical negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,441 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Russian investigators say Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, a deputy chief of Russian military intelligence, was shot and wounded by a yet-unidentified attacker today in Moscow. Reports note that while no claims of responsibility for the attack have yet been made, the incident follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia has blamed on Ukraine. [more]

U.S. DHS FUNDING | Ahead of a February 14 funding deadline, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said yesterday that Democratic demands for new requirements on federal immigration officers and operations are "unrealistic" and warned that the Department of Homeland Security will be effectively shut down next week if an agreement cannot be reached. Thune's statements followed the release of a 10-point list of demands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement reform by Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday. [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT WORKERS | Under finalized changes announced by the federal government's Office of Personnel Management yesterday, and in accord with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last year, some 50,000 career federal workers deemed to be in policy-influencing positions will be subject to reduced job protections, making them easier to hire and fire. OPM Director Scott Kupor said in announcing the changes that "those entrusted with shaping and executing policy must be accountable for results." Federal worker unions have opposed the policy changes, which are expected to undergo court review in the coming days. [OPM press release] [more]

U.S. DRUG PRICES | President Donald Trump yesterday announced the availability of the TrumpRX website, which lists dozens of medications at government-negotiated prices and provides coupons for use in purchasing the medications either directly from manufacturers or at selected pharmacies. According to the site, "discounted pricing is only available for cash-paying patients," not for consumers paying through health insurance. [TrumpRx website] [more]

CALIFORNIA | Local authorities say at least three people were killed, and six others were injured, yesterday when a 92-year-old driver hit a bicyclist and veered into a grocery store in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Police say the incident is not believed to have been intentional. [more]

U.S. DRUG WAR | The U.S. Southern Command said yesterday that two people were killed in the latest military strike on a boat believed to have been carrying illegal drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Reports note that at least 128 people have been killed in 36 such strikes on boats carried out in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September 2025. [more]

U.S. AND RUSSIA | Under an agreement that emerged out of Ukraine-related talks held this week in the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. and Russia will re-establish high-level military dialogue for the first time since such a relationship was suspended in late 2021 as tensions rose ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. [more]

U.S. AND ARGENTINA | Finalizing a framework deal reached last year, U.S. and Argentine officials said yesterday that a new trade and investment agreement between their countries has been signed. Reports say that, under the agreement, Argentina will remove trade barriers on more than 200 categories of U.S. goods and the U.S. will eliminate tariffs on more than 1,600 Argentine products. [more]

U.S. AND CUBA | Amidst ongoing tensions and U.S. efforts to restrict the delivery of oil to the Caribbean island nation, the U.S. State Department said yesterday that it will provide a new $6 million round of aid to Cuba meant largely for areas of eastern Cuba affected by Hurricane Melissa late last year. [more]

GLOBAL NUCLEAR POWERS | Speaking at a Disarmament Conference in Geneva today, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno accused China of conducting a secret nuclear explosion test in 2020 in violation of test ban commitments. Chinese officials responded with a claim that "the U.S. continues in its statement to hype up the so-called China nuclear threat" and said "China firmly opposes such false narratives." [more]

PAKISTAN | At least 31 people were killed, and 170 others were injured, when a suicide bomber set off an explosion at a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, early today. No claims of responsibility for the attack have yet been made, though the Pakistani Taliban group issued a statement saying it had "no connection whatsoever" with the bombing. [more]

EPSTEIN FILES | Following the release of millions of pages from investigations into late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein by the US Justice Department last week, authorities in multiple European nations, including the U.K., Poland, France, Norway, and Slovakia, are reported to be launching inquiries into apparent relationships politicians, industry leaders, and royal family members had with Epstein. [more]

VENEZUELA | Venezuelan lawmakers voted yesterday to advance an amnesty bill that could lead to the release from prison of hundreds of activists, journalists, and opposition leaders jailed for political reasons under the former governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolas Maduro. Reports note that the full text of the bill has not yet been publicly released. [more]

PHILIPPINES | Regional officials say at least four people were killed, and more than 6,000 others were displaced, this week as Tropical Storm Penha hit multiple southern provinces in the Philippines causing flooding and landslides. [more]

NEPAL | Authorities say at least 13 people were killed, and 34 others were injured, yesterday when a bus carrying a wedding party veered off a mountain road and tumbled for more than 600 feet in Nepal's western Sudurpashchim Province. The cause of the incident remains under investigation. [more]

SWEDEN | As part of continued tightening of immigration policies, the Swedish government said today that it plans to require all asylum seekers to live in migrant reception centers while their cases are processed and that others who have pending cases will have to show they have moved to such centers or risk losing their benefits. [more]

COVID PANDEMIC AND CANCER SURVIVAL | A new study published this week in the journal JAMA Oncology concludes that people diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and 2021 had worse short-term survival than those diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 – a finding researchers suggest could be linked to disruptions to cancer diagnosis and treatment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. [full study] [more]

AUTO INDUSTRY | Automaker Stellantis announced $26.5 billion in write down charges today related to the company's decision to scale back its electric vehicle plans – a move executives link to US auto policies, lower-than-expected demand, and supply chain issues. Milan-listed shares in the company fell as much as 25% on the news. [more]

OLYMPICS | The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games officially open today in Italy. Performers at the Games' opening ceremonies (8 p.m. Italy, 2 p.m. Eastern) are expected to include operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli, classically trained dancers from the Teatro alla Scala opera house, and American pop star Mariah Carey. [today's Olympic schedule and results] [more]

FOOTBALL | Ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was named this season's NFL Most Valuable Player last night at the NFL Honors award show. Cleveland Brown defensive end Myles Garrett and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba were named the defensive and offensive players of the year, respectively, while New England’s Mike Vrabel received the award for Coach of the Year. [full list of awardees] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, the United States won official recognition and military support from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris. [more history]