International News Briefs for Friday, February 6, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Friday, February 6, 2026.
DHS Funding Is Set to Lapse as Top Senate Republican Rejects Restrictions on Immigration Agents
Feb 06, 2026
Senate leaders said Thursday they expect funding for the Department of Homeland Security to lapse at the end of next week, after Republican Majority Leader John Thune rejected demands by Democrats for new restrictions on federal immigration officers as “unrealistic.” Democrats had proposed 10 so-called guardrails against abuses by federal agents. The list includes an end to racial profiling; prohibiting agents from entering private property without a judicial warrant; requirements that agents wear body cameras and unique ID numbers; access to attorneys for those detained; and an end to raids near medical centers, schools, churches, polling places, courts and other sensitive sites. Without a deal by February 13, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection will no longer receive government funding, though officers would continue to work without pay, since they’re exempted from furloughs. Other agencies, including FEMA, the Coast Guard and the TSA, would also be affected. On Wednesday, the two top Democratic lawmakers — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — drew fire from their party’s base when they appeared to backtrack on a demand that federal agents should not cover their faces to conceal their identities.
Protesters from New York to Milan Decry Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Feb 06, 2026
Here in New York, a dozen Columbia University students and faculty members were arrested Thursday for blocking traffic on Broadway outside campus in protest of Trump’s immigration crackdown and to demand Columbia enact stronger protections for its international students. Protesters wore matching shirts emblazoned with the words “Sanctuary Campus Now.”
Protester: “Universities should be the first line of defense against fear and repression, not a testing ground for it. If a campus cannot protect its own students and scholars, what does it stand for?”
In Italy, protests have continued opposing the deployment of ICE agents to join the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in Milan, where hundreds of protesters gathered for the opening ceremony today.
Protester: “They’re murderers, and they killed very, very a lot of people, innocent people. And they’ve done bad things that I don’t approve of and we don’t approve of. And we don’t want them here, even just for the Olympics.”
U.K. Opposition Parties Call for Vote of No Confidence in PM Starmer over Epstein-Linked Ambassador
Feb 06, 2026
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a growing political storm over his decision in 2024 to appoint Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador despite his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. In September, the tabloid newspaper The Sun published a trove of emails revealing Mandelson urged Epstein to fight for early release from prison after his 2008 conviction for procuring a child for prostitution, writing, “Your friends stay with you and love you.” Starmer was grilled by members of the House of Commons Wednesday, where he insisted Mandelson lied during the vetting process, implying he “barely knew” Epstein.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party. Mr. Speaker, he lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.”
Opposition leaders in the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have called for a “no confidence” vote in Starmer.
Brad Karp, Chair of Paul Weiss Law Firm, Resigns over Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
Feb 06, 2026
Image Credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty
Here in New York, the chair of the white-shoe law firm Paul Weiss has resigned, after emails released by the Justice Department showed he’d been a guest at the mansion of the late sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein and exchanged friendly emails with Epstein on a number of occasions. Brad Karp’s sudden resignation Wednesday came after he spent 18 years as chair of Paul Weiss, which represents corporate giants including Amazon, ExxonMobil and the NFL. Last March, the law firm was widely criticized after it pledged $40 million in pro bono legal services to issues President Trump has championed, while eliminating DEI programs — all in response to Trump’s executive order threatening to block the firm from representing clients before the federal government.
Brad Karp is also a board member at NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai hospitals. In response, the New York State Nurses Association called for his removal, writing, “Can board members like this be trusted to protect healthcare for New Yorkers?” Some 15,000 New York City nurses have been on strike since January 12. On Thursday, 13 members of the Nurses Association were arrested for refusing to leave the headquarters of a major hospital trade association in Manhattan.
Global Sumud Flotilla Plans Largest Humanitarian Mission Yet to Gaza
Feb 06, 2026
In South Africa, activists with the Global Sumud Flotilla have announced plans for the largest-ever direct action seeking to break Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip by bringing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. Organizers said Thursday they hope to mobilize thousands of people from over 100 countries in a coordinated, nonviolent response against “genocide, siege, mass starvation and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza.”
Sumeyra Akdeniz Ordu: “We will sail with, this time, thousands of participants, including more than a thousand doctors, nurses, health professionals, over a hundred boats.”
“Mandla” Mandela is a member of South Africa’s Parliament, an organizer with the Global Sumud Flotilla and the grandson of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela. He’s planning to join the next flotilla when it sets sail in March. Last October, he was abducted at sea by Israeli forces during a previous attempt to sail into Gaza carrying urgently needed humanitarian aid.
Nkosi Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela: “As a collective across the globe, we can isolate apartheid Israel, collapse it and bring it to its knees, just as we did to apartheid South Africa. We therefore want to take this opportunity, comrades and friends, to call on the entire global community. The registration is now open for Mission 2026.”
Cuban President Open to Talks with U.S. Amid Warnings of “Humanitarian Collapse” Due to Oil Blockade
Feb 06, 2026
The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian collapse in Cuba due to Trump’s oil blockade on the island. Venezuelan oil was a lifeline for Cuba, which has been devastated by decades of U.S. economic sanctions. Since the U.S. abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba have run dry as the Trump administration seeks to control Venezuelan oil reserves. Fuel shortages in Cuba have prompted longer hours of blackouts, including in Havana, while the cost of food and transportation skyrockets. Despite Trump’s persistent threats, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday he remains open to talks with Washington.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel: “Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, dialogue on any issue that needs to be discussed or debated. Under what conditions? Without pressure. Dialogue cannot take place under pressure.”
This comes as Reuters reports the Mexican government is evaluating options to send fuel to Cuba to aid in the humanitarian crisis, while attempting to avoid retaliatory tariffs from the Trump administration.
Sudan’s RSF Bombs Hospital as Famine Spreads in Darfur
Feb 06, 2026
In Sudan, the United Nations warns famine conditions are continuing to spread to more regions. Experts warn the rate of acutely malnourished children under the age of 5 has nearly doubled in Um Baru, located in Sudan’s Darfur region. In another area of western Darfur, nearly a third of children are now suffering from acute malnutrition. Elsewhere, the Sudan Doctors Network reports at least 22 people were killed Thursday when RSF paramilitaries bombed the Al-Kuweik Hospital in South Kordofan state. Among the reported victims are the hospital’s medical director and at least three other healthcare workers.
Nigerian Army Deploys to Kwara State After Massacre Leaves 170 Dead
Feb 06, 2026
Nigeria’s government has deployed military forces to the western state of Kwara after gunmen reportedly massacred at least 170 people in the village of Woro Tuesday. More than 20 others were killed in a separate attack in the city of Katsina in northern Nigeria as gunmen went home to home targeting civilians. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings. This is a resident of the state of Kwara.
Muhammadu Muhammad: “As of now, nobody can look can locate their relatives. Right now I am shedding tears because I can’t find my children, and my eldest son came and informed me that he couldn’t find his younger ones. He told me to run away for our safety, but I declined, telling him death is everywhere.”
In response to recent attacks, the U.S. Africa Command confirmed Tuesday the Trump administration had deployed a small number of military troops to Nigeria.
This comes as all 166 people abducted in an attack last month on a village and churches in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state have been rescued, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Bombing at Islamabad Mosque Kills 31 and Injures Scores
Feb 06, 2026
In Pakistan, at least 31 people were killed and dozens left wounded after a powerful explosion ripped through a Shia mosque in Islamabad during Friday prayers earlier today. Videos shared on social media showed bloodied bodies surrounded by broken glass and debris on the floor of the mosque. Officials say 169 people were transferred to area hospitals. There’s been no claim of responsibility, but rumors of a suicide bomber.
U.S. Economy Shed 108,435 Jobs in January, Worst Month Since 2009 Recession
Feb 06, 2026
New data released Thursday show U.S. layoffs rose in January to their highest level since the Great Recession of 2009. According to the firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. employers announced more than 108,000 layoffs last month — up 205% from the previous month.