07/02/2026

SATURDAY | FEB 7, 2026

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KYIV: A couple was killed in an overnight Russian drone strike on southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, an official said yesterday. The 49-year-old man and 48-year-old woman died when their home in the city of Vilniansk was struck, said regional military chief Ivan Fedorov on Telegram. The attack came after Russian and Ukrainian officials held US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi this week aimed at achieving a deal to end the war. A 14-year-old boy was wounded in a separate strike on the regional centre, also called Zaporizhzhia, said Fedorov in an earlier post. Preliminary information showed another Russian attack on the outer suburbs of Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, with no immediate reports of casualties, said regional military head Oleg Synegubov. The two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi yielded the first prisoner exchange in four months, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the discussions complicated and urged faster progress. Kyiv’s lead negotiator later said the talks would continue in the coming weeks. Fighting has resumed in recent days after the Kremlin said last week it had agreed to a US request not to strike the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for seven days. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of deliberately targeting energy infrastructure and causing outages that have left hundreds of thousands without lighting or heat in temperatures well below zero. Russia’s Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov said yesterday a Ukrainian missile strike caused “significant damage to infrastructure” and cut power, heat and water to some parts of the city. Initial reports indicated there were no casualties, he said on Telegram. – AFP Russian drone strike kills two

UN police peacekeeping role strained by funding crisis

He underscored the importance of strategic communications in today’s information environment, calling them “mission critical”, and noted continued cooperation with host-state police, including police reform support in the Central African Republic and South Sudan. He said the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda remains central, urging continued investment in the recruitment, retention and leadership development of women police peacekeepers. He also said despite mounting challenges, UN police personnel “continue to serve with dedication, professionalism and courage” in environments marked by insecurity and political volatility. “This briefing is an opportunity not only to take stock of progress, but also to renew our collective commitment,” he said, calling on council members and contributing countries to support innovative deployment models and sustainable financing for UN police. – Bernama-Anadolu economic exceeding US$586 million, identifying southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley as the most affected areas. A 2024 ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel ended more than a year of attacks that killed over 4,000 people and injured 17,000 others against the backdrop of the war in Gaza. The Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January 2025 under the ceasefire, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts. – Bernama-Anadolu losses register, voting and participation mechanisms, seat allocation, women’s quotas, seats reserved for Islamic and Christian communities, and all aspects of the new election law. The CEC emphasised that the initiative is part of its digital transformation policy, using modern tools to ensure the widest possible public access to information, enable citizens to follow the electoral process easily and transparently, and receive precise answers to their questions. The committee added that Nazih is easily accessible via its social media pages or directly through its official website, allowing citizens to submit questions and receive immediate responses. The assistant demonstrated its effectiveness during a trial period in January. – Bernama-Wafa

“This efficiency drive cannot substitute predictable and sustainable financing,” he said, adding that the “peacekeeping’s ability to deliver will be compromised without the full payment of assessed contributions”. Outlining key priorities under the Action for Peacekeeping Plus framework, Lacroix emphasised that “political solutions remain at the core of sustainable peace”, highlighting the role of UN police in supporting political processes, strengthening host-state police and building trust between communities and authorities. He pointed to efforts to boost strategic and operational integration, invest in professional standards and specialised skills, and ensure accountability to peacekeepers and the communities they serve. “Accountability to peacekeepers and the communities we serve remains paramount,” he said, reiterating that the UN maintains “zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse”. the Blue Line. Unifil called the Israeli activity “unacceptable”and said it posed risks to the health of its personnel and civilians, while raising concerns over potential effects on the environment. In December 2025, Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry forwarded to the Foreign Ministry a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation on agricultural damage caused by Israeli attacks in 2023 and 2024. The report estimated direct damage to Lebanon’s agricultural sector at about US$118 million (RM465 million), with broader RAMALLAH: Palestinian Central Elections Committee (CEC) has launched a public awareness campaign on a new election law, introducing an AI-powered digital assistant named “Nazih” (meaning “transparent” in Arabic), based on the committee’s principles of integrity, transparency, neutrality and digital transformation. The CEC said Nazih allows citizens to receive prompt answers to all inquiries related to the elections on April 25 and the relevant legal framework, Palestine News and Info Agency reported. The assistant operates through the committee’s website as well as WhatsApp and Facebook, providing direct access to official information on all stages of the electoral process. This includes procedures for candidate registration, publication of and objections to the voter The

o ‘Secretariat has undertaken significant cost-saving measures, including reductions in civilian staff, repatriation of military personnel’

HAMILTON: A United Nations (UN) top peacekeeping official warned on Thursday that the ability of the UN police to carry out peacekeeping mandates is under growing strain due to severe financial constraints and rising operational demands, Anadolu Ajansi reported. “UN police remain a key component of UN peacekeeping and play an indispensable role in fulfilling our mandates,” said Peace Operations Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix at the UN Security Council. He said peacekeeping success depends on shared responsibility among member states, host countries and UN personnel, particularly “at a time when multilateralism faces unprecedented HAMILTON: The United Nations (UN) said on Thursday it is aware of reports that a herbicide was sprayed by Israel over areas near the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, raising concerns over potential long-term impacts, Anadolu Ajansi reported. “We are aware of reports that the substance dropped over areas near the Blue Line on Feb 1 was a herbicide,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in response to questions on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil). Dujarric said the use of herbicides raises questions about the effects on

pressures, and even more so when peace operations are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources”. He said the briefing came at a critical juncture, adding that it took place “at a pivotal point for UN peacekeeping”, against the backdrop of the UN80 Initiative aimed at improving the organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness, and mission contingency planning driven by a severe liquidity crisis. “The Secretariat has undertaken significant cost-saving measures, including reductions in civilian staff and the repatriation of military and police personnel. We are committed to finding ways to save.” However, he cautioned that austerity alone would not sustain peacekeeping operations. local agricultural land and how this might impact the return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods in the long term. “We remind the parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and other applicable legal frameworks.” He said any activity by the Israel Defence Forces north of the Blue Line is a violation of Resolution 1701. On Monday, Unifil said the Israeli army informed it that it would conduct aerial activity to drop what Israel described as a “non-toxic chemical substance” over areas near

Israel reminded of obligations under international law

Palestine uses AI assistant to teach voters new election law

Palestinians coming from Rafah crossing arrive at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. – REUTERSPIC