International News Briefs for Tuesday, February 10, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
Pentagon Says It Killed 2, Leaving 1 Survivor, in Attack on Boat in Eastern Pacific
Feb 10, 2026
The Pentagon said Monday it had blown up another boat in the eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor. An 11-second video posted on social media by U.S. Southern Command appears to show three airstrikes against a civilian speedboat. SOUTHCOM said, without evidence, the boat was engaged in narcotrafficking. Since September, the Pentagon says it’s conducted 38 strikes, killing at least 130 people it’s labeled “narcoterrorists” — without providing evidence or attempting to make arrests. Amnesty International has condemned the strikes as “murder” and is calling on Congress to hold those responsible for them accountable.
Monday’s reported attack came as U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean boarded a tanker carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil from Venezuela toward China. It’s at least the eighth time the U.S. has boarded an oil tanker since the Trump administration moved to control Venezuela’s oil supply.
Airlines Suspend Flights as Cuba Runs Out of Jet Fuel Amid U.S. Oil Blockade
Feb 10, 2026
Cuba’s government announced Monday it has run out of fuel for commercial aviation, prompting Air Canada to cancel flights to and from the island. The cancellations threaten to further damage Cuba’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The fuel shortage comes as the Trump administration has largely shut off energy supplies to Cuba from Venezuela and elsewhere, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other high-level officials seek to overthrow the Cuban government.
On Monday, Mexico’s government acknowledged it had suspended oil exports to Cuba, after leaders came under intense pressure from Trump, who threatened new tariffs against any nation that exports fuel to the island. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was instead sending hundreds of tons of humanitarian goods to Cuba.
President Claudia Sheinbaum: “This sanction being imposed on countries that sell oil to Cuba is very unjust, very unfair. It’s not right, because sanctions that affect the people are not right. You can agree or disagree with Cuba’s government, but the people should never be affected.”
Israel’s Security Cabinet Expands Control Over Illegal West Bank Settlements
Feb 10, 2026
Israel’s security cabinet has approved new measures which would expand Israel’s power across the occupied West Bank and make it easier for settlers to seize Palestinian land illegally. On Monday, eight Muslim-majority countries denounced Israel for imposing “unlawful Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank. A White House official told Reuters that President Trump was opposed to Israel annexing the West Bank, saying, “A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region.” President Trump is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Wednesday. This is a Palestinian resident of Hebron reacting to Israel’s latest annexation plan.
Munther al-Natsheh: “As Palestinians, before October 7th, we suffered from successive Israeli governments. But this right-wing government, led by Netanyahu and the far-right minister Smotrich, has intensified actions on the ground — displacement, destruction of land, land confiscation, killing and vandalism. This government is a fascist government that wants to control all areas of the West Bank.”
Israel’s Latest Gaza Ceasefire Violations Leave 7 Palestinians Dead
Feb 10, 2026
Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least seven Palestinians over the past 24 hours. Four of the deaths came as Israeli forces bombed a residential building sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, an attack that sparked panic and left several others wounded. Israel has killed 581 Palestinians since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was supposed to have taken effect last October.
Meanwhile, an investigation by Al Jazeera Arabic has found that thermal and thermobaric munitions supplied to Israel by the U.S. have evaporated nearly 3,000 Palestinians in attacks since October 2023, leaving behind no remains other than blood spray or small fragments of flesh.
Thousands Protest as Israeli President Isaac Herzog Visits Sydney, Australia
Feb 10, 2026
In Sydney, Australia, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets Monday to protest a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
Protester: “He is, as most people are saying, a war criminal. He has incited genocide. He said there’s no innocents in Gaza, including babies and children. And I just don’t think someone like that should come here.”
Sydney police were widely accused of using excessive force after video showed they fired pepper spray at peaceful protesters, punched demonstrators, including an elderly man, and forcibly removed Muslims who were praying in the street. Dozens of people were pepper-sprayed, and 27 were arrested.
Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads the Fifth in Deposition to House Oversight Committee
Feb 10, 2026
Image Credit: @GOPoversight/X
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, repeatedly pleaded the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer lawmakers’ questions in a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Monday. After the hearing, Democratic Congressmember Melanie Stansbury said Maxwell used the opportunity to make her case for clemency.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury: “Her silence can be bought through clemency. It is very clear that that is the message that she is trying to send directly to Donald Trump himself, directly.”
This comes as several lawmakers are criticizing the Justice Department, claiming that the Epstein files still contain major redactions. This is Congressmember Ro Khanna and Congressmember Thomas Massie speaking to reporters Monday.
Rep. Thomas Massie: “I mean, what we’re after is the men who Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women to. We want those names published.”
Rep. Ro Khanna: “Our bigger concern is that there’s still a lot that’s redacted. Even in what we’re seeing, we’re seeing redacted versions. I thought we were supposed to see the unredacted versions. And that’s because the documents produced to Justice from the FBI, from other — from the grand jury, was redacted when they got it.”
53 Are Dead or Missing After Boat Carrying Migrants Sinks Off Libyan Coast
Feb 10, 2026
The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration says 53 people are dead or missing, including two babies, after an inflatable boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Libya. The U.N. agency said, “Trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants along the central Mediterranean route.” So far in 2026, 484 migrants have been reported dead or missing along the route.
Federal Court Strikes Down California Law to Unmask Federal Agents
Feb 10, 2026
Image Credit: X/@ICEgov
Here in the U.S., a federal judge has struck down a new California law banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder in Los Angeles ruled Monday that the law discriminates against federal officers since it doesn’t make the same requirements of state and local police. She suggested the ban would be lawful if it applied to all officers, and ruled in favor of a separate California law that requires all law enforcement agents to display their IDs.
Family Demands Answers After Leqaa Kordia Is Hospitalized in ICE Detention
Feb 10, 2026
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hamzah Abushaban
The family of Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman, are demanding answers after she was hospitalized from a reported seizure while being held in an ICE jail in North Texas. Kordia had participated in the Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia University and was arrested by ICE agents last year for staying in the U.S. on a lapsed student visa. Her family and lawyers have received limited information about her condition. Texas state Representative Salman Bhojani said, “She’s not been getting proper nutrition, it seems, and not getting proper sleep.” He also mentioned it took nearly 24 hours for Kordia’s legal team to confirm she was in the hospital. There have been multiple court orders allowing Kordia to be released on bond, but the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly blocked her release.
Immigration Judge Rejects Trump Admin’s Efforts to Deport Tufts University Student Rümeysa Öztürk
Feb 10, 2026
Image Credit: Rümeysa Öztürk’s legal team
An immigration judge has rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, after she was arrested last year by masked immigration agents outside her apartment. According to her lawyers, she was arrested as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists. Authorities had revoked her student visa for an editorial she co-authored in Tufts’s student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to Israel’s war on Gaza. In a statement, Öztürk said, “Today, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that despite the justice system’s flaws, my case may give hope to those who have also been wronged by the U.S. government.”
WSJ: Trump Admin Planning to Repeal Obama-Era Greenhouse Gas “Endangerment Finding”
Feb 10, 2026
In climate news, The Wall Street Journal reports the Trump administration is planning this week to formally end the Obama-era scientific determination that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health. The finding is the basis of a 2009 rule that allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to set limits on greenhouse gas pollution from cars, power plants and other sources. It’s likely Trump’s efforts to roll back the finding will face years of legal challenges, but its repeal will immediately eliminate climate standards for passenger cars and commercial trucks.
Nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore Reach Tentative Deals on New Contracts
Feb 10, 2026
Here in New York, more than 10,000 nurses who’ve been on strike since January 12 have reached tentative deals on new contracts with hospitals run by Mount Sinai and Montefiore. The New York State Nurses Association is recommending members ratify the agreements, which include salary increases of 12% over three years, improvements to staffing levels, improved workplace safety and guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence. About 5,000 nurses remain on strike at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals while negotiations continue.
San Francisco Public School Teachers Striking for Salary Increases and Family Health Benefits
Feb 10, 2026
Image Credit: United Educators of San Francisco
In California, public schools are closed across San Francisco for a second straight day after some 6,000 educators walked off the job Monday. It’s San Francisco’s first teachers’ strike in nearly half a century. The United Educators of San Francisco union is demanding fully funded family healthcare for workers, improvements to special education and salary increases that do not come at the cost of concessions or takeaways from schools. This is Meghann Adams, president of SMART Union Local 1741, representing bus drivers.
Meghann Adams: “We all live paycheck to paycheck. This is something that I know is a sacrifice for all of us, but it’s — you know what? We all know that the district has the money. This is something that’s been proven time and time again. They need to come to the table, and they need to make a deal and get our educators and our schools back open!”