International News Briefs for Thursday, February 19, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
CNN: U.S. Military Planning to Strike Iran as Early as This Weekend
Feb 19, 2026
The U.S. military is preparing to strike Iran as soon as this weekend, but President Trump still has to make a final decision. That’s according to CNN, which cited a White House source who said Trump is “spending a lot of time thinking about this.” On Tuesday, U.S. and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Geneva and left without a clear resolution. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Israel and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this month to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. Meanwhile the U.S. is sending a second aircraft carrier–the USS Gerald Ford–to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf. The USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group had been stationed in the Caribbean, when the U.S. attacked Venezuela and abducted its president Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes. This is Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Masoud Pezeshkian: “We have stated this many times; my own statements are not important. What matters from an ideological standpoint is the policy and the fatwa (religious decree) of the Supreme Leader. We are in no way seeking nuclear weapons. Whatever form of verification they want to carry out, we are ready for that verification to take place.”
UK Authorities Arrest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Over Epstein Ties
Feb 19, 2026
In the United Kingdom, police have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince and King Charles’ brother, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Authorities say they are investigating a complaint over allegations that the former prince had shared confidential material with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince was the UK’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. Back in November, King Charles stripped his brother of his title as Prince and Duke of York, and evicted him from his royal residence over his relationship with Epstein. It comes as Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, shut down six companies after the Epstein files revealed Ferguson’s close ties to the late convicted sex offender. The documents reveal Ferguson brought her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to visit Epstein in Miami in 2009, just five days after he completed a prison sentence on sex crimes charges. While Ferguson publicly disowned Epstein in 2011, calling their relationship a “gigantic error of judgment” and stating that she “abhors pedophilia”, emails reveal she privately apologized to Epstein for her public condemnations, calling him a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend”.
Former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner Testifies About His Links to Epstein
Feb 19, 2026
Image Credit: ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
In the U.S., Les Wexner, the billionaire former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, testified about his relationship to Epstein in a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight committee at his home in Ohio. This is Democratic congressmember Robert Garcia.
Robert Garcia: “There would be no Epstein island, no Epstein plane, no money to traffic women and girls, Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner.”
UN Panel Says Alleged Sex Crimes in Epstein Files Amount to Crimes Against Humanity
Feb 19, 2026
A panel of independent experts appointed by the United Nations human rights council is calling for an independent and impartial investigation of the alleged sex crimes contained in the Epstein files. The UN panel says: “So grave is the scale, nature, systematic character, and transnational reach of these atrocities against women and girls, that a number of them may reasonably meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity.”
The Guardian: Trump Admin Planning 5,000-Person Military Base in Gaza
Feb 19, 2026
The Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza, sprawling more than 350 acres. That’s according to contracting records reviewed by the Guardian, which reports the site is meant to host a future International Stabilization Force – part of the so-called Board of Peace, chaired by Donald Trump.
Trump’s So-Called Board of Peace Holds Its Inaugural Meeting in Washington D.C.
Feb 19, 2026
Today, dozens of world leaders and high-ranking diplomats are gathering in Washington, D.C. as the Board of Peace holds its inaugural meeting. Ahead of the summit, European allies declined to join. Countries sending delegations are largely led by authoritarian governments; the list includes Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. This comes as Palestinians left homeless by Israel’s bombardment say they have yet to receive any assistance rebuilding their shattered neighborhoods.
Atef Abu Al-Anein: “As Palestinians living in displacement, we first hope for the reconstruction of Rafah city, and secondly, the infrastructure. We have destruction in hospitals, in health, in education, in infrastructure, in electricity, in water, in housing, in the environment, in diseases, in the spread of diseases, and in the spread of things like that. So we hope for reconstruction in a very quick way.”
Lancet Medical Journal: Death Toll in Israel’s Assault on Gaza Far Higher Than Reported
Feb 19, 2026
A new study finds Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip killed far more Palestinians than initially reported. Writing in The Lancet medical journal, researchers found there were over 75,000 violent deaths in the first 16 months of Israel’s assault. That compares to the roughly 49,000 deaths reported by the Palestinian health ministry over that period. More than half of those killed in the Israeli strikes were women, seniors, or children.
Palestinian Photographer Mariam Dagga Posthumously Wins 2026 Polk Award for Photojournalism
Feb 19, 2026
Palestinian photographer Mariam Dagga has won a 2026 George Polk award for photojournalism, for her work documenting Israel’s starvation campaign against the Gaza Strip. Dagga was awarded the prize posthumously, after she was killed last August when Israel’s military bombed Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. She died in a second strike on the hospital, alongside Palestinian journalists Moaz Abu Taha and Mohamad Salama, after they rushed to the scene of Israel’s initial attack.
Russian President Putin Slams U.S. Oil Blockade of Cuba
Feb 19, 2026
In Moscow, Cuba’s foreign minister met Wednesday with top Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who pledged his support to the island nation. Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov urged the U.S. to end its blockade and oil embargo, which has left Cuba facing blackouts and severe fuel shortages. This is Cuba’s foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez.
Bruno Rodriguez: “We share a great concern about the deterioration of the international order, which was already unjust and precarious, but which today is being replaced by the practices of the United States government through operations of plunder and occupation of natural resources, total transgression of international law, and ignorance of the United Nations, which threatens not only the current order, multilateralism, the United Nations and others, but also the sovereignty and security of all States without exception.”
MS NOW: DHS Launching Nationwide Campaign to Probe and Prosecute Naturalized Citizens for Voter Fraud
Feb 19, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security is launching a nationwide campaign to investigate and prosecute naturalized citizens who registered to vote or voted illegally prior to becoming citizens–that’s according to documents reviewed by MS NOW. The initiative reportedly requires DHS investigators to submit reports to the White House detailing each case in which they declined to bring charges. Two current and former DHS officials told MS NOW that the White House directive is “not normal.” MS NOW is also reporting that senior DHS and Justice Department appointees are discussing the deployment of law enforcement to polling sites. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is reportedly the driving force behind the DHS investigation.
Trump Admin Planning to Roll Back Limits on Toxic Mercury Pollution From Coal-Fired Power Plants
Feb 19, 2026
The Trump administration is preparing to roll back limits on levels of toxic mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. The New York Times reports top EPA officials will announce the rollback during a visit to Louisville, Kentucky on Friday. The World Health Organization considers mercury one of its top ten chemicals of major public health concern, and even small amounts can cause serious health problems, especially in utero and in children.
Meanwhile, a coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday, seeking to block President Trump’s rollback of the 2009 “endangerment finding”, which enabled the EPA to regulate greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act. In a separate petition, 18 children and young adults also sued the EPA, arguing the burning of fossil fuels is denying them their constitutional rights to life and liberty. Lead petitioner Elena Venner wrote, “My Catholic faith teaches me to care for all life and protect the most vulnerable, and it teaches that children are a gift. I now struggle to imagine bringing a child into a world where the air is unsafe and the climate is increasingly unstable.”
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NYU Langone Health to Close Trans Youth Health Program
Feb 19, 2026
Image Credit: Jonathan Fernandes/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
In New York, NYU Langone Health has announced that it will close its trans youth health program, forcing transgender teens who are currently receiving gender-affirming care at the hospital system to seek treatment elsewhere. This comes as the Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding from hospitals that provide hormone treatments or puberty blockers to minors. New York State Senator Erik Bottcher said: “Health care decisions should be made by doctors, patients and families, not by politicians weaponizing funding to push an extreme ideological agenda.” According to STAT News, more than 40 hospitals nationwide have paused or ceased to offer some type of gender-affirming care to trans youth since President Trump returned to office.
South Korea’s Former President Sentenced to Life in Prison
Feb 19, 2026
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor, after a court in Seoul found him guilty of leading an insurrection during a failed attempt to declare martial law in December 2024. In a verdict broadcast on live TV, a judge found Yoon unlawfully tried to send troops into South Korea’s national assembly to arrest key figures, including the assembly speaker and party leaders. Yoon had faced a possible death sentence.
Eight Backcountry Skiers Found Dead After Avalanche in California
Feb 19, 2026
And in California, eight backcountry skiers have been found dead after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe; a ninth skier is still missing but is also presumed to be dead. It’s the deadliest in California’s history.