International News Briefs for Friday, February 20, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Friday, February 20, 2026.
WSJ: Trump is Considering “Limited” Strikes on Iran, With Option to Ramp Up Assault
Feb 20, 2026
President Trump is considering a plan to attack Iran, in what officials are calling a “limited military strike” aimed at forcing Tehran to agree to a new nuclear deal, with an opening assault possibly coming within days. That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which reports the initial strikes would target a few military or government sites, with an option to ramp up attacks into a campaign aimed at toppling Iran’s government. On Thursday, Trump said his goal was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear bombs.
President Donald Trump: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple. You can’t have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon.”
Under Article 1 of the Constitution, only Congress can declare war, and lawmakers have not approved any declaration against Iran. Congressmembers Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie have promised to force a House vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution next week, after Congress returns from recess.
Trump Says U.S. Will Give $10B in Funding to His U.N. Alternative, the “Board of Peace”
Feb 20, 2026
President Trump’s threats to attack Iran came as he hosted heads of state and other officials from nearly 50 countries for the inaugural meeting of the so-called “Board of Peace,” Trump’s new initiative to create an alternative to the United Nations. Trump vowed to provide $10 billion in U.S. funds to the organization — even though Congress has not approved any such spending — and has named himself the group’s chairman for life. Among Trump’s key proposals is to turn Gaza into an upscale seaside resort with gleaming skyscrapers and entirely new cities. Later in the broadcast we’ll speak with Jeremy Scahill of Drop Site News about Iran, Gaza and the so-called Board of Peace.
Israeli Settler Fatally Shoots Palestinian-American Teen in Occupied West Bank
Feb 20, 2026
In the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian-American teenager has died of his injuries after he was shot by an Israeli settler on Wednesday in a village near Ramallah. According to relatives, 19-year-old Nasrallah Mohammed Jamal Abu Siam was fired on as he tried to stop Israeli settlers from raiding his village to steal sheep. At least 11 U.S. citizens have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers since 2022.
Topics:
Palestinian Journalists Describe Beatings, Starvation and Sexual Assault by Israeli Captors
Feb 20, 2026
Image Credit: The Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports dozens of Palestinian media workers held in Israeli prisons since October 2023 have been beaten, starved and subjected to rape and other sexual violence. The committee reviewed testimony and evidence from 59 Palestinian journalists, finding “strikingly consistent” reports of physical assaults, forced stress positions, sensory deprivation, sexual violence and medical neglect. The journalists lost an average of 52 pounds in Israeli prisons. Most of them were held under Israel’s so-called “administrative detention” policy and were never charged with any crime.
Topics:
“Hallmarks of Genocide”: U.N. Experts Sound Alarm Over Sudanese Paramilitary Group’s Atrocities
Feb 20, 2026
In Sudan, a group of U.N. experts has determined evidence of atrocities carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces during the siege of the city of el-Fasher show the “hallmarks of genocide.” The fact-finding mission said it collected evidence of deliberate starvation and denial of humanitarian assistance, as well as mass killings, rape, torture and forced disappearances since the RSF captured the key city in Sudan’s Darfur region last year. The report outlines three acts of genocide, including the killing of members of a protected ethnic group. The U.N. also expressed alarm following reports that over 50 civilians were killed, including children, in a series of strikes this week carried out by the RSF and Sudanese army in four states across Sudan.
Topics:
U.K. Police Raid Former Home of Ex-Prince Andrew, Arrested Over Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
Feb 20, 2026
Police officers in England have raided Royal Lodge in Windsor to search the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced former prince and brother of King Charles, who was previously stripped of his royal title over his close ties to the late serial sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew was in police custody for 11 hours after his arrest Thursday morning. Police are investigating whether he committed misconduct in public office by sharing confidential government documents with Epstein while serving as U.K. trade envoy, a breach of the Official Secrets Act. Andrew’s arrest was applauded by survivors of Epstein and their loved ones. He was arrested on his 66th birthday. This is Sky Roberts — the brother of Virginia Giuffre — who died in May of an apparent suicide, three years after she settled a lawsuit in which she accused Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager at Epstein’s properties.
Sky Roberts: “I think we’re very hopeful that this is the start of the domino effect. This is where the house of cards starts falling. And kudos to the U.K. for taking the first step, for saying, you know what, we are going to arrest somebody who is held to one of the highest esteems out there, somebody who was a former prince.”
On Thursday, Microsoft founder Bill Gates canceled his planned keynote address at an A.I. summit in India just hours before he was scheduled to speak, amid growing scrutiny over his ties to Epstein.
Topics:
French Prosecutors Reopen Probe Into Epstein Associates Including Model Scout Jean-Luc Brunel
Feb 20, 2026
Image Credit: Department of Justice
In France, investigators have reopened an investigation into several public figures tied to Epstein, including his close accomplice Jean-Luc Brunel — a model scout and alleged sex trafficker. Brunel died in a French jail cell in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges he raped children and trafficked women and girls to Jeffrey Epstein. French officials ruled his death a suicide.
The Wall Street Journal reports Brunel was secretly negotiating in 2016 with lawyers representing Epstein’s victims and was prepared to tell prosecutors what he knew about Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. In an email to attorney Kathy Ruemmler that year, Epstein said he’d discovered Brunel was planning to go to the U.S. attorney’s office the following week and that one of Brunel’s friends had “asked for $3 million so that Jean-Luc would not go in.” It’s not clear whether Brunel ever received that payment, but Brunel did not cooperate with prosecutors, and Epstein remained free for another three years.
Topics:
Trump Banner Draped over DOJ Headquarters Amid Growing Demands for Full Release of Epstein Files
Feb 20, 2026
In Washington, D.C., Democratic lawmakers are calling for President Donald Trump to be held accountable for his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, whom Trump once called a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with.” On Thursday, workers unfurled a giant banner of Trump’s face on the façade of the Justice Department headquarters. California Congressmember Ted Lieu linked the banner to the DOJ’s refusal to release all files related to the Epstein investigation, as required by law. Lieu wrote, “Want more evidence that the Justice Department is covering up the Epstein files to protect Epstein’s best friend Donald Trump? Look at this photo.” We’ll have the latest on the Epstein files after headlines.
Judge Rejects Trump Administration’s Practice of Denying Bonds to Indefinitely Jail Immigrants
Feb 20, 2026
A federal judge has dismantled much of Trump’s policy to indefinitely detain immigrants. The ruling by California U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes came as part of a class-action lawsuit and throws out an earlier decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals that had backed Trump’s practice of denying bonds and indefinitely jailing thousands of immigrants with no criminal records. Sykes denounced the Trump administration as “shameless” for refusing to grant bond hearings to immigrants despite her prior court order to do so.
In related news, the publication Law Dork reports the Department of Homeland Security has issued a memo that could lead to the detention of thousands of refugees who were resettled in the United States. The memo reportedly states refugees “must return, or be returned” to federal immigration custody as part of the vetting process to obtain a green card. Refugees are already strictly vetted — often for years — before they’re even admitted into the U.S. Refugee status allows for a pathway to citizenship, with refugees required to apply for a green card one year after their arrival.
Police in Cameroon Arrest Journalists Probing Trump’s Secretive Deportation Campaign
Feb 20, 2026
Press freedom groups are raising alarm over the arrest of four journalists in Cameroon, who attempted to investigate Trump’s secretive scheme to deport third-country immigrants to the African nation. The New York Times reports police forces detained the group of journalists at a state-run compound in the capital, Yaoundé, along with an attorney representing several immigrants detained there, none of whom are from Cameroon and who were deported from the United States. Many of the immigrants were sent to Cameroon in violation of court orders protecting them from deportation to their home countries over fear of persecution. Cameroonian police reportedly confiscated the journalists’ phones, cameras and laptops, claiming the journalists had obtained sensitive government information. All five people have been released, among them the attorney Joseph Awah Fru and a freelance journalist who’s worked for the BBC, Randy Joe Sa’ah. The three other journalists were based in Cameroon and working on assignment for The Associated Press.
Federal Prisons Prohibit Gender-Affirming Care for Trans People
Feb 20, 2026
Federal prisons will no longer provide gender-affirming care to incarcerated trans people. That’s according to The Marshall Project, which reported the Bureau of Prisons released its new policy Thursday. Under the new rule, trans people will no longer have access to gender-affirming surgery, hormone care, clothing or toiletry items that align with their gender identity. Hormone therapy will reportedly be replaced with prescription medications for depression and other mental health conditions, many of which are caused by hormone withdrawal, including suicidal ideation. Advocates have vowed to fight Trump’s latest attack on the trans community, saying this policy threatens the lives of hundreds of people who were receiving gender-affirming care in federal prisons.
Bernie Sanders Rallies Support for California Wealth Tax Opposed by Billionaires and Gov. Newsom
Feb 20, 2026
Image Credit: Middle East Images via Reuters Connect
Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders is rallying support for a proposed wealth tax in California. The ballot measure would see California residents worth $1 billion or more pay a one-time tax of 5% to offset the cost of looming federal cuts to healthcare, while funding public education and food assistance. It would affect roughly 200 billionaires worth more than $2 trillion. On Wednesday, Sanders rallied wealth tax supporters in Los Angeles, arguing the billionaire class no longer sees itself as part of U.S. society.
Sen. Bernie Sanders: “Like the oligarchs of the 18th and 19th centuries, you know, the kings and the queens and the czars, these guys literally believe that they have the divine right to rule and are no longer subject to democratic governance. … Starting right here in California, these billionaires are going to learn that we are still living in a democratic society where the people have some power.”
Billionaires, including Palantir founder Peter Thiel, have poured millions of dollars into campaigns aimed at defeating the wealth tax. Last year, Palantir reportedly earned $1.5 billion and paid zero federal income tax. California Governor Gavin Newsom — a likely contender for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination — opposes the idea of a wealth tax, arguing it has already led wealthy residents to move from California.