Feb. 12, 2026 - Daily News Digest

On this day: in 1502, Isabella I issues an edict outlawing Islam in the Crown of Castile, forcing virtually all her Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity.

QOTD: “Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit. ... That did not work well for them. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.”

INDIA/US - Farmers protest over U.S.-India trade framework, government defends pact
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/around-90-95-indian-farm-products-kept-out-us-deal-indian-trade-minister-says-2026-02-12/

Thousands of Indian farmers protested across the country on Thursday, alleging the government had compromised their interests in the U.S.-India interim trade framework, while the trade minister said safeguards were in place.

Farmers burned symbolic copies of the India-U.S. trade pact in their fields and at protest meetings, saying the government moved ahead without consulting them.

Opposition parties led by Congress lawmakers also staged protests outside the parliament complex, holding placards with slogans such as "Trap Deal" and "US deal will destroy farmers", and accusing the government of "surrendering" farmers' and domestic industries' interest.

The agreement has revived memories of protests in 2020-21 which forced the government to back down and repeal three laws aimed at deregulating agricultural markets.

Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said most of India's farm products were kept out of the trade arrangement with the United States and that farmers' interests had been protected.

Goyal accused opposition parties of misleading farmers and said key items such as dairy, poultry, rice, wheat and several fruits and vegetables were outside the deal.

Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farm leader, said: "Protests were held in states including Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where farmers asserted their rights over their land and pledged not to cede their fields to market forces."

RUSSIA/US/CUBA - Russia evacuates tourists from Cuba as US-engineered fuel crisis deepens
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/12/russia-to-evacuate-tourists-from-cuba-amid-us-engineered-fuel-crisis

Russia is preparing to evacuate its citizens who are visiting Cuba, Moscow’s aviation authorities said, after a United States-imposed oil blockade on the island nation has choked off supplies of jet fuel.

“Due to the difficulties with refuelling aircraft in Cuba, Rossiya Airlines and Nordwind Airlines have been forced to adjust their flight schedules to airports in the country,” Russia’s federal aviation regulator Rosaviatsia said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Rossiya Airlines will operate a number of return flights only – from Havana and Varadero to Moscow – to ensure the evacuation of Russian tourists currently in Cuba,” the regulator said.

About 5,000 Russian tourists may be on the island, Russia’s Association of Tour Operators said earlier this week.

Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development separately called on citizens not to travel to Cuba amid its worst fuel crisis in years, caused by the US choking off supplies of oil from Venezuela following the US military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January.

Russia’s TASS news agency said the Russian embassy in Havana is in contact with national carrier Aeroflot and Cuban aviation authorities to “ensure our citizens return home safely”.

Aeroflot has announced repatriation flights for Russians, TASS said, reporting also that the embassy in Havana told Russian media outlet Izvestia that Moscow plans to send humanitarian aid shipments of oil and petroleum products to Cuba.

DPRK/ROK - Seoul Spy Agency Says Kim’s Daughter Enters Succession Stage
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-12/seoul-spy-agency-says-kim-s-daughter-enters-succession-stage

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter appears to have entered a phase of being designated as his successor, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers, offering Seoul’s clearest assessment yet that a fourth generation of the Kim family dynasty is in the making.

In a closed-door briefing to parliament, the NIS said the girl — often referred to as Ju Ae by South Korean officials — has increasingly assumed a symbolic and political role consistent with succession training. The agency cited her repeated public appearances at key military events and her prominent positioning alongside her father during on-site inspections.

“In the past, Kim Ju Ae was described as being ‘in successor training,’ but notably today the NIS used the term ‘stage of being designated as successor,’” lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, who attended the briefing, told reporters Thursday.Lawmakers were told that the daughter’s protocol treatment, frequency of appearances and portrayal in state media point to structured preparation. That has included her attendance at military events such as Air Force Day celebrations as well as a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun — a symbol of hereditary succession. Both events were covered extensively by the Korean Central News Agency.

US/SYRIA/JORDAN/MIL - Syrian army takes control of al-Tanf military base as US troops pull out
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/12/syrian-army-takes-control-of-al-tanf-military-base-as-us-troops-pull-out

Syrian ⁠forces ⁠have taken control of the strategic al-Tanf military base near the border with Iraq and Jordan, the Syrian defence ministry has said, amid the withdrawal of a longstanding United States troop presence at the base.

The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that Syrian Arab Army units had taken control of al-Tanf, securing the base and its surroundings, “through coordination between the Syrian and American sides”.

Army units had “begun deploying along the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian” border nearby, the ministry said, while border guards would be deployed in the coming days.

The base was established during Syria’s civil war in 2014 as a ‌key hub for operations by the global coalition against ISIL (ISIS), which at the time controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq until the group was vanquished in 2017.

The US withdrawal from the base comes months after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former leader of the armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who the US once deemed a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”, joined the anti-ISIL coalition in November.

The US military has not officially commented on the pullout, but Trump has expressed an interest in withdrawing US troops from Syria since his first term.

ARGENTINA/POL - Argentina’s Senate backs President Milei’s contentious labor overhaul after protests
https://apnews.com/article/argentina-javier-milei-labor-law-trade-unions-11d1d6c0237c9f3ff60017450d6cf905

Argentina’s Senate early Thursday gave its overall approval to a labor overhaul that is considered crucial to President Javier Milei’s shock therapy program after hours of debate that unfolded in the shadow of a mass protest outside Congress.

Thousands of workers mobilized by powerful trade unions converged on a central square of downtown Buenos Aires earlier Wednesday, blocking traffic and clashing with police as the marathon session got underway.

The fiery standoff underscored the sensitivity of labor rights in this nation dominated since the 1940s by Peronism, a populist movement that has swung right and left ideologically, but has always claimed to champion workers’ rights.

CAMBODIA - In Cambodia, thousands flood out of scam compounds and find little help
https://apnews.com/article/us-funding-shelter-scam-compounds-trafficking-victims-85a69706c6b917e32ae7e2d4797cd9c2

One recent night, Youga was grateful when he finally slept in a bed, even though it had neither pillow nor blanket.

For two days, the African man said, he slept on the street after he reached Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, following his escape from a scam compound in O’Smach, which borders Thailand in the north. He had only $100 left to his name and wanted to save the money. So the Caritas shelter took him in.

The shelter, the only one of its kind that helps victims escaping from scam compounds, was funded previously by the United States. Today, it is stretched at the seams, working with a third of the staff and a fraction of the budget it previously had as the country faces an unprecedented surge of workers leaving scam compounds.

The compounds have become widespread in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, with thousands of workers involved in carrying out online scams.

IRAN/SEC/EVERY DAY A DIFFERENT NUMBER - Deaths in Iran’s crackdown on protests reach at least 7,000, activists say
https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-crackdown-52aae887976ec1bbb0f77c42abd600b8

The death toll from a crackdown over Iran’s nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,002 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday.

The slow rise in the number of dead from the demonstrations adds to the overall tensions facing Iran both inside the country and abroad as it tries to negotiate with the United States over its nuclear program. A second round of talks remains up in the air as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed his case directly with U.S. President Donald Trump to intensify his demands on Tehran in the negotiations.

“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference,” Trump wrote afterward on his TruthSocial website.

POLAND/ITALY/ISRAEL/US - Poland and Italy say they will not join Trump's Board of Peace
https://www.reuters.com/world/poland-will-not-join-board-peace-under-current-circumstances-pm-says-2026-02-11/

Poland and Italy will not join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, Warsaw and Rome said on Wednesday, adding to the list of Washington's allies remaining on the sidelines.

Initially designed to cement Gaza's ceasefire, Trump sees the Board of Peace taking a wider role in resolving global conflicts which some countries fear means it could become a rival to the United Nations.

This along with the fact that Russia and Belarus were invited to join means many Western countries have taken a cautious approach.

"Taking into account certain national doubts regarding the shape of the board, under these circumstances Poland will not join the work of the Board of Peace, but we will analyse it," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a government meeting.

"Our relations with the United States have been and will remain our priority, so if the circumstances change that will enable joining the work of the Board, we do not rule out any scenario."

Tusk was due to meet nationalist rival President Karol Nawrocki later on Wednesday at a National Security Council meeting, where the Board of Peace was on the agenda.

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also confirmed on Wednesday that Italy would not sign up.

VENEZUELA/SEC/POL - Venezuela AG hopes amnesty law will lead to 'pacified country', insists prisoners committed crimes
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuela-ag-hopes-amnesty-law-will-led-pacified-country-insists-prisoners-2026-02-12/

Venezuela's attorney general Tarek Saab said on Wednesday he hopes an amnesty law being considered by the National Assembly legislature will ensure a "100% pacified" country where the crimes included in the bill are never repeated, as he insisted that those in prison are not political detainees.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who took power last month after the U.S. ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, has bowed to Trump administration demands on oil sales and released hundreds of whom human rights groups class as political prisoners, as part of a normalization in relations between the two countries that has also included an ongoing visit by the U.S. energy secretary.

A complete version of the amnesty law has not yet been read in full in the legislature, headed by Rodriguez's brother Jorge Rodriguez, though it has passed an initial vote. The assembly will meet on Thursday but it is not yet clear whether the bill will be on the agenda.

The current version of the law is significantly less generous than a previous draft. It no longer lists the crimes which count as political actions - including instigation of illegal activity, resistance to authorities, rebellion, treason - which were previously laid out in detail, does not give amnesty to those accused of defamation for criticizing authorities or lift Interpol red notices.

RUSSIA/US - Russia Memo Sees Return to Dollar System in Pitch Made for Trump
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-12/russia-memo-sees-return-to-dollar-system-in-pitch-made-for-trump?srnd=phx-politics

The Kremlin has set out proposals that could see Russia embrace the dollar again as part of a wide-ranging economic partnership with the Trump administration, according to an internal Russian document reviewed by Bloomberg.

The high-level memo, which was drafted this year, details seven points where, in the Kremlin’s view, Russian and US economic interests could converge following a deal to end the war in Ukraine. It sees the two countries working together to champion fossil fuels over greener alternatives as well as joint investments in natural gas, offshore oil and critical raw materials plus windfalls for US companies.

The proposal, which was circulated among senior Russian officials, provides previously unreported insight into Kremlin thinking and tactics at a moment when potential economic agreements between the US and Russia are being negotiated as a key plank of any future peace accord for Ukraine.

At the heart of the offer is Russia’s return to the dollar settlement system, a move which would mean a stunning reversal of Kremlin policy and, potentially, a dramatic shake up for global finance.

US/CANADA/POL - Trump Rebuked Over Canada Tariffs as Midterm Anxieties Grow
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-11/us-house-defies-trump-and-votes-to-end-his-canada-tariffs?srnd=phx-politics

Donald Trump’s tariff policies suffered their strongest political blow yet with the Republican-led US House passing legislation aimed at ending the president’s levies on Canadian imports.

Wednesday’s vote represents an increase in political pressure to change course on Trump’s signature economic policy just months before the midterm elections, including by forcing swing-district Republicans affected by the tariffs to weigh when or if to cross the president by voting against his agenda.

The vote also signals a growing anxiety over the White House’s economic agenda before elections that are expected to focus heavily on affordability. Democrats were quick to attack the Republicans who voted to protect the tariffs, blaming them for shielding policies that increase the cost of living for their voters.

While Trump is almost certain to veto any bill calling for a repeal of his tariff agenda, making it unlikely the measure will ever become law, defections from six Republicans alongside opposition from nearly all Democrats underscore his increasingly tenuous hold on the narrow House majority.

FRANCE/GERMANY/MIL/TECH - France, Germany explore new ballistic missile, ArianeGroup says
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/france-germany-explore-new-ballistic-missile-arianegroup-says-2026-02-12/

France and Germany are among European countries that have shown interest in a new land-based ballistic missile proposed by aerospace firm ArianeGroup, the latest sign of Europe's push to close its deep-strike weapons gap.

The French defence ministry is in talks with ArianeGroup about the system, according to the company, which says the missile could hit targets more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) away within minutes. It said it is also in contact with the German government and providing information on the capability.

"People are trying to understand what is at stake with ballistic systems," Vincent Pery, ArianeGroup's director of defence programmes, told journalists on Thursday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

He said the company is holding "preliminary discussions with several countries" about how the weapon would fit into the geopolitical context, citing Russia's ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine, and the use of such weapons in the Middle East.

Germany's defence ministry had no immediate comment. France's defence ministry did not immediately respond.

SWITZERLAND/POL/DEMOGRAPHICS - Explainer: Swiss to vote on proposal to cap the population
https://www.reuters.com/world/swiss-vote-proposal-cap-population-2026-02-12/

Switzerland will vote on capping its population at 10 million until 2050, a proposal that speaks to widespread concerns about high immigration but risks depriving the country of much-needed workers and shattering relations with the European Union.

A popular vote is set for June 14, the government said this week. WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL? The initiative, launched by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), wants to write into Switzerland's constitution that the permanent resident population of the country shall not exceed 10 million people before 2050. In subsequent years, the limit would be adjusted annually by the Swiss government to account for any birth surplus. Under the slogan "preserving what we love," backers of the initiative want to limit options for asylum-seekers and their families to permanently reside in Switzerland if the population exceeds 9.5 million people before 2050. In that event, the Swiss government "shall also seek to renegotiate international agreements that drive population growth," according to the proposal. If the 10-million threshold is permanently crossed, authorities would be required to take all available measures to comply with the limit. That explicitly includes terminating a key agreement with the EU on the free movement of people. WHAT IS BEHIND IT? Switzerland's population has risen rapidly this century, stirring concern that infrastructure is being stretched, rents are too high, and wages under pressure. While the population only passed 7 million in the mid-1990s, it is now over 9 million, growing faster than in most neighbouring countries and putting Switzerland on track to hit the SVP threshold before mid-century.

US/MIDDLE EAST/MIL - Pentagon Prepares Second Aircraft Carrier to Deploy to the Middle East
https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-prepares-second-aircraft-carrier-to-deploy-to-the-middle-east-e7140a64?mod=world_feat1_middle-east_pos1

The Pentagon has told a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare to deploy to the Middle East as the U.S. military readies for a potential attack on Iran, according to three U.S. officials.

President Trump said Tuesday that he was weighing sending a second carrier to the Middle East to prepare for military action if negotiations with Iran failed. The order to deploy could be issued in a matter of hours, one of the officials said.

The officials cautioned that Trump hadn’t yet given an official order to deploy the second carrier, and that plans could change. The carrier would join aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln that is already in the region.

One of the officials said the Pentagon was readying a carrier to deploy in two weeks, likely from the U.S. East Coast. The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is completing a series of training exercises off the coast of Virginia, and it could potentially expedite those exercises, officials say.

The warship can launch and recover strike, electronic attack and reconnaissance aircraft. That includes carrier versions of the F-35 Lightning stealth fighter, according to a Navy official. The Wall Street Journal has previously reported any military strike inside Iran would likely use stealth aircraft, such as F-35 or F-22 Raptor jet fighters and B-2 Spirit bombers.

Trump met Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to discuss Iran negotiations. Details regarding a potential second round of talks with Iran have yet to be ironed out, officials say.

US/NAVY - Two U.S. Navy Ships Collide in Waters Near South America
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/two-u-s-navy-ships-collide-in-waters-near-south-america-e7480637?mod=world_feat2_asia_pos1

Two people reported minor injuries Wednesday when a U.S. warship and a Navy supply vessel assigned to the military buildup in the Caribbean collided during a ship-to-ship refueling, according to a military spokesman.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Truxtun and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply collided during a replenishment-at-sea, according to U.S. Southern Command spokesman Col. Emmanuel Ortiz. Two people reported minor injuries and are in stable condition, and both ships have reported that they are able to continue sailing safely, Ortiz said.

The cause of the collision isn’t yet clear and the incident is under investigation, Ortiz said. The exact location of the collision wasn’t immediately available. The Truxtun left its home port of Norfolk, Va., on Feb. 6 to begin its scheduled deployment. The Supply has been operating in the Caribbean. A military official said the collision was in the Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean and parts of the South Atlantic and South Pacific.

Separately, a Marine died after falling from the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean on Feb. 7, the Marine Corps announced Thursday. Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah was declared dead after an extensive 72-hour search-and-rescue operation. The incident is under investigation.

President Trump ordered a massive naval buildup in the Caribbean in recent months to support his campaign against drug traffickers in the region. There are 12 warships in U.S. Southern Command, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group.

So-called underway replenishments like the one involving the Truxtun and Supply involve transferring food, supplies and fuel between two ships sailing side-by-side. Ships like the Supply are owned by the Navy but primarily operated by civilian mariners.