The REM^INDER Audit #009

Verified by: Reuters, Al-Monitor

On February 9, 2026, Israel implemented measures to expedite settler land acquisition in the occupied West Bank and widen its enforcement powers in areas where Palestinians have self-rule. The measures make previously confidential West Bank land registries public and repeal a Jordanian law governing land purchases, while expanding Israeli 'monitoring and enforcement actions' into Areas A and B regarding water offenses, archaeological damage, and environmental hazards. Under the Oslo Accords, the West Bank is divided into Areas A (18%, Palestinian Authority full control), B (22%, PA civil affairs with Israeli security), and C (60%, full Israeli control including the Jordanian border). Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the measures as violations of international law aimed at undermining Palestinian institutions and a two-state solution, while Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the decision a 'real revolution' and vowed to 'kill the idea of a Palestinian state'.

Sources Audited: Al-Monitor, Reuters

Verified by: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

In February 2026, Uganda's Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi condemned a military raid on opposition leader Bobi Wine's home that occurred last month. Baryomunsi stated Bobi Wine had committed no crime and was free to return to his home in Kampala, where he has been in hiding since fleeing hours before being announced the runner-up to President Yoweri Museveni in the January 15 presidential election. On January 24, Bobi Wine reported soldiers invaded his residence and took his wife to hospital, alleging they partially undressed and choked her. Uganda's military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba initially denied soldiers assaulted Wine's wife but later said on X they had 'captured and then released' her. Baryomunsi announced authorities would investigate the incident, stating 'invading his home, causing damage, assaulting his wife, or anybody, is wrong.'

Sources Audited: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

Verified by: The Straits Times (Singapore), South China Morning Post, Reuters

In January 2026, LSEG shipping data recorded a record 1.4 million metric tons of Russian crude departing for Singapore, the highest monthly volume in recent years. Traders report Singapore is used as a placeholder destination to obscure the final buyers of Russian oil, with cargoes often discharged near Malaysia or transferred to floating storage units via ship-to-ship transfers in nearby waters. Singapore itself does not import Russian oil due to sanction risks. This marks a shift from previous practices where tankers bound for India listed Egypt's Port Said or the Suez Canal. The use of such vague ports has surged as companies seek to mitigate sanction risks.

Sources Audited: Reuters, South China Morning Post, The Straits Times (Singapore)

Verified by: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

In February 2026, the United States will turn over two major NATO command posts to European officers. The posts are NATO's Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, and Joint Force Command Norfolk in Virginia, both currently led by U.S. admirals. In exchange, the U.S. will take command of three lower-hierarchy operational commands: Allied Air Command, Allied Maritime Command, and Allied Land Command. A NATO official confirmed on February 9 that allies have agreed on a new distribution of senior officer responsibility across the NATO Command Structure. The official stated that European Allies, including NATO's newest members, will play a more prominent role in the Alliance's military leadership under this new arrangement. The decision relates to planning for future rotations, with more details to be provided later.

Sources Audited: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

Verified by: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will meet the foreign ministers of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in Berlin on February 11, 2026, to discuss energy and Russian sanctions circumvention. The 20th EU sanctions package against Russia, under consideration in February 2026, could for the first time impose measures on Central Asian states, specifically Kyrgyzstan, as companies from the region are accused of systematically buying EU goods for resale to Russia. Germany's trade volume with Kyrgyzstan has significantly increased since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The EU has proposed adding two Kyrgyz banks, Keremet and OJSC Capital Bank of Central Asia, to its sanctions list for providing crypto asset services to Russia. While Reuters details specific proposed measures, including bans on sales of certain machinery to Kyrgyzstan and sanctions on ports in Georgia and Indonesia, other sources focus on the broader diplomatic context of the Berlin meeting.

Sources Audited: Reuters, The Straits Times (Singapore), The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

Verified by: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

On February 7, 2026, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos sent a formal letter to his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh, accusing Eritrea of military aggression. The letter stated Eritrean forces had occupied Ethiopian territory along their shared border for an extended period and were providing material support to militant groups operating inside Ethiopia. Ethiopia demanded the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces and an end to cooperation with armed groups. On February 9, Eritrea's Ministry of Information rejected the accusations as 'false and fabricated,' calling them part of a hostile campaign. An Eritrean government spokesperson stated officials were checking whether the letter had been delivered. The two nations, which fought a war from 1998 to 2000 and signed a peace deal in 2018, were allies during Ethiopia's Tigray war, but Eritrea was not a party to the 2022 agreement that ended that conflict.

Sources Audited: The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters, Reuters, Reuters, The Straits Times (Singapore)

Verified by: TRT World (Turkey), The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

On February 9, 2026, Iran's atomic chief Mohammad Eslami stated Iran could agree to dilute its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium if all U.S. financial sanctions are lifted. Indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, mediated by Oman, resumed in Muscat on February 6, 2026, after an eight-month suspension following the Iran-Israel war in June 2025. The two sides held five rounds of talks in 2025. Iran's senior security official Ali Larijani is scheduled to visit Oman on February 10, 2026, to meet with Omani officials following the talks. Reuters and The Straits Times specify the condition is the lifting of all financial sanctions, while TRT World reports the demand is for all sanctions on the country.

Sources Audited: TRT World (Turkey), Reuters, The Straits Times (Singapore)

Verified by: Reuters

On February 8, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced sanctions against foreign manufacturers supplying components for Russian drones and missiles used against Ukraine. Zelenskiy stated that producing Russian weaponry would be impossible without these critical foreign components, which Russia obtains by circumventing sanctions. He also imposed sanctions against the Russian financial sector and entities supporting Russia's crypto market and mining operations. Russia has sharply increased missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in recent months, focusing on energy and logistics sectors. In the past week alone, Russia launched over 2,000 attack drones, 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and 116 missiles at Ukrainian cities and villages.

Sources Audited: Reuters

Verified by: Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), The Straits Times (Singapore), Reuters

A South Korean Army AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter crashed on February 9, 2026, during a training flight in Gapyeong County, approximately 55 kilometers northeast of Seoul. The helicopter went down shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time, killing both crew members on board. The two warrant officers were transported to hospitals in a state of cardiac arrest but succumbed to their injuries. Authorities confirmed the incident did not involve any fires or explosions. Following the accident, the Army suspended operations of all AH-1S helicopters and established an emergency response team to investigate the cause.

Sources Audited: Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Reuters, South China Morning Post, Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), The Straits Times (Singapore), The Straits Times (Singapore)

Verified by: TRT World (Turkey), Associated Press

On February 6, 2026, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, the first deputy head of Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU), was shot several times at an apartment building in northwestern Moscow and hospitalized. Russian authorities announced on February 8 that the suspected shooter, identified as Russian citizen Lyubomir Korba, had been detained in Dubai and handed over to Russia. The Federal Security Service (FSB) stated it identified two accomplices, with one detained in Moscow and another who 'left for Ukraine.' Alexeyev's boss, GRU head Admiral Igor Kostyukov, was leading Russia's delegation in peace negotiations with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi at the time of the shooting. While Russian authorities allege Ukrainian involvement, Ukraine has denied any connection to the attack.

Sources Audited: Associated Press, TRT World (Turkey)

Verified by: Deutsche Welle (DW), Bloomberg News, Reuters

Spanish train drivers launched a three-day nationwide strike on February 9, 2026, protesting safety conditions following two fatal accidents in January. A high-speed collision in Andalusia on January 18 killed 46 people, and a derailment near Barcelona on January 20 killed a train driver. The strike was called off the same day after unions reached a deal with the government, which includes a €1.8 billion investment in railroad maintenance until 2030 and the hiring of 3,650 additional workers. Minimum service requirements during the strike mandated 73% of long-distance trains and 65% of regional trains continue operating. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to be questioned in parliament about rail system failures later this week.

Sources Audited: Deutsche Welle (DW), Bloomberg News, Reuters, The Straits Times (Singapore), Bloomberg News, BBC World News, The Straits Times (Singapore)

Verified by: New York Times, Associated Press

Nurses and two major hospital systems in New York City reached a tentative agreement on February 9, 2026, to end a nearly month-long strike that began on January 12, 2026. The deal involves the Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospital systems and covers approximately 10,500 of the 15,000 nurses who participated in the walkout. The three-year agreement includes a 12% pay raise over the contract term and maintains nurses' health benefits with no additional out-of-pocket costs. While the Associated Press reports the pact includes new protections against workplace violence with specific safeguards for transgender and immigrant nurses, other sources focus on the preservation of pensions and increased staffing levels. The tentative agreements will be put to a vote by nurses in the coming days, with striking nurses returning to work within 72 hours if approved.

Sources Audited: Associated Press, New York Times, Associated Press

Verified by: TRT World (Turkey), Washington Post

On February 9, 2026, U.S. military forces boarded the sanctioned crude oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean. The vessel was tracked from the Caribbean Sea into the Indian Ocean, where the boarding occurred within the Indo-Pacific Command area. The Pentagon announced the operation on Monday, February 9, stating it was conducted without incident as part of a right-of-visit and maritime interdiction. While both sources confirm the boarding and tracking details, TRT World adds specific context about Operation Southern Spear, a U.S. military and counter-narcotics campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that began in September 2025. The Pentagon accused the Aquila II of operating in defiance of a U.S. quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and attempting to evade U.S. forces.

Sources Audited: Washington Post, TRT World (Turkey)

Verified by: Bloomberg News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington on Wednesday, February 9, 2026, for discussions with President Donald Trump about US-Iran diplomacy. The meeting focused on shaping the US approach to negotiations with Iran, with both leaders addressing Tehran's nuclear program. While Bloomberg News reports that Trump's focus on Iran's nuclear program falls short of Netanyahu's call for more sweeping measures, the core facts about the meeting's occurrence and purpose are consistently reported. The diplomatic engagement comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran. The meeting represents a key moment in US-Israeli coordination on Iran policy.

Sources Audited: Bloomberg News

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