Global Intelligence Briefing

Good evening. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 4:36 PM Pacific. We’ve analyzed 108 reports from the last hour to surface what’s reported — and what’s missing.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on a tightening U.S.–Iran standoff running parallel to fragile diplomacy. As evening falls over the Gulf, Washington surges more than 50 fighter jets and a carrier group while indirect talks, led by U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, inch forward but leave gaps. Hamas publicly urges President Trump’s “Board of Peace” to curb Israeli operations in Gaza; Israel’s finance minister vows to end the Oslo framework, raising stakes for any deal. Why it leads: concurrent military signaling, contested ceasefire implementation in Gaza, and the absence of great-power nuclear guardrails after New START lapsed — all compress miscalculation risk. U.S. officials also briefed out renewed allegations that China conducted an illicit 2020 nuclear test at Lop Nur, further straining strategic stability.

Today in Global Gist — headlines and the overlooked - U.S. politics and policy: DHS funding is days from expiring amid immigration enforcement disputes; the administration rescinds the EPA’s greenhouse-gas endangerment finding, upending U.S. climate regulation. An immigration judge blocks deportation of a Palestinian Columbia student; ICE warehouse purchases spur local pushback. - Europe: France arrests nine over a far-right activist’s killing in Lyon; the UK reassesses Epstein-linked private flights at Stansted; EU scrutiny intensifies on Shein over “addictive design.” - Middle East: U.S.–Iran talks show partial progress with sizeable gaps; reports of added U.S. airpower to the region; debate intensifies as Israeli officials float dismantling the PA. - Eastern Europe: Zelensky warns against U.S. pressure for territorial concessions; Ukraine’s energy deficit persists after mass Russian strikes. - Indo-Pacific: Bipartisan push for a Quad summit before a U.S.–China meeting; the U.S. plans more missile launchers in the Philippines; Australia expands Ghost Bat drones; Japan advances green-tech exports. - Business/Tech: Amazon breaks a nine-day slide; Nvidia exits its Arm stake; Google inks a 150 MW Nevada geothermal deal; Western Digital eyes a $3.09B raise. Underreported but critical (validated by NewsPlanetAI research): - Sudan: Drone strikes hit Kordofan as UN-backed monitors warn famine is spreading across Darfur; 33.7 million need aid. Our historical review confirms a month of escalating warnings with scant airtime. - Haiti: The transitional council dissolved, transferring sole executive power to PM Fils-Aimé; elections remain “materially impossible.” Coverage remains minimal despite major governance shifts. - Nigeria: At least 32 killed in new village raids, days after massacres in Kwara and Katsina killed roughly 170–200; attacks have surged for weeks.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads - Frayed guardrails: New START’s expiry removes binding limits as the U.S. alleges a Chinese nuclear test and ramps forces near Iran, raising the premium on quiet deconfliction — not just public summits. - System stress into human loss: Ukraine’s power grid, Gaza’s constrained aid corridors, and Nigeria’s rural insecurity show how shocks cascade into hunger, displacement, and excess mortality. - The austerity amplifier: Ongoing cuts to aid — with recent studies warning tens of millions of preventable deaths by 2030 — collide with conflict and climate, turning local crises into regional emergencies.

Today in Regional Rundown - Americas: DHS funding brinkmanship; ICE facilities face local resistance; in Minnesota, a federal–state standoff continues to sap trust and labor stability. Haiti’s power transfer to PM Fils-Aimé draws almost no daily coverage despite prolonged election delays. - Europe/Eastern Europe: France’s arrests in Lyon; UK revisits Epstein-linked flights; Ukraine resists external pressure on territorial concessions amid energy strain. - Middle East: U.S.–Iran talks make partial headway as U.S. forces surge; Hamas calls on Washington to enforce Gaza ceasefire terms; Israeli ministers telegraph a post-Oslo vision. - Africa: Sudan’s famine map expands; Nigeria reels from mass attacks; DRC and Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions persist largely off front pages. - Indo-Pacific: U.S.–Philippines missile deployments unsettle Beijing; Australia advances loyal-wingman drones; Japan markets steady post-election.

Today in Social Soundbar — the questions Asked today: - Can U.S.–Iran diplomacy outpace military escalation long enough to lock in verifiable steps? - Will EU enforcement change fast-fashion platform behavior or migrate problems elsewhere? Unasked — but should be: - Sudan: What immediate funding, access guarantees, and monitoring can halt famine spread before peak lean season? - Arms control gap: With New START expired, what verifiable interim limits prevent breakout and accident? - Haiti: What checks exist on a sole executive with elections deferred? - Climate governance: After the endangerment finding rollback, what credible pathway regulates U.S. emissions? Cortex concludes: From the Gulf’s flight lines to Darfur’s empty markets and Kyiv’s dim substations, today’s hour pairs headline crises with quieter inflection points — fewer rules, tighter margins, and rising human stakes. We’ll track the news — and the silences. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing. Stay informed. Stay safe.