Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing for Wednesday, February 25, 2026. One hundred seven stories this hour—let’s connect what’s breaking and what’s being missed.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on a narrowing window between war and diplomacy as Washington and Tehran edge toward a March strike threshold. In his State of the Union, President Trump condemned Iran’s “sinister” ambitions while saying he prefers diplomacy; Iran called those claims “big lies” and readied drills in the Strait of Hormuz. Geneva talks resume Feb. 27—mediated indirectly by Oman—with U.S. officials expecting a written Iranian proposal. Analysts warn war looks more likely than a deal as the deadline nears. The stakes stretch beyond missiles: shipping lanes, energy markets, and already‑strained aid pipelines across the region could reel from even a limited strike.

Today in Global Gist— - After the Supreme Court struck down most Trump tariffs under IEEPA, Customs will halt collections; the White House pivoted to a blanket global tariff—now 15%. Manufacturers want clarity; refunds and repricing loom. - Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz lands in Beijing, selling “fair competition” while resisting decoupling; at home, Berlin weighs armed drones and cloud antitrust scrutiny lands on Microsoft in Japan. - Pentagon–AI rift: DoD issued an ultimatum to Anthropic to allow national‑security uses or face restrictions, sharpening a global contest over military AI rules as the Air Force funds engines for autonomous “wingmen” and the F‑35 tests onboard target ID. - Middle East: Israel’s March 1 Gaza NGO ban would remove >50% of food aid capacity and much of field hospitals and shelter support during Ramadan; top groups have petitioned to halt the move. - Disasters: Brazil’s Minas Gerais floods killed at least 28 with dozens missing; Thailand battles a massive border‑police ammo‑depot fire after explosions—no fatalities reported; Thailand’s central bank also surprised with a rate cut to 1%. - Energy/consumers: UK household energy bills fall 7% in April—still about one‑third above pre‑war levels. Nevada orders $63M in utility refunds for misclassified customers. - Politics: Democrats protested the State of the Union; North Carolina’s open Senate race heats up; Switzerland votes soon on slashing public broadcaster SRG funding. Underreported, verified by our historical sweep: - Sudan: A UN mission finds the RSF’s siege of El Fasher bears “hallmarks of genocide,” echoing months of satellite evidence and mass‑burial reporting. Needs have exploded nationwide. - Somalia: 6.5 million face acute hunger amid drought; WFP warns food aid could halt within weeks without funds. - South Sudan: A new civil war has displaced more than 200,000 since December; UN agencies report attacks on aid convoys and rising cholera risk.

Today in Insight Analytica, tariff whiplash, tech militarization, and conflict suppression intersect. A 15% blanket U.S. tariff injects price uncertainty just as disasters and chokepoints—from Brazil’s landslides to Hormuz tension—threaten supply stability. As militaries deploy AI and uncrewed systems faster than regulation, humanitarian systems buckle: Gaza’s NGO ban risks collapsing lifelines; donor cuts and austerity cascade into hunger in Somalia and Sudan. Trade and tech policy choices ripple directly into food, fuel, and medicine on the ground.

Today in Regional Rundown— - Europe: Merz pushes “fair play” in Beijing while Germany advances drones; EU touts “turbo” FTAs; the UK trims energy bills; Bosnia faces renewed pressure on electoral reform. - Eastern Europe: Ukraine enters year five of war; EU leaders in Kyiv, Ottawa and London tighten sanctions and aid. - Middle East/North Africa: U.S.–Iran brinkmanship; Gaza NGO ban countdown; India’s PM visits Israel as defense/AI ties deepen. - Africa: Sudan’s Darfur atrocities flagged as genocidal; Somalia’s drought emergency intensifies; coverage of South Sudan’s civil war remains sparse despite fast‑rising displacement. - Americas: SCOTUS tariff ruling resets trade calculus; Brazil floods kill dozens; Minnesota politics roil over crime, guns, and program fraud claims; Walgreens closes a Texas distribution center. - Indo‑Pacific: Thailand cuts rates; Japan raids Microsoft; Indonesia weighs an aging carrier purchase; South Korea’s AI startups sprint; currency tailwinds lift China’s yuan.

Today in Social Soundbar— - Being asked: Will Geneva talks avert a U.S.–Iran strike? How fast will tariff refunds flow—and will a 15% flat rate endure? - Not asked enough: What’s the operational plan—and funding—to keep Gaza’s hospitals, shelters, and food lines open if 37 NGOs are banned March 1? Where is the surge financing to prevent WFP’s Somalia pipeline from collapsing by April? Why is South Sudan’s war—now displacing hundreds of thousands—largely absent from headlines and donor agendas? Cortex concludes: From courtrooms to coastlines, rules and rain redraw risk. Tariffs reset prices; storms and sieges reset priorities. The through‑line is capacity: whether states, aid networks, or supply chains can hold under compound strain. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. Back at the top of the hour.