February 23, 2026

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional tensions:

• Amidst ongoing tensions and the continued buildup of U.S. military forces in the region, a new round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks has reportedly been scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. Reports note that Iran has indicated it is preparing a formal response to U.S. demands made in previous talks concerning Iran's nuclear program.  [more]
• Multiple Arab countries issued a joint statement yesterday criticizing U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for a comment in an interview in which he suggested that Israel has a right to much of the Middle East. The joint statement from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian Authority, and several Arab governing bodies characterized Huckabee's comment as "dangerous and inflammatory" and as endangering regional stability. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,458 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Hungary has threatened to block European Union plans for a new round of sanctions on Russia and for a 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary, which travel through Ukraine and were disrupted in late January due to pipeline damage, are resumed. E.U. diplomats are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the measures. [more]

U.S. TARIFFS | President Donald Trump says he intends to impose a global tariff of 15% on goods imported into the U.S. following Friday's Supreme Court ruling that struck down tariffs he had imposed under an emergency power law. Reports note Trump, who strongly condemned the Supreme Court justices that joined the 6-3 majority ruling, had originally stated after the ruling that he would impose a 10% global tariff under provisions that allow such a move for up to 150 days before requiring congressional approval. It remains unclear if, or when, any rebates of the approximately $133 billion already collected under the tariffs found to be illegal will be provided to businesses or consumers. [more]

U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SHUTDOWN | As the Department of Homeland Security shutdown enters its second week amidst the ongoing failure to reach a deal on funding in Congress, DHS announced yesterday that the Global Entry customs expediting program has been suspended for as long as the shutdown remains in effect. Reports note the department said earlier that the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program would also be suspended but clarified yesterday that only Global Entry would be affected. [more]

FLORIDA | The U.S. Secret Service says an armed man, identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, was shot and killed by security forces while trying to access President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida early Sunday. Reports note that Trump was in Washington, DC, at the time of the incident. [more]

U.S. WEATHER | Numerous northeastern states have declared emergencies and issued travel restrictions, and thousands of flights have been canceled, amidst an ongoing winter storm that is expected to drop 1-2 feet of snow across the region. New York City and Boston both canceled school classes for today due to the storm. [more]

NEW YORK | Some 4,000 nurses in the privately-run NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system voted over the weekend to ratify a new contract and end their six-week strike. Nursing union officials say the new deal reached with hospitals includes staffing improvements, pay increases, and safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence. [more]

LOUISIANA | Overturning a lower court ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Friday said Louisiana could move forward with requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms of the state's public schools and universities. The court said in its unsigned ruling that it was "premature" to assess the law's general constitutionality and that it would need to be evaluated based on how it is actually implemented by local school boards. [more]

U.S. AND E.U. | Following Friday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down many of President Donald Trump's tariffs, European Commission officials say they have asked the U.S. to clarify its trade position and to fulfill trade commitments made in the E.U-U.S. joint trade deal reached last year. [more]

MEXICO | Schools have been closed, and authorities have urged citizens to be cautious, in several Mexican states today following the weekend killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes during a military operation to capture him. Authorities have reported clearing hundreds of cartel roadblocks, and reports note that the city of Guadalajara – Mexico's second largest city – was effectively shut down yesterday amidst cartel violence following Cervantes' death. [more]

NORTH KOREA | State media reports that leader Kim Jong Un has been re-elected to the top post of North Korea's ruling party during the country's Workers’ Party congress. [more]

PHILIPPINES | International Criminal Court hearings into alleged use of death squads by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to carry out extrajudicial killings opened today in The Hague. Following presentation of the case by prosecutors, ICC judges will have 60 days to decide if the case against Duterte is strong enough to merit a trial. [more]

NETHERLANDS | King Willem-Alexander swore in the new coalition government of Prime Minister Rob Jetten today – 117 days after national elections that were decided only after a count of postal ballots. Jetten, 38, is the Netherlands' youngest-ever and first openly gay prime minister. [more]

CHAD AND SUDAN | Reports say Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan today following weekend clashes in which five Chadian soldiers and three civilians were killed amidst violence between Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that spilled over the African nations' border. [more]

OLYMPICS | With medal competitions at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games concluded, Norway finished the Games with the most overall medals with 41, followed by the United States with 33, host country Italy with 30, Germany with 26, and Japan with 24. [medal tracker] [more]

U.S. OLYMPICS | The U.S. men's Olympic hockey team beat Canada, 2-1, in overtime yesterday to win its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" games in Lake Placid, New York. [more]

GOLF | Jacob Bridgeman shot a final-round 1-over-par 72 yesterday to win his first PGA Tour title, finishing one shot ahead of both Kurt Kitayama and Rory McIlroy at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera. [more]

SPACE | NASA's Artemis II moon mission, which had been postponed to March 6 following a failed fueling test, was pushed back further over the weekend after a malfunction of the Space Launch System rocket's helium system was detected during testing. The space agency is reported to now be targeting an April launch date. [more]

FILM AWARDS | “One Battle After Another” led the awardees at last night's 2026 British Academy Film Awards with six prizes, including best picture, followed by "Sinners" and "Frankenstein" with three awards each and "Hamnet" with two. [full list of winners] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "GOAT" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $17 million in receipts, followed by "Wuthering Heights" and "I Can Only Imagine 2." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1836, during the Texas war for independence, Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna began a siege of the Alamo, which was captured after 13 days and became a symbol of heroic resistance. [more history]