This is NewsCard Daily for Sunday, February 22nd, 2026 ... your briefing on the stories shaping our world.

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We begin in Eastern Europe where the war in Ukraine is intensifying dramatically. Ukrainian forces have struck a Russian missile factory in central Russia, hitting a crucial plant that produces Iskander ballistic missiles. The strike injured at least eleven people and comes after a deadly Russian drone attack on Kharkiv just days earlier. Russia's Vladimir Putin is vowing to wipe Ukraine off the map in response. Yet despite the escalating violence, U.S.-brokered peace talks continue. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for unity in negotiations while former U.S. President Donald Trump is urging Ukraine to engage quickly at the negotiating table. The question now is whether either side can step back from the brink.

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Moving to South Asia ... India's government is signaling a major shift in artificial intelligence. OpenAI's Sam Altman met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and came away deeply impressed. Altman told reporters he loves Modi's vision on AI and sees a win-win partnership ahead. This comes as India grapples with massive challenges ... data centers consuming enormous amounts of power and water. The meeting suggests New Delhi could become a crucial player in the global AI race and help solve some of the technology's biggest practical problems.

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In West Africa ... Nigeria's military is striking back against terror groups. The country reports killing a senior Boko Haram commander known as Abu Khalid, describing him as the group's deputy leader in the Sambisa Forest. Ten other fighters were eliminated in the raid. The U.S. is backing this effort, deploying two hundred soldiers to Nigeria to train the military and provide logistical support against Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist groups. It's a significant expansion of American military involvement in the region.

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Across the Atlantic ... Venezuela's opposition continues facing a brutal crackdown. Opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa was released from prison after more than eight months behind bars, but his freedom was short-lived. Hours after his release, he was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing. The abduction underscores the dangers facing dissidents in Venezuela. Meanwhile, Mexico is stepping in to help Cuba's humanitarian crisis, deploying two navy vessels carrying more than eight hundred tonnes of aid as critical shortages grip the island nation.

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In the Middle East ... Iran's hardline judiciary is tightening its grip on dissent. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on collusion and propaganda charges. The conviction sends a chilling message to opposition voices across Iran. This as Armenia and the United States sign a historic nuclear deal worth up to nine billion dollars in nuclear energy exports. U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited Armenia to discuss implementing a peace agreement that could finally end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

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