'Intense' Iran strikes, Georgia special election and empty book AI protest

Military attacks escalate in the Strait of Hormuz, 32 countries will release a record 400 million barrels of oil amid the simmering Iran war, Ghana, and South Korea strengthen ties during a state visit, Six are dead in a reportedly "deliberate" bus fire in Switzerland, The U.K. ends hereditary peers' rights to sit in the House of Lords, The trial begins for the alleged assassins of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, A report suggests that the White House is advising the GOP to avoid "mass deportation" rhetoric, The U.S. Senate confirms that General Rudd will lead Cyber Command and the NSA, The U.S. election in Georgia's 14th district heads to a runoff, and Bam Adebayo scores 83 points in a game - the second-most in NBA history. Sources: Verity.News

Pete Hegseth announces the most "intense" day of strikes on Iran, Georgia holds a special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, Democrats sue to determine if Trump will deploy armed officers to election sites, shots are fired at the U.S. consulate in Toronto, Australia grants asylum to seven Iranian women soccer players, the U.K. House of Commons approves a plan to restrict juries, Anthropic sues the U.S. over its ban on Claude, Uber expands its "Women Preference" feature across the U.S., daily multivitamins show signs of slowing biological aging, and around 10,000 authors publish an empty book in protest of AI firms. Sources: Verity.News

Iran claims a strike on the USS Abraham Lincoln as the Mideast conflict continues, President Trump predicts that Cuba will "fall soon," the U.S. grants India a 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil, Sudan's army retakes a strategic city, Hungary is accused of taking Ukrainian bank staff hostage, reports claim that the U.S. military used Anthropic's Claude AI in strikes against Iran, a House panel advances a kids' online safety bill, Jimmy Lai won't appeal his 20-year sentence in Hong Kong, Polymarket removes its nuclear detonation betting market, and Germany's Lower House passes a wolf-hunting bill. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. Senate rejects a resolution requiring congressional approval for continued military action in Iran, Israel issues evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, Trump replaces Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem, Nepalis vote in the first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests overturned the government, China sets its lowest growth target since 1991 at 4.5-5%, The U.K. offers failed asylum seekers £40,000 to leave voluntarily, Trump and Bondi are sued over the administration's TikTok deal, A study suggests that global sea levels have been underestimated, A lawsuit alleges that Google's Gemini was responsible for a man's suicide, and Hall of Fame Coach Lou Holtz dies at 89. Sources: Verity.News

Israel attacks what it characterizes as "security headquarters" across Tehran, a U.S. sub sinks an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, Syria reinforces its borders amid simmering regional tensions, China begins its "Two Sessions" political meetings, German Chancellor Merz meets President Trump in Washington, the U.S. and Ecuador launch joint anti-narcoterrorism operations, James Talarico defeats Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary, while Steve Toth beats incumbent Dan Crenshaw in a Texas GOP Congressional contest, TikTok confirms it won't add end-to-end encryption to DMs, and the Future of Life Institute releases a Pro-Human AI Declaration. Sources: Verity.News

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh is hit by drones, Primary voters head to the polls across Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina, An Indian consulate staff is accused of aiding the 2023 assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist, Melania Trump presides over a U.N. Security Council meeting, U.K. Chancellor Reeves delivers the spring financial forecast, A Paris court reduces the sentences of three men convicted for beheading a teacher, Bill and Hillary Clinton's Epstein deposition videos are released, Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on immigration enforcement, Several U.S. departments join the Trump administration's ban on Anthropic, and a lost Rembrandt painting is authenticated after 60 years. Sources: Verity.News

Pete Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is different from Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel strikes Lebanon after Hezbollah launches missiles, Donald Trump criticizes Keir Starmer over a delay in approving the use of U.K. military bases against Iran, Canada's Mark Carney meets with Narendra Modi, France announces plans to expand its nuclear arsenal and end warhead disclosure, at least 169 people are killed in an attack in South Sudan, a Pakistani airstrike on Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base is reportedly thwarted, the U.K. reduces the refugee protection period to 30 months, Anthropic’s Claude AI suffers a major outage, and Brigid Kosgei wins the Tokyo Marathon in record time. Sources: Verity.News

Pakistan declares an "open war' on Afghanistan after airstrikes, British and French paratroopers prepare for a possible Ukraine peacekeeping mission, Over 500 body bags are found near the 2026 World Cup venue in Mexico, The U.S. encourages embassy staff to evacuate Israel as tensions simmer with Iran, Melania Trump is slated to preside over a U.N. Security Council meeting, The U.S. military shoots down a Border Patrol drone over Texas, Trump activists reportedly push a draft executive order regarding alleged election threats, Netflix drops its Warner Bros. bid after a Paramount counteroffer, Jack Dorsey's firm Block cuts 4,000 jobs, citing AI, and a U.S. Congressional report suggests that China is operating 11 military-linked space sites in Latin America. Sources: Verity.News

Hillary Clinton testifies in the U.S. House oversight committee's Epstein probe, WEF Chief Borge Brende resigns, the U.S. and Iran hold a third round of talks in Geneva, Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen announces snap elections for March 24, the U.K. reaffirms its commitment to the Chagos Islands deal, Trump's surgeon general nominee testifies in a Senate confirmation hearing, an independent probe alleges systemic failures in the U.K.'s maternity care, Instagram unveils measures to alert parents if teens "repeatedly" search for self-harm content, a U.S. judge orders Greenpeace to pay an expected $345 million in a pipeline protest lawsuit, and Amazon adds three new personalities to Alexa+. Sources: Verity.News

President Trump delivers the State of the Union address, India's Narendra Modi visits Israel, Cuba says that four people have been shot dead on a U.S.-registered speedboat, Anthony Albanese is evacuated after a bomb threat in Australia, Japan plans to deploy missiles on an island near Taiwan by 2031, South African men who fought in the Ukraine war are repatriated, the CIA urges Iranians to contact the agency in a Farsi-language post, Secretary Hegseth states that Anthropic must reconsider AI safeguards, Brazil declares a state of calamity over deadly flooding, and a study found that AI models used nuclear weapons 95% of the time in war simulations. Sources: Verity.News