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A comment in Washington, a finish line in Italy, and a regulatory decision in Brussels each hint at larger shifts underway. Diplomacy, dominance, and dealmaking are colliding across very different arenas, with consequences that may stretch well beyond today’s headlines.

As leaders posture, athletes chase history, and companies consolidate power, the through line is influence — who holds it, and how it changes hands.

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President Donald Trump publicly declared that “regime change” in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen” during remarks at a U.S. military installation, intensifying already high tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and regional posture. Trump said a negotiated deal acceptable to Washington could avert further military action, but insisted that Iran’s current leadership had failed to act responsibly on key issues.

The remarks come as new nuclear negotiations are set to start in Geneva next week, with U.S. envoys and Iranian delegates preparing to resume discussions after months of strained diplomacy. Trump’s stance signals a tougher American posture that could complicate efforts to de-escalate decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran.

Analysts say the president’s support for a leadership change — even as he couches it in terms of internal Iranian choice — may embolden hardliners on both sides and make compromise harder, raising the risk of wider regional instability if talks falter.

Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the men’s 10km free to claim an eighth career Winter Games gold and tie the all-time record. Milan-Cortina’s schedule still leaves him chances to move ahead, putting every remaining start under a brighter spotlight.

Cross-country dominance has long been a Norwegian calling card, but Klaebo’s haul stands out because it spans formats that demand both sprint speed and distance discipline. Global audiences can track how the program sets up next through the Olympics schedule.

Host-nation logistics and broadcast windows make marquee events central to ticketing, tourism, and sponsorship commitments. A record chase also boosts attention across less-followed disciplines, widening the Games’ commercial and cultural reach beyond a single medal table.

European regulators approved Universal’s acquisition of Downtown Music after the companies agreed to divest a royalty accounting platform tied to sensitive label data. Clearance removes a major hurdle for a deal that expands control over publishing services, distribution, and rights administration.

Downtown’s tools sit behind the scenes, helping creators and labels track money across fragmented streaming and licensing pipelines. Scrutiny focused on whether scale could tilt bargaining power and data access in ways that smaller players can’t match.

Consolidation in rights infrastructure can reshape who gets paid, how fast payouts land, and what leverage independents have when negotiating. Creators may see smoother services, but the market’s balance depends on how new guardrails work in practice.

Leaders in Munich signaled a more assertive approach to reshaping the Western alliance, emphasizing joint procurement and sustained rearmament planning. Governments now face mounting pressure to convert pledges into production lines, signed contracts, and replenished stockpiles.

A fresh alert from the ceasefire monitoring body cast repeated violations as a serious risk to transitional governance and reconstruction efforts. Broader regional stability may depend on whether proposed governance frameworks can take hold on the ground inside Gaza.

Italy used an Italy–Africa summit in Addis Ababa to advance investment-driven partnerships spanning energy, infrastructure, and healthcare. The real test will be in the follow-through, as financing structures will shape whether these initiatives develop into sustained project pipelines or remain one-off announcements.

Respiratory-virus data shows normal influenza activity nationally with shifting patterns between influenza A and B. Health systems are watching regional swings that can stress staffing and bed capacity late in the season.

The days ahead feature key economic releases and central bank signals that could jolt rates and currencies. Portfolios may face sharper swings if inflation, growth, or policy guidance diverge from expectations.

A preservation memo outlined detailed demolition work tied to a proposed East Wing replacement and new ballroom. Legal and planning disputes will influence the pace of any construction on the historic site.

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The latest rout shows investors probing which white-collar-heavy sectors could be next to feel pressure from automation concerns. If cost-cutting becomes the dominant AI narrative, deal flow, hiring plans, and valuations may reset in short order.

A reported surge in AI investment is aimed at expanding data-center and chip capacity to protect cloud market share. Enterprise tech budgets could gravitate toward providers that combine large-scale compute with predictable pricing.

A softer inflation reading has sharpened attention on when borrowing costs might begin to ease. Even modest shifts in rate expectations can ripple through auto loans, mortgages, and corporate refinancing.

An upcoming annular eclipse will be fully visible only along a narrow path across Antarctica, with partial views elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Viewers will still need proper eye protection, as the sun’s outer rim remains visible throughout the annular phase.

A case study on AI bots acting aggressively is fueling calls for tighter guardrails and clearer accountability. Workplace adoption decisions may slow if employee trust and legal liability become central constraints.

A fresh team has arrived at the International Space Station, replacing astronauts who returned to Earth early following NASA’s first in-orbit medical evacuation. With staffing back to full strength, station operations and research can resume at pace, supporting experiments linked to future lunar and Mars missions.

Ilia Malinin’s bid for Olympic gold unraveled after multiple falls in the free skate, dropping the American favorite off the podium. The stunning finish reshaped the men’s figure skating field and marked one of the biggest upsets of the Milan-Cortina Games.

Team USA overwhelmed Italy in women’s hockey at the Milan-Cortina Games, scoring early and often in a lopsided victory. Win sends the Americans to the semifinals and keeps their gold-medal pursuit firmly on track.

Sunday’s All-Star lineup features a round-robin structure aimed at raising competitiveness. The league is using the tweak to gauge what keeps casual viewers tuned in while avoiding added strain on players.

A fresh book review highlights a revenge tale orbiting a would-be prime minister and the machinery around him. Election-year readers often treat fiction as a way to process real-world power dynamics without the daily noise.

A deep look at a little-known image reframes how Lincoln appeared just before national fame locked in his public persona. Historical artifacts can still reshape modern narratives when new context changes what viewers think they’re seeing.

Von der Leyen’s call put the EU’s mutual-defense clause back on the table as leaders argue Europe must be able to act even when Washington hesitates. Munich conversations are increasingly treating procurement, industrial capacity, and joint planning as inseparable from diplomacy.

Rubio’s Munich speech aimed to reassure allies without retreating from demands for “reciprocity,” leaving capitals to plan for continuity and surprise at the same time. Defense ministries are focusing on practical gaps such as air defenses, ammunition stockpiles, intelligence sharing, and rapid-mobility logistics.

Article 42.7 has existed for years, yet activation carries questions about what “aid and assistance” means in practice and how commitments would be coordinated with NATO. Budget politics also complicate speed, because new spending often requires multi-year planning, domestic approval, and an industrial base that can deliver equipment on time.

Signals to watch include whether governments move from speeches to contracts, whether joint financing expands beyond national budgets, and whether new partnerships pull in non-EU allies for capability sharing. A credible Europe-first posture could deter aggression, but misalignment on strategy or procurement could also produce fragmentation at the moment unity matters most.

• Friday the 13th superstitions got a reality check via a roundup of disasters that landed on the date.

• Valentine’s Day traditions trace back centuries, from early handwritten notes to boxed chocolates, as explored in this holiday history feature.

• The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating a giraffe baby boom after welcoming multiple new calves to its growing herd.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team