Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing for Sunday, November 23, 2025, 11:35 AM Pacific. From 83 reports this hour, we track what’s leading — and what’s left out.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on Beirut. Before noon local time, Israeli jets struck the dense southern suburb of Haret Hreik, killing five and wounding at least 25–28, in a targeted hit Israel says killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai. The strike lands two days after Lebanon agreed to talks, and amid a year of near‑daily ceasefire breaches. Historical scans show repeated Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon in October–November, an attack on Ein el‑Hilweh camp that killed 13, and EU calls on Israel to respect the truce. The operation dominates because it risks a rapid spiral: an assassination in a capital, a frayed ceasefire in Lebanon, and a Gaza truce already under strain.

Today in Global Gist: - G20 Johannesburg closes: President Ramaphosa ended the first G20 on African soil after refusing a U.S. request to hand over the presidency to a junior envoy. With a U.S. boycott, China and partners steered discussions on debt, climate, and critical minerals. - Ukraine diplomacy: Geneva talks continued on a U.S. 28‑point plan. Europe laid red lines, Germany and Italy say large portions are workable but key issues remain. Washington stresses “progress,” while Kyiv faces battlefield pressure and winter blackouts. - UK–Russia at sea: The Royal Navy shadowed a Russian corvette and tanker through the Channel amid a 30% rise in Russian activity near UK waters. - Nigeria kidnappings: At least 303 students and 12 teachers were seized in Niger state; about 50 escaped. Security fears are surging nationwide. - Bangladesh–India rift: Dhaka formally requested New Delhi extradite ex‑PM Sheikh Hasina after her death sentence in absentia; India is refusing, widening a regional standoff. - Tech and platforms: Meta shelved research showing social harms; X’s new account‑origin feature shows influential accounts based abroad; CuriosityStream’s AI‑training IP licensing lifted revenue; Napster’s parent said a promised $3B funding round collapsed. - WHO tobacco rules: Talks on cigarette filter bans slip to 2027. Underreported, confirmed by historical scans: - Sudan: Famine confirmed in parts of Darfur; cholera across all 18 states; 14 million displaced; funding far short. - Myanmar: 16.7 million food insecure; funding gaps threaten WFP pipelines as news attention drifts to scam‑center raids. - Global aid: Aid flows down 30–40% versus 2023, with imminent breaks in multiple hotspots.

Today in Insight Analytica, one thread ties conflict, capacity, and legitimacy. Targeted strikes in Beirut risk widening a front that already bleeds across borders. In Ukraine, infrastructure attacks plus murky ceasefire terms create leverage at the table. The aid collapse converts fiscal gaps into mortality in Sudan and Myanmar. Information ecosystems — from platform research decisions to state‑aligned influence — shape both what leaders do and what societies see.

- Europe: EU rebukes elements of the U.S. Ukraine plan; Poland probes Russian hybrid attacks after rail sabotage; Marseille confronts drug violence; BBC leadership turmoil lingers. - Eastern Europe: Russia intensifies winter grid strikes; Ukraine leans on drones and UGVs to hold chokepoints around Pokrovsk and Myrnograd. - Middle East: Beirut strike eliminates a top Hezbollah commander; Gaza ceasefire remains fragile; Iran seeks Saudi mediation as IAEA access disputes persist; Israel’s IDF chief sanctions commanders over October 7 failures. - Africa: G20 hosted in South Africa without the U.S.; Nigeria reels from mass abductions; CNN ties Tanzanian police to a lethal postelection crackdown; Sudan’s famine and cholera surge with scant funding. - Indo‑Pacific: Japan tightens chip‑plant cybersecurity to secure subsidies; Japan‑Philippines drills deepen access pact; Bangladesh–India tensions sharpen over Hasina; Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis deepens beneath political theater. - Americas: U.S. debates ACA subsidies with a year‑end cliff; SNAP reapplication crush looms in 2026; discussions continue on Nigeria sanctions and possible troop options; Brazil moves Bolsonaro to a detention facility for flight‑risk.

Questions being asked: - Will the Beirut strike trigger a broader Israel–Hezbollah fight despite a standing ceasefire? - Can Geneva yield a Ukraine deal that protects sovereignty and security under winter duress? Questions not asked enough: - Why do Sudan and Myanmar remain catastrophically underfunded as famine and disease spread? - What replaces U.S. convening power at the G20 when Washington is absent? - How will NATO and EU harden energy and rail networks against hybrid sabotage? - Who ensures transparency in platform governance when research on harms is halted? Cortex concludes From a pinpoint strike in Beirut to a summit without Washington, today’s through‑line is power tested at its seams — in battle lines, budgets, and institutions. We’ll keep tracking what’s decided — and what’s deferred. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing. Stay informed, stay steady.