Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing for Tuesday, December 2, 2025. From 78 reports this hour, we separate what’s loud from what’s large — and surface what’s missing.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on Ukraine’s fragile push toward a ceasefire framework as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Moscow for talks with President Putin. Why it leads: the talks test a draft plan whose core terms have shifted in recent weeks to satisfy Kyiv while signaling limits on Ukraine’s future force levels and NATO horizons. Our historical check shows the Kremlin confirmed Witkoff’s visit last week; revised drafts have run from 19 to 28 points, with Europe wary of terms retaining occupied territory. Moscow’s battlefield confidence and the ECB’s refusal today to backstop a €140 billion Ukraine loan underline the leverage math that will shape any deal.

Today in Global Gist: - Middle East: Despite an October 10 ceasefire, watchdogs tally 500+ violations in Gaza and over 10,000 along the Lebanon front; UN bodies cite likely war crimes. Israel’s comptroller flags gaps protecting critical sites and biosecurity, and warns transport infrastructure remains vulnerable. - Sri Lanka: Cyclone Ditwah’s floods have hit all 25 districts, with 1.46 million affected, 410 dead, and 336 missing. Our historical review shows a rapid escalation from a declared emergency and 150+ deaths two days ago to today’s higher toll; aid flows from India, the UK, China, Australia, and Nepal continue amid criticism of state readiness. - Europe: Germany readies Arrow‑3 near Berlin and launches a new counter‑drone police unit; Bulgaria withdraws its 2026 budget amid street protests; the ECB says it cannot backstop the EU plan to lend to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets — consistent with months of legal and systemic‑risk warnings from Brussels and Belgium. - UK: England and Wales move to scrap jury trials for offenses under three years’ maximum to cut court backlogs; a separate inquiry finds a quarter of forces still lack basic sexual‑offense policies four years after Sarah Everard’s murder. - Africa: UNHCR reports nearly 100,000 newly displaced in northern Mozambique in two weeks; five South Africans appear in court over recruitment to fight in Ukraine; leaders in Algiers press recognition and reparations for colonial‑era crimes. - Indo‑Pacific: India’s mandatory Sanchar Saathi app order for new smartphones triggers privacy fears; Tajikistan seeks Russian help to secure its Afghan border. - Tech/Economy: Cyber Monday spending hits $14.25B, up 7.1% YoY; Mistral releases 10 open models under Apache 2.0; Axiado raises $100M for AI server silicon. Underreported, confirmed by our historical checks: - Sudan: Famine confirmed in parts of Darfur; 14 million displaced, with RSF atrocities documented and attacks continuing despite ceasefire talk. - Myanmar: WFP pipelines slashed after funding collapse; assistance at a fraction of need. - Tanzania: Credible probes link police to a deadly post‑election crackdown and possible mass graves; treason charges mount as silence persists.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads connect: Fiscal caution (ECB’s stance) and donor retrenchment (HIV and WFP cuts) constrain war‑to‑peace financing just as conflicts and climate shocks — Gaza/Lebanon, Sudan, Mozambique, Sri Lanka — expand humanitarian caseloads. Security upgrades (Arrow‑3, counter‑drone units) race against cheaper offensive tech (China’s low‑cost missiles), pushing states to harden infrastructure even as legal and rights standards (UK jury reforms, police failings) strain at home.

- Eastern Europe: Witkoff–Putin talks begin; Ukrainian troops doubt any pact that leaves Moscow leverage; ECB rebuff complicates Kyiv’s financing. - Middle East: Ceasefire breaches in Gaza and Lebanon persist; Israeli audits warn of critical infrastructure and biosecurity gaps; Netanyahu floats a Syria buffer zone concept. - Africa: Mozambique displacement surges; Congo–M23 accuse each other of truce breaches; Nigeria’s mass‑kidnapping crisis remains largely off today’s front pages. - Asia: Sri Lanka floods overwhelm capacity; India’s app mandate faces civil‑liberties pushback; Tajikistan weighs CSTO patrols. - Europe: Bulgaria’s budget pulled amid protests; Germany activates Arrow‑3; Eurovision faces a rules test over political interference. - Americas: U.S.–Venezuela tensions simmer; ACA/SNAP policy cliffs remain under‑discussed as holiday coverage fades.

Questions being asked: - Can a U.S.‑brokered Ukraine framework proceed if the ECB won’t backstop EU financing — and Moscow believes it holds the battlefield edge? - Will Israel’s internal audits trigger rapid fixes to critical‑site security and biosecurity governance? Questions not asked enough: - How will donors close the 30–40% humanitarian funding gap within 60 days to halt famine spread in Sudan and service collapses in Myanmar? - Will Tanzania permit forensic access to alleged mass graves and independent monitors? - After Sri Lanka’s floods, what binding standards will enforce risk‑aware urban planning and early‑warning upgrades? Cortex concludes From Moscow’s guarded handshake to Sri Lanka’s submerged neighborhoods, today turns on capacity: to finance peace, to protect civilians, and to keep aid flowing when budgets tighten. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing. Stay informed, stay steady.