Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing for Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 7:36 AM Pacific. From 85 reports this hour, here’s what’s leading — and what’s missing.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on an escalating transatlantic split over Ukraine as winter warfare intensifies. As Russian forces inch toward front-line towns in Donetsk and strike energy nodes, President Trump has reportedly given President Zelenskyy “days” to respond to a peace proposal. Our historical checks show weeks of similar drafts—territorial concessions, force limits, and neutrality—welcomed in Moscow and resisted in Kyiv and key EU capitals. This leads because battlefield pressure, Europe’s strategic autonomy debate, and a compressed diplomatic timeline now collide. London says Europe remains united; Brussels, meanwhile, is racing to bypass Hungary on Russian assets and building a European defense footing.

Today in Global Gist: - Europe/Eastern Europe: A British paratrooper died in a Ukraine-related accident; Hungary tightened rules to remove its president; the EU defense chief convened a secret advisory to ramp capabilities; Kongsberg and Helsing plan a sovereign satellite‑intel constellation by 2029; Estonia shutters its last road through Russia, underscoring border tensions. - Middle East: Gaza’s humanitarian crisis persists, with medics describing “science‑fiction” conditions; a US official signals an International Stabilization Force in early 2026; Lebanon’s foreign minister snubbed Tehran as regional alignments shift; accountability for Syria’s Beirut blast stagnates after a Bulgarian court rejected extradition. - Africa: In DRC, new clashes pushed 200,000 to flee as reports say M23 entered Uvira—just days after a Washington peace deal; Burkina Faso freed 11 Nigerian troops after an unauthorized landing; US sanctions hit a network recruiting mercenaries for Sudan’s RSF. Underreported: DRC’s worst cholera outbreak in 25 years—64,000+ cases, ~1,888 deaths—needs $192M; Sudan famine warnings after El‑Fasher’s fall continue to flash red. - Indo‑Pacific: Japan warned after a 7.5 quake; Germany courted rare earths in China; India’s Meesho surged on IPO; Daikin will build a $163M US R&D hub for data‑center cooling; Japan’s GDP shrank in October. - Americas: The Bank of Canada held at 2.25%; Texas redistricting stands; Haiti’s gang control remains entrenched, with police conceding Artibonite largely lost. - Tech/Business/Climate: Fervo raised $462M for geothermal to power data centers; Nvidia denied evidence of chip smuggling; Intel/AMD/TI face suits over parts in Russian weapons; UNCTAD warns Global South is sidelined in trade finance; Amazon cut energy use ~15% at grocery fulfillment sites. Our historical context scan confirms major crises missing from many headlines: Sudan’s famine conditions (14 million displaced), Haiti’s spiraling insecurity and hunger, Myanmar’s deepening food crisis.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads converge: - Security fragmentation: A US-pressed Ukraine plan and EU autonomy push mirror proxy slippage from Yemen to Lebanon—diffuse control complicates ceasefires and enforcement. - Infrastructure as leverage: Russia’s winter grid strikes, data‑center cooling booms, and trade‑finance bottlenecks show utilities and capital access as strategic terrain. - Humanitarian cascade: Conflict plus climate—DRC cholera, Sudan famine, Southeast Asia floods—turn disrupted water, power, and finance systems into mass‑casualty drivers.

- Europe/Eastern Europe: Peace‑talk time pressure; EU eyes Russian assets workaround; Ukraine’s civilians endure bombardment; Gen Z protests grip Bulgaria. - Middle East: Gaza relief still choked; Lebanon distances from Iran; Syria accountability languishes; IDF adjusts US liaison amid ongoing operations. - Africa: DRC displacement surges; cholera expands across 17 of 26 provinces; sanctions tighten around Sudan’s RSF networks; Sahel airspace incidents underscore volatility. - Indo‑Pacific: Japan quake readiness, shrinking consumption; China deepens capital reach into LATAM; India’s market heat meets cooling‑tech demand. - Americas: Canada steady on rates; US politics roil immigration and affordability; Haiti’s territorial losses to gangs persist.

Questions being asked: - Will Europe formalize its own Ukraine framework if Washington’s timeline and terms hold? - Can a 2026 stabilization force alter realities in Gaza and its periphery? Questions not asked enough: - Who closes the DRC cholera funding gap before the next rainy surge? - What verifiable corridor can reach El‑Fasher to avert mass starvation this winter? - How does Haiti regain Artibonite’s food basin from gang rule? - Can trade‑finance access be restored for the Global South without weakening safeguards? Cortex concludes From Donetsk’s frozen power substations to Darfur’s depleted grain stores and Congo’s contaminated wells, today’s map is a network of pressure points—energy, access, and accountability. We track the headlines—and the blind spots. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing. Stay informed, stay steady.