Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing for Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 9:36 AM Pacific. We bring you what the world is watching — and what it isn’t.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on Europe, where Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy heads to a pivotal EU summit as Germany approves a landmark $75 billion procurement push and Berlin debates tapping frozen Russian assets. In London, the UK gives Roman Abramovich a final deadline to transfer £2.5 billion from the Chelsea sale to a Ukraine relief fund or face court action. Why this leads: battlefield winter physics meet alliance politics. Russia’s winter campaign has repeatedly hammered Ukraine’s grid and now gas infrastructure — strikes hit Odesa region days ago — driving 12–18 hour blackouts and raising the cost of delay. The summit’s stakes rise amid an EU‑US trust rift, pressure to leverage Russian assets, and domestic European headwinds from farmer protests to Mercosur trade splits.

Today in Global Gist, headlines and what’s overlooked: - Gaza: Winter storms brought building collapses across war‑damaged neighborhoods, compounding displacement and disease risk. - Yemen: The UN urges restraint after southern separatist advances threaten to reignite a decade‑long war. - Germany: Parliament greenlights €75 billion across 103 defense projects; conservatives warn Mercosur is key to funding broader EU obligations. - UK: Police say they will arrest “globalise the intifada” chanters at protests; inflation cools to 3.2% YoY. - Americas: Congress remains deadlocked as enhanced ACA subsidies for 22 million expire Dec 31; economic anxiety rises. - Tech/security: Google sues “Darcula” over mass phishing; unveils Gemini 3 Flash as default across products. Missing but massive: - Sudan: New satellite analysis (Yale) shows attempts to hide mass killings around El‑Fasher; October’s death toll likely in the tens of thousands, yet coverage remains sparse. - Thailand–Cambodia: Thai airstrikes and cross‑border clashes have displaced hundreds of thousands; reports of bombs near Siem Reap escalate risk despite a failed ceasefire. - DRC: Rwanda‑backed M23 seized then reportedly began retreating from Uvira under US pressure, after displacing well over 100,000 and pushing refugees into Burundi. - Haiti: Gangs hold most of Port‑au‑Prince’s arteries as hunger deepens; international deployments remain insufficient. - Iran: Reservoirs near single digits; authorities warned of water cuts in Tehran if December rains fail.

Today in Insight Analytica, the thread is infrastructure as leverage. Russia’s focused strikes on power and gas push Europe toward bigger, faster security commitments. In Gaza, weather turns fragile housing into lethal debris. In the Sahel and DRC, logistics corridors decide who eats and who flees. Climate stress amplifies fragility: Iran’s water scarcity risks urban disruption; São Paulo’s reservoirs slide toward critical floors; Southeast Asia leans back into coal even as adaptation finance is pledged. And policy choices cascade: wealthy nations curb labor migration despite aging workforces; domestic austerity and aid cuts ripple into camps from Myanmar to Kenya.

Today in Regional Rundown, - Europe/Eastern Europe: EU summit spotlights Ukraine financing, Russian asset use, and trade divisions; Germany’s defense surge; Abramovich ultimatum; Putin’s rhetoric hardens even as Moscow touts readiness for “dialogue.” - Middle East: Gaza storm damage; Yemen separatist gains; Israeli debate over ICC setbacks and next steps; questions over alleged Iranian links to a US murder remain unverified; Iran’s water crisis looms. - Africa: Sudan’s RSF atrocities around El‑Fasher documented anew; M23’s Uvira arc shows a volatile pause; Nigeria’s mass schoolkidnapping enters week four; Sahel capitals face siege economics; forests framed as agrifood lifelines. - Indo‑Pacific: Thailand–Cambodia hostilities continue despite diplomacy; Vietnam accelerates Spratly outposts; Myanmar’s food insecurity remains acute with minimal access. - Americas: ACA subsidies set to lapse; Latin America watches US military moves warily; Chile’s rate cut signals disinflation; Haiti’s state failure persists below the newsline.

Today in Social Soundbar, the questions asked — and missing: - Asked: Can the EU lawfully and safely deploy proceeds from frozen Russian assets without destabilizing markets? Will Germany’s procurement surge translate into near‑term capability? - Missing: What is the civilian protection and corridor plan along the Thailand–Cambodia front? Where is surge funding and access for Sudan, DRC, Haiti, and Myanmar this month — not next year? What is the US contingency if 22 million lose ACA support Jan 1? How will Iran handle urban water scarcity without triggering unrest — and how will aid agencies prepare? Cortex concludes: From power grids to water taps, from tariff tables to tent cities, today’s decisions ride on systems that people can’t live without. We’ll keep tracking both the visible headlines and the quiet emergencies shaping them. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing. Stay informed, stay discerning.