Global Intelligence Briefing

Good afternoon, I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing for Sunday, December 28, 2025, 3:34 PM Pacific. We’ve analyzed 80 reports from the last hour and cross-checked them with our historical ledger to surface what’s leading—and what’s missing.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on Ukraine peace talks entering a declared “final stage.” After President Zelensky met President Trump in Florida, both sides signaled weeks—not months—to a potential framework around a 20‑point plan. Scene-setter: as Kyiv endures fresh strikes and warns Russia is routing attacks via Belarus, Minsk’s recent basing of hypersonic systems shortens warning times, raising leverage pressures at the table. Why it leads: timing and geopolitics—US-EU coordination on security guarantees, Russian battlefield tempo, and a negotiating window framed by winter energy strain and allied funding commitments.

Today in Global Gist: - Israel–Somaliland: Israel recognizes Somaliland; Somalia, AU, EU condemn. Houthis warn any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be a target. - Gaza: Winter storms swamp tent camps; aid bottlenecks persist; ceasefire violations continue as agencies report hypothermia and flooding. - Indo-Pacific: North Korea tests long‑range cruise missiles; Japan approves a record 2026 defense budget; China sanctions 20 US defense firms over Taiwan; a near standoff with China’s J‑15s heightens tension. - Space/Tech: Russia launches three Iranian satellites; AI start-ups amass a record $150B; memory chip tightness risks device price hikes; hotels push direct booking ahead of AI agents. - Europe: France mourns Brigitte Bardot; Kosovo exit polls put Kurti on top but short of a majority. - Africa: CAR votes as President Touadéra seeks a third term; AFCON milestones for Mozambique, Algeria, Sudan. - Weather: A US “bomb cyclone” threatens blizzard conditions from Montana to Maine and into Texas–Pennsylvania. Under-reported per our ledger and historical checks: - Sudan, El Fasher: Satellite-verified mass killings, mass burials, and RSF cover‑ups flagged by Yale HRL and the UN; genocide indicators remain extreme with sporadic coverage. - Haiti: State failure deepens; 1.4M+ displaced; aid centers shuttered, armed groups expand control; near‑blackout across many outlets. - Thailand–Cambodia: Weeks of fighting displaced over 500,000; an “immediate” ceasefire was announced yesterday, but needs verification on the ground. - Myanmar: Rakhine faces acute hunger and conflict; Rohingya repatriation stalled; the UN lists multiple hunger hotspots with Myanmar and Haiti prominent. - US health care: ACA subsidies expire Dec 31; 22–24M face higher premiums; Congress returns Jan 5. - Venezuela: US naval squeeze on sanctioned oil tankers intensifies; seizures curtail exports, signaling late‑January economic shock risk.

Today in Insight Analytica, leverage defines the hour. Hypersonics in Belarus and stepped‑up Russian strikes shape Ukraine’s diplomatic calculus. Recognition politics (Somaliland) intersect with Red Sea tensions as Houthis broaden target sets. Maritime coercion around Venezuela foreshadows regional fuel and food stress. Defense buildups in Asia and sanctions duels compress margins for miscalculation, while winter storms and aid shortfalls in Gaza—and collapsing health safety nets in the US—illustrate how economic and security choices cascade into humanitarian risk.

- Europe/East: Ukraine talks advance amid battlefield pressure and Belarus‑based threats; EU backing persists; France’s political/economic strains simmer. - Middle East: Gaza’s winter emergency deepens; Israel deploys Iron Beam nationwide; Trump–Netanyahu to discuss Gaza’s “next phase.” Houthis threaten Israeli presence in Somaliland. - Africa: CAR votes under Wagner‑shadowed security; Sudan’s El Fasher atrocities continue to surface; Sahel insecurity and DRC’s M23 disputes persist. - Indo‑Pacific: North Korea missile test; Japan’s record defense budget; China’s sanctions over Taiwan; Thailand–Cambodia announce ceasefire after mass displacement; Myanmar’s “invisible crisis” endures. - Americas: US braces for blizzards and ACA subsidy lapse; US–Nigeria counter‑ISIS operations raise oversight questions; Venezuelan tanker seizures tighten a de facto blockade; Haiti’s governance vacuum worsens.

People are asking: - Will a Ukraine deal lock in security guarantees that deter future strikes launched from or via Belarus? - Can Israel’s Somaliland move withstand AU/EU pushback without widening Red Sea confrontation? Questions not asked enough: - What mechanism secures atrocity evidence and access in El Fasher as the RSF allegedly destroys proof? - How, specifically, will Gaza aid corridors scale to winter conditions within days—not weeks? - What monitoring enforces the Thailand–Cambodia ceasefire and protects civilians if shelling resumes? - What emergency protections exist for millions if ACA subsidies lapse January 1? - How will a prolonged Venezuelan maritime squeeze ripple through Caribbean fuel, food, and migration systems? - Who ensures civilian‑harm safeguards in expanded US‑partnered strikes in West Africa? Cortex concludes This has been NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. I’m Cortex. Headlines show what’s happening; our ledger tracks what’s overlooked. We’ll be back next hour to follow both the spotlight and the shadows. Stay informed, stay discerning.