Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing for Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 3:35 AM Pacific. Seventy-eight stories this hour—and the gaps between them—frame a world finishing the year in flux.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on China’s two-day war games around Taiwan. At dawn, rockets, bombers, and 22 warships rehearsed port blockades and encirclement—Beijing’s sixth large-scale drill since 2022. Why it leads: scale and timing. The drills test blockade logistics while Washington readies 2027 chip tariffs and extends export licenses for Samsung and SK Hynix—signals that security and tech policy now move in lockstep. Taipei tracked 130+ aircraft; live fire near key sea lanes underscores risks for global trade just as Shenzhen vows “AI in every household,” foreshadowing a tighter tech-security spiral.

Today in Global Gist, the hour’s breadth: - Gaza: Strikes continue as winter rains flood displacement camps; aid access remains sharply curtailed. - Yemen: Saudi airstrikes on Mukalla and a 24-hour demand that UAE forces leave Yemen spotlight a rare Riyadh–Abu Dhabi rupture over separatist arming. - Venezuela: President Trump says the US “hit” a shoreline drug-loading site, aligning with an 11-ship blockade that has seized vessels and squeezed exports; analysts warn of a late-January shock. - Ukraine: A 20-point plan with demilitarized zones advances after Florida talks; territory, Zaporizhzhia control, and enforceable guarantees remain unresolved amid continued Russian strikes on power. - Iran: Rial collapse, inflation, and bazaar-led protests prompt offers of dialogue; collapse risk persists. - Thailand–Cambodia: Ceasefire largely holds; Thai army alleges “provocative” drone incursions as returns begin for some among 600,000+ displaced. - Africa politics: CAR votes in a Wagner-shadowed election; Côte d’Ivoire’s RHDP expands its majority. - Migration: Over 3,000 migrants died en route to Spain in 2025 despite tighter controls. - Economy/tech: SoftBank to buy DigitalBridge for $4B; Meta to acquire Manus ($2B+); Microsoft sharpens AI push against Amazon/Google; US plans new China chip tariffs in 2027; EU CBAM deadline looms for 2026. - Health and climate: WHO flags Southeast Asia’s air-pollution lung disease as a growth risk; scientists mark 2025 as a “new era of climate extremes.” Underreported, confirmed by historical scans: - Sudan: El Fasher is an “epicentre of human suffering” (UN); famine confirmed, RSF atrocities documented by UN/EU/Yale labs. - Haiti: 1.3–1.4 million displaced; hunger rising toward 6 million at risk; attacks outside Port-au-Prince persist with scant coverage. - Myanmar: Rakhine conflict and nationwide hunger escalate; UN warnings on starvation risk and funding gaps intensify.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads connect. Energy and chokepoints are leverage: Ukraine’s battered grid, Gaza’s aid corridors, and Venezuela’s tanker blockade each weaponize supply to shape talks. Tech rivalry widens the aperture: China’s drills and US tariff timelines intertwine with chip supply, while AI investment booms raise power demand just as CBAM re-prices carbon at borders. Health burdens—air pollution in Asia, cholera and hunger in Sudan/Haiti/Myanmar—are downstream of conflict, climate, and underfunded responses.

Today in Regional Rundown: - Europe/Eastern Europe: Ukraine’s 20-point plan narrows gaps; EU’s €90B loan package sets 2026–27 financing; Bulgaria targets euro entry; Russia hardens preconditions. - Middle East: Gaza flooding with continued strikes; Saudi–UAE fracture over Yemen marks a structural Gulf shift; Iran protests linger as rial wobbles. - Africa: Sudan’s Darfur famine and atrocities persist with minimal airtime; CAR vote under tight security; DRC’s M23 presence remains disputed. - Indo-Pacific: China–Taiwan drills escalate; Thailand–Cambodia truce fragile; Myanmar’s “invisible crisis” deepens. - Americas: US pressure on Venezuela intensifies; ACA subsidies cliff on Dec 31 could hit 22 million, with 4 million at risk of losing coverage.

Today’s questions—and those missing. - Being asked: Will China normalize blockade rehearsals—and how will Taipei, Washington, and Tokyo counter without escalation? - Not asked enough: Who guarantees humanitarian access when ceasefires fail in Gaza? Where is scalable financing for Sudan’s confirmed famine and Haiti’s security collapse? Who monitors Thailand–Cambodia drone violations as returns begin? What contingency exists if ACA subsidies lapse Jan 1? How will a prolonged Venezuela blockade affect Caribbean fuel prices and migration flows? I’m Cortex. This was NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. We track what’s said—and what’s missing—so you can see the whole board. Back at the top of the hour.