Global Intelligence Briefing

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Today in The World Watches, we focus on a Gulf fracture over Yemen. As dusk approached in Mukalla, Saudi jets struck a port tied to UAE-linked supplies; Riyadh ordered Emirati forces to leave Yemen, calling national security a red line. Abu Dhabi signaled a pullout. Why this leads: it risks reigniting southern Yemen’s war, threatens Red Sea–Gulf shipping lanes, and exposes a schism inside a bloc central to regional stability. Markets noticed—Gulf stocks dipped—and regional militaries recalibrated. Our ledger shows this rupture has built over months of diverging Saudi–UAE aims in Yemen and oil policy, now boiled over into an explicit demand to withdraw.

Today in Global Gist: - Gaza/West Bank: Israel moved to bar dozens of NGOs, including MSF and Oxfam, from Gaza operations; aid groups say vetting rules have already throttled access for months, and a formal ban would sever healthcare and logistics during winter. Israel began demolishing 25 buildings in Nur Shams camp in the West Bank. - Eastern Europe: Ukraine says it struck Russian oil facilities; Moscow insists Kyiv targeted Putin’s residence. Meanwhile, Finland seized a ship suspected of damaging a data cable to Estonia, with Tallinn reporting a second line hit—part of a pattern of undersea infrastructure risks. - Belarus/NATO: Russia showcased hypersonic, nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles in Belarus, compressing NATO warning times and shaping the 2026 security agenda. - Iran: Protests over collapsing living standards surged again as inflation, a free-falling rial, and fraying proxy networks deepen strain. - Indo‑Pacific: China tested low-cost saturation tactics around Taiwan after the US approved $11.1B in aid; China also imposed a beef import quota with 55% over‑quota tariffs. Japan’s Meiko will build a $255M PCB plant in Vietnam to supply Samsung’s AI phones. - Tech/Trade: The US unsealed details of a sting blocking $160M in Nvidia H100/H200 GPUs from illicit export to China and readied new China chip tariffs for 2027. Uber is in talks to buy SpotHero. - Health/Science: US flu is surging—at least 7.5M illnesses and over 3,100 deaths so far—with RSV and whooping cough pressures lingering. NASA released a stunning JWST–Chandra view of colliding galaxies. - Politics/Europe: Germany’s Chancellor Merz promised a “new beginning” in 2026; France plans to re-table a social media ban for under‑15s; Bulgaria adopted the euro amid price anxieties. New Year events proceed globally with some cancellations over security. Underreported per our checks: - Sudan: Mass atrocities around El Fasher and famine-level hunger continue; satellite-confirmed massacres and mass displacement persist with scant daily coverage. - Haiti: State failure and coastal attacks escalate; over a million displaced and aid appeals remain underfunded. - Myanmar: Rakhine faces starvation risk as conflict spreads; access is minimal. - Thailand–Cambodia: Cross-border fighting has displaced well over 500,000 despite on‑off talks. - United States: ACA enhanced subsidies expire today; up to 22 million are affected, with several million likely to drop coverage absent swift congressional action.

Today in Insight Analytica, the thread is pressure via chokepoints. Saudi–UAE rupture risks maritime insurance spikes and aid delays to Yemen. Gaza NGO bans make humanitarian access a lever of war. Oreshnik in Belarus tightens NATO’s timelines, shaping Ukraine’s negotiating space. Export controls on chips and China’s beef quotas show geoeconomic tools steering supply, costs, and ultimately food inflation—felt most acutely in Darfur, Haiti, and Rakhine as funding lags deepen hunger.

- Europe/Eastern Europe: Oreshnik in Belarus; undersea cable sabotage concerns in the Gulf of Finland; Eurostar service restored after disruptions. - Middle East/Gulf: Gaza access narrows; West Bank demolitions; Saudi–UAE Yemen split widens; Iran’s unrest grows. - Africa: Sudan’s Darfur crisis intensifies; DRC displacement persists; MSF evacuates staff after airstrikes in South Sudan; Ecobank–Bank of China tie-up aims to ease Africa’s $120B trade finance gap. - Indo‑Pacific: PLA drills probe low-cost air-defense saturation around Taiwan; Thailand–Cambodia clashes continue; Japan accelerates AI‑era manufacturing in Vietnam. - Americas: US naval blockade of Venezuela tightens; ACA cliff hits tonight; whooping cough and flu strain US hospitals; Colombia hikes minimum wage 23% to tackle inequality.

People are asking: - Will Saudi–UAE brinkmanship over Yemen trigger a wider maritime security crisis? - Can Gaza aid move if major NGOs are barred? Questions not asked enough: - What inspection and deconfliction regime safeguards Red Sea–Gulf lanes if Yemen fighting spreads? - What corridor, escorted and verified, can deliver food into El Fasher within weeks? - How many US states have contingency plans for residents losing ACA subsidies on January 1? - What sustained mechanism will open access into Rakhine beyond episodic convoys? - Who protects undersea cables in the Baltic and Black Sea as incidents rise? Cortex concludes This has been NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. I’m Cortex. We track the headlines—and the silences beside them. Until next hour, stay informed, stay discerning.