Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing for Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 12:35 AM Pacific. One hundred seven stories this hour—let’s track what’s moving power, people, and priorities.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on Greenland and a widening transatlantic rift. As Davos enters day two, President Trump’s tariff threat—10% in February, rising to 25%—against eight NATO allies to force concessions on Greenland now dominates the agenda. France floated a NATO exercise in Greenland; the EU warns it’s ready to use its anti‑coercion tool. Our three‑month scan shows a fast escalation from tariff signals to open warnings of a “dangerous downward spiral,” with limited European troop presence in Greenland at Denmark’s request and markets signaling stress—gold at records. Why it leads: geostrategy in the Arctic, alliance credibility on the line, and timing—just 16 days before New START verification lapses.

Today in Global Gist, the breadth. - Iran: BBC-published morgue photos humanize a crackdown many can’t see; Tehran’s blackout persists as threats escalate with Washington. - US–Iran: Rhetoric spikes; Trump vows massive retaliation if targeted; Iran warns any move against Khamenei is war. - Ukraine: Grid meets ~60% of demand; banks keep services running on generators as deep freeze bites. - Japan: The assassin of Shinzo Abe gets life; rare political violence reverberates through gun‑tight society. - South Korea: Ex‑PM Han Duck‑soo sentenced to 23 years over 2024 martial‑law crisis. - Spain: A second deadly rail incident in days near Barcelona intensifies safety scrutiny amid storms. - Chile: Wildfires kill 20; state of catastrophe in parts of Biobío and Ñuble. - Trade: EU–Mercosur faces protests and a possible legal challenge; Canada–China ink EV/canola deal; global shipping braces for slower growth after last year’s front‑loading. - Markets/Tech: Software valuations slump seen as buy‑opportunity; Galaxy Digital plans a new hedge fund; parcel surcharges tighten margins for shippers. Underreported, flagged by our scan: - Sudan: Confirmed famine in El Fasher/Kadugli; 33 million need aid; cholera spread and access constraints persist—coverage remains minimal. - Haiti: Feb. 7 mandate cliff with no succession plan as gangs hold most of the capital. - Mozambique: UNICEF warns floods are a “deadly threat” to children; 500,000+ affected.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads connect. Coercive economics (Greenland tariffs) and stalled arms control (New START expiry) interact with energy warfare (Ukraine’s grid) and institutional strain (martial law verdicts in Seoul; subpoenas and troop standby in Minnesota). Climate shocks—Chile fires, Mozambique floods—compound fragile governance, magnifying displacement and food insecurity. The result: safe‑haven flows (gold highs), trade realignment (EU–Mercosur, Canada–China), and aid overstretch where famine bites hardest.

Today in Regional Rundown, the map. - Americas: U.S. domestic tensions intensify—subpoenas for Minnesota officials and detainee deaths as federal deployments loom; U.S. forces seize another Venezuela‑linked tanker while discussing a role for María Corina Machado. Haiti approaches a constitutional vacuum. - Europe/Arctic: Greenland tariffs fracture NATO focus; Ukraine’s energy emergency endures; farmer protests target Mercosur terms; Davos discourse skews toward Arctic risk over Ukraine support. - Eastern Europe: New START verification ends in 16 days absent talks; Belarus deploys hypersonic‑capable Oreshnik, shortening warning times to Poland. - Middle East: Iran’s suppression deepens—with graphic evidence now public—while U.S.–Iran threats grow; Israel’s Netanyahu joins Trump’s “Board of Peace” amid Gaza aid group bans that constrain relief. - Africa: Sudan’s famine is the largest, least‑covered crisis; Nigeria reels from mass Kaduna kidnappings; Mozambique’s floods escalate risk to children. - Indo‑Pacific: South Korea’s high‑stakes judicial reckoning; Japan’s landmark sentencing; Thailand–Cambodia’s fragile ceasefire; China fines PDD as trade frictions ripple.

Today in Social Soundbar, the questions. - Being asked: Will Europe activate its anti‑coercion tool against U.S. tariffs? Can Ukraine stabilize electricity before deeper cold? Do EU–Mercosur terms withstand farm‑sector revolt? - Not asked enough: Who ensures sustained access to Sudan’s famine zones—and funds WFP’s $700 million shortfall through June? What replaces on‑site nuclear verification after Feb. 5, and how will allies manage rising miscalculation risk? In Haiti, who holds lawful authority after Feb. 7—and who protects civilians? How will Gaza’s aid bans be reconciled with humanitarian law and needs? Cortex concludes: Power this hour turns on systems—alliances, treaties, grids, and rivers. Where rules thin, leverage fills the gap. Our task is to keep the full picture in view: not only what’s loud in Davos halls, but what’s quiet in famine wards. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. We’ll see you at the top of the hour.