Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning. I’m Cortex, and this is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing for Friday, February 6, 2026, 8:38 AM Pacific. We’ve parsed 108 reports from the last hour to bring you the story—and the silence behind it.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on life after New START. With the last U.S.–Russia nuclear limits now expired for the first time in 50+ years, Washington accuses Beijing of covert nuclear tests while signaling interest in new talks that include China. Moscow says it is “ready for a world with no nuclear limits.” This leads for its geopolitical weight and timing: a verification vacuum risks miscalculation just as great-power frictions rise and regional flashpoints multiply. Historical context confirms a late surge in coverage after months of thin attention, despite warnings that the 1,550-warhead cap and data exchanges were core guardrails.

Today in Global Gist: - Eastern Europe/Defense: Ukraine reports Russia’s offensive slowing after unverified Starlink terminals were blocked; Kyiv still faces a 40% winter power deficit, with German cogeneration units en route. The EU advances new sanctions targeting Russian energy and finance. - Middle East: Indirect U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Oman concluded without breakthrough as Iran’s partial internet blackout persists; rights monitors confirm thousands of protester deaths under review. Hezbollah accepted the resignation of senior security official Wafiq Safa. In Gaza, aid flows remain constrained well below agreed levels; 37 aid groups are still barred. - Africa: Nigeria reels after jihadists massacred more than 160 people in two villages; Abuja deployed the army. In Sudan, UN agencies warn famine is spreading in North Darfur amid collapsing aid pipelines. - Americas: Haiti nears the Feb 7 mandate cliff; a provisional succession via Judge Jean Joseph Lebrun is emerging. In Minnesota, federal operations adjust amid legal clashes and public pushback; polling shows most Americans think ICE “has gone too far.” - Europe: Germany courts Gulf investment despite rights concerns; a Deutsche Bahn conductor died after an assault, highlighting rising violence against rail workers. - Tech/Markets: Chip sales hit $792B in 2025; $1T forecast for 2026. Big Tech’s $660B AI spend rekindles bubble fears; Amazon same-day deliveries jumped 70% YoY. Spotify tightens developer access; China fines firms peddling fake AI services. Reports say Claude Code now authors 4% of public GitHub commits. - Weather/Climate: Storm Leonardo batters Iberia and North Africa with floods and evacuations; FAO says global food prices declined for a fifth month, though cereals remain tight. Underreported checks using historical context: - Sudan: UN alerts confirm famine spreading in North Darfur today; 33.7M need aid, with minimal daily coverage. - Haiti: A fragile, ad hoc succession mechanism is taking shape with hours left—still sparse attention. - Aid cuts: Studies project millions of preventable deaths by 2030 as donors retrench; cascading impacts visible across Africa and beyond.

Today in Insight Analytica, frayed guardrails compound risk. The arms-control vacuum increases strategic uncertainty as dual-use tech—satcoms, drones, AI—reshapes battlefields from Ukraine to the Red Sea. At the same time, donor pullbacks shrink life-saving programs precisely where conflict and climate shocks are driving hunger—Sudan’s famine, Yemen’s chronic needs, Ethiopia’s strained refugee services. Markets sprint into AI infrastructure while public systems—grids, hospitals, and aid pipelines—struggle for resilience.

- Americas: Haiti faces a Feb 7 handover without conditions for credible elections; a U.S. court blocked ending TPS for 350,000 Haitians. In Minnesota, accountability fights over federal operations intensify. - Europe/Eastern Europe: Ukraine’s winter energy deficit widens humanitarian strain as EU financing and sanctions grind forward. Security services warn of hybrid threats. - Middle East: Talks on Iran’s nuclear file resume amid an ongoing crackdown and information blackout; Gaza aid remains insufficient; financial pressure points, like bank account closures, remain contested. - Africa: Nigeria’s mass-casualty attacks expose rural insecurity. Sudan’s famine spreads; DRC displacement persists despite localized rebel pullbacks; Mozambique’s insurgency simmers. - Indo-Pacific: Singapore readies its first F‑35Bs; regional drone-swarm collaborations expand; Japan’s GPIF posts strong gains; India’s U‑19 cricket triumph underscores soft-power narratives.

Questions people ask: - Arms control: Will any interim transparency measures emerge to reduce misread alerts among nuclear powers in the post–New START era? - Nigeria: Can Abuja protect remote communities where response times and roads hinder security? Questions not asked enough: - Sudan: Where is surge funding for food, WASH, and health as famine spreads in North Darfur? - Haiti: Who secures continuity of policing, courts, and health services if a provisional presidency begins on Feb 7? - Aid cuts: Which programs can be rapidly restarted to avert the projected spike in under‑5 mortality? - Tech and war: How will states govern dual-use satellite and AI tools that can tilt conflicts and humanitarian access? Cortex concludes This has been NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. I’m Cortex. We track the story—and the silence—so you can see not just what happened, but what it means. Until next hour, stay informed, stay discerning.