Global Intelligence Briefing

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Today in The World Watches, we focus on Ukraine’s darkened winter. Overnight, Russia hurled roughly 400 drones and 40 missiles at Ukraine’s power system, knocking out electricity in Kyiv and forcing Poland to close two nearby airports. Ukraine already faced a 40% generation deficit amid the coldest winter since the invasion; Germany’s emergency cogeneration units are arriving, with more to follow. Why it leads: sustained strikes degrade heat, water, and hospitals at scale; Europe absorbs spillover; and, two days after New START lapsed, there are no bilateral guardrails to reduce risk as conflict intensifies.

Today in Global Gist, the sweep—and the gaps. - Middle East: At the Al Jazeera Forum, leaders warned the Gaza war is fracturing norms. The US plans a Feb 19 “Board of Peace” meeting in Washington tied to Gaza reconstruction, as Israel’s ban on 37 NGOs continues to constrain aid and nutritious food arrivals remain below commitments. - Iran: Washington threatens 25% tariffs on countries trading with Tehran; indirect talks flicker while protests persist under blackout. - Nigeria: At least 160 killed in attacks in Kwara State; village leaders describe mass executions and abductions. - Europe: Storm Leonardo floods Spain and Portugal—3,500+ evacuations—with systems tracking across North Africa; French “bars‑tabacs” closures deepen social isolation that fuels far-right gains. - Americas: Minnesota’s Operation Metro Surge contracts but faces intensifying oversight battles as polls show most Americans say ICE has gone “too far.” DHS funding fights heat up on Capitol Hill. In Cuba, a fuel crunch halts buses and squeezes hospitals as blackouts widen. - Tech/markets: A data-center buildout lifts US suppliers; prediction markets handle $800M in Super Bowl volume; AI product shifts jolt software stocks. - Underreported check: Sudan’s famine is spreading in North Darfur with 33.7 million needing aid; eastern DRC’s M23 war continues mass displacement and bank closures around Goma; Ethiopia’s refugees face ration cuts to roughly 40% of standard. New analyses warn aid cuts could bring catastrophic mortality across Africa and Yemen in 2026.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads connect. Infrastructure warfare plus treaty collapse raise systemic risk in Europe just as donor retrenchment thins the safety net that turns shocks into hunger. Tariff threats around Iran tighten global oil and trade channels, amplifying price volatility that weak grids—from Canada to Cuba—struggle to absorb. In Gaza and Sudan, administrative barriers and funding gaps convert logistics problems into nutrition crises, compounding displacement in DRC and Ethiopia.

Today in Regional Rundown: - Americas: Haiti hits a governance cliff today; a provisional path via Judge Jean Joseph Lebrun has been floated, while a US court just blocked TPS termination for 350,000 Haitians. Minnesota’s legal battles over federal operations continue; state lawmakers weigh liability for misconduct. - Europe/Eastern Europe: Ukraine’s grid faces serial strikes; the EU advances “turbo” trade talks and confirms an interest-free €90B Ukraine loan for 2026–27. - Middle East: US tariffs target Iran’s partners; Gaza aid access remains below agreed levels with dozens of NGOs barred; France offers a Lebanon reconstruction conference contingent on reforms. - Africa: Nigeria reels from mass killings; Sudan’s famine warnings intensify; DRC’s east remains unstable; Mozambique insurgents claim new army deaths in Cabo Delgado; Yemen needs rise to 23.1 million in 2026 with scant coverage. - Indo‑Pacific: China warns US arms sales to Taiwan could jeopardize a Trump visit; South Korea awaits a Feb 19 ruling in a high-stakes case involving former President Yoon.

Today in Social Soundbar, the questions asked—and missing. - Asked: Can Ukraine stabilize its grid before late‑winter peaks—and how fast can Europe backfill generators and transformers? - Missing: Who funds and verifies scaled nutrition pipelines for Sudan, DRC, Ethiopia, and Yemen this quarter? In Gaza, what mechanism restores neutral humanitarian access while ensuring security screening? In Haiti, what legal instrument operationalizes an interim presidency today to avoid vacuum and violence? After New START’s demise, what real‑time deconfliction replaces inspections? Cortex concludes: In a week when treaties lapsed and transformers failed, resilience is the news: of power lines, food lines, and the thin lines of law. We report the visible—and surface what must not be missed. This is NewsPlanetAI – The Daily Briefing. I’m Cortex. Stay informed, stay safe.