US EditionDaily Briefing
Putin accelerates buffer zone; Iran protests grow; major bank heist in Germany
49 Articles •
Putin Orders Expansion of Buffer Zone in Ukraine for 2026
Left 31%
C 17%
Right 52%
What happened: President Putin directed Russia's military to expand a so-called buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions in 2026, with Chief of General Staff Gerasimov claiming Russian forces captured roughly 950 square kilometers and 32 settlements. The announcement comes as Trump-backed peace negotiations stall and Russia alleges, without evidence, that Ukraine attacked Putin's residence with 91 drones.
Why it matters: Moscow frames the expansion as protecting Russian border regions from cross-border attacks, but Ukraine and Western observers call it a pretext for territorial conquest that could derail peace talks and escalate the nearly four-year conflict. EU and NATO eastern-flank leaders warn Russia aims to create a buffer zone stretching from the Arctic through the Baltic and Black Seas to the Mediterranean, fundamentally reshaping European security.
69% of sources are Original Reporting
151 Articles •
Iran Replaces Central Bank Chief Amid Nationwide Currency Protests
Left 41%
Center 36%
R 23%
What happened: Iran's currency plunged to record lows this week, triggering the largest protests in three years as shopkeepers closed businesses across Tehran and at least eight other cities. President Pezeshkian accepted central bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin's resignation on Monday and appointed former finance minister Abdolnasser Hemmati as replacement, while instructing officials to hold dialogue with protest leaders.
Economic impact: The rial has lost over 40 percent of its value in recent months, now trading at 1.38 million per dollar compared to 430,000 when Farzin took office in 2022. Food prices have surged 72 percent and medical goods 50 percent year-over-year, while inflation hovers near 50 percent, making daily necessities increasingly unaffordable for Iranian households already strained by Western sanctions.
81% of sources are Original Reporting
279 Articles •
Thieves Drill into German Bank Vault, Steal €30M
Left 34%
Center 40%
Right 26%
What happened: A gang drilled through a concrete wall from an adjacent parking garage into a Sparkasse bank vault in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, over the Christmas weekend, forcing open more than 3,000 safe-deposit boxes and stealing an estimated €30 million in cash, gold, and jewellery. Police discovered the break-in early Monday morning after a fire alarm was triggered, finding a massive hole in the vault wall and masked suspects fleeing in a stolen black Audi RS6.
Impact on customers: Approximately 2,700 bank customers were affected, with over 95% of the vault's 3,250 safe-deposit boxes broken into during the heist. While boxes carry default insurance of around €10,000 each, many victims reported their actual losses far exceeded insured values, as they stored retirement savings, family jewellery, and gold. Hundreds of distressed customers gathered outside the closed branch demanding information, and the bank has established a hotline while working with insurers on compensation claims.
75% of sources are Original Reporting
34 Articles •
Musk's xAI Acquires Third Building for AI Data Center
L 21%
Center 50%
Right 29%
The latest: Elon Musk's xAI acquired a third building named MACROHARDRR outside Memphis yesterday to expand its Colossus supercomputer campus, aiming to boost AI training capacity to nearly 2 gigawatts and at least 1 million GPUs. The startup plans to convert the warehouse into a data center starting in 2026, positioning it near a natural gas power plant xAI is building to support the massive compute infrastructure.
The conflict: The expansion intensifies ongoing battles between Memphis residents and xAI over air pollution and health impacts in predominantly Black, lower-income neighborhoods located just three miles from the data center. While city officials tout hundreds of high-paying jobs ($100-$200/hour) and $15-20 million in annual tax revenue, residents report worsening asthma and COPD from gas turbines that operated without pollution controls, prompting NAACP legal action and community protests over environmental racism.
68% of sources are Original Reporting
37 Articles •
El Salvador's Bukele Open to Staying in Power for 10 More Years
L 22%
C 14%
Right 64%
What happened: El Salvador's parliament abolished presidential term limits in July, extended terms from five to six years, and moved the next election to 2027. President Nayib Bukele, who won reelection in 2024 with 85% of votes, now says he's open to staying in power through 2033.
Why it matters: The reforms could keep Bukele in power for another decade despite constitutional prohibitions on consecutive reelection. While his anti-gang policies reduced homicide rates by 97.7%, critics warn the changes threaten democracy, press freedom, and civil liberties under his ongoing state of emergency since 2022.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Left Sources
81% of sources are Original Reporting
100 Articles •
Thailand Returns 18 Cambodian Soldiers After 155 Days
Left 52%
Center 33%
R 15%
What happened: Thailand returned 18 Cambodian soldiers today after holding them for 155 days, fulfilling terms of a ceasefire signed last Saturday that ended weeks of deadly border clashes. The handover occurred at Prum Border Checkpoint in Pailin province under observation by ASEAN and the Red Cross, one day late due to Thai allegations of drone violations.
Why it matters: The release removes a major obstacle to peace talks and aims to build mutual trust between the neighbors after fighting killed at least 101 people and displaced over half a million civilians this month. Both countries agreed to freeze front lines, ban reinforcements, and allow displaced civilians to return home as conditions stabilize along the disputed border.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Right Sources
Daily Briefing
Putin accelerates buffer zone; Iran protests grow; major bank heist in Germany
49 Articles •
Putin Orders Expansion of Buffer Zone in Ukraine for 2026
Left 31%
C 17%
Right 52%
What happened: President Putin directed Russia's military to expand a so-called buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions in 2026, with Chief of General Staff Gerasimov claiming Russian forces captured roughly 950 square kilometers and 32 settlements. The announcement comes as Trump-backed peace negotiations stall and Russia alleges, without evidence, that Ukraine attacked Putin's residence with 91 drones.
Why it matters: Moscow frames the expansion as protecting Russian border regions from cross-border attacks, but Ukraine and Western observers call it a pretext for territorial conquest that could derail peace talks and escalate the nearly four-year conflict. EU and NATO eastern-flank leaders warn Russia aims to create a buffer zone stretching from the Arctic through the Baltic and Black Seas to the Mediterranean, fundamentally reshaping European security.
69% of sources are Original Reporting
151 Articles •
Iran Replaces Central Bank Chief Amid Nationwide Currency Protests
Left 41%
Center 36%
R 23%
What happened: Iran's currency plunged to record lows this week, triggering the largest protests in three years as shopkeepers closed businesses across Tehran and at least eight other cities. President Pezeshkian accepted central bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin's resignation on Monday and appointed former finance minister Abdolnasser Hemmati as replacement, while instructing officials to hold dialogue with protest leaders.
Economic impact: The rial has lost over 40 percent of its value in recent months, now trading at 1.38 million per dollar compared to 430,000 when Farzin took office in 2022. Food prices have surged 72 percent and medical goods 50 percent year-over-year, while inflation hovers near 50 percent, making daily necessities increasingly unaffordable for Iranian households already strained by Western sanctions.
81% of sources are Original Reporting
279 Articles •
Thieves Drill into German Bank Vault, Steal €30M
Left 34%
Center 40%
Right 26%
What happened: A gang drilled through a concrete wall from an adjacent parking garage into a Sparkasse bank vault in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, over the Christmas weekend, forcing open more than 3,000 safe-deposit boxes and stealing an estimated €30 million in cash, gold, and jewellery. Police discovered the break-in early Monday morning after a fire alarm was triggered, finding a massive hole in the vault wall and masked suspects fleeing in a stolen black Audi RS6.
Impact on customers: Approximately 2,700 bank customers were affected, with over 95% of the vault's 3,250 safe-deposit boxes broken into during the heist. While boxes carry default insurance of around €10,000 each, many victims reported their actual losses far exceeded insured values, as they stored retirement savings, family jewellery, and gold. Hundreds of distressed customers gathered outside the closed branch demanding information, and the bank has established a hotline while working with insurers on compensation claims.
75% of sources are Original Reporting
34 Articles •
Musk's xAI Acquires Third Building for AI Data Center
L 21%
Center 50%
Right 29%
The latest: Elon Musk's xAI acquired a third building named MACROHARDRR outside Memphis yesterday to expand its Colossus supercomputer campus, aiming to boost AI training capacity to nearly 2 gigawatts and at least 1 million GPUs. The startup plans to convert the warehouse into a data center starting in 2026, positioning it near a natural gas power plant xAI is building to support the massive compute infrastructure.
The conflict: The expansion intensifies ongoing battles between Memphis residents and xAI over air pollution and health impacts in predominantly Black, lower-income neighborhoods located just three miles from the data center. While city officials tout hundreds of high-paying jobs ($100-$200/hour) and $15-20 million in annual tax revenue, residents report worsening asthma and COPD from gas turbines that operated without pollution controls, prompting NAACP legal action and community protests over environmental racism.
68% of sources are Original Reporting
37 Articles •
El Salvador's Bukele Open to Staying in Power for 10 More Years
L 22%
C 14%
Right 64%
What happened: El Salvador's parliament abolished presidential term limits in July, extended terms from five to six years, and moved the next election to 2027. President Nayib Bukele, who won reelection in 2024 with 85% of votes, now says he's open to staying in power through 2033.
Why it matters: The reforms could keep Bukele in power for another decade despite constitutional prohibitions on consecutive reelection. While his anti-gang policies reduced homicide rates by 97.7%, critics warn the changes threaten democracy, press freedom, and civil liberties under his ongoing state of emergency since 2022.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Left Sources
81% of sources are Original Reporting
100 Articles •
Thailand Returns 18 Cambodian Soldiers After 155 Days
Left 52%
Center 33%
R 15%
What happened: Thailand returned 18 Cambodian soldiers today after holding them for 155 days, fulfilling terms of a ceasefire signed last Saturday that ended weeks of deadly border clashes. The handover occurred at Prum Border Checkpoint in Pailin province under observation by ASEAN and the Red Cross, one day late due to Thai allegations of drone violations.
Why it matters: The release removes a major obstacle to peace talks and aims to build mutual trust between the neighbors after fighting killed at least 101 people and displaced over half a million civilians this month. Both countries agreed to freeze front lines, ban reinforcements, and allow displaced civilians to return home as conditions stabilize along the disputed border.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Right Sources