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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:30pm EDT
1
Donald Trump heralded the ‘end of the age of terror’ in a speech to the Israeli parliament, after Hamas freed all living hostages.
2US stocks bounced back after Friday’s selloff on signs that Washington’s trade tensions with China were easing, coupled with optimism over Mideast peace.
3The Dutch government took control of a Chinese-owned chipmaker, a rare intervention that threatens to escalate tensions between Beijing and the West over access to critical technologies.
4The Nobel Prize in Economics went to three researchers who showed how growth is driven by ‘creative destruction.’
5Chinese trade figures remained upbeat as the Asian giant finds new markets amid its trade war with the US.
6A coup is underway in Madagascar, the country’s presidency said, following weeks of ‘Gen Z’ protests.
Israeli hostages freed as Trump tells Knesset ‘age of terror’ over
Trump’s address came after Hamas released 20 hostages under the first phase of a US-brokered peace deal agreed last week.
Shir Torem/Reuters.Grindr explores take-private after lender calls insiders’ loans
Dating app’s controlling shareholders are discussing buyout financing with Fortress Investment Group for a deal that would likely have national-security implications, people familiar with the matter said.
Aly Song/ReutersHow Jamie Iannone made eBay an investor collectible
The e-commerce veteran is using AI and customer insights to reduce the “friction” that deters many buyers and sellers.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforIsrael, Hamas prepare for hostage-prisoner exchanges as Gaza peace deal takes hold
Israeli forces have withdrawn to an agreed position in the enclave, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to Gaza City.
Ammar Awad/ReutersAD
US, China dig in as rare earth, trade spat escalates
China on Sunday vowed countermeasures against the US if Donald Trump imposes a further 100% tariff on Beijing.
Stringer/ReutersEU pledges $13B investment in South Africa
The deal aims to develop clean energy, transport infrastructure, and health care projects in the continent’s biggest economy.
Yves Herman/ReutersSaudi set to give retail traders bigger IPO roles
Stock market seeks to give retail investors larger portion of new stock sales to help boost liquidity.
Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters
Politics
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Leah Millis/Reuters
After Gaza peace summit, Trump eyes more diplomatic deals
The US president will return from the Middle East with momentum at his back.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersUS govt shutdown could be one of nation’s longest
The Senate is back today for Day 14 of the current shutdown.
Elizabeth Frantz/ReutersAs electricity bills rise, candidates in both parties blame data centers
The AI-driven, power-hungry projects are emerging as a new target for America’s emboldened populists.
Leah Millis/ReutersTrump’s inevitable Nobel
One of Trump’s core political insights has always been to see through institutions to the individuals who run them. Will the Nobel Institute be next?
White House debates invoking Insurrection Act
The 1807 statute would allow US President Donald Trump to deploy active-duty military personnel to states.
Republicans rule out military pay vote as shutdown layoffs begin
The federal government layoffs are ‘substantial,’ an OMB spokesperson said.
Trump threatens ‘massive’ tariff increase on China over rare earths dispute
The US president also suggested that he might cancel the long-awaited meeting between him and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Beijing imposes new penalties on US-linked ships
The charges mirror US penalties on Chinese ships, an effort by the Trump administration to counter Beijing’s growing dominance of global shipping.
Debatable: Ousting Maduro
The Trump administration may be readying an intervention against Maduro. That has some in Washington worried.
Senate passes defense bill, shutdown or no shutdown
The defense authorization bill contains language to lift sanctions on Syria, revamp housing regulations, and scrutinize investments in China.
Israeli cabinet approves ‘outline’ of Trump’s Gaza peace plan
The Trump administration is increasingly optimistic about the possibility of long-term peace.
BusinessAly Song/Reuters
Grindr explores take-private after lender calls insiders’ loans
Dating app’s controlling shareholders are discussing buyout financing with Fortress Investment Group for a deal that would likely have national-security implications, people familiar with the matter said.
Aly Song/ReutersChinese trade holds strong despite US tariffs
The upbeat export and import data came despite trade with the US cratering, indicating Chinese firms are finding new markets for their goods.
LA Times scrambles for cash ahead of 2027 IPO
Patrick Soon-Shiong’s media outfit aims to raise up to $500 million.
Tata, LG trading debuts test India’s IPO market
Two blockbuster trading debuts in India this week will showcase the country’s rising status as a fundraising hub, while testing the strength of its markets.
How Jamie Iannone made eBay an investor collectible
The e-commerce veteran is using AI and customer insights to reduce the “friction” that deters many buyers and sellers.
TechnologyLeah Millis/Reuters 
Sigtryggur Ari/Reuters
As electricity bills rise, candidates in both parties blame data centers
The AI-driven, power-hungry projects are emerging as a new target for America’s emboldened populists.
Leah Millis/ReutersBubble or not, there’s nothing artificial about the AI boom
Comparisons between the AI boom and dot-com bubble abound, but the financial speculation in the AI explosion is unrelated to the potential economic benefits.
Sigtryggur Ari/ReutersInsurers grapple with covering AI claims
OpenAI and Anthropic are considering tapping investor funds to settle AI-related lawsuits in lieu of insurers who won’t fully cover AI risks.
India pilots government-backed chatbot payments system
The country is launching a pilot allowing consumers to pay for products directly through AI chatbots, similar to one recently introduced in the US.
Qualcomm joins tech firms caught in US-China crosshairs
Beijing opened an antitrust investigation against the chipmaker and its proposed acquisition of Israel’s Autotalks.
Bank of England warns of potential AI bubble
The UK central bank said that valuations of US stocks resembled the peak of the 2000s dot-com craze.
EnergyLeah Millis/Reuters 
Amin H. Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, in 2019. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
As electricity bills rise, candidates in both parties blame data centers
The AI-driven, power-hungry projects are emerging as a new target for America’s emboldened populists.
Leah Millis/ReutersFossil fuels will power the AI revolution, Saudi Aramco CEO says
The surge in electricity demand driven by electric vehicles and data centers will be supported by fossil fuels rather than renewables, Amin Nasser said.
Amin H. Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, in 2019. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.Trump eyes deeper energy project cuts as shutdown drags on
A so-called ‘kill list’ shared with Semafor details billions of dollars in additional potential cuts to some of the country’s biggest clean energy projects.
Kent Nishimura/ReutersGulfAmin H. Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, in 2019. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.
Fossil fuels will power the AI revolution, Saudi Aramco CEO says
The surge in electricity demand driven by electric vehicles and data centers will be supported by fossil fuels rather than renewables, Amin Nasser said.
Amin H. Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, in 2019. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.PIF is backing Goop for Saudi women
Kayanee, the Riyadh-based athleisure and wellness brand, plans to expand in the Gulf, and beyond, next year.
Saudi set to give retail traders bigger IPO roles
Stock market seeks to give retail investors larger portion of new stock sales to help boost liquidity.
Say ‘I do’ on Abu Dhabi’s super app
TAMM is rolling out virtual wedding ceremonies as the government services app aims to be a one-stop for practically everything.
Abraham Accords helped pave the path toward peace
The UAE’s quiet diplomacy was crucial to achieving the Trump Peace Initiative to end the war in Gaza.
Africa
Juda Ngwenya jn/DBP/Reuters
Luc Gnago/File Photo/Reuters
Botswana’s new diamond mining rule aims to boost local ownership
Mining companies must now sell a 24% stake in new concessions to local investors if the government chooses not to buy the stake.
Juda Ngwenya jn/DBP/ReutersMali retaliates against US visa fees
US nationals visiting Mali will now be required to post a $10,000 bond for tourist and business visas.
Luc Gnago/File Photo/ReutersSierra Leone tops global survey on people experiencing daily worry
Sub-Saharan Africa was found to be the global epicenter of self-reported feelings of anger, worry, sadness, and physical pain, Gallup reported.
EU pledges $13B investment in South Africa
The deal aims to develop clean energy, transport infrastructure, and health care projects in the continent’s biggest economy.
Kenyan banks want to enter Ethiopia despite the risks
A new World Bank report highlighted the challenges Kenya’s telco Safaricom has faced in the gradually opening Ethiopian economy.
Digital traceability can transform African commodities markets
Growing calls for transparency and due diligence could become a competitive advantage for Africa.
Security
Al Drago/Reuters
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters
Mette Frederiksen. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard/via Reuters
Trump considers sending long-range missiles to Ukraine
The move marks a significant warming of ties since Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Oval Office spat in February.
Al Drago/ReutersUkraine, US preparing deal to share drone tech for arms
Ukraine has received US weapons for years, but since 2022 it has, by necessity, become a world leader in cheap battlefield drones.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via ReutersRussia and NATO in a state of ‘hybrid war,’ Danish PM says
Mette Frederiksen said that the military alliance must step up its response to Russian aggression after repeated incursions into its airspace.
Mette Frederiksen. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard/via ReutersMedia
Jason Davis/Getty Images for DailyWire+
Outkick founder considering leaving Fox to start new media project
The conservative sports brand Outkick was acquired by Fox Corp. in 2021.
Jason Davis/Getty Images for DailyWire+LA Times scrambles for cash ahead of 2027 IPO
Patrick Soon-Shiong’s media outfit aims to raise up to $500 million.
Trump’s inevitable Nobel
One of Trump’s core political insights has always been to see through institutions to the individuals who run them. Will the Nobel Institute be next?
The three challenges Bari Weiss is facing at CBS
Weiss’ journey to this point may have been the easy part.
Weiss makes first major CBS moves
The new editor-in-chief booked three former secretaries of state for a roundtable related to the war in Gaza.
CEO SignalJoey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
How Jamie Iannone made eBay an investor collectible
The e-commerce veteran is using AI and customer insights to reduce the “friction” that deters many buyers and sellers.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforEcolab’s Christophe Beck warns CEOs: ‘There is no growth without water’
The water treatment company’s CEO says AI data center demand is making smart management of scarce resources an imperative.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforJim Farley’s ‘essential economy’ drive at Ford
The automaker’s CEO sees ‘deep trouble’ among the commercial customers who buy its trucks and vans.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD