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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:51am EST
1
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to call snap elections, seeking to capitalize on high personal approval ratings.
2A major bond investor said his fund would diversify from US assets on account of Donald Trump’s unpredictability.
3Global defense stocks have soared in recent months as calls increase for countries to militarize amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
4Talks between US, Danish, and Greenland officials failed to yield a breakthrough, as Donald Trump continues to pile on pressure.
5Elon Musk’s satellite broadband service, Starlink, has become increasingly influential in global protest movements by bypassing internet blackouts.
6Donald Trump said the ‘killing’ of protesters in Iran had stopped, appearing to soften his tone as the US weighs intervention.
Congress starts to prepare fallbacks as Trump keeps eyeing Greenland
The president’s top advisers are forming a working group with Danish and Greenlandic officials, but the stalemate — and threat — remains.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersHow a Democratic senator used his rare White House invitation
Democratic Sen. Peter Welch headed to the signing of a bipartisan milk bill, but focused on health care.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersNetflix, Paramount race to win regulators over on Warner deal
Netflix is also weighing an all-cash bid to further squeeze out Paramount’s competing offer, according to several sources.
Eric Gaillard/Reuters Trump’s economic pivot becomes a battle against his own party
As top Republicans openly dismissed the president’s credit card interest cap, another party lawmaker shrugged: “Let him say whatever he wants.”
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersAD
South Africa’s AGOA uncertainty still looms
Analysts are uncertain if South Africa will remain eligible for the preferential trade pact after the bill makes its way through the Senate.
Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo/ReutersSchumer lauds recruits as Democrats see Senate within reach
The minority leader took an Al Davis-style approach as he sat down with Semafor: “The answer to these critics is to win.”
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Nigeria hires Republican-linked lobbyist to improve US ties
The $9 million deal with DCI Group appears to be a record for African lobbying in Washington, wrote The Africa Report.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Politics
Marko Djurica/Reuters
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Tyrone Siu/Reuters
US talks with Denmark, Greenland end in stalemate
US President Donald Trump doubled down on his desire for the Arctic island in recent days, saying “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Marko Djurica/ReutersTrump says ‘killing’ in Iran has stopped
The US president warned, however, that Washington was still weighing military action against the country.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersPlanning for America’s 250th birthday draws watchdog scrutiny
A watchdog group wants to know more about the dueling groups planning the semiquincentennial.
Tyrone Siu/Reuters Senate committee delays vote on crypto bill amid pushback
Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., made the decision to hold off.
Firms see greater threat from AI than Trump attacks, report finds
Businesses are more worried about AI-related problems like deepfakes than they are about the president singling them out.
Trump sends mixed signals as administration weighs Iran strikes
After days of heightened rhetoric, the US president suddenly softened his tone on Wednesday.
How Rubio blunted Senate momentum on Venezuela
The secretary of state and Senate GOP leaders lobbied two Republican senators to defect from signing on to a war powers resolution.
Congress starts to prepare fallbacks as Trump keeps eyeing Greenland
The president’s top advisers are forming a working group with Danish and Greenlandic officials, but the stalemate — and threat — remains.
How a Democratic senator used his rare White House invitation
Democratic Sen. Peter Welch headed to the signing of a bipartisan milk bill, but focused on health care.
US gets first $500 million Venezuelan oil deal, holding some proceeds in Qatar
The details shared with Semafor mark an initial milestone in the administration’s plan following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
Progressive group backs Mamdani ally in key NY race
If she prevails in the primary, Claire Valdez would likely operate as the New York City mayor’s closest ally in Congress.
Business
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Major bond investor shuns US over Trump’s unpredictability
PIMCO’s chief investment officer told the Financial Times that his bond fund needed “a multiyear period of some diversification away from US assets.”
Brendan McDermid/ReutersNetflix, Paramount race to win regulators over on Warner deal
Netflix is also weighing an all-cash bid to further squeeze out Paramount’s competing offer, according to several sources.
Saks Global files for bankruptcy amid luxury downturn
The company owns the iconic US luxury outlet Saks Fifth Avenue, which has been struggling to compete with ecommerce rivals.
Boeing orders outpace Airbus’ for first time in a decade
Airlines worldwide have sought to placate Washington by buying American.
Powell investigation has little financial or political upside
One question about the Trump administration’s criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell: Who is this for?
Technology
Nacho Doce/File Photo/Reuters
Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
Musk’s Starlink increasingly vital to protests
The satellite broadband network has allowed citizens to bypass government-imposed internet blackouts.
Nacho Doce/File Photo/ReutersNew York judge flips the AI malpractice debate
A New York district judge warns that AI could become so good that not using the technology would be an improper practice in some industries.
Kevin Mohatt/ReutersPentagon adds Musk’s Grok to its AI arsenal
Like other leaders, Defense Secretary Hegseth is investing across AI models to keep up with ever-changing and evolving technology.
Time well spent? Workday study finds workers waste time fixing AI mistakes
Nearly 40% of the time saved with AI is spent on rework, like rewriting, fact-checking, and correcting errors, the report found.
US patent data shows where tech growth really lies
Patent filings in the US over the past five years show greater interest in batteries and sustainable materials than autonomous vehicles and machine learning.
Mideast venture deals hit record in 2025
The region bucked a wider slowdown in startup funding across other emerging markets, according to data provider Magnitt.
Energy
Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters
Phil Noble/Reuters
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Energy dominance goes to Davos
Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda is already tilting the balance of power in the market.
Denis Balibouse/File Photo/ReutersUK secures support for offshore wind in record auction
British authorities granted contracts expected to produce 8.4 GW of energy, enough to power roughly 12 million homes.
Phil Noble/ReutersUS clean energy investors see bull case for renewables
CleanCapital said this week it had secured a $300 million financing package that will help it increase its capacity 50% in the next 12 months.
Brian Snyder/ReutersGulf
Courtesy of Saudi Press Agency
Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund preps for a wave of IPOs
The $1 trillion Public Investment Fund’s equity offerings this year could help revive the stock market.
Courtesy of Saudi Press AgencyMasdar eyes renewables in the US despite Trump policies
With billions to invest, the Abu Dhabi renewable energy giant is eyeing struggling assets in the US and doubling down in Africa and Europe.
Dubai luxury property market hit record highs in 2025
The city recorded 500 sales worth more than $10 million in 2025, according to property consultancy Knight Frank, the most globally.
Meta hires ex-Trump adviser to oversee AI buildout
Dina Powell McCormick, a Goldman Sachs veteran, is set to oversee Meta’s $600 billion infrastructure buildout over the next decade.
Gulf countries join rush to debt with new bond issuances
The coming year is expected to be another busy one for borrowing as Gulf nations forge ahead on ambitious diversification drives.
Africa
Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
Olympia de Maismont/AFP via Getty Images
Africa’s jobs and growth conundrum
While growth in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to accelerate this year and next, unemployment rates are rising across several nations.
Siphiwe Sibeko/ReutersGhana settles $1.47 billion in energy debts
The West African nation was last year among 23 sub-Saharan African countries at risk of debt distress.
Olympia de Maismont/AFP via Getty ImagesUganda shuts internet down ahead of general election
President Yoweri Museveni is widely expected to extend his four-decade rule following Thursday’s vote.
Nigeria boosts UAE ties with major trade pact
The UAE will remove tariffs on more than 7,000 products, while Abuja will eliminate tariffs on 6,000 products over a five-year period.
Nigeria hires Republican-linked lobbyist to improve US ties
The $9 million deal with DCI Group appears to be a record for African lobbying in Washington, wrote The Africa Report.
South Africa’s AGOA uncertainty still looms
Analysts are uncertain if South Africa will remain eligible for the preferential trade pact after the bill makes its way through the Senate.
Security
Stringer/ReutersMarko Djurica/Reuters Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Defense stocks surge on rising calls for militarization
Donald Trump’s calls for a more than 50% increase to his country’s military budget have lifted the valuations of domestic arms firms.
Stringer/ReutersUS talks with Denmark, Greenland end in stalemate
US President Donald Trump doubled down on his desire for the Arctic island in recent days, saying “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Marko Djurica/ReutersTrump says ‘killing’ in Iran has stopped
The US president warned, however, that Washington was still weighing military action against the country.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersMedia
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Politico announces layoffs, new product
The publication will cut about 3% of its 750-strong global staff.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters Blackstone invests $100M in elite marketing tech firm
Applecart has a leading place in an emerging but discreet cohort of companies and organizations aimed at reaching key figures in industry and government.
Pro-Trump group to air Super Bowl ad touting Trump Accounts
It’s the latest move by a president and administration that have fully embraced professional sports as a prime venue to deliver their message.
The business of a viral Substack scandal isn’t as good as you think, Ryan Lizza says
“On the money part, not enough,” Lizza said on Semafor’s “Mixed Signals” podcast when asked about how much money he made off of the 25,000-word series.
Ryan Lizza on Olivia Nuzzi, RFK Jr., and the Substack-ification of a scandal
The media veteran joins Mixed Signals for a raw, sprawling conversation about why he chose to publish an eight-part (and counting) Substack series responding to the most personal and public crisis of his career.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Ferrovial/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Southwest/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
How US traffic jams are driving Spain’s Ferrovial
CEO Ignacio Madridejos says a triple listing has drawn new investors to a European infrastructure powerhouse.
Courtesy of Ferrovial/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Bob Jordan charted a new course for Southwest Airlines
The budget carrier’s CEO says communications and simulations helped it overhaul its business without killing its culture and business model.
Courtesy of Southwest/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor‘AI is going to automate the ordinary’: Cindy Rose’s plan for ad giant WPP
The admaker has fallen behind its peers, but the Microsoft veteran sees opportunity in disruption.
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD