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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:24pm EDT
1
The US began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington and Tehran threatened further escalation amid a shaky ceasefire.
2Spain’s Prime Minister urged China to help end global wars, as more European leaders grow closer to Beijing.
3Donald Trump refused to back down from his attacks on Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff’s Iran war criticism.
4Russia’s spy agency is pushing to tighten control of the country’s internet, sparking rare pushback from the country’s elite.
5China’s EV exports jumped by 124% in Q1, with a further windfall expected as oil prices remain high.
6Mexico’s success in taming sky-high murder rates has minted a new political star: the country’s security minister.
TotalEnergies CEO warns of ‘serious supply issues’ if Iran war continues
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said at Semafor World Economy that any solution over the Iran conflict “must absolutely preserve” the Strait of Hormuz opening.
Patrick Pouyanné (L) and Semafor’s Tim McDonnell. Tasos Katopodis/Getty for SemaforMore than 500 global CEOs, policymakers, and cabinet secretaries gather at Semafor World Economy in Washington
Kicking off Monday, power players from around the world descend on DC to confront a global economy rattled by wars, inflation, and the artificial intelligence boom.
Donald Trump says the US will ‘blockade’ Hormuz
Donald Trump said the US would “blockade” the Strait of Hormuz after US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach a deal during marathon talks in Pakistan.
ReutersRepublican immigration bill starts shaping up
Republicans want to give President Donald Trump three years of funding for immigration enforcement.
Nathan Howard/Reuters Gulf media crackdown sanitizes images of the war
Some international wires have halted conflict photography in the UAE since the arrest of photojournalists there.
AFP via Getty ImagesUS pilot detained in Guinea decries ‘useless’ Trump administration
The US government has taken a quiet approach to resolving the case of two charter plane operators held in West Africa
Souleymane Camar/ReutersGeorges Elhedery on HSBC’s big bets on the Gulf and Asia
HSBC is planning to stay the course amid global turmoil.
Tyrone Siu/Reuters
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Politics
US Navy/Handout via Reuters
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social/Handout via ReutersSouleymane Camar/Reuters
US begins Strait of Hormuz blockade
The US began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, as Washington and Tehran threatened further escalation amid a shaky ceasefire.
US Navy/Handout via ReutersTrump escalates attacks on Pope Leo over war criticism
US President Donald Trump refused to back down from his row with Pope Leo XIV, who has spoken out against the war in Iran.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social/Handout via ReutersUS pilot detained in Guinea decries ‘useless’ Trump administration
The US government has taken a quiet approach to resolving the case of two charter plane operators held in West Africa
Souleymane Camar/ReutersRepublican immigration bill starts shaping up
Republicans want to give President Donald Trump three years of funding for immigration enforcement.
Asking the big question of the new world economy
Are you better off than you were four years ago? The predictive power of that question has flipped.
What’s next for Swalwell in the House
The California congressman faces a vote to expel him from the House this week over sexual assault allegations.
Trump threatens China over Iran
US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened China with “staggering” 50% tariffs if it provides military assistance to Iran, raising the specter of further friction between the world’s two largest economies.
Donald Trump says the US will ‘blockade’ Hormuz
Donald Trump said the US would “blockade” the Strait of Hormuz after US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach a deal during marathon talks in Pakistan.
First look at war-related inflation sparks political jostling
The White House sought to focus on findings that specific goods got less expensive, while emboldened Democrats decried energy price spikes.
Navy takes nuclear-powered sub offline after $800 million cost run-up
Navy Secretary John Phelan was candid about his decision in an interview with Semafor: “We screwed up.”
Warsh’s Fed hearing slips past next week
The committee would have had to notice the hearing by midnight Thursday.
Business
Issei Kato/Reuters
How Ivan Espinosa got Nissan to face reality
Nissan’s vehicle sales and share price have plummeted. Espinosa has a mandate to turn them around.
Issei Kato/Reuters One hedge fund is pitching a fix to SpaceX’s IPO deluge: Shorten employee lockup periods
An IPO structure proposed by Lykos Global Management would trickle employee shares, then those held by insiders, into the market based on price and volume thresholds.
How old records and new AI technology brought growth back to Ancestry
CEO Howard Hochhauser says the site had stopped listening to its customers.
Richard Edelman on trust, ‘Succession,’ and how to advise a CEO
The C-suite adviser says clients should spend more time hearing their critics.
More than 500 global CEOs, policymakers, and cabinet secretaries gather at Semafor World Economy in Washington
Kicking off Monday, power players from around the world descend on DC to confront a global economy rattled by wars, inflation, and the artificial intelligence boom.
Technology
Igor Ivanko/Pool via Reuters
Rick Wilking/Reuters
Russia’s spy agency tightens control of internet, sparking elite pushback
Moscow has blocked Telegram, looked to crack down on VPN use, and is pushing a state-linked messaging app.
Igor Ivanko/Pool via ReutersWhy your employees aren’t using AI
Nearly half of non-AI users have ethical objections to it, Gallup found.
Rick Wilking/ReutersAltman links attack to ‘great anxiety’ over AI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman linked an attack on his home to a moment of “great anxiety” around AI.
Hospitals consider replacing some radiologists with AI
Radiology is ground zero for arguments over AI’s employment impacts.
Amazon takes a jab at Nvidia over chips shift
It’s a signal that Nvidia is in direct competition with the frontier AI labs it already supplies.
VCs step in to fund university upstarts
VC increased their spending in university spinoffs, and in later rounds of US companies spun out from academia, PitchBook reported.
Energy
Tasos Katopodis/Getty for Semafor
Eli Hartman/File Photo/Reuters
Simon Johnson/Reuters
Energy executives warn of Iran war’s lasting impacts
Top energy and finance executives, speaking at Semafor World Economy, warned of long-term damage the Iran war could inflict on global commodities markets.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty for SemaforOil prices remain high despite Iran ceasefire
Prices are still hovering just below $100 per barrel, but there’s a long road ahead even if the war concludes.
Eli Hartman/File Photo/ReutersIran war strengthens case for green hydrogen
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has boosted interest in green hydrogen, as fossil fuel prices soar.
Simon Johnson/ReutersGulf
Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Controlling Hormuz seemed improbable. Turns out, it’s profitable
Gulf officials long thought Iran wouldn’t close the Strait because it would be self-defeating.
Dado Ruvic/ReutersData centers under fire test Gulf sovereign AI ambitions
Deep pockets and conviction will help the region in its push to become a global AI compute hub, despite the war.
Gulf looks to diversify its security alliances
Iran’s attacks showed what hundreds of billions of defense spending can buy, and what it can’t.
Gulf oil producers can no longer rely on Hormuz
A ceasefire may have calmed markets, but Gulf exporters are concluding they need to bypass the Strait.
War or peace, Gulf wealth funds keep investing
The region’s heavy hitters had a bumper quarter. Going forward, however, the picture is murkier.
Africa
Mike Hutchings/Reuters
Kacper Pempel/Illustration/Reuters
Rising oil prices weaken South Africa’s rand
The currency was nearly 1% down from its close on Friday in the latest fallout of the Middle East war.
Mike Hutchings/ReutersSouth Africa, Nigeria enter cybercrime global ranking
Global cybercrime losses surged to a record $20.8 billion in 2025.
Kacper Pempel/Illustration/ReutersHeineken sells DR Congo unit in Bralima
The exit marks the end of more than a century of operations by the Dutch brewer in the country.
African startup funding surges to $705M in first quarter
Startup funding increased 26.5% on the same period last year, according to new analysis.
Airbnb faces familiar battle in Cape Town
Hotel-managed or listed units on short-term rental platforms show how deeply tourism has penetrated the city center’s housing market.
A South African artist is changing the way viewers understand Picasso’s Guernica
Dumile Feni’s artwork is on display directly opposite Pablo Picasso’s famous anti-war painting.
Security
Henry Romero/Reuters
Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
HMS Prince of Wales. UK MOD Crown/May Luke/Handout via Reuters.
Murders drop in Mexico, minting a new political star
The country’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, has become one of Mexico’s most popular politicians.
Henry Romero/ReutersIsrael’s Netanyahu says Iran ceasefire is not ‘end of the war’
Israel believes its war aims are incomplete, potentially setting the stage for further hostilities amid a shaky truce with Iran.
Ronen Zvulun/ReutersUK Navy deploys anti-drone weapons amid global scramble
The DragonFire system can target 400 mph drones and comes five years ahead of schedule.
HMS Prince of Wales. UK MOD Crown/May Luke/Handout via Reuters.MediaAFP via Getty Images
Gulf media crackdown sanitizes images of the war
Some international wires have halted conflict photography in the UAE since the arrest of photojournalists there.
AFP via Getty ImagesHow Bluesky earned its reputation — and why it could be the way of the future
Bluesky COO Rose Wang on how her company got to 40 million users.
Democrats pressure Pentagon over new media restrictions
Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Pentagon and leaders at Stars and Stripes to share whether the department is censoring stories at the historic military newspaper.
Maryland’s biggest newspaper is going after the governor’s 2028 campaign
The owner of Maryland’s biggest paper and TV stations is keeping close tabs on his outlet’s investigation of Gov. Wes Moore.
Joanna Stern on how AI told her to quit The Wall Street Journal
“It felt like the one big decision where I actually did trust AI,” she told Semafor’s “Mixed Signals” podcast.
CEO SignalIssei Kato/Reuters 
Ancestry/YouTube
Richard Bord/Getty Images for Cannes Lions
How Ivan Espinosa got Nissan to face reality
Nissan’s vehicle sales and share price have plummeted. Espinosa has a mandate to turn them around.
Issei Kato/Reuters How old records and new AI technology brought growth back to Ancestry
CEO Howard Hochhauser says the site had stopped listening to its customers.
Ancestry/YouTubeRichard Edelman on trust, ‘Succession,’ and how to advise a CEO
The C-suite adviser says clients should spend more time hearing their critics.
Richard Bord/Getty Images for Cannes LionsAD