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View / Trump is betting his presidency on AI. Can he sell it?
Opposition to Netflix-Warner deal grows in Washington
The World at a Glance
Updated 8:29am EST
1
A Hong Kong court convicted democracy activist Jimmy Lai of undermining national security amid a widening crackdown on dissent.
2The last two pandas in Japan are set to return to China in February, after a diplomatic row sparked tensions.
3Hardline conservative José Antonio Kast won a landslide victory in Chilean presidential elections, as Latin America continues its rightward shift.
4China’s consumption, industrial production, and investment figures all fell short of analysts’ expectations, heightening economic fears.
5Donald Trump said National Economic Council head Kevin Hassett and Fed governor Kevin Warsh are the finalists for Federal Reserve chair.
6Australia may tighten its gun laws after the country’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years killed at least 15.
South Africa may scrap Black ownership rule
The move could pave the way for Elon Musk’s Starlink and other satellite-internet companies to operate in Africa’s biggest economy.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/ReutersTanzania seeks US lobbyist to quell criticism over post-election violence
The East African country is facing its biggest political crisis in decades.
Emmanuel Herman/ReutersUS shutdown deadline could merge with ACA fight — again
Open enrollment for the Obamacare marketplaces ends on Jan. 15 — and a swath of government funding expires on Jan. 30.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters IEA raises prediction for global oil demand in 2026
The agency pointed to an improving macroeconomic and trade outlook for the changing picture, as well as reduced crude flows from sanctions-hit Russia and Venezuela.
An Aramco oil field in Saudi Arabia. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.AD
How Lyft’s David Risher seized his ‘wet cement’ moment
The CEO of the No. 2 in US ridesharing says there’s more to growth than catching ‘the other guys.’
Courtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforRepublicans flounder on health care while Trump avoids specifics
The party is divided over whether to cut a bipartisan deal or go it alone, but the president’s imprimatur will be needed.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersPayPal plans Africa global digital wallet launch in 2026
The company is in talks to roll out a new “interoperable” platform on the continent, says its Middle East and Africa chief.
Issouf Sanogo/AFP
Politics
Border Patrol agents enter the US Custom House in New Orleans. Seth Herald/Reuters.
US President Donald Trump and Kevin Hassett. Brian Snyder/Reuters
Priyanshu Singh/Reuters
US ends protections for Ethiopians as part of immigration crackdown
Around 5,000 Ethiopian immigrants have been granted TPS designation since 2022, and the new rule is triggering panic among them.
Border Patrol agents enter the US Custom House in New Orleans. Seth Herald/Reuters.Trump eyes Hassett, Warsh as finalists for Fed chair
Hassett is the favorite, but experts worry he would be excessively deferential to the White House.
US President Donald Trump and Kevin Hassett. Brian Snyder/ReutersMore Americans using AI at work, poll finds
The share of US employees who said they used AI at work at least “a few times a year” rose to 45%.
Priyanshu Singh/ReutersUS shutdown deadline could merge with ACA fight — again
Open enrollment for the Obamacare marketplaces ends on Jan. 15 — and a swath of government funding expires on Jan. 30.
Congressional Republicans recoil after Indiana redistricting rebuke
“There will be a lot of primaries” against Indiana lawmakers who voted “no,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., warned on Fox News.
Trump is betting his presidency on AI. Can he sell it?
The president is good at counting zeroes, and many in the administration believe his bet is paying off.
Opposition to Netflix-Warner deal grows in Washington
Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican with close ties to the White House, joined the mounting opposition in Washington to Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros.
Trump signs executive order banning states from regulating AI
The move will almost certainly face legal challenges, and drew criticism from some Republicans trying to pass laws limiting children’s AI use.
US escalates Venezuela campaign
Washington imposed sanctions on the family of President Nicolás Maduro and vowed to intercept more oil-carrying vessels that Venezuela’s economy relies on.
Debatable: Bipartisan progress
Can this Congress do anything big that unites Republicans and Democrats?
House overrules Trump on federal workers’ union rights
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, got enough signatures on his discharge petition to force a vote on the issue.
Business
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Opposition to Netflix-Warner deal grows in Washington
Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican with close ties to the White House, joined the mounting opposition in Washington to Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros.
Brendan McDermid/ReutersEmirates’ ambitions stir rivalries on Wall Street
XRG’s board scrapped plans for a partnership with Apollo to invest in AI and energy projects after pushback from Blackstone’s Jon Gray, people familiar with the matter said.
‘Sometimes not liquid at all’: Carlyle CEO on private capital’s retail push
In a true run for the exits, it could take investors years to get their money back. “We need to be very, very clear about the expectations,” Harvey Schwartz
Investors warm to Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros.
David Ellison and his team impressed Warner Bros. investors with their pitch — and their price tag.
Abu Dhabi is the future of capitalism
The world’s top asset managers are convening in the city as the government commits billions of dollars to accelerate its ascent as a global financial hub.
Technology
Fred Prouser/File Photo/Reuters
Edgar Su/Reuters
Why high-quality content can thrive in an AI world
The Disney–OpenAI licensing deal is the latest example of a media company making a savvy move in the fog of AI economics.
Fred Prouser/File Photo/ReutersWhy Excel is AI-proof
Microsoft recently upped the price of Excel which remains the company’s killer app, despite the rise of AI.
Edgar Su/ReutersSingapore startup builds AI-powered, self-running chemistry lab
The self-driving lab consists of AI software and robots that design experiments, run them, and gather data, with limited human intervention.
Ancestry’s new AI feature narrates ancestors’ stories. But it won’t make ‘dead people dance.’
The generative AI feature allows users to create narrated audio stories of their genealogy, but CTO Sriram Thiagarajan says they are mindful of risks in applying the new technology.
Reddit sues Australia over social media ban for children
Canberra enacted the world’s first social media age limit this week, blocking all under-16s’ accounts.
Trump signs executive order banning states from regulating AI
The move will almost certainly face legal challenges, and drew criticism from some Republicans trying to pass laws limiting children’s AI use.
EnergyAn Aramco oil field in Saudi Arabia. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters. 
Benoit Tessier/Reuters
Joel Angel Juarez
IEA raises prediction for global oil demand in 2026
The agency pointed to an improving macroeconomic and trade outlook for the changing picture, as well as reduced crude flows from sanctions-hit Russia and Venezuela.
An Aramco oil field in Saudi Arabia. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.Exxon plans to cut low-carbon spending by a third
It’s the latest sign of a pullback on decarbonization across most big oil companies.
Benoit Tessier/ReutersLNG supply glut to give EU leverage on methane rules, report says
While the LNG market has been tight for the past few years, many new export terminals will come online soon, pushing the market to oversupply by 2028.
Joel Angel JuarezGulfAn Aramco oil field in Saudi Arabia. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.
IEA raises prediction for global oil demand in 2026
The agency pointed to an improving macroeconomic and trade outlook for the changing picture, as well as reduced crude flows from sanctions-hit Russia and Venezuela.
An Aramco oil field in Saudi Arabia. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.Gulf countries bar Bollywood thriller
While no reason was given, Indian media reported that countries banned the movie Dhurandhar over worries that it could be perceived as anti-Pakistani.
Fund managers pause Saudi investments amid growth concerns
While fund ownership of Saudi stocks hit a record high in 2025, growth has tapered in recent months.
Saudi’s ACWA Power eyes China and green hydrogen
The Saudi giant is scaling up investment at home and abroad.
China calls for deeper Gulf ties, urges free trade agreement
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi is lobbying for the signing of a deal that’s been in negotiation for decades.
Africa
Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters
Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo/Reuters
West Africa eyes cheaper air travel with planned tax scrap
The region has some of the highest air travel costs on the continent.
Sodiq Adelakun/ReutersNigeria licenses 28 firms to capture gas that oil producers burn off
The country hopes to attract $2 billion from the initiative.
Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo/ReutersUS ends protections for Ethiopians as part of immigration crackdown
Around 5,000 Ethiopian immigrants have been granted TPS designation since 2022, and the new rule is triggering panic among them.
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote criticizes Nigerian oil regulator
Dangote accused the regulator of failing to limit fuel imports, which he argues is threatening investments into local refining.
South Africa may scrap Black ownership rule
The move could pave the way for Elon Musk’s Starlink and other satellite-internet companies to operate in Africa’s biggest economy.
Kenya to sell $1.6B in assets to plug foreign aid gaps
The East African nation said it would sell almost $1.6 billion in state assets in order to plug a widening infrastructure investment gap.
Security
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters
Ann Wang/Reuters
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Pool via Reuters.
Maduro strikes defiant tone amid rising US tensions
“Failure is not an option at this crucial juncture,” a sword-brandishing Maduro said in a fiery address to supporters in Caracas.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/ReutersTaiwan pledges extra $40B for defense to counter China threat
Tensions have ramped up in the region after Japan’s leader said Tokyo may intervene militarily if Beijing sought to invade Taiwan.
Ann Wang/ReutersUS envoy, Putin to discuss new Ukraine peace plan
US envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Pool via Reuters.Media
Jimmy Lai in 2021. Tyrone Siu/Reuters.
Hong Kong activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai convicted
Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces to undermine national security, a further sign of the city’s shrinking tolerance for dissent.
Jimmy Lai in 2021. Tyrone Siu/Reuters.‘Iterate through’: Why The Washington Post launched an error-ridden AI product
Between 68% and 84% of AI-generated scripts failed the Post’s own internal testing, but the paper launched the AI podcast feature anyway.
Axios CEO: US is in ‘post-news’ era
Jim VandeHei wrote in an internal memo that what matters is information, not “the news.”
Opposition to Netflix-Warner deal grows in Washington
Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican with close ties to the White House, joined the mounting opposition in Washington to Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros.
Washington Post’s AI-generated podcasts rife with errors, fictional quotes
Errors in the Post’s new AI-generated podcasts have frustrated the paper’s journalists.
CEO SignalCourtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Courtesy of ServiceNow/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
The Manufacturing Institute/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
How Lyft’s David Risher seized his ‘wet cement’ moment
The CEO of the No. 2 in US ridesharing says there’s more to growth than catching ‘the other guys.’
Courtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Bill McDermott’s ‘underdog desire’ drives ServiceNow
The enterprise software CEO sees AI creating ‘chaos’ inside some companies — and opportunities for his own.
Courtesy of ServiceNow/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Saint-Gobain is getting US students to prize factory work
North America CEO Mark Rayfield says young Americans who visit its plants see that “it’s not your 1950s manufacturing job.”
The Manufacturing Institute/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD