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View / Why quantum computing needs a moon-landing moment
Zelle goes international, with a wary eye on tokenized competitors
The World at a Glance
Updated 2:29pm EDT
1
The US will deploy an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, sharply escalating Washington’s pressure campaign against Venezuelan drug cartels.
2US inflation rose by slightly less than expected in September, likely bolstering the Fed’s case for a second rate cut.
3Top US officials have descended on Israel for ‘Bibi-sitting,’ aimed at preventing leader Benjamin Netanyahu from violating the Gaza ceasefire.
4Global leaders are increasingly opting to escalate tensions before negotiating over trade, analysts said, as they vie for power.
5The US flew two B-1 bombers close to Venezuela, the latest move in Washington’s pressure campaign against Caracas.
6Washington and Beijing are readying for a high-stakes week of talks ahead of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s meeting.
Trump’s South Africa ambassador pick backs ‘white genocide’ claims
The row over the false claims has come to dominate fraying ties between the two countries.
Leo Brent Bozell. Kris Connor/Getty.Why Dropbox’s Drew Houston still does his own coding
The cloud storage company founder says CEOs should ‘live a couple of years in the future.’
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforCongress floats through a lazy shutdown
Compared to past funding fights, there is little urgency or real effort to end this one.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersGM takes self-driving competition to a new level
General Motors announced a new capability that will allow drivers to take their eyes off the road on some US highways.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo/ReutersAD
Trump unveils new sanctions on Russia’s energy giants
The sanctions on Russian firms Rosneft and Lukoil sent global oil prices more than 5% higher Thursday.
Yoruk Isik/File Photo/Reuters‘It’s important to liberate Venezuela’: Congressional Republicans cheer Trump’s offensive
The president is expanding his “armed conflict,” authorizing CIA action as he strikes alleged drug boats. His party is behind him.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersDimon to mark 90 years of JPMorgan in Saudi with Riyadh party
World’s biggest bank to celebrate its legacy in the kingdom with top Saudi officials and executives.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Politics
Kris Tripplaar for SemaforKevin Lamarque/Reuters 
US and Chinese trade negotiators. KEYSTONE/EDA/Martial Trezzini/Handout via Reuters
Zelle goes international, with a wary eye on tokenized competitors
The US bank consortium will use stablecoins for fast overseas payments, its CEO says.
Kris Tripplaar for SemaforCongress floats through a lazy shutdown
Compared to past funding fights, there is little urgency or real effort to end this one.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersGlobal powers opting to ‘escalate-to-negotiate,’ analysts say
‘First, create a crisis,’ The Wall Street Journal’s chief China correspondent wrote. ‘Then… step in to negotiate a solution, allowing both leaders to claim a victory.’
US and Chinese trade negotiators. KEYSTONE/EDA/Martial Trezzini/Handout via ReutersUS, China set for high-stakes talks ahead of Trump-Xi meet
The US Treasury secretary and China’s top trade negotiator are set to face off in Malaysia for the fifth time since Trump’s trade war began.
Trump abruptly cancels Canada trade talks
The US president’s reversal came after an Ontario government ad that quoted former President Ronald Reagan as saying tariffs ‘hurt every American.’
Debatable: Changing Obamacare subsidies
The fight over soon-to-expire enhanced credits has shut down the government.
Bipartisan crypto bill faces fresh headwinds in Senate
Crypto CEOs have met with senators in an effort to salvage bipartisan talks.
‘It’s important to liberate Venezuela’: Congressional Republicans cheer Trump’s offensive
The president is expanding his “armed conflict,” authorizing CIA action as he strikes alleged drug boats. His party is behind him.
Navigating Regulatory Waves: Pathways Toward Policy Innovation
Senators watch the weird New Hampshire Republican primary
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Semafor he’s still assessing which primary hopeful is ‘in the best position to win.’
Thune breaks with Trump on Argentine beef
The Senate majority leader talked to Semafor about how he’s navigating the imports debate and maintaining shutdown unity.
BusinessKris Tripplaar for Semafor
Zelle goes international, with a wary eye on tokenized competitors
The US bank consortium will use stablecoins for fast overseas payments, its CEO says.
Kris Tripplaar for SemaforUS, China set for high-stakes talks ahead of Trump-Xi meet
The US Treasury secretary and China’s top trade negotiator are set to face off in Malaysia for the fifth time since Trump’s trade war began.
Why Dropbox’s Drew Houston still does his own coding
The cloud storage company founder says CEOs should ‘live a couple of years in the future.’
‘We admired problems’: C.H. Robinson’s CEO on turning around a logistics leader
Dave Bozeman is applying “lean” manufacturing lessons to an industrial AI challenge.
BHP’s Mike Henry on the mining industry’s ‘new reality’
The CEO counts on frank feedback and a continuous improvement culture to navigate volatile politics.
Technology
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Brendan McDermid/File Photo/Reuters
Why quantum computing needs a NASA-like movement
The technology has the potential to change science, but it would need a NASA-style agency behind it to quickly achieve its goals.
Nathan Howard/ReutersReddit’s data becomes a battleground in the AI gold rush
Reddit data is coveted by everyone from Google to AI search engines like Perplexity, which the forum platform recently sued.
Brendan McDermid/File Photo/ReutersAfrica’s AI adoption hindered by lack of local dialects
Where AI adoption has picked up on the continent, China’s DeepSeek has beat out American rivals due to its smaller energy requirements and lower cost.
Virginia AI debate highlights new political tactics
Lt. Gov. candidate John Reid created the AI of his opponent, Ghazala Hashmi, after she declined to participate in a debate.
Brazil launches AI to monitor online anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech
The AI, called Aletheia, monitors social media, blogs, and news sites, and the perpetrators it finds can be prosecuted under the country’s hate crime law.
GM takes self-driving competition to a new level
General Motors announced a new capability that will allow drivers to take their eyes off the road on some US highways.
Energy
Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
Romeo Ranoco/File Photo/Reuters
Pierre Crom/Getty Images
Chinese firm plans to build the world’s largest floating wind turbine
The two-headed turbine would have a capacity of 50 megawatts, nearly twice as much as the biggest turbine currently on the market.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins/ReutersGlobal use of coal hits record high in 2024
Most countries have pledged to wean themselves off coal, but it is cheap even if it is polluting.
Romeo Ranoco/File Photo/ReutersUS, Qatar intensify pressure on EU over climate rules
The two countries sent a letter urging the EU to water down the bloc’s climate rules, arguing they pose an ‘existential threat’ to the region’s industrial competitiveness.
Pierre Crom/Getty ImagesGulf
Diriyah. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via Reuters.
A Semafor guide to Riyadh
Where to eat and what to see in the Saudi capital.
Diriyah. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via Reuters.AlUla aims for luxury growth, not mass tourism
The Saudi archeological and desert resort destination plans to nearly triple hotel capacity but will cap annual visitors at 1 million.
HP plans to build millions of computers in Saudi
The computer manufacturer has made Riyadh a hub, a win for the kingdom’s strategy to boost non-oil exports.
Dimon to mark 90 years of JPMorgan in Saudi with Riyadh party
World’s biggest bank to celebrate its legacy in the kingdom with top Saudi officials and executives.
Saudi fashion finds its voice
Global designers were the focus at Riyadh Fashion Week, but the highlights were from Saudis reimagining their heritage.
Africa
A person using a smartphone in Khartoum, Sudan. Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters
Courtesy of Afreximbank
Africa’s AI adoption hindered by lack of local dialects
Where AI adoption has picked up on the continent, China’s DeepSeek has beat out American rivals due to its smaller energy requirements and lower cost.
A person using a smartphone in Khartoum, Sudan. Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/ReutersNew Afreximbank president set to take office
Cameroonian lawyer George Elombi has worked at Afreximbank since 1996, and was formerly the most senior executive for governance and legal services.
Courtesy of AfreximbankRecord number of Africans in new NBA season
The success of African athletes in basketball coincides with heavy investment in the continent.
Trump’s South Africa ambassador pick backs ‘white genocide’ claims
The row over the false claims has come to dominate fraying ties between the two countries.
Nigeria’s Moniepoint raises $90M in venture funding
It is one of the largest venture hauls by an African company this year.
Nigeria’s growing financial inclusion boosts capital base - minister
Increased internet access and smartphone availability have helped to spur a decade-long boom in financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Security
Nathan Howard/Pool via Reuters
Al Drago/Reuters
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters
Vance says Gaza ceasefire holding despite flare-ups
Analysts expressed hope the peace deal would hold, thanks to pressure from Washington.
Nathan Howard/Pool via ReutersTrump 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 ReutersMedia
The inside story of Sydney Sweeney’s ‘great jeans’ — and why American Eagle ignored crisis comms
American Eagle’s campaign with Sydney Sweeney blew up in ways no one could’ve imagined – but CMO Craig Brommers knew they were going to hit a cultural nerve.
Zaslav stands to make $500M from Warner Bros. Discovery sale
Zaslav has long been one of media’s best-paid CEOs despite shareholder returns that lag larger rivals.
Suitors pick over Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets
Comcast and Paramount are among potential bidders as the CNN parent runs a sale process.
Investors await Paramount’s next bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
CEO David Zaslav and his board rejected an initial bid of roughly $20 per share.
Sesame Workshop CEO: PBS cuts not ‘existential threat’
Still, Sherrie Westin, the CEO of Sesame Workshop, said the nonprofit’s partnership with PBS is crucial.
CEO SignalJoey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Why Dropbox’s Drew Houston still does his own coding
The cloud storage company founder says CEOs should ‘live a couple of years in the future.’
Joey Pfeifer/Semafor‘We admired problems’: C.H. Robinson’s CEO on turning around a logistics leader
Dave Bozeman is applying “lean” manufacturing lessons to an industrial AI challenge.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforBHP’s Mike Henry on the mining industry’s ‘new reality’
The CEO counts on frank feedback and a continuous improvement culture to navigate volatile politics.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD