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View / Washington is dismantling the tools that gave it leverage in Africa
View / The Gulf’s other postwar challenge
The World at a Glance
Updated 7:10pm EDT
1
The US-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz eased energy markets, bringing oil prices to a three-month low, but analysts warned on timeline of restoring global fuel supplies.
2Anthropic staff were set to meet senior White House officials, after the US government restricted access to the firm’s most advanced AI models.
3SpaceX shares extended an already record-breaking stock market debut, suggesting that investor appetite for marquee tech names is still strong despite concerns of a bubble.
4Russia was behind arson attacks on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s properties, the BBC reported.
5Taiwan’s drone ambitions are getting a boost from the private sector despite a massive budgetary setback.
6The UK announced a social-media ban for under-16s, a move that follows other countries but clashes with the government’s other priorities.
Treasury counters on offshore tax havens
The department is mounting a defense of last year’s decision to exempt US companies from a global minimum tax ahead of this week’s G7 meeting.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Trump undercuts Republicans’ push on surveillance law
The president said Sunday that if a bill requiring voter ID is not attached to its renewal, then he’s “against FISA.”
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters SpaceX extends record-breaking debut
The space giant is yet to turn a profit, but its revenues have grown exponentially.
Joe Skipper/ReutersRand Paul defrosts his relationship with Trump
The Kentucky Republican senator, after past tension with the president and Rep. Thomas Massie’s ouster, looks more White House-aligned.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersTrump announces peace deal with Iran
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the US and Iran had finalized a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via ReutersWhite House’s export limits on Anthropic linked to concerns about Chinese access
Trump adviser David Sacks said restrictions aren’t connected to prior conflicts with AI company.
Reuters/Jessica KoscielniakHoneywell’s CEO on ‘the brutal truth’ about breaking up an industrial giant
Vimal Kapur says delegation and momentum are the keys to splitting a conglomerate.
Courtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
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Politics
Ludovic Marin/Pool/ReutersJonathan Ernst/Reuters Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Trump faces Republican skepticism of his Iran deal
The opaque agreement is leaving many GOP lawmakers to take a wait-and-see-approach.
Ludovic Marin/Pool/ReutersTreasury counters on offshore tax havens
The department is mounting a defense of last year’s decision to exempt US companies from a global minimum tax ahead of this week’s G7 meeting.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Trump undercuts Republicans’ push on surveillance law
The president said Sunday that if a bill requiring voter ID is not attached to its renewal, then he’s “against FISA.”
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters Rand Paul defrosts his relationship with Trump
The Kentucky Republican senator, after past tension with the president and Rep. Thomas Massie’s ouster, looks more White House-aligned.
How Washington fell for Nord Stream conspiracy theories
The true story of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion is even crazier than what Washington bought easily.
Trump announces peace deal with Iran
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the US and Iran had finalized a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
White House’s export limits on Anthropic linked to concerns about Chinese access
Trump adviser David Sacks said restrictions aren’t connected to prior conflicts with AI company.
UFC ‘spectacle’ is about a show, not winning votes
Trump’s Sunday affair speaks to his affection for ambitious construction and affinity for sports — but isn’t designed to help Republicans.
Debatable: Government stakes in AI
Trump and Sanders want the government to exact a public benefit from big AI firms. Others aren’t so sure.
Momentum builds in Washington around Sudan sanctions
US lawmakers look to penalize warring factions as three-year conflict drags on.
Trump’s reconciliation 3.0 ask lands with thud
President Donald Trump’s demand for a third party-line spending bill isn’t going over well with lawmakers.
Business
Chris J. Ratcliffe/Reuters
UK to ban social media for under-16s
The ban will include Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms as well as YouTube but not messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Chris J. Ratcliffe/ReutersSpaceX extends record-breaking debut
The space giant is yet to turn a profit, but its revenues have grown exponentially.
US-Iran deal relieves energy markets
Trump insisted the Strait of Hormuz will reopen toll-free on Friday, but many stakeholders remain cautious.
SpaceX soars in historic IPO
The boost is a positive sign for Anthropic and OpenAI, which are expected to go public in mega offerings later this year.
Trump’s prediction-market regulator to the Supreme Court: Bring it on
CFTC Chair Mike Selig told Semafor he’s weighing more lawsuits against states that try to regulate those markets.
TechnologyChris J. Ratcliffe/Reuters Joe Skipper/Reuters
UK to ban social media for under-16s
The ban will include Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms as well as YouTube but not messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Chris J. Ratcliffe/ReutersSpaceX extends record-breaking debut
The space giant is yet to turn a profit, but its revenues have grown exponentially.
Joe Skipper/ReutersAnthropic comes to Washington to meet White House officials
The Trump administration blocked foreign nationals’ use of Fable and Mythos, citing security concerns.
White House’s Anthropic block set to dominate G7
The White House’s announced it would block foreigners’ access to Anthropic’s cutting-edge AI model.
White House’s export limits on Anthropic linked to concerns about Chinese access
Trump adviser David Sacks said restrictions aren’t connected to prior conflicts with AI company.
US limits use of Anthropic AI models Fable 5 and Mythos
A new White House directive forced Anthropic to shut down access to its most advanced AI models.
Energy
Stringer/Reuters
Nick Oxford/Reuters
Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters
US-Iran deal relieves energy markets
Trump insisted the Strait of Hormuz will reopen toll-free on Friday, but many stakeholders remain cautious.
Stringer/ReutersTop US windfarm begins commercial operations
The SunZia Wind Project in New Mexico will generate 3.65 gigawatts of electricity, enough to supply around a million homes.
Nick Oxford/Reuters2026 World Cup could be the hottest and dirtiest ever
Climate change and the risk of extreme heat could affect players’ performances in the largest World Cup ever.
Eloisa Sanchez/ReutersGulfStringer/Reuters
US-Iran deal relieves energy markets
Trump insisted the Strait of Hormuz will reopen toll-free on Friday, but many stakeholders remain cautious.
Stringer/ReutersKKR sees security driving Gulf deals
US investment firm KKR expects the Iran war to prompt greater investment in alternative supply routes to ensure goods keep moving during conflict.
Oman property fends off Iran war ripples
Residential land prices in the Omani capital Muscat rose by 43.6% in the first quarter, and the market continued to climb during the war.
Iran war is region’s costliest in decades
The Iran war has had a broader impact on the economies of the Middle East than any other conflict in the past 50 years.
The Gulf’s other postwar challenge
As Washington and Tehran move to end the war, Gulf governments face the risk of deepening sectarian tensions.
China
Florence Lo/Reuters
cnsphoto via Reuters
Isabel Infantes/Reuters
China gig economy fears grow as AI threatens jobs
More than 200 million people are flexibly employed in China, but AI has made many of those jobs precarious.
Florence Lo/ReutersChina is betting on medical tourism boom
The country has set up a special international medical tourism zone in Hainan, and relaxed visa rules have encouraged visitors.
cnsphoto via ReutersChina scolds e-commerce giants
The scolding dented shares of Alibaba and JD.com and came weeks after regulators told the companies to avoid an aggressive price war.
Isabel Infantes/ReutersAfrica
Kenyans protest plans for a US Ebola center. John Muchucha/Reuters.
Angelika Warmuth/Reuters
Trump is dismantling the tools that gave the US leverage in Africa
The White House wants African deals but keeps cutting its diplomatic tools.
Kenyans protest plans for a US Ebola center. John Muchucha/Reuters.Zimbabwe gold miner plans to double annual output
Mutapa said it secured $75 million from Zimbabwean banks to raise output from a key pit located to the northwest of Harare.
Angelika Warmuth/ReutersE-bike maker Spiro plans manufacturing in Africa
The firm will begin producing the majority of its components on the continent by next year, its CEO told Semafor.
Misinformation fuels Ebola spread
Official Ebola cases approached 1,000.
South Africa’s proposed power pricing plan to end Eskom monopoly
The proposal would separate the cost of producing electricity into distinct components and introduce a regulated wholesale market.
South Africa’s Standard Bank eyes Kenya growth
The lender wants to boost its market share with the move in Kenya’s crowded banking sector.
Security
Yves Herman/ReutersVessels near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters 
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Kin Cheung/Pool via Reuters
US’ Mythos restrictions heighten EU tech fears
The US government’s move to suspend foreign access to Anthropic’s powerful AI models injected fresh urgency into Europe’s plans for tech sovereignty.
Yves Herman/ReutersTrump announces peace deal with Iran
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the US and Iran had finalized a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via ReutersJapan deepens defense ties with Europe
Japan and Europe are deepening defense ties amid growing unease over Washington’s security commitments, Russian aggression, and China’s surging power.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Kin Cheung/Pool via ReutersMedia
David Swanson/Reuters
New York Times’ Kristof quoted former campaign donors in columns
The paper had promised that Nick Kristof would disclose when someone he reported on was a donor to his Oregon gubernatorial campaign.
David Swanson/Reuters Progressive site Zeteo plans UK expansion
Zeteo UK is a standalone site that will begin publishing this week, with a hard launch date in September.
Politico folds E&E News ahead of broader energy push
In September, Politico plans to launch a series of energy-focused newsletters.
Former Gourmet magazine owner sues new Gourmet newsletter
Condé Nast filed a lawsuit against Goulash Unlimited, the LLC set up by the owners of a revived Gourmet site.
CBS News in the crossfire
Within the network, every editorial decision has been scrutinized by CBS’ own staff.
CEO SignalCourtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Courtesy of Smith & Nephew/Graph Massara/Semafor
Courtesy of Cisco/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Honeywell’s CEO on ‘the brutal truth’ about breaking up an industrial giant
Vimal Kapur says delegation and momentum are the keys to splitting a conglomerate.
Courtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforDeepak Nath applies pressure at Smith and Nephew
The medtech CEO is standing by his company’s portfolio strategy despite calls to break it up.
Courtesy of Smith & Nephew/Graph Massara/SemaforHow Cisco’s Chuck Robbins gets his team to ‘disagree and commit’
The longstanding CEO says a bad decision that you reverse is better than a delay.
Courtesy of Cisco/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD