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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:53am EDT
1
US President Donald Trump issued fresh threats toward Iran, undermining the fragile ceasefire with Tehran.
2G7 bond yields are hitting multi-decade highs because of the Iran war, driving government borrowing costs in several countries.
3New Chinese industrial output and retail sales data suggested Beijing was struggling to contain the fallout from the Iran war.
4Wes Streeting, who is vying to replace UK PM Keir Starmer, called for the country to rejoin the EU.
5A financial adviser to Venezuela’s former president was extradited to the US as Washington cracks down on Maduro loyalists.
6A UK adviser said too many people were being pushed towards university, amid a global dearth of tradespeople.
Germany overtakes US as South Africa’s second-largest bilateral trade partner
US tariffs hit South Africa’s value-added goods the hardest, with the country’s vehicle and transport equipment sector absorbing the bulk of the damage.
Siphiwe Sibeko/ReutersEbola outbreak declared a global health emergency
The World Health Organization on Sunday declared a global health emergency over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Victoire Mukenge/ReutersFetterman won’t budge on Iran war powers vote
The Pennsylvania Democrat is unbowed by the intraparty criticism of his votes against ceasing the war.
Republicans try to resurrect ballroom security funding
Republicans’ first stab at ballroom funding violated the strict budgetary rules governing party-line reconciliation bills.
China agrees to trade board with US
China said Saturday it would buy US aircraft and seek mutual tariff reductions, but specifics on agreements following a two-day summit between the countries’ leaders remain elusive.
Kenny Holston/Pool via ReutersAOC is taking her time ahead of 2028
She’s endorsing more cautiously in the midterms, and moving more slowly, than others in the Democratic presidential mix. And she’s okay with that.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/GettyWhy Allstate’s Tom Wilson thinks CEOs should create more jobs with AI
The insurance industry veteran says executives have an obligation to do hard things.
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Politics
Americans are buying now, paying later, poll finds
Thirty-seven percent of lower-income Americans report using installment plans either frequently or occasionally.
Fetterman won’t budge on Iran war powers vote
The Pennsylvania Democrat is unbowed by the intraparty criticism of his votes against ceasing the war.
A corruption election
Take if from Rahm. And brace for a very dark 2028.
Republicans try to resurrect ballroom security funding
Republicans’ first stab at ballroom funding violated the strict budgetary rules governing party-line reconciliation bills.
Trump targets his Republican foes
A Republican senator who voted to convict President Donald Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial lost his primary Saturday, reflecting Trump’s tightening grip on the party despite his waning popularity with voters.
Oil shock in US is testing voters
The historic oil disruption, fueled by the ongoing stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz, is deepening economic divides in the US and casting a shadow over President Donald Trump’s political fortunes.
‘The new era is here’: Fears rise over AI hacking
The Trump administration is being pressed to quickly deliver a plan to address AI-enabled attacks.
Inside the Federal Reserve’s transition of power
At least one box has been checked.
AOC is taking her time ahead of 2028
She’s endorsing more cautiously in the midterms, and moving more slowly, than others in the Democratic presidential mix. And she’s okay with that.
Trump’s ballroom security money faces a gauntlet
Even if it survives the “Byrd bath,” the proposed funding doesn’t yet have 50 votes.
Centrist Democratic group wades into primaries
The centrist New Democrat Coalition is weighing in on House races in Maryland and California.
Business
Reuters
Oil shock in US is testing voters
The historic oil disruption, fueled by the ongoing stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz, is deepening economic divides in the US and casting a shadow over President Donald Trump’s political fortunes.
ReutersAir India to cut international flights due to fuel shortages
The cuts deepen the turmoil at Air India, following a devastating crash last year and the departure of its CEO.
US set to drop Adani bribery case
Asia’s richest man was under investigation for bribing officials and misleading US investors.
Trump says China to purchase 200 Boeing jets
The announcement marked one of the first major deals to come out of the Beijing summit.
Companies jostle for AI stock bump
If you’re, say, a flailing sneaker company, you might issue a press release announcing you’re now in the GPU-leasing business.
Technology
Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters
Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters
Everyone lost in Musk v. Altman
The trial revealed the worst side of the leaders running some of our most important tech companies.
Manuel Orbegozo/ReutersNewsom’s floated software tax misses the mark
California’s governor floated a new tax that could add some difficulty for the tech companies selling software out of the state.
Manuel Orbegozo/ReutersCodex untethers AI from the laptop
A new feature allows users to send messages to Codex via the ChatGPT app.
AI-generated papers flood submissions to scientific journals
arXiv, the largest host of pre-peer-reviewed scientific papers, will now ban scientists for a year if their research contains hallucinated references.
The Class of 2026 is cooked
Graduates ask in the AI era: “What am I doing with my life?”
AI assumes larger role in US elections
One Democratic congressional primary in New York City has become a proxy battle over AI regulation.
Energy
Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters
Megan Varner/Reuters
Eli Hartman/File Photo/Reuters
Surge in crackdown on environmental defenders, report finds
The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre documented nearly 800 incidents drawn from publicly available sources.
Abubaker Lubowa/ReutersGlobal investments in clean tech manufacturing drop
Global investments in clean technology manufacturing peaked in 2023 and have since dipped 42% to $155 billion in 2025, a Rhodium Group report found.
Megan Varner/ReutersGlobal oil reserves deplete at record pace, IEA warns
The US government reported that global reserve depletions for the full year could reach up to 2.6 million barrels per day on average.
Eli Hartman/File Photo/ReutersGulf
Qatar launches new $30M Tech Venture Fund
The fund will invest in deep tech startups that aim to address global social or climate challenges.
Mubadala Energy backs $13B LNG project on US Gulf Coast
It’s the latest sign of growing Arab Gulf interest in America’s energy industry.
UAE plans new West-East pipeline to bypass Hormuz
The pipeline would allow the UAE to double its export capacity outside the Gulf’s waters.
Abu Dhabi to build Sphere as part of tourism push
Like its sister site in Las Vegas, the Sphere Abu Dhabi will seat up to 20,000, and is part of the city’s efforts to show that its hospitality industry remains unbowed.
Saudi Arabia’s sizable deficit is a risk worth taking
Higher spending led to an unexpectedly large deficit in the first quarter, but inaction would have been a bigger risk.
China
Kenny Holston/Pool via Reuters 
Evan Vucci/Pool/Reuters
Taiwan defends US arms purchases
Taiwan’s leader on Sunday emphasized the island’s sovereignty and the importance of US arms purchases in deterring regional conflict, amid doubts of Washington’s support for Taiwan.
China agrees to trade board with US
China said Saturday it would buy US aircraft and seek mutual tariff reductions, but specifics on agreements following a two-day summit between the countries’ leaders remain elusive.
Kenny Holston/Pool via ReutersTakeaways from the US-China summit
Experts and politicians offer Semafor their assessment of how this high-stakes meeting went from a US perspective.
Evan Vucci/Pool/ReutersAfrica
Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images
Luc Gnago/Reuters
The battle to ensure Africa’s digital sovereignty
You can let someone else build the infrastructure, but you shouldn’t let them decide how it operates.
Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty ImagesIntra-Africa commerce could reach 53% if AfCFTA were fully implemented, report finds
In its report the Mo Ibrahim Foundation also said the continent’s manufacturing sector could be boosted by $1 trillion, creating create 14 million jobs by 2035.
Luc Gnago/ReutersGermany overtakes US as South Africa’s second-largest bilateral trade partner
US tariffs hit South Africa’s value-added goods the hardest, with the country’s vehicle and transport equipment sector absorbing the bulk of the damage.
We need to reset Africa’s health algorithm
As AI transforms medicine, African countries risk becoming the raw material for a revolution whose benefits flow elsewhere.
Ebola outbreak declared a global health emergency
The World Health Organization on Sunday declared a global health emergency over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Nigerian fans edit anime with Afrobeat soundtracks on TikTok
Fight scenes from shows including ‘Naruto’ and ‘Demon Slayer’ have been injected with the vocal urgency of Nigerian music, Native Mag reported.
Security
Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch. Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Ints Kalnins/Reuters
Ukraine drone attack targets Moscow
Ukraine’s biggest drone attack on Moscow in more than a year killed at least three people in the city, damaged residential buildings, and targeted an oil refinery, as Kyiv intensifies its strikes deep inside Russia.
Japan, EU seek out AI models for cyber defense
Governments and businesses are racing to detect and fix software vulnerabilities before AI systems get to them first.
Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch. Denis Balibouse/ReutersSpain calls for creation of EU army amid US unreliability
The call is part of a broader shift toward European sovereignty.
Ints Kalnins/ReutersMedia
New arts magazine Totei to focus on the ‘creative process’
The online magazine will publish content weekly, including profiles of artists and musicians, photo essays, reported features, and interviews.
Fortune chairman joined Trump interview
Editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell conducted the interview with the president.
Paramount seeks to calm California’s creatives — and a litigious attorney general
Paramount is racing to reassure Hollywood that its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, with its HBO streaming service, isn’t aimed at killing movie theaters.
CBS’ Tony Dokoupil to broadcast from Taiwan after failing to get China visa in time
It was a stumble in the network’s efforts to play a leading role in this week’s dominant global story.
Hollywood appears to avoid Cannes Film Festival
Only two American entrants are competing for the Palme d’Or, both relatively small and financed outside the US.
CEO Signal
Reckitt Benckiser/Handout via Reuters 
Why Allstate’s Tom Wilson thinks CEOs should create more jobs with AI
The insurance industry veteran says executives have an obligation to do hard things.
Reckitt’s Kris Licht on moving at ‘China speed’
The CEO behind Lysol and Durex ‘pivoted hard’ for a new era of TikTok-driven commerce.
Reckitt Benckiser/Handout via Reuters Dan Schulman’s plan to get Verizon back in the fight
“If somebody’s going to punch me, I’m going to punch back,” Verizon CEO Dan Schulman says in this episode of The CEO Signal.
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