The quiet influence of Qatari minister Al Thawadi

Qatar’s Ali Al Thawadi is a minister without his own department, but he’s become an important cog in the Gulf’s diplomatic machinery.
President Donald Trump leads a trilateral phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani discussing the US peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025.

Trump administration clarifies new green card policy

Most people seeking green cards will have to leave the country to apply for permanent residency, rather than do it from inside the US, the Trump administration said Friday.
A woman holds a replica green cardLucy Nicholson/Reuters

Why an anxious AI romantic now drives Match Group’s dating apps

CEO Spencer Rascoff uses digital “personas” to help the Tinder owner understand its users.
Spencer RascoffCourtesy of Match Group/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor

Saudi’s NEOM halts work on The Line until after 2030

Budget deficits and feasibility questions were forcing a rethink even before the Iran war.
A rendering of The Line.Courtesy of NEOM.
AD
Politics

Iran deal status remains uncertain

The fate of an Iran peace deal remained uncertain Monday, as both Washington and Tehran offered conflicting signals on progress.
Men walk on the beach in Bandar Abbas, Iran

No ‘immediate’ tariffs on semiconductors

The US will not impose tariffs on semiconductors in the near future, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Friday.
Jamieson GreerEleanor Mueller/Semafor

Trump administration clarifies new green card policy

Most people seeking green cards will have to leave the country to apply for permanent residency, rather than do it from inside the US, the Trump administration said Friday.
A woman holds a replica green cardLucy Nicholson/Reuters

Gabbard resigns, adding to Trump’s long to-do list

Any successor to the departing national intelligence director would have to get through an increasingly frustrated Senate Republican Conference.

Senators pitch bipartisan affirmation of US-Taiwan ties amid arms sale pause

The president has described a paused $14 billion weapons package for the self-governing island as a “negotiating chip” with China.

Trump faces further Republican rebellion

The latest displeasure comes over an “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” wth Trump’s standing among GOP legislators is at its lowest point of his second term.

Debatable: Taiwan arms sales

Members of Congress broadly support defensive weapon sales to Taiwan, but there’s friction over how far US support for the self-governing island should go.

Ebola outbreak prompts scrutiny of Trump cuts

Congressional Democrats and health experts say slashing USAID hampered the virus response

DNC autopsy prompts more questions

The Democratic National Committee’s incomplete 2024 “autopsy” report contains no mention of the war in Gaza.

Republicans’ view of economy darkens, poll finds

Only 16% of all US adults describe current economic conditions as excellent or good, the lowest in three years.

Trump postpones signing AI and cybersecurity order

Trump suggested he had concerns it could shrink the country’s AI lead over China.
AD