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The World at a Glance
Updated 5:22pm EST
1
Two days of Russia-Ukraine negotiations failed to yield any breakthroughs, as the talks morph into political theater.
2US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which meets this week, reflects the US’ growing Central Asia influence.
3The European Central Bank said Christine Lagarde hasn’t decided whether to step down early, but the contest to replace her has already begun.
4Germany’s population is set to shrink 5% by 2050, much faster than previously anticipated, new forecasts suggest.
5Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand to defend his company in a landmark social media addiction trial.
6Apple’s correlation with the Nasdaq 100 index hit its lowest level since 2006, as it dodges the AI-fueled anxiety roiling the tech industry.
Saudi’s HUMAIN invests $3B in Elon Musk’s xAI
It’s the Saudi AI champion’s splashiest direct investment yet.
HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters.Palantir partnership is at heart of Anthropic, Pentagon rift
The roots of the conflict point to the changing nature of software stacks as top officials push to modernize the military.
Joshua Roberts/File Photo/ReutersTrump suggests he is talking to Xi about Taiwan arms sale
Analysts sought clarity on Trump’s remark, which would signal a stunning reversal of decadeslong US policy.
Ann Wang/ReutersIran partially closes Strait of Hormuz amid nuclear talks
It was Tehran’s first closure of the waterway since US President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran in January.
Stringer/ReutersTrump poised to tout critical minerals facility in Georgia
The president also might take the opportunity to keep bashing former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of his Republican critics.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersApple News’ political honeymoon is over as MAGA ratchets up the pressure
The technology giant has shown in recent months that it can be swayed.
Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters; Illustration: Joey Pfeifer/SemaforLook beyond the imagined African nation to understand Nigeria’s security challenge
The world must abandon outdated narratives about Africa to understand its realities, argues Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister.
Marvellous Durowaiye/File Photo/Reuters
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Politics
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Press service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters 
President Donald Trump signs the Republican tax bill in 2025. Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters
Prediction markets won over Trump — but the rest of Washington will be harder
The Senate Agriculture chair told Semafor that Congress may assert a role in the “Wild West” sector.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersTwo days of Russia-Ukraine talks yield no major breakthrough
Two days of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine failed to yield any major breakthroughs to end the nearly four-year war.
Press service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters Democratic groups wage populist fight on Trump tax cuts
The group Fair Share America is rebranding as Families Over Billionaires and launching the Stop the Billionaire Bailout PAC.
President Donald Trump signs the Republican tax bill in 2025. Alex Brandon/Pool via ReutersTrump poised to tout critical minerals facility in Georgia
The president also might take the opportunity to keep bashing former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of his Republican critics.
Trump suggests he is talking to Xi about Taiwan arms sale
Analysts sought clarity on Trump’s remark, which would signal a stunning reversal of decadeslong US policy.
Little momentum for ending partial US government shutdown
Democrats sent Republicans and the White House an immigration enforcement counteroffer late Monday night, but there’s little momentum for a deal.
How the Trump administration learned to stop worrying and love big business
Many analysts still don’t understand how foundational Republican complaints about censorship are to contemporary politics.
Trump claims victories on the economy after solid jobs, inflation reports
The White House is claiming victory on the economy after two solid reports, but experts warned the data masks deeper vulnerabilities.
Bangladesh election could lead to a reset in India ties, analysts say
A center-right party coasted to a landslide win in Bangladesh’s first elections since a Gen Z-led uprising ousted the country’s former leader in 2024.
European nations say Navalny was poisoned by frog toxin
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison after being poisoned by a frog toxin, five European countries said Saturday.
US-Taiwan ties get dose of stability as defense tensions linger
The US and Taiwan inked a trade pact to slash tariffs and bolster semiconductor supply chains, as the island tries to step up its defense spending in the face of threats from China.
Business
Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters
ECB tamps down Lagarde exit chatter as succession race begins
The European Central Bank said its chief Christine Lagarde hasn’t made a decision on stepping down before her term ends.
Jana Rodenbusch/ReutersChinese consumers spending more on experiences
Theme park hotel bookings are double what they were in 2025, and demand for travel involving traditional performances or crafts is also way up.
Chinese tourism to Japan drops further as tensions rise
Arrivals from China were down 61% in January year-on-year, after a 45% drop in December, Japan’s tourist board said.
CFTC to states: hands off prediction markets
The CFTC filed a legal brief in support of Crypto.com, which alongside Kalshi and Polymarket is being sued by Nevada for allegedly operating unlicensed sportsbooks.
US economy shows resilience, despite Americans’ pessimism
Friday’s inflation report suggested it was plausible for inflation to get to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target without inducing a recession.
Technology
Mike Segar/File Photo/Reuters
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Apple eyes new hardware, directly competes with Meta: Report
Apple is pressing ahead in developing three wearables as it tries to define the next major way humans will interact with AI.
Mike Segar/File Photo/ReutersChina puts tech freebies to the test during Lunar New Year
Chinese AI companies are adopting a much different strategy than the tiered subscription-based models American tech companies often offer.
Maxim Shemetov/ReutersAI agents turn to humans for paid manual labor tasks
A startup called RentAHuman lets agents hire humans to complete tasks for them in the physical world.
AI ads debate is more about culture war than business decision
OpenAI recently began testing ads in the free version of ChatGPT, while Perplexity has reversed course, winding down its advertising push.
Saudi’s HUMAIN invests $3B in Elon Musk’s xAI
It’s the Saudi AI champion’s splashiest direct investment yet.
Palantir partnership is at heart of Anthropic, Pentagon rift
The roots of the conflict point to the changing nature of software stacks as top officials push to modernize the military.
Energy
Rafael Martins/File Photo/Reuters
Manon Cruz/File Photo/Reuters
Lisi Niesner/Reuters
EV carmakers register $65 billion in write-offs globally
The overhaul in EV investments follow a pivot in US climate policy and an overstated enthusiasm for the green transition.
Rafael Martins/File Photo/ReutersTrump stalls vote on bipartisan Russia sanctions bill
Two senior Democratic senators warned of Trump’s stalling during a visit to Kyiv.
Manon Cruz/File Photo/ReutersGoogle launches AI-driven product for grid improvement
The technology uses fiber-optic sensors to capture data about real-time activity and strain on power lines.
Lisi Niesner/ReutersGulf
Workers install an undersea cable on a beach. Rogan Ward/Reuters.
UAE joins $700M plan to lay internet cable to Türkiye through Iraq
The project signals that the network for transferring data across the Middle East is becoming more robust.
Workers install an undersea cable on a beach. Rogan Ward/Reuters.Saudi’s HUMAIN invests $3B in Elon Musk’s xAI
It’s the Saudi AI champion’s splashiest direct investment yet.
Abu Dhabi’s MGX talks AI investment strategy, deal access
Having powerful principals in Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed and Mubadala chief Khaldoon Al Mubarak helps, as does a New York office staffed with venture and private equity veterans.
Why the UAE dominates in Arab tech leadership
Despite being home to only 2% of the Arab world’s population, the UAE accounts for almost half of the region’s tech leadership.
Iran partially closes Strait of Hormuz amid nuclear talks
It was Tehran’s first closure of the waterway since US President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran in January.
Africa
Luc Gnago/Reuters
Reuters
Africa’s creative economy offers new investment opportunities
The sector could be worth $200 billion across the continent by 2030, according to the Brookings Institution.
Luc Gnago/ReutersVenture capital funding for African startups is ‘stabilizing’
Africa’s startup scene has entered “a phase of disciplined stabilization,” a report found, after years of declining investment.
ReutersSouth African telecoms giant MTN acquires IHS Towers
IHS, which was founded in Lagos, operates nearly 29,000 towers across key MTN markets including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda.
Russia expands its soft power influence across Africa
The Russian Orthodox Church has expanded to at least 34 countries in recent years, and Russia has tripled its scholarship places for African students.
South Africa’s unemployment rate falls to lowest level in five years
But more than 30% of South Africans remain jobless, one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.
South Africa cashes in on adventure tourism
The sector generated about $656 billion in direct revenue, and supported 91,000 jobs, in 2024.
Security
European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via Reuters.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/Reuters
Liesa Johannssen/File Photo/Reuters
Germany says France lagging behind on defense spending
Berlin, which greenlit a huge debt-fuelled expansion of its military outlay, said Paris was lagging behind on its commitments. .
European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via Reuters.Russia’s mounting woes as Ukraine makes territorial push
Ukraine has in the past five days made its fastest territorial gains since 2023, according to AFP.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/ReutersUS talks with Iran, Russia appear unlikely to make progress
Discussions resumed this week in Geneva aimed at curtailing Iran’s nuclear program and finalizing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Liesa Johannssen/File Photo/ReutersMedia
Watch: Restoring Trust in Media
As trust in news declines and business models evolve, media power is being reshaped by mergers, regulation, and ownership battles.
Apple News’ political honeymoon is over as MAGA ratchets up the pressure
The technology giant has shown in recent months that it can be swayed.
The Guardian debuts new flagship video podcast
The show is meant to compete with the likes of The New York Times and NPR.
Crypto news sites take down posts critical of crypto PR
Several business-focused digital news outlets quietly took down news articles junk information floating around the cryptocurrency space.
Science magazine founder courted Epstein for cash, emails show
The founder of Nautilus referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal past as he sought to build a relationship with the convicted sex offender.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Intuit/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of GE Vernova/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of the Gates Foundation/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Why Intuit’s CEO thinks the market’s wrong on AI
Sasan Goodarzi says companies that “deliver for the end customer” will reap the technology’s rewards.
Courtesy of Intuit/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforThe CEO behind GE Vernova’s $200B power surge
Scott Strazik says demand is surging, but his energy company won’t spend money on “hobbies.”
Courtesy of GE Vernova/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow the Gates Foundation’s CEO plans to shape its last 20 years
Mark Suzman wants to reframe the case for aid in the face of government cuts and intense public scrutiny
Courtesy of the Gates Foundation/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD