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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:43am EDT
1
Trade between Africa and China surged in 2025, helping drive increased use of the yuan in international commerce.
2Cuba moved to privatize swaths of its state-run economy as it looked to boost moribund growth and assuage the US.
3The EU moved to reduce tensions with Moscow and Beijing, though the bloc was far from unified in its efforts.
4Oil prices headed for a sharp weekly decline, as the International Energy Agency warned of a potential supply glut.
5The US-Iran truce was cast into doubt hours after it was signed, with talks between Washington and Tehran called off.
6US Vice President Vance defended the US-Iran deal from the White House podium, a move some see as politically risky.
Intel, Apple were in talks for months about chip deal claimed by Trump
The US president’s announcement surprised Intel executives.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/ReutersUS warns Israel against disrupting deal with Iran
Vance rebuked Israel’s “freakout,” as the US ally telegraphed further military action in Lebanon.
Eric Lee/Reuters Vance becomes the face of the US-Iran deal
It’s a move analysts say will likely hurt his political future given mounting criticism from conservatives over the agreement.
Eric Lee/ReutersUS-Iran truce sparks frustration in Israel
Israeli media condemned the deal Washington signed with Tehran as “a catastrophic capitulation.”
Ronen Zvulun/ReutesExecs warn that EU overregulation is constraining business
ArcelorMittal’s executive chairman and the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund voiced concern about the regulatory environment.
Wolfgang Rattay/ReutersJPMorgan restricts Anthropic in Hong Kong
The White House, citing national security concerns, has blocked all foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s most advanced models.
Eduardo Munoz/ReutersDivided Montana Senate field helps Republicans
Democrats and independents are divided between two candidates running against Republican Kurt Alme.
Seth Bodnar in 2025. Michael Thomas Shroyer-Imagn Images
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Politics
Social media via ReutersEric Lee/Reuters Eric Lee/Reuters
Ukraine hits Moscow with its biggest drone strike yet
The attack’s value is both symbolic and economic, bringing the reality of war home to ordinary Russians
Social media via ReutersUS warns Israel against disrupting deal with Iran
Vance rebuked Israel’s “freakout,” as the US ally telegraphed further military action in Lebanon.
Eric Lee/Reuters Vance becomes the face of the US-Iran deal
It’s a move analysts say will likely hurt his political future given mounting criticism from conservatives over the agreement.
Eric Lee/ReutersTrump administration to end PEPFAR funding for South Africa
The State Department is expected to formally notify Pretoria it is cutting off HIV/AIDS assistance as soon as next week.
Divided Montana Senate field helps Republicans
Democrats and independents are divided between two candidates running against Republican Kurt Alme.
Americans increasingly struggle with healthcare costs, survey finds
The share of Americans who are secure about their healthcare costs fell to 49% last year, a new Gallup and West Health poll found.
Banks opine on new capital rules
Thursday is the last day for banks to weigh in on US regulators’ latest proposal to overhaul capital requirements.
Republicans concerned about Iran deal
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called the agreement “lousy.”
The Fed’s Warsh era starts with a flurry of change, but steady rates
The central bank’s new chair reframed the decision as “price stability” while focusing on other projects.
Trump and Thune’s dynamic turns the Senate ‘very chaotic’
The increasing strain between the two Republican leaders is becoming a distraction and a frustration.
Chris Murphy vs. the cults
The Connecticut senator thinks Democrats need to pick bigger fights.
Business
Courtesy of Cigna/Graph Massara/Semafor
How a marathon-running CEO set the pace for Cigna
David Cordani says the insurer had to “actively listen” to rebuild trust with its customers.
Courtesy of Cigna/Graph Massara/SemaforExecs are warning that EU overregulation is constraining business
ArcelorMittal’s executive chairman and the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund voiced concern about the regulatory environment.
Activist weighs proxy fight at Vail Resorts
Oasis would have a likely buyer in Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, who has expressed interest in acquiring the struggling Park City resort.
Private equity confronts a goose egg
The cascade of financial loss that happens when companies run out of money is in motion.
Vail Resorts taps bankers to play defense
The ski giant is contending with tough weather, restive labor groups, and an irate billionaire customer who is trying to buy Park City.
TechnologyEduardo Munoz/Reuters 
Abdul Saboor/Reuters
JPMorgan restricts Anthropic in Hong Kong
The White House, citing national security concerns, has blocked all foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s most advanced models.
Eduardo Munoz/ReutersApple to raise prices as memory chip costs surge
The rapid rollout of AI infrastructure has sent demand for semiconductors soaring.
Abdul Saboor/ReutersResearch pulls back curtain on Claude
“Only about 1.6% of Claude Code’s codebase constitutes AI decision logic, with the remaining 98.4% being operational infrastructure,” a research paper from April explains.
Meta pursues muddled AI strategy
With massive borrowing to build data centers and without and enterprise business like Anthropic’s or OpenAI’s, the company’s AI strategy still doesn’t seem to make sense.
Anthropic takes the path of most resistance
The company has miscalculated how it’s communicated with the Trump administration — and the general public — about its business.
The tech behind agentic commerce
CHEQ’s platform can figure out whether a website visitor is a bot or agent and identify what their intent is.
Energy
Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters 
Billboard in Islamabad. Akhtar Soomro/ReutersEric Lee/Reuters
Former IEA chief says world faces a ‘third oil shock’ despite US-Iran deal
Nobuo Tanaka says the Hormuz crisis has accelerated a seismic shift in the global energy order, but business leaders can learn from it.
Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters Pakistan’s diplomatic chops on display
Pakistan, once cast as a diplomatic pariah by the West, took on a lead role mediating between the US and Iran to produce a deal.
Billboard in Islamabad. Akhtar Soomro/ReutersVance becomes the face of the US-Iran deal
It’s a move analysts say will likely hurt his political future given mounting criticism from conservatives over the agreement.
Eric Lee/ReutersGulfBillboard in Islamabad. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters
Pakistan’s diplomatic chops on display
Pakistan, once cast as a diplomatic pariah by the West, took on a lead role mediating between the US and Iran to produce a deal.
Billboard in Islamabad. Akhtar Soomro/ReutersUS warns Israel against disrupting deal with Iran
Vance rebuked Israel’s “freakout,” as the US ally telegraphed further military action in Lebanon.
Vance becomes the face of the US-Iran deal
It’s a move analysts say will likely hurt his political future given mounting criticism from conservatives over the agreement.
Gulf bosses optimistic over post-war rebound
The region’s sovereign wealth funds “did not step back” during the war, Wael Younan, co-head of sovereign wealth management at US asset manager TCW, said at Semafor’s The Gulf’s Golden Age, Interrupted.
How Gulf airlines are luring passengers back despite regional uncertainty
Emirates and Etihad have started offering insurance to travelers, while Emirates’ new policy covers conflict-related medical costs, flight cancellations, and delays.
ChinaEduardo Munoz/Reuters 
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Go Nakamura/Reuters
JPMorgan restricts Anthropic in Hong Kong
The White House, citing national security concerns, has blocked all foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s most advanced models.
Eduardo Munoz/ReutersEU eyes unified China approach
Europe has long been nervous about cheap, state-subsidized Chinese goods undermining the continent’s manufacturing industries.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/ReutersChinese retail sales fall while industrial output rises
While tech-driven exports soar, domestic retail sales remain paltry.
Go Nakamura/ReutersAfrica
The Goethe-Institut Dakar. Instagram/Kerearchitecture by Iwan Baan
Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images
African architecture helps reduce climate impact
Traditional materials and methods encourage air flow and create shade, keeping buildings cool in the hot months.
The Goethe-Institut Dakar. Instagram/Kerearchitecture by Iwan BaanAfrican telcos plan to invest $76B in infrastructure
The investment pipeline will support an industry that is expected to add $290 billion a year to the continent’s economy by the end of the decade.
Seyllou/AFP via Getty ImagesCocoa giants Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire vow to cooperate on prices
The countries’ leaders said they would revive the so-called cocoa OPEC.
Kenya’s Ruto says country nearing US mineral deal
Kenya has large, untapped deposits of minerals required to build infrastructure for renewable energy and digital infrastructure.
The distant shocks squeezing African economies
When the US Federal Reserve announces the central bank’s decision on interest rate, the impact will reverberate across African capitals.
Nigeria’s Dangote secures $600M for fertilizer arm
Dangote’s Lagos’ plant produces 3 million metric tonnes of fertilizer annually, a key supplier as the continent seeks to wean itself off imports in the wake of the Iran war.
Security
Yves Herman/Reuters
Vessels 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
Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo/Reuters
Netflix wades into the M&A game
The streamer lost out on Roku, but has its eye on Lionsgate.
Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo/ReutersNew 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.
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.
CEO SignalSarah Meyssonnier/Reuters Courtesy of Cigna/Graph Massara/Semafor 
Courtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Former IEA chief says world faces a ‘third oil shock’ despite US-Iran deal
Nobuo Tanaka says the Hormuz crisis has accelerated a seismic shift in the global energy order, but business leaders can learn from it.
Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters How a marathon-running CEO set the pace for Cigna
David Cordani says the insurer had to “actively listen” to rebuild trust with its customers.
Courtesy of Cigna/Graph Massara/SemaforHoneywell’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/SemaforAD