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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:49am EST
1
Japanese stocks jumped to a record high, as investors piled in to tech stocks despite a trade row with Beijing.
2Western luxury brands cut their global sales forecasts for the year, driven by cooling Chinese demand.
3The director of the Louvre resigned in the wake of a $100 million jewel heist last year.
4Chinese President Xi Jinping’s purge of the country’s military may be larger than previously thought, a report suggested.
5The US secretary of state will meet with Caribbean leaders today amid efforts to expand influence in the region.
6The US — the world’s biggest military spender — is slowing defense spending, while Europe is accelerating its outlays.
Trump administration weighs citizenship requirement for bank account holders
Already, financial institutions are pushing back at the proposed move.
Elizabeth Frantz/ReutersSpiro fuels electric vehicle expansion in Africa
The Dubai-headquartered motorcycle manufacturer raised $50 million from the continent’s trade finance bank.
AFP via Getty ImagesCrockett escalates her war on the press
The Texas Senate hopeful’s operation ejected one reporter from an event and called the Capitol Police on another, sources told Semafor.
Kaylee Greenlee/ReutersUS Republicans demand protection for Christians in Nigeria
They recommend a bilateral security agreement, targeted sanctions, and visa restrictions in a new report.
Nigerian Armed Forces interact with residents after an attack in Woro, Kwara state. Light Oriye Tamunotonye/AFP via Getty Images.Paramount bets that politics, price will win it Warner Bros.
David Ellison’s new bid puts the media scion back in the running for a company that should have been his from the start.
Mike Blake/File Photo/ReutersMessy tariffs send Capitol Hill scrambling
Officials in both parties are studying the president’s unprecedented use of Section 122 tariffs and how Congress can respond.
Denis Balibouse/ReutersWhy Chinese wind power firms won’t give up on Europe
Windey International’s CEO details the company’s global strategy in a rare interview with Western media.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
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Politics
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Ken Cedeno/Reuters 
Jessica Koscielniak/Reuters
Texas Republicans sidestep Gonzales allegations
He allegedly had an affair with a former staffer who later died after setting herself on fire.
Samuel Corum/Getty ImagesShutdown hits homeland security agencies outside immigration enforcement
The bulk of those who are missing checks do not work in immigration enforcement.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters Trump piles orders on Congress, but wants nothing on tariffs
The State of the Union featured no shortage of to-dos for Republican lawmakers who could soon lose unified control of the Hill.
Jessica Koscielniak/ReutersPentagon’s Anthropic feud deepened after tense exchange over missile attacks
In one conversation about a hypothetical missile attack, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei irked a Pentagon official when discussing how Claude might react to a hypersonic missile attack.
Crockett escalates her war on the press
The Texas Senate hopeful’s operation ejected one reporter from an event and called the Capitol Police on another, sources told Semafor.
Trump administration weighs citizenship requirement for bank account holders
Already, financial institutions are pushing back at the proposed move.
FedEx sues US government for tariff reimbursement
The lawsuit is the first filed by a major US company since the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s controversial tariffs were illegal.
Trump’s approval rating falls ahead of State of the Union
The US president will use today’s address to defend his stewardship of the economy, as many Americans sour on its outlook.
Patel gets a pass on Olympic celebrations
The FBI director was back at the bureau on Monday after defending himself from critics.
No end in sight for Ukraine war at four-year mark
US-mediated talks haven’t resolved sticking points over territorial concessions and security guarantees.
Messy tariffs send Capitol Hill scrambling
Officials in both parties are studying the president’s unprecedented use of Section 122 tariffs and how Congress can respond.
Business
Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Credit Suisse trader fired for Archegos mess wins $8M in back pay
UBS isn’t done paying for its emergency rescue of Credit Suisse yet.
Denis Balibouse/ReutersParamount bets that politics, price will win it Warner Bros.
David Ellison’s new bid puts the media scion back in the running for a company that should have been his from the start.
German Chancellor Merz visits Beijing for talks on trade relations
The German leader is facing calls to protect domestic industry, though US unpredictability means he is also under pressure to diversify trade.
FedEx sues US government for tariff reimbursement
The lawsuit is the first filed by a major US company since the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s controversial tariffs were illegal.
Trump’s approval rating falls ahead of State of the Union
The US president will use today’s address to defend his stewardship of the economy, as many Americans sour on its outlook.
Technology
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters
Reuters/Al Drago
Anthropic eases AI safety restrictions to avoid slowing development
Anthropic’s previous policy meant that if AI reached a certain threshold, the company would stop training it until it could be certain the AI would be safe.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/ReutersPentagon’s Anthropic feud deepened after tense exchange over missile attacks
In one conversation about a hypothetical missile attack, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei irked a Pentagon official when discussing how Claude might react to a hypersonic missile attack.
Reuters/Al DragoAbu Dhabi’s G42 to build supercomputer for India
At 8 exaflops of capacity, the project makes it competitive with the world’s leading supercomputers.
NY Gov. Hochul nixes plans for Waymo expansion
Kathy Hochul withdrew her proposal for robotaxi services in areas outside New York City after it drew pushback from transit workers and rideshare drivers.
Can AI predict Trump’s State of the Union address?
AI company Stett predicted Trump’s State of the Union address verbatim using speechwriting tools and analysis of his social media posts.
Microsoft says it can store data for 10,000 years on glass
In a paper published in Nature, Microsoft outlines its solution to preserve data on a durable material called borosilicate glass.
Energy
Audrey Richardson/Reuters
Stringer/Reuters
Bridget Bennett/Reuters
Data centers hit by power delays, equipment shortages
Some hyperscalers weigh the benefits of pursuing on-site power generation instead, a new Sightline report found.
Audrey Richardson/ReutersEurope should brace for Russian energy attacks, ex-CIA analyst says
A former CIA analyst warned of the potential energy threats in a report first shared with Semafor.
Stringer/ReutersUS tariffs decision won’t heavily impact clean tech firms
The head of the sustainable solutions group at Dutch bank ING spoke to Semafor about the Supreme Court’s tariff decision.
Bridget Bennett/ReutersGulf
US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/Handout via Reuters
Gulf states bet on AI investment to secure US backing
As the Gulf waits for Trump’s next move on Iran, amid a prodigious buildup of US forces in the region, the argument for AI-as-protection is an untested one.
US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/Handout via ReutersKuwait plans new citizenship law following crackdown
Kuwait’s authorities recently stripped at least 50,000 people of their nationality, claiming they obtained it illegitimately.
Bahrain hit by another credit downgrade
The government set out plans to tackle the situation, including a corporate income tax from 2027.
Saudi relaxes rules for foreign companies to establish headquarters in the country
Saudi Arabia began blocking foreign companies without a regional headquarters in the kingdom from bidding for government contracts two years ago, but it’s now becoming more flexible.
Finstreet sees UAE as crossroads in private capital boom
The fintech startup is hoping to tap into $600 billion in private assets seeking exits across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, its CEO told Semafor.
Africa
Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Olayemi Cardoso. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images.
Zimbabwe bans all raw mineral exports
Harare said the decision was in the “national interest” to promote local processing of minerals to add more value within the country.
Philimon Bulawayo/ReutersNigeria’s cautious interest rate cut surprises economists
Slowing price rises and higher foreign exchange reserves had prompted predictions of a larger rate cut.
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Olayemi Cardoso. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images.Senegal, IMF fail to strike lending deal as debt mounts
“Fundamental differences” remain between the two sides, Senegal’s finance minister said, as the talks are set to continue.
US Republicans demand protection for Christians in Nigeria
They recommend a bilateral security agreement, targeted sanctions, and visa restrictions in a new report.
How the Russia-Ukraine war came to Africa
Ukraine has said roughly 1,400 Africans from nearly 40 countries are fighting on the Russian side, though experts believe the numbers are higher.
Spiro fuels electric vehicle expansion in Africa
The Dubai-headquartered motorcycle manufacturer raised $50 million from the continent’s trade finance bank.
Security
Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via Reuters
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters
Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters
Japan PM vows defense shakeup over China tensions
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked a diplomatic dispute with Beijing last year by saying Tokyo could defend Taiwan if China were to invade.
Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via ReutersTrump issues 15-day warning to Iran on nuclear deal
The US president warned that if Iran does not agree to a deal, “it’s going to be unfortunate for them.”
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via ReutersUS ups pressure on Iran with huge air power assembly
Two aircraft carriers and dozens of land-based planes have moved to the Gulf, enough to wage what experts said could be a sustained war against Iran.
Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters MediaKaylee Greenlee/Reuters
Crockett escalates her war on the press
The Texas Senate hopeful’s operation ejected one reporter from an event and called the Capitol Police on another, sources told Semafor.
Kaylee Greenlee/ReutersPolitico is launching in Australia
The company is preparing to launch a Canberra Playbook newsletter before the next parliamentary cycle later this year, Politico’s CEO told Semafor.
Storied, faceless, and stubbornly profitable: The Economist braces for change
A publication famed for its brilliant, monolithic anonymity faces a moment of intense individualization and personalization.
‘Survivor’ contestant torches CBS ahead of 50th season premiere
’“They are choosing a side, and they are using your viewership to launder that choice,” said Eliza Orlins.
Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer on trading the Situation Room for a podcasting booth
They helped set the US’ course through an administration beset by international crises. Now, they’re podcasters. It’s been a learning curve.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Port of Long Beach/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Calm/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of AstraZeneca/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Why the Port of Long Beach is betting that US imports will continue to grow
Noel Hacegaba aims to handle twice as many containers, even as trade tensions mount.
Courtesy of Port of Long Beach/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforCalm’s CEO on the mental health struggle at the top of big companies
David Ko sees stress and sleep deprivation taking a toll on executives’ decision-making.
Courtesy of Calm/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAstraZeneca’s CEO on competing in the new world order
Pascal Soriot says Europe “cannot be naive” about the rivalry with the US and China.
Courtesy of AstraZeneca/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD