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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 5:30pm EST
1
Donald Trump said the US would commit $10 billion to his Board of Peace initiative, with other members contributing $7 billion to the task of rebuilding Gaza.
2India’s AI summit was a nexus for dealmaking, as US heavyweights Anthropic and OpenAI partnered with major Indian companies.
3Investors are cooling on Chinese EV firms after they reported weak January sales, a downturn that could have ramifications for overseas markets.
4The International Monetary Fund called on China to halve its industrial subsidies, as concerns mount about manufacturing overcapacity.
5Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was jailed for life, after being charged with insurrection.
6North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled nuclear-capable rocket launchers ahead of an upcoming meeting of the ruling communist party.
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/ReutersDemocratic 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 ReutersSaudi’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.Toyota deploys Agility humanoids at Canadian plant
The carmaker is leasing robots from Oregon-based Agility Robotics to ease bottlenecks in the production lines at its second-largest plant outside Japan.
Bruna Casas/ReutersPalantir 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/Reuters
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Politics
Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters
Trump at the 2025 SOTU. Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Trump hosts first Board of Peace meeting
The organization is ostensibly focused on rebuilding Gaza, but critics fear it has ambitions of unseating the UN as the main forum for global diplomacy.
Denis Balibouse/File Photo/ReutersPartial shutdown looks to stretch into State of the Union
Monday will be the 10th day of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown
Trump at the 2025 SOTU. 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.
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.
Trump 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.
Business
Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo/Reuters
Corporate America’s Trump bet at risk as Democrats threaten probes
Last year was a bumper job market for MAGA insiders. Democratic legislative staffers may soon become the most sought-after corporate hires in 2026.
Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo/ReutersWall Street’s 120-hour work weeks go on trial
A banker fired by Centerview in 2020 two months into her employment says the firm wouldn’t accommodate her medical need for eight hours of sleep a night and is seeking millions of dollars in compensation.
Senate Democrats threaten Paramount-Warner probe
Dissatisfied with Paramount CEO David Ellison’s written testimony, the Democrats are preparing a deeper probe if they take control of the Senate in the midterm elections.
Canada pushes for more middle-power trade integration
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s latest proposal would involve deepening ties between the European Union and the CPTPP, a Pacific trade organization.
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.
Technology
Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty ImagesBruna Casas/Reuters
India AI summit attracts money and rivals
The event was a nexus for dealmaking and investment announcements.
Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty ImagesToyota deploys Agility humanoids at Canadian plant
The carmaker is leasing robots from Oregon-based Agility Robotics to ease bottlenecks in the production lines at its second-largest plant outside Japan.
Bruna Casas/ReutersApple 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.
China 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.
AI 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.
Energy
Mike Blake/Reuters
Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo/Reuters
Battery storage prices drop to record low, report finds
Costs were higher for other energy technologies, according to BloombergNEF’s latest report.
Mike Blake/ReutersPerch Energy buys Solstice, deepening US community solar push
Perch Energy’s CEO Bruce Stewart spoke to Semafor about the firm’s purchase of Solstice.
EV sales drop caused decline in US clean investments, report finds
US clean investment experienced its largest quarterly drop in nearly a decade.
Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo/ReutersGulf
Manal Albarakati/Semafor
Riyadh tiptoes toward looser Ramadan restrictions
A small but growing number of cafes and restaurants are starting to serve food during the Muslim month of fasting, in the latest sign of social change.
Manal Albarakati/SemaforUAE 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.
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.
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
Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters 
European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via Reuters.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/Reuters
US 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 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/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