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View / There was more than meets the eye in Saudi Crown Prince’s US visit
View / Trump, MBS, and Mamdani at the Predators’ Ball
The World at a Glance
Updated 5:44pm EST
1
China’s Xi Jinping spoke with US President Donald Trump as Beijing looks to assume a larger role in Ukraine peace talks and assert its claims over Taiwan.
2Ukrainian and US negotiators made major changes to a peace proposal that was initially seen as favorable to Moscow and unacceptable to Kyiv.
3A US judge dismissed the DOJ’s cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to prosecute perceived political foes.
4Western sanctions have forced Russia to pay more for Chinese military exports and charge less for its crude oil exports, impacting Moscow’s war economy.
5An Israeli air strike killed a senior Hezbollah leader in Beirut, further weakening an already uneasy truce.
6Ukrainian and European officials expressed cautious optimism that the US was shifting its stance to favor Kyiv in peace talks.
G20 summit ‘renews’ multilateralism commitment in face of US boycott
A draft leaders’ declaration upset the Trump administration, which described it as “shameful” that Pretoria had moved ahead without US input.
Leon Neal/Pool via ReutersSchool abductions magnify Nigeria’s security crisis
The student kidnappings, including from a Catholic school, follow US threats of sanctions over abuses against Christians.
Marvellous Durowaiye/Reuters South Africa urges African collective action on critical minerals
The country’s mining minister called for the continent’s nations to coordinate policies on extractive industries.
Nqobile Dludla/ReutersHow Trump is trying to remake American culture — starting with ‘Rush Hour’
The president is offering some creative input on potential upcoming projects.
Brett Ratner, Jackie Chan, and Chris Tucker at the afterparty for the premiere of “Rush Hour 3” in 2007. Mario Anzuoni/ReutersAD
Congress prepares to release defense policy bill text
Lawmakers are on track to pass the bill by the end of the year.
Nathan Howard/ReutersUS looks to advance Ukraine deal amid criticism, confusion
Top US officials flew to Europe on Sunday to advance a Ukraine peace plan after officials and lawmakers sparred over who authored the 28-point proposal.
Anatolii Stepanov/ReutersCOP30 falls short of ambitious deal
COP30 ended without the plan some countries sought, but did manage to produce a few promising workarounds.
Adriano Machado/Reuters
Politics
Courtesy of James Fishback
Pushkin Press; Gallinard 
Sophie Park/Reuters
‘Florida is Full’: James Fishback’s running pitch for governor
The investment firm CEO with ties to Trump is taking a fierce MAGA approach in an attempt to beat Republican Rep. Byron Donalds in the race.
Courtesy of James FishbackTrump, MBS, and Mamdani at the Predators’ Ball
As Trump’s American critics and admirers alike struggle to understand him, the writer Giuliano da Empoli offers a useful alternative.
Pushkin Press; Gallinard Senate bill would punish foreign sabotage of undersea cables
The bipartisan measure also calls for the US to devote more resources to repairing and securing existing cables.
Sophie Park/Reuters Congress prepares to release defense policy bill text
Lawmakers are on track to pass the bill by the end of the year.
US senators favor pressure on Russia amid Ukraine peace talks
As Trump pressures Kyiv on a controversial peace proposal, US lawmakers would prefer to turn the screws on Putin.
Principals Live: Powering America’s Future
One of the few areas of bipartisan consensus is the critical need for permitting reform.
Trump threatens six Democrats with death penalty
Trump accused six Congressional Democrats of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH” in a post on Truth Social.
Debatable: Congressional term limits
The gerontocracy that has taken hold on Capitol Hill in recent years is sparking new talk of possible age or term limits.
Senate Democrats doubt prospects for health care deal
Democrats left Washington for the holiday break seeing little interest from the president.
Lawmakers press for committee vote on stock-trading ban this year
“Certainly I would prefer to see [a vote] before Christmas,” Rep. Chip Roy said.
Trump stops getting everything he wants from fellow Republicans
It’s early, but members of the president’s party are starting to spurn his demands on everything from tariffs to redistricting.
BusinessCourtesy of James Fishback
‘Florida is Full’: James Fishback’s running pitch for governor
The investment firm CEO with ties to Trump is taking a fierce MAGA approach in an attempt to beat Republican Rep. Byron Donalds in the race.
Courtesy of James FishbackMBS brings home a ‘Saudi First’ agenda from US visit
Mohammed bin Salman secured a defense pact, a nuclear agreement, US help to become a critical minerals hub, and access to American technology.
Investors flee US tech stocks after mixed jobs results
Bloomberg suggested that concerns over whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates were one factor behind the drop.
Trump walks back tariffs on Brazil as US inflation rises
Duties will be scrapped on Brazilian imports including beef, coffee, and fruits.
A man for Four Seasons: Alejandro Reynal’s ‘intentional growth’ plan
The luxury hotel brand’s CEO says knowing where his brand has the right to win is the key to its global expansion.
Technology
Courtesy of OpenAI
A student on the Staffordshire University campus. Nathan Stirk/Getty Images.
OpenAI launches shopping assistant
The offering scours websites to recommend top products. It builds on OpenAI’s efforts to become a primary shopping destination, rivaling Amazon and Google.
Courtesy of OpenAIUK college students raise concerns over AI-generated coursework
Students at the University of Staffordshire confronted the university over materials containing presentation slides that appeared to be written by AI.
A student on the Staffordshire University campus. Nathan Stirk/Getty Images.Google DeepMind hires Boston Dynamics CTO, deepens push into robotics
DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis wants to speed up the progress of robotics, and use his company’s multimodal Gemini model as a sort of operating system.
Major music studios strike licensing deals with AI firms
Music is one of many industries turning to licensing agreements to settle long, embattled copyright disputes with AI companies.
Majestic Labs CEO on tackling AI’s limited memory
Majestic Labs is building a new kind of AI chip centered around memory bandwidth, says CEO Ofer Shacham.
All the hottest tech needs to be so, so cold
Startup Interlune has signed $500 million in contracts to supply helium-3 gas to help keep AI and quantum computing devices running cold. Their next helium search is in space.
Energy
STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chris Radburn/ReutersAdriano Machado/Reuters
Climate change devastating key Indian crops, results show
Heat has devastated the cultivation of cardamom as well as tea.
STR/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesUK most expensive place to build nuclear power, report shows
A “systematic regulatory failure,” with multiple points of veto, has hamstrung the industry, the report said.
Chris Radburn/ReutersCOP30 falls short of ambitious deal
COP30 ended without the plan some countries sought, but did manage to produce a few promising workarounds.
Adriano Machado/ReutersGulf
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
To judge Saudi’s crown prince, think in decades
Instead of fixating on moments, Saudis will assess their monarch’s reign over decades.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersAbu Dhabi turns decommissioned airport into immersive gallery
In a region that defaults to razing the old for the new, giving a defunct terminal a second life is a sign that some Gulf landmarks are worth preserving.
UAE pledges $1B in AI investment into Africa
The UAE is pouring billions into becoming a global AI leader and has already signed digital infrastructure agreements with several African countries.
Dubai court nears verdict in $436M feud
A Dubai court is expected to issue a ruling in the 15-year legal battle between a Canadian property developer and billionaire Saudi minister Ahmed AlRajhi.
There was more than meets the eye in Saudi Crown Prince’s US visit
The trillion-dollar pledge isn’t largesse, but a deepening and redefining of the US-Saudi relationship.
AfricaMarvellous Durowaiye/Reuters Leon Neal/Pool via Reuters
School abductions magnify Nigeria’s security crisis
The student kidnappings, including from a Catholic school, follow US threats of sanctions over abuses against Christians.
Marvellous Durowaiye/Reuters G20 summit ‘renews’ multilateralism commitment in face of US boycott
A draft leaders’ declaration upset the Trump administration, which described it as “shameful” that Pretoria had moved ahead without US input.
Leon Neal/Pool via ReutersSouth Africans’ confidence in government leadership grows
A Gallup survey found that 41% of South Africans approve of their country’s leadership, up from 29% in 2022.
Niger completes new major link in fiber optic cable network
The 640-mile fiber optic cable network was completed earlier this month.
UAE pledges $1B in AI investment into Africa
The UAE is pouring billions into becoming a global AI leader and has already signed digital infrastructure agreements with several African countries.
South Africa urges African collective action on critical minerals
The country’s mining minister called for the continent’s nations to coordinate policies on extractive industries.
Security
Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via Telegram/Handout via Reuters
KPRM/Handout via Reuters
US pressures Ukraine to accept new peace plan
The new deal reportedly includes painful compromises for Ukraine, including giving up the Donbas region.
Sarah Meyssonnier/ReutersUS officials scramble to revive Ukraine peace talks
The Trump administration has been secretly working with the Kremlin on a new peace plan, Axios reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via Telegram/Handout via ReutersPoland calls train explosion ‘sabotage,’ implying Russian involvement
The incident was the latest in a series of episodes across Europe for which authorities have suggested Moscow was responsible.
KPRM/Handout via ReutersMedia
Belinda Jiao/File Photo/Reuters
UK’s The Telegraph to be taken over by rival Daily Mail
The outlet has been for sale since its previous owners ran up unsupportable debts and were removed in 2023.
Belinda Jiao/File Photo/ReutersHow Trump is trying to remake American culture — starting with his favorite buddy-cop franchise
The president is offering some creative input on potential upcoming projects.
CNN drops out of Apple News feed, for now
The two companies are continuing to discuss a new deal that would restore CNN’s stories to Apple News.
Can the Supreme Court keep its secrets? With Jodi Kantor of the New York Times
New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor joins Mixed Signals to explain how she’s revealed the secrets of internal deliberations behind the ceremony and black robes of the US Supreme Court.
Derek Thompson on why everything is becoming television, and whether democracy can survive it
Derek Thompson explores why endless video feeds are commanding attention like never before, his book Abundance, his shift from The Atlantic, and the leap to independent work.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Four Seasons/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Flagship Pioneering/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Tilray/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
A man for Four Seasons: Alejandro Reynal’s ‘intentional growth’ plan
The luxury hotel brand’s CEO says knowing where his brand has the right to win is the key to its global expansion.
Courtesy of Four Seasons/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforNoubar Afeyan on the Flagship model for ‘entrepreneuring’
Flagship Pioneering, led by Moderna’s co-founder, has launched scores of new companies — but first, it tries to kill them.
Courtesy of Flagship Pioneering/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforTilray’s Irwin Simon on answering to regulators, shareholders, and God
The cannabis and craft beer CEO has responded to tougher conditions by diversifying — and avoiding debt.
Courtesy of Tilray/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD