- D.C.
- BXL
- Lagos
- Riyadh
- Beijing
- SG
Intelligence for the New World Economy
- D.C.
- BXL
- Lagos
- Riyadh
- Beijing
- SG
View/ What Donald Trump likes about Zohran Mamdani
View/ Why African countries should care about their national image
The World at a Glance
Updated 5:28pm EST
1
US President Donald Trump praised Zohran Mamdani after their Oval Office meeting, saying he would help the New York City mayor-elect to achieve his affordability agenda.
2US investors fled tech stocks, in what has been a tumultuous week following Nvidia’s earnings and a mixed US jobs report.
3Donald Trump threatened six Congressional Democrats with the death penalty, as his control over the Republican party appears to wane.
4Tensions escalated between Washington and Pretoria after conflicting remarks on whether the US will attend the G20 summit in South Africa.
5Donald Trump is pressuring Kyiv to accept a new peace plan that critics say favors Russia.
6The White House reversed tariffs on Brazil — which had reached 40% — amid rising food inflation in the US.
US denies reneging on its boycott of G20
South Africa’s president said Washington was rethinking the boycott, only for the White House to dismiss the claim as “fake news.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Yves Herman/Reuters.US mulls sanctions on Nigeria over disputed Christian killings
The issue already led the Trump administration to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” in October.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu. Adriano Machado/Reuters.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.
Image rendering courtesy of InterluneTilray’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
Tensions between US, Saudi Arabia ease as more deals struck
Closer ties with the US could mend a longstanding complaint from Saudi Arabia that its investments are unfairly scrutinized under national security laws.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the US Capitol. Tom Brenner/Reuters.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.
Kylie Cooper/ReutersUS sees unexpected hiring surge in September, though concerns remain
The long-delayed September jobs report showed that 119,000 jobs were added, while 4,000 jobs were lost in August.
Vincent Alban/Reuters
Politics
Frank Robichon/Reuters
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
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.
Frank Robichon/ReutersDebatable: 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.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersLawmakers 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.
Some US economic data lost for good because of shutdown
An information shortfall will likely make economic policymaking much harder.
Trump, MBS agree to develop rare earths refinery in Saudi Arabia
An American minerals firm will partner with Riyadh’s state-owned mining company to supply both countries’ manufacturing and defense industries.
Senate struggles toward a health care deal
There are no official negotiations going on yet, just informal talks with Republicans.
Saudi leader’s Washington visit has plenty of fanfare but few details
One clear theme of the US-Saudi business summit: the importance of exporting US tech to the global AI race.
Democrats start falling for risk-takers as their early 2028 conversation begins
In the aftermath of the shutdown and the party’s successful off-year elections, the Democrats who’ve taken the biggest risks have seen the biggest benefits.
Democrats fighting to preserve states’ ability to regulate AI
The issue is roaring back to life during defense bill talks after President Donald Trump urged Republicans to act; the Senate had voted 99-1 against a state-level moratorium.
Business
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
MBS 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.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersInvestors 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.
Noubar 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.
Technology
A student on the Staffordshire University campus. Nathan Stirk/Getty Images.
DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis. Toby Melville/Reuters.
UK 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.
DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis. Toby Melville/Reuters.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.
Abu Dhabi’s G42 secures Nvidia chips but says needs far more
Some 35,000 of Nvidia’s latest chips will be used to deliver the first phase of a massive data center campus under construction in Abu Dhabi.
Energy
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
China Daily via Reuters
Bing Guan/Reuters
Ukraine seeks $44B from Russia for war-related carbon emissions
Kyiv said the claim would cover emissions from the fossil fuels and emissions-heavy commodities like cement and steel used in fighting the war, among others.
Gleb Garanich/ReutersIn the coming energy glut, solar will outshine LNG
China and the US have competing visions for the future of energy, and Beijing is looking like the safer bet.
China Daily via ReutersUS EV sales hit record high as incentives end
Investments in clean energy and transportation hit $75 billion in the US in the third quarter of this year, a Rhodium report found.
Bing Guan/ReutersGulf
Courtesy of Emirates
Aircraft orders take off at Dubai Airshow
Gulf airlines ordered more than 400 jets, in a sign of how aviation remains a central part of regional economic growth plans.
Courtesy of EmiratesUAE pledges $50B investment into Canada AI, energy
Last year, UAE investments in Canada totaled $8.8 billion, while Canada’s amounted to just $242 million.
Abu Dhabi’s G42 secures Nvidia chips but says needs far more
Some 35,000 of Nvidia’s latest chips will be used to deliver the first phase of a massive data center campus under construction in Abu Dhabi.
MBS 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.
Tensions between US, Saudi Arabia ease as more deals struck
Closer ties with the US could mend a longstanding complaint from Saudi Arabia that its investments are unfairly scrutinized under national security laws.
Africa
David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty ImagesSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Yves Herman/Reuters.
Why African countries should care about their national image
Arsenal’s decision not to renew its sleeve partnership with Rwanda is a reminder of the need for countries to protect their image.
David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty ImagesUS denies reneging on its boycott of G20
South Africa’s president said Washington was rethinking the boycott, only for the White House to dismiss the claim as “fake news.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Yves Herman/Reuters.US mulls sanctions on Nigeria over disputed Christian killings
The issue already led the Trump administration to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” in October.
Nigeria jails Biafra separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu for life
Kanu led a secessionist movement over the past decade calling for parts of southeastern Nigeria to form a breakaway Biafra nation.
South Africa cuts interest rate as inflation eases
The National Treasury’s decision to scrap plans to raise value-added tax helped to revise down inflation forecasts.
Kenya eyes new energy deals as power cuts intensify
A seven-year moratorium on signing new power purchase agreements was lifted last week.
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
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.
Vox to partner with Patreon for new paywalled shows
Vox said it hopes to supplement its shows with live newsroom conversations and community features such as chats.
The old MSNBC relaunches into a new media world
The network, now called MS NOW, is in the midst of its biggest gamble since it launched in 1996.
An unpublished profile raises questions about Epstein — and journalism
Buried deep in the House Oversight Committee’s recent release of emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s inbox is an 8,684-word profile by the reporter Michael Wolff.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Four Seasons/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Flagship Pioneering/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforCourtesy 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