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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 5:38pm EST
1
Europe is debating how forcefully to respond to Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland and impose tariffs on those that stand in his way.
2The US and China are both courting global CEOs in Davos, as Beijing pitches itself as a stable alternative to Washington.
3The IMF raised its global growth outlook, citing the resilience of a world economy powered by the AI investment boom.
4Japan’s prime minister called a Feb. 8 snap election in a bid to convert her soaring approval ratings into a firmer grip on power.
5China-made EVs are poised to enter the Canadian market and get a boost under new EU trade rules.
6South Korean banks are shutting off computers one hour earlier than normal on Fridays, part of the government’s push to shorten the workweek.
Davos’ badge kerfuffle
From fraudulent credentials to clerical mixups, Davos’ coveted badges are turning the ultimate status symbol into a logistical punchline.
Tim McDonnell/SemaforInsularity threatens Davos dialogue goal
CEOs who have avoided conflict are being urged to unify polarized employees.
Jose Luis Gonzalez/ReutersBlackRock’s Larry Fink says Davos feels ‘out of step’ to many
Despite this year’s record attendance, Davos faces a growing perception as an echo chamber, BlackRock’s CEO told Semafor.
Tyrone Siu/ReutersHow China beat conventional Western economics
A car made by a vacuum-cleaner company offers a case study in China’s industrial dominance.
Caroline Brehman/AFP via Getty ImagesAD
Why Macy’s Tony Spring thinks ‘the department store is here to stay’
A turnaround strategy focusing on the basics of merchandising and service is starting to show results.
Courtesy of Macy’s/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforDie Welt editor departed amid internal inquiry
The editor of Germany’s Die Welt had been the subject of internal scrutiny in recent days by the newspaper’s parent company.
Burgard (second from left) moderating a debate in 2025. Fabrizio Bensch/Pool/ReutersThreat of US strike on Iran appears to wane
Officials reportedly advised US President Donald Trump that an attack would be unlikely to topple the government.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters
Politics
Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters
Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Trump’s row over Greenland escalates, risking US-Europe ties
The stunning row has consequences far beyond the largely uninhabited landmass, potentially “tearing NATO apart,” The Economist said.
Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via ReutersDebatable: Venezuela elections
As opposition leader María Corina Machado meets the US president, Washington is divided on when Venezuela should hold elections.
Kylie Cooper/ReutersTrump swerves on health care subsidies
The president’s new health care plan doesn’t mention the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that lapsed at the end of 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Forget abolishing ICE — the real Democratic divide is shutting down ICE
While the rest of government funding is a bipartisan affair, the operation in Minnesota is making even party centrists wary of more DHS money.
US talks with Denmark, Greenland end in stalemate
US President Donald Trump doubled down on his desire for the Arctic island in recent days, saying “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Trump says ‘killing’ in Iran has stopped
The US president warned, however, that Washington was still weighing military action against the country.
Planning for America’s 250th birthday draws watchdog scrutiny
A watchdog group wants to know more about the dueling groups planning the semiquincentennial.
Senate committee delays vote on crypto bill amid pushback
Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., made the decision to hold off.
Firms see greater threat from AI than Trump attacks, report finds
Businesses are more worried about AI-related problems like deepfakes than they are about the president singling them out.
Trump sends mixed signals as administration weighs Iran strikes
After days of heightened rhetoric, the US president suddenly softened his tone on Wednesday.
How Rubio blunted Senate momentum on Venezuela
The secretary of state and Senate GOP leaders lobbied two Republican senators to defect from signing on to a war powers resolution.
Business
Hollie Adams/Reuters
Lululemon’s founder seeks Advent’s ouster in proxy fight
Chip Wilson is trying to remake the board of the embattled retailer while it looks for a new CEO to turn around its stagnating US business.
Hollie Adams/Reuters Davos’ badge kerfuffle
From fraudulent credentials to clerical mixups, Davos’ coveted badges are turning the ultimate status symbol into a logistical punchline.
BlackRock’s Larry Fink says Davos feels ‘out of step’ to many
Despite this year’s record attendance, Davos faces a growing perception as an echo chamber, BlackRock’s CEO told Semafor.
CEOs at Davos brace for Trump
The US president plans to convene a group of corporate executives Wednesday evening after his anticipated speech at the World Economic Forum, though the agenda is unclear.
China risks two-track economy as growth booms and real estate slumps
While China’s exports have so far weathered US tariffs, anemic domestic consumption and a faltering real estate sector are weighing on growth.
Technology
Courtesy of ControlUp
Eva Manez/Reuters
Jerusalem VC looks to ‘go bigger’ in Dubai, post-Gaza
JVP sees AI as crucial to spurring economic cooperation with the UAE.
Courtesy of ControlUpNew AI seeks to make water safer
Researchers have developed a machine learning model that helps identify possibly toxic byproducts from water disinfection.
Eva Manez/ReutersBehind Perplexity’s bid for Chrome
It turns out that Perplexity’s $34.5 billion unsolicited bid for Google Chrome last year was not a publicity stunt. The company explains why.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth jabs Anthropic over safety policies
Hegseth’s remark about AI models was specifically in reference to Anthropic, sources say.
Musk’s Starlink increasingly vital to protests
The satellite broadband network has allowed citizens to bypass government-imposed internet blackouts.
New York judge flips the AI malpractice debate
A New York district judge warns that AI could become so good that not using the technology would be an improper practice in some industries.
Energy
The Nave Photon carrying crude oil from Venezuela. Antranik Tavitian/Reuters.
Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters
Phil Noble/Reuters
Venezuela eases oil investment laws under US pressure
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said she would reform the country’s hydrocarbon laws to ease foreign investment.
The Nave Photon carrying crude oil from Venezuela. Antranik Tavitian/Reuters.Energy dominance goes to Davos
Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda is already tilting the balance of power in the market.
Denis Balibouse/File Photo/ReutersUK secures support for offshore wind in record auction
British authorities granted contracts expected to produce 8.4 GW of energy, enough to power roughly 12 million homes.
Phil Noble/ReutersGulf
Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Saudi-UAE rift hangs over Davos delegations
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are sending large delegations of ministers, royals, and business leaders to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Denis Balibouse/ReutersRoller coaster in Qiddiya’s Six Flags breaks world records
The longest, tallest, and fastest rollercoaster in the world, Falcon’s Flight is breathtaking in every sense of the word.
Saudi Arabia becomes world’s second-largest aid donor
Riyadh took the lead in contributions to Yemen and placed second for Syria.
Qatari group in talks for stakes in Syrian banks
The deals would mark the first foreign acquisition of banks since the change of regime in Damascus in late 2024.
Jerusalem VC looks to ‘go bigger’ in Dubai, post-Gaza
JVP sees AI as crucial to spurring economic cooperation with the UAE.
Africa
A species of darkling beetle found in the US. Robert Alexander/Getty Images.
Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters
Scientists discover Namib Desert beetle cools down when running
The Onymacris plana, a darkling beetle, is the first known land animal that gets cooler as it exercises, scientists said.
A species of darkling beetle found in the US. Robert Alexander/Getty Images.Jobs creation must be top of African leaders’ agenda
Africa will experience the fastest labor-force growth of any region in the decades ahead.
Philimon Bulawayo/ReutersUgandan President Yoweri Museveni wins seventh term
The elections were widely criticized by the UN and rights groups for severe repression of the opposition.
Mali’s gold output fell 23% on Barrick Mining suspension
The result underscores the challenges faced by African governments trying to secure a greater share of mineral wealth.
Absa executive calls for more banking partnerships to meet infrastructure goals
The era of individual banks single-handedly underwriting large projects is effectively over, said Charles Russon.
Kenya launches $824M pipeline IPO amid transparency fears
The country’s first IPO since 2015 is part of a bid to fund infrastructure projects.
SecurityMajid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters 
Stringer/Reuters
Marko Djurica/Reuters
Threat of US strike on Iran appears to wane
Officials reportedly advised US President Donald Trump that an attack would be unlikely to topple the government.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via ReutersDefense stocks surge on rising calls for militarization
Donald Trump’s calls for a more than 50% increase to his country’s military budget have lifted the valuations of domestic arms firms.
Stringer/ReutersUS talks with Denmark, Greenland end in stalemate
US President Donald Trump doubled down on his desire for the Arctic island in recent days, saying “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Marko Djurica/ReutersMediaBurgard (second from left) moderating a debate in 2025. Fabrizio Bensch/Pool/Reuters
Die Welt editor departed amid internal inquiry
The editor of Germany’s Die Welt had been the subject of internal scrutiny in recent days by the newspaper’s parent company.
Burgard (second from left) moderating a debate in 2025. Fabrizio Bensch/Pool/ReutersUndersecretary Sarah Rogers on free speech, Europe’s tech crackdown, and the internet she misses
The State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy joins Mixed Signals for a wide-ranging conversation about free speech, tech regulation, and why she’s been rattling the patience of some European governments.
Politico announces layoffs, new product
The publication will cut about 3% of its 750-strong global staff.
Blackstone invests $100M in elite marketing tech firm
Applecart has a leading place in an emerging but discreet cohort of companies and organizations aimed at reaching key figures in industry and government.
Pro-Trump group to air Super Bowl ad touting Trump Accounts
It’s the latest move by a president and administration that have fully embraced professional sports as a prime venue to deliver their message.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Ferrovial/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Southwest/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
How US traffic jams are driving Spain’s Ferrovial
CEO Ignacio Madridejos says a triple listing has drawn new investors to a European infrastructure powerhouse.
Courtesy of Ferrovial/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Bob Jordan charted a new course for Southwest Airlines
The budget carrier’s CEO says communications and simulations helped it overhaul its business without killing its culture and business model.
Courtesy of Southwest/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor‘AI is going to automate the ordinary’: Cindy Rose’s plan for ad giant WPP
The admaker has fallen behind its peers, but the Microsoft veteran sees opportunity in disruption.
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD