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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy
Prashant Rao

Prashant Rao

Global Managing Editor

Email Prashant@prashantrao

Prashant Rao is Global Managing Editor at Semafor, where he is responsible for all global coverage — spanning the Gulf, Africa, and China — as well as energy coverage. Prior to joining Semafor, he was International Editor at The Atlantic, Deputy Europe Business Editor at The New York Times, and Iraq Bureau Chief at AFP.

US-Canada trade war escalates amid tit-for-tat tariffs

The row is derailing any hope of renewing the USMCA North American trade pact.
A bridge connecting the US and Canada.
Carlos Osorio/Reuters

Israel hits back at UK over trade restrictions

Analysts said the measures against settlement building, illegal under international law, were more symbolic than tangible.
Palestinian children look at new Israeli settlement.
Ammar Awad/Reuters

Australia deepens Pacific ties to guard against China

The agreement, which includes $700 million from Australia to the Pacific nation according to the ABC, follows a recent deal to boost defense ties with the US.
Australia Prime Minster Anthony Albanese (right) and Solomon Islands Prime Minster Matthew Wale.
Hollie Adams/Reuters

OpenAI and Anthropic eye credit ratings ahead of IPOs

The AI giants’ bankers are reportedly pressing for the companies to quickly win investment-grade credit ratings.
An OpenAI construction site.
Shelby Tauber/Pool/Reuters

China’s trade growth accelerates but imports fall short

The latest figures were largely powered by demand for tech goods — semiconductor exports rose 130% year-on-year.
Yangshan Port outside Shanghai, China.
Go Nakamura/Reuters

Oil nears $100 a barrel after attacks by Yemen’s Houthis

The latest set of ballistic missiles and drones by the Iran-backed Houthis left dozens wounded and targeted energy installations in southern Saudi Arabia.
Smoke rises from trucks at Al-Wadiah border crossing on the Saudi-Yemen border.
Reuters

The ‘Mahabharata,’ condensed

This shorter version of the world’s longest epic poem focuses on the core episodes of a story crucial to understanding contemporary India.

European bond yields rise amid fears of Middle East tensions

Higher inflation would further crimp the already tight fiscal space for under-pressure governments across the continent.

The AfD’s weekend victory roils Germany’s politics

The far-right party’s success undermines Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s power as it has nearly doubled its support nationally compared to a 2024 nadir.

German far-right set for gains in key elections

Recent polling published by Die Zeit showed, however, that the party will fall short of winning an absolute majority.

US presses Iran sanctions driving oil prices higher

The EU endorsed Washington’s sanctions push against Tehran, while efforts to block Iran’s oil exports and financial transactions appear to be bearing fruit.

US extends Middle East troop deployments into 2027

The news comes despite the fact that US President Donald Trump told reporters the war would not last “too long.”

US bond yields continue to climb

Most experts have attributed the increase to worries about debt levels and inflation.

Spate of global meetings reflect fracturing geopolitics

G20 finance ministers were “blindsided” by Russia’s attendance, while the host, the US, blamed Canada for trade tensions.

Markets eye Warsh’s speech for interest rate insight

Traders are overwhelmingly betting that the Fed will raise rates at least once over the next year.

Global alliances shift under US strain

Traditional US allies Canada and the EU face Washington’s scorn, while China and South Korea court Egypt.

CIA warned Russia against attacking NATO countries

US CIA Chief John Ratcliffe’s talks with Russian officials were the first of their kind since his predecessor.

Rising US debt levels threaten to curtail domestic and foreign power

“Geopolitical power and fiscal capacity complement each other,” an analyst wrote in the Financial Times.