D.C.
BXL
Lagos
Dubai
Beijing
SG

D.C.
BXL
Lagos

Dubai
Beijing
SG

Semafor security

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to delay judicial overhaul, coalition partner says

The far-right coalition member party Jewish Power said in a statement Monday that the controversial legislation would be pushed to the next session of parliament.

People attend a demonstration after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the defense minister and his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nir Elias

West fears Russia is gaining upper hand in public opinion war

The U.S. and its allies fear that a coordinated messaging effort by Russia and China is winning over developing nations, making it more difficult to punish and isolate Vladimir Putin's nation.

Nordic countries agree to develop joint air force operations

Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark plan to develop a joint air defense plan using NATO frameworks.

Major Generals Juha-Pekka Keränen, Jonas Wikman, Rolf Folland, and Jan Dam.

France joins other nations in banning TikTok on official devices

The country joined a string of Western governments and institutions that have banned TikTok in recent weeks.

The US mulls opening Pacific defense pact with Britain and Australia to more countries

Expanding the AUKUS program will likely further ratchet tensions with China.

Why what wasn’t said in Putin and Xi’s joint statement may matter most

Analysts pointed out that the two leaders were no longer describing their friendship to be of “no limits.”

Here's where the US is most concerned about human rights around the world

The U.S. State Department released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices this week.

China slams US on 20th anniversary of Iraq invasion as Xi visits Russia

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the U.S. for destabilizing the Middle East on the 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, all while Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Russia to show his support for the Ukraine war.

Xi and Putin are meeting in Moscow. Here’s what you need to know

Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss issues including Russia's war in Ukraine.

China’s Mideast deal could shield Iran’s nuclear program

The agreement includes no limits on nukes and could make deterrence measures harder.

Who are the US aid worker and French journalist freed after being held hostage in West Africa?

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Niger last week and announced $150 million in aid for the region.

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Putin

The ICC alleged that Putin had committed war crimes in Ukraine.

Russia awards pilots involved in US drone crash over the Black Sea

Russia claims that its pilots prevented America's MQ-9 drone from "violating the borders of the region" –– an argument that Washington disputes.

Head of Russia’s Wagner group confirms recruitment of US-trained Afghan soldiers

Semafor previously reported that Ukraine had been turning down US-trained Afghan soldiers — but that Russia has been recruiting them. The head of the paramilitary group shares more details.

As North Korea advances on missiles, the U.S. and South Korea plot a response

International diplomacy to stop the North’s weapons program has hit a dead end, and its Northeast Asian neighbors are on edge.

Europe’s left and right are united in their support for Ukraine… but it might not last: Survey

A new survey from the European Council of Foreign Relations predicts that rising inflation across Europe could change the current consensus on supporting Kyiv through the war.

A ‘reckless’ Russian aircraft crashed into a U.S. drone over the Black Sea

Russia denied the accusations, saying there was no collision and that the U.S. drone "went into uncontrolled flight" because of "sharp maneuvering" and fell into the water.

Blinken plans to ask for China’s help fighting fentanyl

Beijing stopped cooperating on counter-narcotics efforts last year. But U.S. officials are optimistic Chinese leaders can be swayed.