Semafor

David’s view If you don’t appreciate how quickly Democrats are entering attack mode against AI, just count the groups they’ve started since our last edition alone.

Kenya will host the World Athletics Championships in 2029, in a first for the African continent.

South Africa’s treasury plans a three-year intervention to stabilize Johannesburg’s public finances, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said Monday.

The Trump administration imposed new visa restrictions on South African officials that the US accuses of “government-sponsored discrimination” against Afrikaners.

The News AI makes hacking easier and faster, but human villains are still a large part of the process.

The News Rep.

by Ben Macintyre.

WhatsApp groups and social media across Saudi Arabia lit up on Tuesday with variations of the same message: The Houthis are attacking Mecca.

Gulf airlines are coming out swinging after a brutal year, fending off opportunistic European rivals and instability at home.

Jason’s view On September 15, Saudi Arabia issued alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and Taif.

The News Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote is considering plans to list shares of his Nigeria refinery business on a US stock exchange within the next four years following the launch of its initial public offering, the continent’s largest ever.

The US Treasury secretary will hold talks with a top Chinese official as part of efforts to head off a resumption of trade conflict, while tensions mounted between the superpowers across a range of issues.

The Middle East conflict threatened to widen as fighting intensified between Saudi forces and Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.

The US Federal Reserve is likely to raise rates today, a move that many economists say is necessary to corral inflation, but which will put the central bank’s chair in conflict with the White House.

Senior European business and political leaders hardened their stance towards China, suggesting a trade war between the two giant economies may be imminent.

Tech leaders took opposing positions on regulating AI, pointing to a growing rift in the industry.

The Democratic Republic of Congo sought to speed up the implementation of a strategic mining partnership with the US, which is looking to rival China’s influence in Africa.

The European Commission president invited Canada to become the EU’s first-ever “associate member,” highlighting the global geopolitical realignment underway as a result of US pressure on allies.

The News Somaliland’s president is putting almost everything on the table in his campaign to win US recognition for the breakaway territory of Somalia, offering US investors access to a strategically located port and mineral resources while leaving open t…

Democratic and Republican voters agree that the American public should decide the future of AI development, not billionaires in Silicon Valley, according to new polling shared first with Semafor.

The News Jim Justice is getting the itch.

The News One Democratic lawmaker — Rep.

The House is embarking on its last days in session before breaking for the midterms, with a final vote expected Wednesday on a bill ratcheting up penalties on Russia.

The window for Congress to act on AI before the midterms is essentially shut — but a few senators are trying.

Executives warned that the monthslong crunch in oil markets is entering its most acute phase, as commercial and strategic oil stockpiles run low and US diesel prices hit record highs Tuesday.

China bought at least 1 million metric tons of US soybeans last week, Reuters reported, as the country ramps up purchases ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington this month.

Colombia said it would resume aerial spraying of coca crops for the first time since 2015, as Medellín heeds US calls to combat record cocaine production.

US diesel prices hit record highs Tuesday, as executives warned that the monthslong crunch in oil markets was entering its most acute phase.

A sweeping AI deal during US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s meeting next week is unlikely, despite some tech leaders calling for cooperation.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended his bond buyback program in contentious congressional hearings Tuesday, as the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest level since the 2007 global financial crisis.

The cryptocurrency industry just lost the lead of a lifetime.

The News The tech-focused creator Emily Higgins is speaking directly into the camera about the importance of a good hook for a social media video — she does what looks like three takes, each with a slightly different script.

Any slowdown in AI spending would let hyperscalers catch their financial breath and ease their reliance on borrowing to fund their buildouts.

Liz’s view Chuck Prince, CEO of Citigroup from 2003 to 2007, is remembered for one quote that captured the greed and spinelessness of Wall Street bosses chasing riches while steering the global economy toward a cliff: “As long as the music is playing, you…

The Scoop Michigan Democratic Sens.

The News Not all AI companies want to slow down.

The News Sen.

The Scene Chipotle is beefing up its board, in a bid to reassure investors and quell concerns about potential activist scrutiny.

The News AI agents can easily team up to get around safety restrictions and escape the limits placed on them, a new study shows.

A slowdown on the AI frontier would barely register for big companies working to adopt AI, for the simple reason that they are nowhere near the frontier.

The News Sen.

The Scoop The US Commerce Department last month ordered Kalshi to take down one of its products tracking the price of AI compute, the crucial power from data centers that’s driving the artificial intelligence boom.

by Rebecca Blumenstein and Diana Kapp.

The Scoop Walmart wants to coach Americans on using GLP-1s.

The News Sen.

Nine Democrats in the US House of Representatives presented an energy and environmental “policy blueprint for 2027” with a focus on affordability, as midterm races heat up.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy downplayed an assertion by US President Donald Trump that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to a ceasefire for mutual attacks on energy infrastructure.

Chinese authorities imposed new restrictions on foreign travel in order to stop cutting-edge technology and top-flight researchers from leaving, taking a step closer to a regime that had characterized a more closed-off China of decades past.

Multiple incidents involving NATO forces responding to what European powers said was Russian aggression drove calls for the military alliance to more actively hit back at Moscow.

Saudi Arabia is coming under increased military pressure on both its northern and southern borders, marking one of the sternest challenges yet for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.