Semafor

China reported downbeat consumption and investment figures, bolstering economists’ calls for fiscal stimulus to drive growth in the world’s second-biggest economy.

Political and business leaders poured cold water on calls from AI giants to slow the pace of technological development, while the prospects of a US-China detente looked slim.

Japan is reportedly considering boosting defense spending to 3.5% of GDP as it looks to respond to pressure from Washington and strengthen its security in the face of rising tensions across East Asia.

Andy’s view The late Henry Kissinger initially made his name as an academic writing about nuclear arms control during the Cold War, and latterly forged his reputation as the architect of US-China detente.

There’s another reason why Americans are wary of AI: They’re afraid of losing their jobs.

Democrat Leela Gray is launching her first ad against Republican Rep.

The News Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Europe panel will release a report on Tuesday laying the groundwork for oversight of the Trump administration’s Balkans policy should their party win a majority.

Former Sen.

House Democrats will challenge Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on rising costs at a Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday morning, according to an internal memo shared with Semafor.

Ashley’s view AI companies are stirring up a maelstrom right now by essentially reminding Washington of what’s been true for years: They’re not outright opposed to regulation.

The News The Trump administration is going all out to convince Senate Republicans to advance landmark cryptocurrency legislation over banks’ concerns.

The 10-year US Treasury yield topped 5% Monday for the first time since 2023 as the widening Middle East conflict pushed oil prices up, cementing policymakers’ shift to a more hawkish posture.

As American tech leaders and policymakers debate the existential risks of AI and the necessity of regulating frontier development, other countries are focusing their efforts on catching up to the US.

Global AI stocks fell Monday after top AI leaders endorsed slowing down the development of frontier models.

Kyiv contradicted US President Donald Trump’s claim Monday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to pause strikes against energy infrastructure, but signaled it would be open to a truce while casting doubt on Moscow’s willingness.

Saudi Arabia is looking to boost oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after drone attacks took out a key pipeline bypassing the contested waterway.

US President Donald Trump on Monday continued to downplay the need for AI regulation, saying the only guardrails the technology needs is a “STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!)

, directed by Antonin Baudry.

The Gambia banned protests without permits following days of unrest over persistent electricity blackouts.

South Africa’s oil importation bill could have been $4.7 billion lower if it had not closed a number of refineries, the country’s central bank said.

Dubai’s exhibition industry is heading into its busiest stretch ever, with more than 100 shows packed into the final four months of the year after the war pushed the spring calendar into autumn.

On an otherwise quiet Wednesday evening at Riyadh Boulevard, a sort of Times Square-meets-seaside-funfair, a bizarre experiment in the future of Gen Alpha entertainment was underway.

DP World is investing in its African network — even as its flagship port in the Gulf sits idle.

The UAE is considering moving parts of two of its largest infrastructure projects underground to guard against future attacks.

The News Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote tapped the opening gong this morning on the floor of the Lagos exchange to open Africa’s largest initial public offer.

The Scene “These are national resources that are now being monetized for the nation,” Pandu Sjahrir tells me when we meet.

At a moment when the US is reconsidering the extent and purpose of its engagement abroad, I find myself returning to a lesson I confronted often in my time in government: After more than five decades working on Africa, one of the most important things the…

Beijing warned that AI advancements threatened China’s political, economic, and social stability even as it dismissed US calls to slow the technology’s development.

Sweden’s center-left opposition appeared poised to retake power after a neck-and-neck election that nonetheless underlined the strength of the country’s far-right parties.

Oil prices rose on growing fears of the Middle East conflict metastasizing and further constricting global energy flows.

Growing calls for AI regulation looked set to dominate the days ahead as Washington took up the issue and frontier labs mulled proposing their own watchdog.

Russia struck a Ukrainian passenger train close to the Polish border, narrowly missing one carrying European diplomats and a former British prime minister, the latest sign of Moscow’s escalation of the conflict.

The News Uber was paying Nigerian drivers more than it charged passengers for some short trips, an unsustainable subsidy that played a leading role in the US ride-hailing giant’s abrupt exit this month, according to a new report based on thousands of Uber…

Democrats need to employ more populist rhetoric, run candidates perceived as non-elite, and steer away from progressive rhetoric like “abolish ICE” if they want to capture more working-class voters in future elections, according to new data shared first w…

Democrats want to cast Chris Klomp as anything but a moderating force within Robert F.

As the Federal Reserve weighs whether to raise interest rates this week, Chair Kevin Warsh must choose between breaking markets’ trust and triggering President Donald Trump’s ire.

House Democrats are circulating a letter imploring President Donald Trump to lead an international effort to set global AI rules, according to a copy shared with Semafor.

The News Some Republicans are hoping they can address voters’ affordability concerns before the election — potentially by passing a data center power bill to demonstrate the party is listening to souring popular sentiment surrounding AI infrastructure.

The sudden appearance of alignment among AI CEOs about industry regulation over the weekend masks an inconvenient reality for Congress: There is no consensus.

The Scoop Citigroup has raised more than $40 billion to support Saudi clients so far this year, and increased its direct exposure to the kingdom since the Iran war began, maintaining its bet on the kingdom as a key growth market.

The Scoop Last September, Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait got a call from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US should have the world’s lowest interest rates, piling pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh days before the bank is expected to raise them amid an increasingly hawkish global outlook.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries, after Kyiv struck several over the weekend, attacks that he said were increasing the price of diesel and “hurting the world.”

Opposition to US tariffs formed a point of consensus among the otherwise divergent interests at the BRICS summit, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touted the bloc’s “coming of age.”

Iran and the UAE held their highest-level meeting since the start of the Iran war at the BRICS summit in India, where the two countries found a rare space for direct diplomacy.

Saudi Arabia shut down its vital East-West pipeline after multiple drone attacks, intensifying the pressure on Gulf energy exports.

Judah’s view Saudi Arabia is building enormous AI infrastructure, partnering with US firms and using American chips — AWS alone has committed $5.3 billion to data centers in the kingdom.

Reed’s view The “AI is going to kill us all” news cycle revved up, as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and xAI’s Elon Musk joined Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call to invite independent reviewers into AI labs to ensure the world’s smartest computer scientists don’t ac…

Turns out AI agents hate CAPTCHA, too.

Hollywood is making a gamble that AI obsession will translate into big hauls at the box office.