Semafor

The News An energy price spike in Nigeria is renewing fears of an inflation rise and concerns that Africa’s top oil producer remains vulnerable to global shocks despite growing domestic refining capacity led by a giant facility owned by the continent’s ri…

The US approved new investments in Africa aimed at challenging China’s preeminence on the continent.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced growing pressure on his leadership ahead of state elections in which polls suggest his governing party will fare badly.

Shipowners have this year commissioned more than twice the number of tankers than in all of 2025 as they look to keep up with soaring demand sparked by the Middle East conflict.

Researchers used Anthropic’s Claude technology to break into OpenAI’s ChatGPT systems, underlining the immediate dangers of AI even as regulators fret over its long-term risks.

Palantir’s boss told CNBC that leading AI firms may need to be nationalized, while Huawei’s chair called for Chinese labs to accelerate their development.

AI safety worries are hanging over Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington next week, which is attracting big names in the tech world.

Democrats are warning that the Trump administration’s secretive third-country deportation program could face a full congressional investigation if the party wins the majority in one or both chambers in November.

The State Department’s approval of the proposed $24.3 billion sale of 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia represents a major victory for the kingdom, as Riyadh seeks US support amid increased attacks from Iran-backed groups.

Top House Democrats are pressing the Trump administration for answers on the oil deal struck with Venezuela, homing in on the role of Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt.

The News Senators want to hit the campaign trail for the fall, but first they have to figure out how much they want to get done before the election.

President Donald Trump is focusing on drug pricing today, with his administration set to announce all 50 states will see most-favored-nation pricing for certain drugs in Medicaid programs, according to Trump administration plans shared first with Semafor.

The Signal Interview Kai-Fu Lee’s , an influential book published in 2018, largely predicted the current tech battle between the US and China.

The Signal Insight The combination of an Australian headquarters, a Nasdaq listing, and customers around the world means that Mike Cannon-Brookes usually has his first coffee of the day before he opens his laptop at 5 am.

American automaker General Motors will manufacture components for Patriot missiles, Lockheed Martin announced Thursday, potentially boosting efforts to plug the US’ gaping munitions holes that have emerged during more than six months of conflict with Iran.

Major Asian economies are profiting from growing global demand for AI as their manufacturing sectors build the high-end equipment needed for a worldwide data center boom, economists said.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will partner with Anthropic in an effort to speed up drug development, as the one-time GLP-1 leader bets AI will help it reclaim lost market share.

Stocks rallied Thursday as markets digested the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hike interest rates — an expected move, but one that was seen as a critical test of the central bank’s independence.

US President Donald Trump will reportedly greet China’s leader Xi Jinping as he steps off the plane in Washington, DC next week — the first leader accorded that deference in Trump’s second term — as preparations ramp up for their summit.

The News The scaffolding that’s built around an AI model is just as important — if not more important — for AI safety than the model itself, Nvidia’s VP of agentic AI told Semafor.

The News A pro-AI meme campaign is rolling out on government social media accounts, casting “effective altruist” as a slur as the White House doubles down on its regulatory light touch.

The News Steve Hilton, the Republican nominee for governor of California, is facing an acute version of the challenge familiar to GOP candidates nationwide: how to make the most of an endorsement from President Donald Trump as the president’s popularity w…

Liz’s view Picture three competing CEOs, worried that their product might kill people, hopping on a conference call to discuss shutting it all down for a while.

OpenAI’s models have been misbehaving for longer, and in more devious ways than was previously known, deepening its trust gap as it gears up for an IPO next year.

Wall Street’s trading machine is slowing down.

The News Video AI company Pika launched a program to help AI creators make videos faster by using fewer prompts.

The News Republicans may have to make hard choices this fall as they shape their strategy for keeping the Senate — and some think it might not include North Carolina or Georgia.

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name, but it wasn’t one of the UAE’s super stallions going to the Asian Games.

On July 22, the US and Saudi Arabia finalized a nuclear deal that gave the kingdom a pathway to enrich uranium.

by Erin Goeres.

Quantum computing could eventually address 20-40% of emissions from sectors like steel and cement that are otherwise hard to abate, according to a report shared first with Semafor.

US President Donald Trump is expected to sign new legislation to step up economic pressure on Russia’s energy sector, over the objections of Democrats worried about handing him new trade powers.

Exxon is reportedly nearing a deal to invest in Venezuela two decades after exiting the country, a move that could revamp oil production in the de facto US protectorate.

Analysts voiced skepticism that the US and China would agree on AI regulation — or, indeed, any broad-ranging détente during next week’s leaders’ summit.

The News Electricity use in Abu Dhabi reached an all-time high in August despite a summer exodus of residents, as demand on the emirate’s power grid remains on pace to nearly double between 2025 and 2035, Department of Energy Chairman Abdulla Humaid Al Ja…

The Scoop Saudi Aramco says its investments in artificial intelligence and other technologies are already paying off by cutting costs, boosting efficiency, and enhancing its response to disruptions from the regional war.

The mounting political, economic, and military costs of the Iran war for the US came into clearer view.

Debris that appeared to be from a Chinese ballistic missile found in Yemen pointed to the growing use of Beijing’s military hardware in conflicts far afield, which may raise worries in the US.

New incidents of “unexpected or concerning” AI model behavior fueled worries over the technology’s impact, though it remains unclear whether regulation is imminent.

A new group is launching a $2.5 million ad campaign in an effort to boost Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews in South Carolina.

Heidi Overton is expected to sit for her FDA commissioner confirmation hearing next Thursday, but it is still unclear whether Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy is ready to support her.

The News President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Rep.

The Scoop Senators had secured a narrow antitrust exemption for AI companies in annual must-pass defense policy legislation earlier this year before negotiations over the measure were delayed, according to people familiar with the matter.

Concerted Canada-EU efforts to deepen ties reflect a global order accommodating itself to a more unpredictable — and less potent — US.

US federal authorities charged five people with plotting to kill a Russian dissident in Washington, DC, alleging they were part of a Kremlin-controlled “global assassination network” targeting perceived allies of Ukraine.

The head of the world’s best performing sovereign wealth fund warned of an impending pullback in US stocks.

Oil prices in China hit record highs Wednesday, as energy disruptions from an escalating Middle East conflict spilled into the world’s largest market for imported crude.

The Scoop The Senate’s bipartisan AI safety bill is showing some signs of life.

The News This afternoon Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh sided with markets over President Donald Trump, voting with all other board members to hike interest rates by 0.25%.

Reed’s view Dario Amodei and other frontier AI lab leaders may care deeply about AI safety, but calls to “pace the frontier” also serve their financial interests.