Semafor

Drones struck two tankers in the Black Sea near Bulgaria on Tuesday, in the first attack on shipping in the NATO member’s exclusive economic zone.

France could be on the precipice of a financial crisis, as escalating student protests roiled an already shaky bond market.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “closely monitoring” developments in a suspected case of pneumonic plague that led to the death of a researcher in Russia.

Rohan’s view After Semafor reported last week that Chipotle had tapped bankers to fend off a potential takeover, we started digging to see might take over the $40 billion burrito maker.

Iberdrola, the Spanish electric utility and renewable energy developer, surpassed Florida-based NextEra Energy as the world’s largest power provider by market capitalization on Tuesday, reaching above €141 billion.

Tim’s view As Russia again ramps up its attacks on Ukraine’s electricity grid ahead of the winter heating season, this time Kyiv has a new ally in its corner: El Niño.

, by Kevin Roose.

Liz’s view The keys to succeeding on Wall Street are to a) make money and b) make money differently than others.

Dubai’s priciest license plate, P7, sold for $15 million in 2023.

Saudi Arabia’s expatriate workforce shrank for the first time in more than two years, amid layoffs, the Iran war, and a backlash against hiring foreigners at state-controlled companies.

Abu Dhabi is backing a rail link to enhance the logistics behind Jordan’s main exports.

The News BlackRock is ramping up its commitments to the Gulf as the world’s largest asset manager seeks to boost exposure to a region that it expects to use more of its vast state wealth to invest domestically in the wake of the Iran war.

Indian authorities briefly detained the leader of the country’s main opposition party in widening anti-establishment demonstrations.

France braced for more intense student-led protests, as political upheaval ripples through Europe’s major economies.

Calls for AI regulation grew, though the White House showed little interest.

The EU’s biggest economies geared up for a clash with China, fueled by growing frustration with a bilateral trade imbalance that politicians contend is hollowing out the bloc’s industries.

US Treasurys rebounded slightly after yields hit a near-quarter-century high, amid growing signs that increased borrowing costs are damaging the American economy.

Andy’s view For at least a quarter of a century, US military strategists have calculated that if China moved aggressively against Washington’s allies in Asia — by imposing a naval blockade on Taiwan, or threatening Japan’s vital sea lanes — the US Navy co…

The News When immigration enforcement deaths sparked bipartisan calls for Kristi Noem’s resignation, Sen.

The News The cryptocurrency industry’s leading network of super PACs is under scrutiny after revealing it will back 19 House Republicans but only 13 House Democrats.

As AI adoption spreads across the US workforce, new polling suggests that its benefits have so far been concentrated among those likely to hold upper-level positions.

Two Democratic senators want answers from Trump administration officials on industry influence on the still-unreleased AI regulatory framework, part of the AI executive order President Donald Trump signed earlier this year, according to a letter shared fi…

The Scoop The White House has formally sent Congress proposed legislation that would impose mandatory minimum sentences on those convicted of fraud involving federal benefit programs, according to a copy of it seen by Semafor.

President Donald Trump is expanding access to tax-exempt diesel while simultaneously pledging a swift end to the Iran war, an implicit acknowledgment that his administration is running out of ways to significantly stem the conflict’s economic fallout.

Brazilian stocks surged Monday after Flávio Bolsonaro emerged as the presidential frontrunner following first-round voting, with investors betting the right-wing candidate would win with a large enough majority to push fiscal reform.

An AI-stock rally powered the Nasdaq to a record close Monday, as investors looked to Big Tech’s third-quarter earnings this month.

US and EU officials said on Monday they were closely monitoring a suspected case of pneumonic plague in Russia that killed a lab worker in a Siberian research institute, prompting authorities there to quarantine dozens of people.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told investors to “rest assured” Monday after the country’s 30-year bond yield jumped to an all-time high on concerns over her government’s stimulus plans, though analysts cautioned that a change in rhetoric didn’t e…

US President Donald Trump is preparing to issue an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel, as he faces mounting pressure to ease near-record fuel prices with less than a month remaining before midterm elections.

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces said Monday they had expelled the Houthis from key areas surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the Red Sea following a major counteroffensive.

The Scoop The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has been visiting big banks to review their loans to private credit firms and understand their exposure to a financial industry that has unnerved investors and global policymakers.

The News Reflection AI, the startup billing itself as America’s answer to open-source Chinese AI, is releasing its first model, called Beam.

by Rebecca Perry.

Alexis’s view “Policy without data is like guesswork.”

Sub-Saharan Africa’s off-grid solar market is due to expand by 450% by 2035, with more than 35% of installations projected to be in Nigeria, according to a new report by global research firm Wood Mackenzie.

Three junta-led West African states launched a joint television channel to offer programming in line with their push to de-emphasize Western viewpoints.

The group made a pitch to London investors in late September for a planned London Stock Exchange listing of the cement unit that is currently worth $13 billion on Nigeria’s stock market.

South Africa’s foreign minister Ronald Lamola has publicly questioned whether US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III should be in the job at all, the latest sign of how little goodwill is left between Pretoria and the Trump administration.

Ethiopia said it had recaptured the capital of Tigray, dealing a major blow to the military alliance that launched an offensive against government forces last month.

Many Gulf events have been postponed or canceled because of the war, but Qatar’s annual bonanza of bling was lively last week.

Abu Dhabi’s XRG is backing Argentina’s bid to become a major liquefied natural gas exporter.

Gulf sovereign wealth funds are on track for one of their most active years of dealmaking ever, even as war disrupts businesses and economic growth.

There is new cause for alarm in the Horn of Africa.

Oil prices fell as new data showed crude exports from the Middle East surpassed prewar levels, though any respite may be short-lived as attacks on tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz increased.

US President Donald Trump promised payments to retirees ahead of the midterm elections, which critics warn would worsen the deficit, stoke inflation and amount to bribery.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap election next month after parliament rejected his proposed plan to tame public anger about the country’s housing crisis.

Brazil’s presidential election will go to a runoff on Oct. 25, after conservative challenger Flávio Bolsonaro unexpectedly emerged as the favorite in the first-round vote.

The euro sank to its lowest level against the dollar since May 2025 over Spain’s snap elections added to mounting fiscal and political worries across the region.

The Scene Wall Street isn’t built for consortiums.

The number of young Americans who say they’re “thriving” is near a low point while the share of middle-age adults who say the same is at a nadir, underscoring the level of relative dissatisfaction among these key demographic groups ahead of the midterms.