Semafor

The Scoop Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is tapping its portfolio companies to pay off 800 million riyals ($213 million) of debt held by the soccer club Al Nassr — where star Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo plays — according to people familiar…

Anthropic said it would commit 5% of its shares — potentially more if it hits unspecified revenue targets — to a public-benefit fund, the latest effort by frontier AI labs to head off political backlash over the technology’s impact on jobs and society.

A weekend of violent cost-of-living protests in France risks intensifying crises elsewhere in Europe, analysts warned.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to strike deals across resource-rich Central Asia and reverse Chinese inroads in a region long dominated by Russia.

Brazil’s presidential candidates traded barbs in the first debate ahead of Sunday’s runoff, with polls showing a technical tie.

China’s economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter thanks to the country’s powerful export machine, with domestic consumption still lagging and the authorities showing little interest in fiscal stimulus.

A pending regulation under White House review could expand access to peptides, largely unregulated substances that are popular with wellness influencers and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

The News FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — In a matter of weeks, when the midterm results are tallied and the next campaign begins, Democrats with presidential dreams know the question will be coming.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has received mostly positive marks so far in Washington as chair of the Trump administration’s AI task force, which is focusing on using current law to get AI companies to behave responsibly.

Trump administration officials and allies are starting to debate who will shoulder the blame if Republicans perform poorly in November.

We have been asked a lot lately: When we launched Semafor four years ago, is this what we were expecting?

The News Control of the US Senate for the next two years could come down to how much the news media chooses to focus in the final weeks of the midterms on a tweet sent years ago by the younger half-sister of Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate.

An escalating fight between the US and Ukraine over Starlink underlined Europe’s dependence on the Elon Musk-owned technology.

China is considering export controls that could check the global spread of its AI models and chips, as Beijing increases oversight of its burgeoning tech sector.

Egypt pledged “all necessary and possible forms of support” to Saudi Arabia as intensifying Houthi attacks risk a widening regional conflict.

US President Donald Trump waived new sanctions on Russia days before they were set to take effect, reversing a bipartisan congressional push and raising fresh questions about Washington’s commitment to Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his “complete and total endorsement” Sunday, boosting the leader nine days before Israel’s pivotal election.

Nearly 2,400 people were arrested in France on Saturday after long-simmering protests exploded into some of the country’s most disruptive unrest in years.

The News John Thune took criticism from President Donald Trump, agitated online conservatives, and occasionally frustrated some of his own members this year.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s pursuit of an equity stake in a private company that uses AI to manage air traffic is raising questions about whether it has clear legal authority to strike such a deal.

President Donald Trump faces a deadline Sunday to decide whether to impose certain penalties on other countries under a bipartisan sanctions law he signed last month.

Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after less than one week on the job.

The State Department is updating its travel advisory for mainland China to include an increased risk level for wrongful detention, according to a new plan seen by Semafor.

The News ESCANABA, Mich. — Abdul El-Sayed and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are already thinking beyond 2026, even though he’s not a senator yet.

This coming holiday season, brands will have a new type of shopper to court: AI agents.

Reed’s view Fear is rising that the AI bubble is about to burst under the weight of mounting debt, as my colleague Liz Hoffman detailed yesterday, including this great quote from an unnamed data-center financier: “We’re not an ATM for your dystopian futur…

The Scoop Investors are pouring cash into a hot new sector of the AI economy: model routing — a practice allowing developers and companies to easily switch between different AI models.

by Artur Dron, translated by Hanna Leliv.

The News Concerns over the health of former South African President Jacob Zuma have raised questions about the future of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the populist party built around him that has redrawn the country’s political landscape.

Alexis’s view The Iran war is shaping up to be the catalyst of a seismic shift in Africa’s energy sector.

AI experts are coming — and the pretenders too.

Forest clearing in the Congo Basin nearly matched losses in the Amazon for the first time in a decade of monitoring, even as deforestation slowed worldwide, a new study found.

The founder of 777 Partners, the poster child for the underbelly of Wall Street’s insurance push, pleaded guilty to fraud Thursday.

South Africa is planning to tighten the rules around pharmacies making their own compound versions of medicines, including the popular weight-loss and diabetes treatments Ozempic and Mounjaro, Reuters reports.

South African Black-owned businesses face a funding shortfall of $45 billion, a new report shows, citing “explicit investor bias” alongside barriers such as limited collateral and governance concerns.

Nigerian investment firm Cascador and lender Sterling Bank launched a $200 million fund for small and medium enterprises, in a bid to close a credit access gap that constrains the growth potential of a vital pillar of African commerce.

Africa’s largest initial public offering is set to take a more pan-African shape with the Dangote Refinery’s push to extend the sale of its shares to Egypt.

Saudi social media looks different this week.

Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding and Zambia’s state miner ZCCM-IH say they have patched up their financing dispute over Mopani Copper Mines.

The sheer volume of properties selling in Dubai for $5 million-plus — even during wartime — has lured one of Los Angeles’ top luxury real estate agencies.

The deadliest week for civilians in the Gulf marks a turning point in the US-Iran war that has engulfed the Middle East from Beirut to Aden, and from Irbil to Salalah.

The Scoop A merger between two Wall Street boutique firm collapsed after senior bankers balked at their retention bonuses.

Apple and Meta said they would join forces to release a new open-weight AI model to run on high-end Macs, the latest sign of AI reshaping old tech rivalries and building new ones.

Two major Western car makers announced new flagship vehicles as they vie to keep up with Chinese challengers.

The US appeared to step back from progress on a trade deal with Mexico.

Yields on a key cloud provider’s bonds rose further, one of a number of signs of investors souring on AI infrastructure investment.

Taiwan is set to tighten controls on selling cutting-edge AI chips to China in order to win favor with the US, though breakthroughs by Chinese firms suggest Washington’s efforts to contain their development are failing.

The Scene From the deck of one of the large tugboats used to guide giant crude tankers into Fujairah’s port, the UAE’s race toward its “Zero Hormuz” strategy is visible in every direction.

The News Prediction market Kalshi is in no rush for the Supreme Court to wade into its battle with states.

The US’ relationship with Ukraine has reached a new low — but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s current spat with Trump hasn’t affected the flow of US weapons to his country.