Silicon Valley veteran Nikesh Arora on tech’s role in government, and the future of AI
Trump’s MAGA insiders want ‘anti-woke’ deal-driven Africa policies
The World at a Glance
Updated 5:39pm EST
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US prosecutors accused India’s second-richest man of bribing Indian government officials to gain lucrative contracts, and concealing payments from US investors.
2Nvidia reported better than expected Q3 financial results, with year-on-year revenue growing some 94% amid rising demand for its advanced AI chips.
3The US officially recognized Venezuela’s opposition leader as the president-elect, as Washington ramps up sanctions on Caracas following its disputed July election.
4Trump selects former AG Matt Whitaker as US ambassador to NATO, a key post given the US president-elect’s vow to reassess the alliance.
5Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai denied foreign collusion as he testified in court for the first time in a security trial that could see him jailed for life.
6Debate is growing over how much control humans should cede to increasingly “agentic” AI models.
Hegseth took public potshots at Republican senators whose votes he wants
Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick has directed particular criticism at Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersUS schools, colleges brace for conflict with Trump administration
Higher education institutions fear the incoming administration will use funding and regulations to assert control over campuses.
Linda McMahon. Mike Segar/File Photo/ReutersWestern allies fear Russia will escalate war in Ukraine
Alarm bells were sounded a day after Russia announced it would lower the threshold for a nuclear strike.
Sergiy Karazy/ReutersHong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai denies foreign collusion in national security trial
Lai, a leading pro-democracy figure and founder of the now-closed Apple Daily, faces a possible life sentence.
Jimmy Lai in 2021. Tyrone Siu/File Photo/ReutersAD
UAE sees diplomacy as key to its space, AI ambitions
The Emirate’s top diplomat for advanced science and technology is optimistic the country can navigate US-China tensions to advance its space and AI programs.
HopeMarsMission/XDelhi pollution sparks outrage and calls for action
The toxic smog shrouding New Delhi this week was so bad that the capital’s chief minister declared a “medical emergency.”
Anushree Fadnavis/ReutersRepublicans leery of trying to pay for tax cuts with Trump’s tariffs
His ideas might raise revenue. But asking Congress to vote for them is no easy task.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
politicsKevin Lamarque/Reuters 
Vanessa Abbitt/Arizona Republic /USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters
Oleg Petrasiuk/Handout via Reuters
Hegseth took public potshots at Republican senators whose votes he wants
Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick has directed particular criticism at Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersTrump picks former AG Matt Whitaker as NATO ambassador
Whitaker’s foreign policy views are largely unknown, but Trump has vowed to force NATO allies to spend more.
Vanessa Abbitt/Arizona Republic /USA TODAY NETWORK via ReutersDoubts grow in Ukraine about US, NATO membership
Just 40% of Ukrainians said they approve of US leadership, in a survey conducted in August, down from a peak of 66% in 2022.
Oleg Petrasiuk/Handout via ReutersHouse Ethics panel to meet on Gaetz investigation
The 10-member panel needs a simple majority to release findings that reportedly center around alleged sexual misconduct allegations, which Gaetz has denied.
Republicans leery of trying to pay for tax cuts with Trump’s tariffs
His ideas might raise revenue. But asking Congress to vote for them is no easy task.
US Congress eyes Biden disaster aid request
Outgoing US President Joe Biden has requested $98 billion in disaster aid relief money — now Capitol Hill needs to figure out what to do with it.
Poll: One in five Americans or fewer use ‘woke’ terms
Some Democrats blame activists on the left for alienating Americans with their language.
MAGA vs. establishment: A rivalry emerges as Trump weighs FBI pick
The president-elect is expected to seek a new chief at the bureau, with Kash Patel and former Rep. Mike Rogers leading the contenders.
Trump’s transition co-chairs are both in limbo on cabinet jobs
While Howard Lutnick vies for treasury secretary in a crowded field, Linda McMahon is still waiting to get her offer to join the administration.
Businesses brace for potential impact of Trump’s mass deportation plans
US President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of people from the US, but the program could cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
Prediction markets turn to whether Trump’s nominees will get confirmed
Speculators think Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth will become defense secretary, but are doubtful of Matt Gaetz’s chances of running the Justice Department.
business
Amir Cohen/Reuters
US indicts Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on bribery charges
The charges comes just weeks after the Adani Group pledged billions in new US energy and infrastructure projects.
Amir Cohen/ReutersTrump joins Musk for SpaceX Starship test as ‘Trump-Elon trade’ boosts industry
SpaceX and the rest of the commercial space industry could have a lot to gain from President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
Trump readies shortlist for financial agencies
The next administration could rollback some consumer protections, redo big bank capital rules, and overhaul the nation’s mortgage system.
Wall Street enemies circulate Bessent returns as Treasury race drags on
Documents show Bessent’s firm, Key Square, losing money five of the past seven years. But they leave out strong returns in 2016, 2017, and 2024, people familiar with the matter say.
Comcast will issue its cable spinoff a hunting license
Under current plans, Comcast’s spinoff entity would carry little of the company’s $101 billion of debt, people familiar with the matter said.
technology
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters
Courtesy of Palo Alto Networks
US AI chip giant Nvidia outstrips revenue expectations
The earnings from the biggest chipmaker in the world will have an outsized impact on the US stock market, analysts said, albeit in the short term.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/ReutersSilicon Valley veteran Nikesh Arora on tech’s role in government, and the future of AI
The Palo Alto Networks CEO also discusses what hacking will look like in an AI-powered world.
Courtesy of Palo Alto NetworksElon Musk’s idea to simplify tax filings hits Intuit and H&R Block stocks
Intuit’s shares fell 5% while H&R Block’s stock dropped 8% after Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency floated the idea of a free tax-filing app.
Pokémon Go maker to create AI trained on user data that can navigate the real world
Niantic said its “Large Geospatial Model” will be able to predict what physical structures like statues look like based on what it knows about existing ones.
US defense agencies, industry expands AI use with tech companies’ backing
Meta’s Llama and Anthropic’s Claude are among the artificial intelligence models tapped for use in defense and security.
Chinese tech giant ByteDance reportedly raised its value to $300 billion
The company’s valuation came in a recent share buyback, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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Aziz Karimov/Reuters
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Enrique Marcarian/File Photo/Reuters
COP29 struggles to crack climate finance puzzle
Brazil, China, and India are stepping into a leadership vacuum left by the US.
Aziz Karimov/ReutersCEO of major US power utility urges Trump to remain in Paris Agreement
Pedro Pizarro, who leads Edison International, is the latest business leader to warn of the consequences of the US withdrawing from climate diplomacy.
FlickrRace for lithium to fuel green transition encounters new challenges
Lithium is vital for green technologies like electric vehicle batteries, but efforts to ramp up global production are flagging.
Enrique Marcarian/File Photo/ReutersgulfHopeMarsMission/X
UAE sees diplomacy as key to its space, AI ambitions
The Emirate’s top diplomat for advanced science and technology is optimistic the country can navigate US-China tensions to advance its space and AI programs.
HopeMarsMission/XAnalysis: NEOM needs a global CEO to thrive
With its third leader in seven years, Saudi columnist Wael Mahdi asks whether the project requires a CEO with international clout to achieve its lofty ambitions.
UAE embraces reproductive medicine
The UAE’s investment in genomics and healthcare — plus a tiny local population bent on preservation — is making it a global fertility leader.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is boosting its share in private markets
The government-run investor increased allocations last year to private equity and credit amid a global slowdown in dealmaking.
Success of ‘Love Is Blind: Habibi’ reflects growing appetite for Arab reality shows
The reality show topped Netflix’s top 10 most watched non-English TV shows globally in the first two weeks after its release.
africa
Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina walks on stage during the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico City. Raquel Cunha/ Reuters
Then President Trump hosts African heads of state during UN General Assembly in New York in 2017/Courtesy: AsoVilla Nigeria
How a beauty queen beat xenophobia to win Miss Universe Africa
Nigeria’s Chidimma Adetshina has been crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.
Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina walks on stage during the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico City. Raquel Cunha/ ReutersTrump’s MAGA insiders want ‘anti-woke’ deal-driven Africa policies
Advisors close to President-elect Donald Trump are pushing for a renewed US-Africa policy which focuses on “deals and deterrence”.
Then President Trump hosts African heads of state during UN General Assembly in New York in 2017/Courtesy: AsoVilla NigeriaSenegal’s ruling party set to clinch parliamentary majority
The Senegalese president’s ruling party looks set to secure electoral victory that would enable him to implement his policy agenda.
South Africa’s Wits unveils pan-African AI center
South Africa’s Wits University is set to unveil its first dedicated artificial intelligence institute to help drive the technology’s development across the continent.
TikTok takes down nearly 400,000 videos in Kenya over sexual content
TikTok is deleting more videos in Kenya for violating community guidelines, as the company looks to avoid government scrutiny over content moderation.
Somaliland votes as tensions in Horn of Africa simmer
Voters in Somaliland went to the polls on Wednesday amid the growing possibility of the region being recognized as an independent state.
media
Feed Me’s Emily Sundberg and her ‘studio mindset’
Sundberg’s business and culture newsletter has developed a cult following — and racked up 50,000 subscribers.
A tale of two jets: The old media grapples with its new limits
Remnick-Goldberg-Murray-Lessin-VandeHei-Thompson on the beginning of a new, diminished era for America’s legacy outlets.
TikTok astrologers are convinced this election isn’t over
Many had predicted before the election that Vice President Kamala Harris would win.
Gannett probes possible leak of bombshell Iowa poll
A stray tweet predicted the findings of Ann Selzer’s Iowa poll shortly before its release.
Needle at risk: In bitter, election-day labor dispute, union accuses Times of trying to ‘burn the house down,’ while paper accuses tech workers of trying to ‘block this public service’
A labor feud plays out on election day.
security
Leah Millis/Reuters
Lehtikuva/Heikki Saukkomaa/via Reuters
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
G20 struggles for consensus on Ukraine war
The leaders of the world’s largest economies used vague language when discussing the nearly three year conflict.
Leah Millis/ReutersGermany suspects sabotage behind severing of critical undersea cables
European countries have launched investigations into incidents involving undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.
Lehtikuva/Heikki Saukkomaa/via ReutersRussia blocks UN resolution calling for Sudan ceasefire
The UK and Sierra Leone had proposed a resolution that the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces halt hostilities.
Brendan McDermid/ReutersAD