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The World at a Glance
Updated 8:13am EST
1
The UN said it was “extremely worried” about a worsening humanitarian situation in Cuba amid a tightened US embargo.
2More countries are weighing limits on social media for children, after Australia introduced a ban last year.
3India warned that AI could severely disrupt the job market for the country’s young population.
4Germany pressed fellow NATO member France to live up to its defense spending commitments, amid US and Russian pressure.
5Russia is facing multiple obstacles in its war in Ukraine, as Kyiv makes territorial gains and Moscow faces command-and-control problems.
6Negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear program and finalize a ceasefire in Ukraine appear unlikely to make significant progress, analysts warned.
Nigeria launches election race with poll date
Africa’s biggest democracy will go to the polls on Feb. 20, 2027, with the economy set to be the key battleground.
Electoral campaign posters of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in 2023. Temilade Adelaja/Reuters.WBD leans toward opening negotiations with Paramount
It would be a dramatic shift for the media giant, which has stubbornly rebuffed all offers from Paramount thus far.
Mike Blake/Reuters Crypto news sites take down posts critical of crypto PR
Several business-focused digital news outlets quietly took down news articles junk information floating around the cryptocurrency space.
Dado Ruvic/Reuters Science magazine founder courted Epstein for cash, emails show
The founder of Nautilus referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal past as he sought to build a relationship with the convicted sex offender.
Justice Department/Handout via Reuters The Guardian debuts new flagship video podcast
The show is meant to compete with the likes of The New York Times and NPR.
The Guardian’s podcast page in Apple Podcasts.Senate Democrats want answers on DOJ antitrust firing
A group of seven Democratic senators are seeking communications related to the ouster of Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater, and records of lobbying related to an upcoming monopoly trial against Live Nation.
Mattie Neretin/CNP/Sipa USAAfter DOJ antitrust firing, Trump’s Washington is wide open for mergers
The populism of Trump’s campaign has lost out to a baseline loose-leash Republicanism. Was it ever real?
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
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Politics
Kent Nishimura/Reuters 
Courtesy of Nancy Scola
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Little momentum for ending partial US government shutdown
Democrats sent Republicans and the White House an immigration enforcement counteroffer late Monday night, but there’s little momentum for a deal.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters How the Trump administration learned to stop worrying and love big business
Many analysts still don’t understand how foundational Republican complaints about censorship are to contemporary politics.
Courtesy of Nancy ScolaTrump claims victories on the economy after solid jobs, inflation reports
The White House is claiming victory on the economy after two solid reports, but experts warned the data masks deeper vulnerabilities.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters Bangladesh election could lead to a reset in India ties, analysts say
A center-right party coasted to a landslide win in Bangladesh’s first elections since a Gen Z-led uprising ousted the country’s former leader in 2024.
European nations say Navalny was poisoned by frog toxin
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison after being poisoned by a frog toxin, five European countries said Saturday.
US-Taiwan ties get dose of stability as defense tensions linger
The US and Taiwan inked a trade pact to slash tariffs and bolster semiconductor supply chains, as the island tries to step up its defense spending in the face of threats from China.
Rubio strikes polite tone in Munich, but Europe likely not convinced
Washington’s top diplomat on Saturday emphasized that the US is not looking to abandon the transatlantic alliance — so long as Europe shifts closer to the American worldview.
Senate Democrats want answers on DOJ antitrust firing
A group of seven Democratic senators are seeking communications related to the ouster of Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater, and records of lobbying related to an upcoming monopoly trial against Live Nation.
After DOJ antitrust firing, Trump’s Washington is wide open for mergers
The populism of Trump’s campaign has lost out to a baseline loose-leash Republicanism. Was it ever real?
Anthropic donates to super PAC focused on AI safety
Anthropic said it would donate $20 million to a super PAC focused on AI safety and regulation, setting up a fight with rival and top political spender OpenAI.
Poll suggests voters back Democrats shutdown demands
A new Hart Research poll commissioned by the Senate Democrat-aligned Senate Majority PAC found that 54% of likely midterm voters express support for Democrats demanding reforms to ICE and blocking DHS funding unless those reforms are adopted.
Business
@ChairmanSelig/X
CFTC to states: hands off prediction markets
The CFTC filed a legal brief in support of Crypto.com, which alongside Kalshi and Polymarket is being sued by Nevada for allegedly operating unlicensed sportsbooks.
@ChairmanSelig/XUS economy shows resilience, despite Americans’ pessimism
Friday’s inflation report suggested it was plausible for inflation to get to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target without inducing a recession.
Trump claims victories on the economy after solid jobs, inflation reports
The White House is claiming victory on the economy after two solid reports, but experts warned the data masks deeper vulnerabilities.
WBD leans toward opening negotiations with Paramount
It would be a dramatic shift for the media giant, which has stubbornly rebuffed all offers from Paramount thus far.
Senate Democrats want answers on DOJ antitrust firing
A group of seven Democratic senators are seeking communications related to the ouster of Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater, and records of lobbying related to an upcoming monopoly trial against Live Nation.
Technology
Hollie Adams/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters
India Press Information Bureau / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
More countries weigh social media bans for children
Germany’s governing coalition looks set to back a proposal to limit access for under-16s, while India is discussing similar curbs.
Hollie Adams/Illustration/File Photo/ReutersIndia warns over AI’s threat to youth population
India said that while AI will help rich countries facing demographic decline, it will present difficulties for those that are still growing.
India Press Information Bureau / Handout/Anadolu via Getty ImagesVideo AI startup shifts compute to Saudi as AI chips arrive
The kingdom will get “monstrous” numbers of AI chips, says Luma AI’s CEO.
NASA trials AI-powered driving of Mars rover
The demonstration involved letting AI set the waypoints and identify hazards, marking a first step towards more autonomous planetary exploration.
Mysterious wave of bot traffic sweeps the web
Websites large and small have seen dramatic spikes in visitors with IP addresses in Lanzhou, China — a manufacturing-heavy city that’s not known as a tech hub — with some of the visits routed through Singapore.
OpenAI, Anthropic should focus on their own success than chase each other
Instead of focusing on their core audiences, Anthropic and OpenAI seem to be chasing what they can’t have.
Energy
Rafael Martins/File Photo/Reuters
Manon Cruz/File Photo/Reuters
Lisi Niesner/Reuters
EV carmakers register $65 billion in write-offs globally
The overhaul in EV investments follow a pivot in US climate policy and an overstated enthusiasm for the green transition.
Rafael Martins/File Photo/ReutersTrump stalls vote on bipartisan Russia sanctions bill
Two senior Democratic senators warned of Trump’s stalling during a visit to Kyiv.
Manon Cruz/File Photo/ReutersGoogle launches AI-driven product for grid improvement
The technology uses fiber-optic sensors to capture data about real-time activity and strain on power lines.
Lisi Niesner/ReutersGulf
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters
Bitcoin plunges — but Abu Dhabi still believes in blockchain
It has been a gloomy month for digital assets, but there is a glimmer of hope in the UAE, where the underlying blockchain technology is gaining traction.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/ReutersWhy Abu Dhabi’s next play is managing other people’s money
Judan Financial is the latest Abu Dhabi firm seeking to position the emirate as a hub for global capital, not just its own oil wealth.
Bahrain is a quiet power player on the horse-racing circuit
Dubai and Riyadh have much bigger prize pools, but Bahrain is quietly attracting mid-tier owners to its turf.
Saudi Arabia’s delicate long game in Syria
Riyadh and international organizations are taking a cautious, institution-first strategy to revive Syria’s economy.
Video AI startup shifts compute to Saudi as AI chips arrive
The kingdom will get “monstrous” numbers of AI chips, says Luma AI’s CEO.
Africa
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Monicah Mwangi/Reuters
South Africa cashes in on adventure tourism
The sector generated about $656 billion in direct revenue, and supported 91,000 jobs, in 2024.
Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesBeijing offers 53 African countries tariff-free trade access
The zero-tarriff policy will come into effect on May 1.
Monicah Mwangi/ReutersPlatinum mining CEO hails South Africa’s recent electricity wins
Valterra Platinum told Semafor the reduction in power rationing had enabled the firm to invest more money into the business.
Mali agrees gold mining deal extension after standoff with Barrick
Mali’s military junta is trying to secure a larger share of profits from the country’s mineral resources against a backdrop of rising gold prices.
Nigeria launches election race with poll date
Africa’s biggest democracy will go to the polls on Feb. 20, 2027, with the economy set to be the key battleground.
Look beyond the imagined African nation to understand Nigeria’s security challenge
The world must abandon outdated narratives about Africa to understand its realities, argues Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister.
Security
European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via Reuters.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/Reuters
Liesa Johannssen/File Photo/Reuters
Germany says France lagging behind on defense spending
Berlin, which greenlit a huge debt-fuelled expansion of its military outlay, said Paris was lagging behind on its commitments. .
European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via Reuters.Russia’s mounting woes as Ukraine makes territorial push
Ukraine has in the past five days made its fastest territorial gains since 2023, according to AFP.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/ReutersUS talks with Iran, Russia appear unlikely to make progress
Discussions resumed this week in Geneva aimed at curtailing Iran’s nuclear program and finalizing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Liesa Johannssen/File Photo/ReutersMedia
Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters; Illustration: Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Apple News’ political honeymoon is over as MAGA ratchets up the pressure
The technology giant has shown in recent months that it can be swayed.
Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters; Illustration: Joey Pfeifer/SemaforThe Guardian debuts new flagship video podcast
The show is meant to compete with the likes of The New York Times and NPR.
Crypto news sites take down posts critical of crypto PR
Several business-focused digital news outlets quietly took down news articles junk information floating around the cryptocurrency space.
Science magazine founder courted Epstein for cash, emails show
The founder of Nautilus referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal past as he sought to build a relationship with the convicted sex offender.
WBD leans toward opening negotiations with Paramount
It would be a dramatic shift for the media giant, which has stubbornly rebuffed all offers from Paramount thus far.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Intuit/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of GE Vernova/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of the Gates Foundation/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Why Intuit’s CEO thinks the market’s wrong on AI
Sasan Goodarzi says companies that “deliver for the end customer” will reap the technology’s rewards.
Courtesy of Intuit/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforThe CEO behind GE Vernova’s $200B power surge
Scott Strazik says demand is surging, but his energy company won’t spend money on “hobbies.”
Courtesy of GE Vernova/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow the Gates Foundation’s CEO plans to shape its last 20 years
Mark Suzman wants to reframe the case for aid in the face of government cuts and intense public scrutiny
Courtesy of the Gates Foundation/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD