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View / Washington is dismantling the tools that gave it leverage in Africa
View / The Gulf’s other postwar challenge
The World at a Glance
Updated 8:50am EDT
1
Stock markets surged and oil prices plummeted after Washington and Tehran reached a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
2Russia fired another huge aerial barrage at Ukraine, while Kyiv intensified its drone campaign against Moscow-controlled territory.
3The White House’s move to block foreign access to Anthropic’s AI looks set to dominate the G7 summit in France.
4The biggest wind farm in the US began commercial operations, highlighting the country’s rapid rollout of green energy despite opposition from the Trump administration.
5China’s gig economy helped many of the country’s unemployed people, though experts questioned its capacity to take in new workers.
6Health workers in the DR Congo said misinformation regarding the Ebola virus was hindering efforts to contain the outbreak.
Rand Paul defrosts his relationship with Trump
The Kentucky Republican senator, after past tension with the president and Rep. Thomas Massie’s ouster, looks more White House-aligned.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersTrump announces peace deal with Iran
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the US and Iran had finalized a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via ReutersWhite House’s export limits on Anthropic linked to concerns about Chinese access
Trump adviser David Sacks said restrictions aren’t connected to prior conflicts with AI company.
Reuters/Jessica KoscielniakHoneywell’s CEO on ‘the brutal truth’ about breaking up an industrial giant
Vimal Kapur says delegation and momentum are the keys to splitting a conglomerate.
Courtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforUFC ‘spectacle’ is about a show, not winning votes
Trump’s Sunday affair speaks to his affection for ambitious construction and affinity for sports — but isn’t designed to help Republicans.
Shelby Talcott/SemaforTrump’s prediction-market regulator to the Supreme Court: Bring it on
CFTC Chair Mike Selig told Semafor he’s weighing more lawsuits against states that try to regulate those markets.
US limits use of Anthropic AI models Fable 5 and Mythos
A new White House directive forced Anthropic to shut down access to its most advanced AI models.
Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters 
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Politics
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters 
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Treasury counters on offshore tax havens
The department is mounting a defense of last year’s decision to exempt US companies from a global minimum tax ahead of this week’s G7 meeting.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Trump undercuts Republicans’ push on surveillance law
The president said Sunday that if a bill requiring voter ID is not attached to its renewal, then he’s “against FISA.”
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters Rand Paul defrosts his relationship with Trump
The Kentucky Republican senator, after past tension with the president and Rep. Thomas Massie’s ouster, looks more White House-aligned.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersHow Washington fell for Nord Stream conspiracy theories
The true story of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion is even crazier than what Washington bought easily.
Trump announces peace deal with Iran
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the US and Iran had finalized a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
White House’s export limits on Anthropic linked to concerns about Chinese access
Trump adviser David Sacks said restrictions aren’t connected to prior conflicts with AI company.
UFC ‘spectacle’ is about a show, not winning votes
Trump’s Sunday affair speaks to his affection for ambitious construction and affinity for sports — but isn’t designed to help Republicans.
Debatable: Government stakes in AI
Trump and Sanders want the government to exact a public benefit from big AI firms. Others aren’t so sure.
Momentum builds in Washington around Sudan sanctions
US lawmakers look to penalize warring factions as three-year conflict drags on.
Trump’s reconciliation 3.0 ask lands with thud
President Donald Trump’s demand for a third party-line spending bill isn’t going over well with lawmakers.
It’s Schumer vs. Collins as midterms heat up
The majority leader is no fan of Graham Platner, but he’s more focused than ever on knocking out Susan Collins — and winning back the Senate.
Business
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
SpaceX soars in historic IPO
The boost is a positive sign for Anthropic and OpenAI, which are expected to go public in mega offerings later this year.
Brendan McDermid/ReutersTrump’s prediction-market regulator to the Supreme Court: Bring it on
CFTC Chair Mike Selig told Semafor he’s weighing more lawsuits against states that try to regulate those markets.
Honeywell’s CEO on ‘the brutal truth’ about breaking up an industrial giant
Vimal Kapur says delegation and momentum are the keys to splitting a conglomerate.
China is betting on medical tourism boom
The country has set up a special international medical tourism zone in Hainan, and relaxed visa rules have encouraged visitors.
China scolds e-commerce giants
The scolding dented shares of Alibaba and JD.com and came weeks after regulators told the companies to avoid an aggressive price war.
Technology
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ReutersReuters/Jessica Koscielniak
White House’s Anthropic block set to dominate G7
The White House’s announced it would block foreigners’ access to Anthropic’s cutting-edge AI model.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ReutersWhite House’s export limits on Anthropic linked to concerns about Chinese access
Trump adviser David Sacks said restrictions aren’t connected to prior conflicts with AI company.
Reuters/Jessica KoscielniakUS limits use of Anthropic AI models Fable 5 and Mythos
A new White House directive forced Anthropic to shut down access to its most advanced AI models.
Amazon takes on Starlink in Kenya
Amazon has applied for approval to build its first African satellite ground station in Kenya, putting it in competition with SpaceX.
SpaceX soars in historic IPO
The boost is a positive sign for Anthropic and OpenAI, which are expected to go public in mega offerings later this year.
Sam Altman calls off Abu Dhabi visit
As an investor and customer, the UAE has deep ties to OpenAI.
Energy
Nick Oxford/Reuters
Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters
China Daily via Reuters
Top US windfarm begins commercial operations
The SunZia Wind Project in New Mexico will generate 3.65 gigawatts of electricity, enough to supply around a million homes.
Nick Oxford/Reuters2026 World Cup could be the hottest and dirtiest ever
Climate change and the risk of extreme heat could affect players’ performances in the largest World Cup ever.
Eloisa Sanchez/ReutersRising trade barriers could reshape China’s clean tech investments
Tariffs, localization requirements, and other trade barriers abroad are making a pure export strategy trickier to sustain.
China Daily via ReutersGulf
Stringer/File Photo/Reuters
KKR sees security driving Gulf deals
US investment firm KKR expects the Iran war to prompt greater investment in alternative supply routes to ensure goods keep moving during conflict.
Stringer/File Photo/ReutersOman property fends off Iran war ripples
Residential land prices in the Omani capital Muscat rose by 43.6% in the first quarter, and the market continued to climb during the war.
Iran war is region’s costliest in decades
The Iran war has had a broader impact on the economies of the Middle East than any other conflict in the past 50 years.
The Gulf’s other postwar challenge
As Washington and Tehran move to end the war, Gulf governments face the risk of deepening sectarian tensions.
Dubai is Central African Republic’s ‘conflict gold hub’
The UAE has become the main destination for conflict minerals from the Central African Republic, placing Dubai at the center of a lucrative trade in gold and diamonds, suggests a new report.
China
Florence Lo/Reuters
cnsphoto via Reuters
Isabel Infantes/Reuters
China gig economy fears grow as AI threatens jobs
More than 200 million people are flexibly employed in China, but AI has made many of those jobs precarious.
Florence Lo/ReutersChina is betting on medical tourism boom
The country has set up a special international medical tourism zone in Hainan, and relaxed visa rules have encouraged visitors.
cnsphoto via ReutersChina scolds e-commerce giants
The scolding dented shares of Alibaba and JD.com and came weeks after regulators told the companies to avoid an aggressive price war.
Isabel Infantes/ReutersAfrica
Kenyans protest plans for a US Ebola center. John Muchucha/Reuters.
Angelika Warmuth/Reuters
Trump is dismantling the tools that gave the US leverage in Africa
The White House wants African deals but keeps cutting its diplomatic tools.
Kenyans protest plans for a US Ebola center. John Muchucha/Reuters.Zimbabwe gold miner plans to double annual output
Mutapa said it secured $75 million from Zimbabwean banks to raise output from a key pit located to the northwest of Harare.
Angelika Warmuth/ReutersE-bike maker Spiro plans manufacturing in Africa
The firm will begin producing the majority of its components on the continent by next year, its CEO told Semafor.
Misinformation fuels Ebola spread
Official Ebola cases approached 1,000.
South Africa’s proposed power pricing plan to end Eskom monopoly
The proposal would separate the cost of producing electricity into distinct components and introduce a regulated wholesale market.
South Africa’s Standard Bank eyes Kenya growth
The lender wants to boost its market share with the move in Kenya’s crowded banking sector.
Security
Yves Herman/ReutersVessels near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via Reuters 
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Kin Cheung/Pool via Reuters
US’ Mythos restrictions heighten EU tech fears
The US government’s move to suspend foreign access to Anthropic’s powerful AI models injected fresh urgency into Europe’s plans for tech sovereignty.
Yves Herman/ReutersTrump announces peace deal with Iran
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the US and Iran had finalized a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels near Bandar Abbas, Iran. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA via ReutersJapan deepens defense ties with Europe
Japan and Europe are deepening defense ties amid growing unease over Washington’s security commitments, Russian aggression, and China’s surging power.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Kin Cheung/Pool via ReutersMedia
David Swanson/Reuters
New York Times’ Kristof quoted former campaign donors in columns
The paper had promised that Nick Kristof would disclose when someone he reported on was a donor to his Oregon gubernatorial campaign.
David Swanson/Reuters Progressive site Zeteo plans UK expansion
Zeteo UK is a standalone site that will begin publishing this week, with a hard launch date in September.
Politico folds E&E News ahead of broader energy push
In September, Politico plans to launch a series of energy-focused newsletters.
Former Gourmet magazine owner sues new Gourmet newsletter
Condé Nast filed a lawsuit against Goulash Unlimited, the LLC set up by the owners of a revived Gourmet site.
CBS News in the crossfire
Within the network, every editorial decision has been scrutinized by CBS’ own staff.
CEO SignalCourtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Courtesy of Smith & Nephew/Graph Massara/Semafor
Courtesy of Cisco/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Honeywell’s CEO on ‘the brutal truth’ about breaking up an industrial giant
Vimal Kapur says delegation and momentum are the keys to splitting a conglomerate.
Courtesy of Honeywell/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforDeepak Nath applies pressure at Smith and Nephew
The medtech CEO is standing by his company’s portfolio strategy despite calls to break it up.
Courtesy of Smith & Nephew/Graph Massara/SemaforHow Cisco’s Chuck Robbins gets his team to ‘disagree and commit’
The longstanding CEO says a bad decision that you reverse is better than a delay.
Courtesy of Cisco/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD