Flagship

UK presses US on Ukraine

Britain’s prime minister was due to press US President Donald Trump on security guarantees for Kyiv, one of a flurry of global meetings over ending the Ukraine war. The visit comes a day before Ukraine’s leader is due to sign a minerals deal with the US, though Trump has said he will not offer Kyiv protection “beyond very much.” At the same time, US and Russian officials are resuming talks in Istanbul reportedly focused on reestablishing full diplomatic ties. The talks have Trump’s critics fearful he is making excessive concessions to Moscow. “If America must be ruthless, at least let it be brilliant,” The Economist wrote. “That is the prayer that [Trump’s] defenders… must murmur.”

Europe courts India on trade

Top European Commission leaders headed to India in a bid to strengthen trade ties, in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s punitive approach of ramping up tariffs worldwide. Brussels is aiming to revive dormant free-trade negotiations, though New Delhi is expected to voice concerns about an EU carbon import tariff. Their talks come a day after Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on goods from the EU, the latest antagonistic remarks to spur debate within the bloc over whether the White House’s “real goal is to destroy” the EU, The New York Times reported. “We’re ready to partner,” a bloc spokesman said, “if you play by the rules.”

US readies mass federal layoffs

The Trump administration told US government agencies to begin preparing for mass layoffs. Efforts to slash the federal workforce have proceeded fitfully so far: Thousands of workers have been fired, but opponents have filed lawsuits contesting the dismissals. Economists warn that the campaign could slow buoyant US growth as the newly unemployed reduce their discretionary spending. Given that in 35 states, there is at least one county in which more than 5% of the workforce is employed by the federal government, the impact could be felt nationwide. And while overall unemployment figures may not be affected in the short term, the consequences of so many workers entering the job market at once are uncertain.

Trump cancels Africa power plan

US President Donald Trump canceled a longstanding initiative to boost electricity access in Africa, where more than 600 million people still lack reliable energy. The Obama-era program was designed by USAID, which the Trump administration has sought to dismantle. Unreliable access to electricity in Africa has stifled industrial growth and limited small- and medium-sized businesses, two experts argued in The Conversation. However a recent report by African Energy Chamber, an advocacy group, suggests that nations could gain energy independence if they tap their vast potential for solar power, the cost of which has been falling precipitously.

First US measles death in 10 years

An unvaccinated child died of measles in the US, the country’s first death from the disease in more than a decade. Measles kills around one in every 1,000 infected children and is highly contagious, meaning that roughly 95% of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Growing vaccine hesitancy means that in some Texas counties just 86% of school-aged children are fully protected, The Associated Press reported, and the state is now experiencing its worst outbreak in 30 years. The new Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said measles outbreaks were “not unusual.” US regulators also cancelled, without explanation, a meeting to discuss composition of this year’s influenza vaccine, which must be prepared six months ahead of the flu season.

Taipei raises China alarm bells

Taipei condemned Beijing for carrying out live-fire exercises off the self-ruling island’s coast. The People’s Liberation Army now conducts “combat readiness patrols” off Taiwan about every 10 days, including blockade drills: Taipei fears that such a drill could disguise a real invasion, and is also concerned that the patrols pose a danger to shipping. US intelligence believes Beijing wants to be ready to invade by 2027, the 100th anniversary of the PLA’s founding. US President Donald Trump yesterday declined to confirm whether Washington would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of Chinese aggression, ostensibly restating a longstanding policy of “strategic ambiguity,” but which, given a recent rapprochement with Russia over Ukraine, has Taipei’s supporters worried.

Mexico bars nepotism

Mexico’s Congress approved a law banning nepotism in politics but delayed its implementation until 2030, suggesting that senior ruling party leaders could still leave family members in power after they step down. Dynastic politics is a feature of democracies across Latin America: Brazil’s far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro is likely to be succeeded by his son or wife if barred from standing for reelection, Folha de S. Paulo reported, and Nicaragua’s president named his wife co-president this year, while family members of former leaders remain dominant political figures in Argentina, Perú, and Venezuela. “Nepotism is another face of corruption in Latin America,” a Colombian outlet wrote.

Cutting-edge innovations in carbon capture technology, green hydrogen production, and next-gen aircraft are revolutionizing the energy landscape. As these technologies advance, what are the biggest hurdles making them commercially viable? Hosted on the sidelines of CERAWeek in Houston, Semafor’s Climate & Energy Editor Tim McDonnell will lead news-making conversations with industry leaders including John Ketchum, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of NextEra Energy, Inc., and more, on the latest breakthroughs, challenges, and the policy shifts.

Mar. 10, 2025 | Houston, TX | RSVP

Amazon joins chatbot battle

Amazon will introduce its much-delayed next-generation voice assistant in the next few weeks. The tech giant hopes Alexa+ will turn around the fortunes of both the embattled Alexa and its artificial intelligence division: Although more than 600 million devices use the voice assistant, it has cost the company tens of billions of dollars, and has fallen behind modern AI chatbots in what it can do. Alexa+ uses AI firm Anthropic’s as well as Amazon’s AI tech to make it “significantly more useful,” Ars Technica reported. Apple, meanwhile, is struggling to keep up: Its AI upgrade for Siri has been repeatedly delayed by bugs, and Bloomberg’s reporter covering the company said it was “frightening how far behind Apple is.”

Christianity rises, again

Christianity’s retreat in the US may have stalled, partly driven by the religion’s growth among young people. The number of Americans describing themselves as Christian has been falling for decades, from 80% of those born in the 1940s to 46% of those born in the 1990s. But the decline stopped in the post-2000 cohort. Political shifts may be a factor, The New York Times reported: The growth of conservatism among young men is associated with traditional values. Another factor may be migration: Latin American countries make up the bulk of US migration, and are heavily Catholic. Certainly that is true elsewhere — The British writer Tomiwa Owolade noted in 2022 that the UK’s Christian revival was driven by West African arrivals.

Gene Hackman found dead

Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor, died alongside his wife in unexplained circumstances. Hackman — one of Hollywood’s greatest “tough guys,” according to a BBC obituary — was 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa 63. The pair were found dead in their New Mexico home along with their dog: Local police said they “do not believe that foul play was a factor.” Hackman won an Oscar for his role in 1971’s The French Connection, and played Lex Luthor opposite Christopher Reeve’s Superman. He said in later life that seeing himself on screen “costs me a lot emotionally… [I] feel like I’m quite young, and then I look at this old man with the baggy chins and the tired eyes and the receding hairline.”

• France’s president visits Portugal with talks expected to focus on ocean preservation ahead of a UN conference in Nice.
• Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, holds an election.
• The storied German soccer club Bayern Munich celebrates its 125th anniversary.

The global democracy index score in 2024 according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, a record low. Over the past decade, the number of countries categorized as democracies has fallen by five, while the number of autocracies has risen by eight. The decline reflects “popular dissatisfaction with democratic political systems” and rising support for populists across the globe, The Economist reported.

New York City Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater, New York City. A triple bill at New York’s flagship dance venue, with works by George Balanchine and Christopher Wheeldon, sees the dancers “move beyond technique and soar above humanity,” according to The Ballet Herald, full of “quiet elegance” and “blade-like precision.” Buy tickets for the New York City Ballet here.

The owners of Donald Trump’s former Washington hotel are quietly shopping the rights to the property, which has become a re-emergent watering hole for the MAGA crowd and those looking to influence it, Semafor’s Liz Hoffman reported.

“Wall Street thrives on volatility, and Trump brings plenty of it,” Hoffman wrote, noting that while the president’s self-monetization has expanded since 2021, buying a $120 (pre-inflation price) seafood platter called the “Trump Tower” is a cumbersome way to curry favor.