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View / M&A is cleaning the decks for AI
View/ Trump’s high-stakes wind salvo risks backfiring on fossil fuels
The World at a Glance
Updated 5:50pm EST
1
US President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida, despite tensions between them over the future of the Middle East.
2SoftBank struck a $4 billion deal to acquire a US-based data center investor, marking the Japanese conglomerate’s latest foray into AI.
A cocaine production glut is forcing drug traffickers to reuse their submarines, as one-way trips become less profitable.
4The British shopping holiday of Boxing Day appears to be taking off in the US, as retailers offer discounts to clear inventory before 2026.
5Donald Trump said he had ‘the makings of a deal’ to end the war in Ukraine following talks in Miami.
6Rising rates of lung disease in Asia, fueled by pollution and tobacco use, are threatening the region’s economic growth.
China sanctions US defense firms over Taiwan deal
Northrop Grumman, a Boeing production unit, and the founder of Anduril Industries were among Beijing’s targets.
Ann Wang/Reuters Abu Dhabi’s renewable giant Masdar expands into Malaysia
Once complete, it will be the largest floating solar plant in Southeast Asia, able to power more than 100,000 homes.
Daniel Cole/ReutersKyiv signals openness to demilitarized zones as peace concession
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled he was open to withdrawing troops and establishing demilitarized zones in the country’s east.
Stringer/Reuters Prince Alwaleed nears $400 million deal for Saudi soccer team
The Saudi billionaire is close to buying a 75% stake in Riyadh club Al Hilal from the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
Stringer/ReutersAD
US authorities release new tranche of Epstein files
The release of a new tranche of files related to Jeffrey Epstein will only add to Americans’ confusion and division over the late sex offender and his ties to Donald Trump and other elite figures, analysts said.
U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters Trump, Zelenskyy discuss Ukraine peace plan in Florida
Neither leader offered evidence of a major breakthrough over the Ukraine peace plan after their meeting in Mar-a-Lago on Sunday.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Pope Leo prepares to outline stance on AI
AI safety proponents are looking to the leader of the Catholic Church for help establishing guardrails on the fast-moving technology.
Vincenzo Livieri/Reuters
Politics
Nasry Asfura. Leonel Estrada/File Photo/Reuters
Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
Thierry Breton. Yves Herman/Reuters.
Trump ally wins Honduras’ long-drawn presidential election
Nasry Asfura has vowed to cut ties with Beijing and restore relations with Taiwan.
Nasry Asfura. Leonel Estrada/File Photo/ReutersFrance cuts immigration amid rising far-right support
The move is the latest by Western nations as they look to clampdown on immigration amid growing support for far-right parties.
Stephanie Lecocq/ReutersUS denies EU citizens visas over social media ‘censorship’
The US secretary of state called the EU nationals “radical activists… targeting American speakers and American companies.”
Thierry Breton. Yves Herman/Reuters.US Supreme Court blocks Chicago troop deployment
The White House had said the troops were necessary to fight crime, but city officials objected.
Trump’s new special envoy tasked with annexing Greenland
The Danish-controlled territory is a source of key minerals, and Trump has repeatedly said he wants the US to take control of it.
Sacks, Witkoff could face ethics probe over UAE deals
The Trump officials’ involvement in a decision to allow export of advanced US-made chips to the UAE has come under scrutiny from Democrats.
Budget chair Graham plots next Republican party-line bill
Graham said it would be “political malpractice” not to do another reconciliation bill.
The 2025 media lesson: Talk to everyone
Washington figures retreat into friendly media bubbles at their peril.
Congress eyes hearings on Warner Bros. Discovery battle — but nothing binding
There’s little prospect for passage of any legislation that might affect Netflix’s or Paramount’s bids in time.
Turning Point USA conference shows deepening divisions on US right
A conference featuring some of the US’ most prominent conservative figures revealed an American right marred by divisions over its future.
US issues tough demands over Canada-Mexico trade deal
The remarks by the US’ top trade official will buoy Mexican and Canadian officials, after Donald Trump suggested he may allow the deal to lapse.
Business
REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary
Cold-storage giant Americold fields private equity interest
Multiple bidders, including EQT and iSquared, are interested in buying Americold’s European businesses.
REUTERS/Sahiba ChawdharyNvidia buys AI chip startup Groq for $20 billion
The semiconductor giant will hire all of Groq’s top staff and license the firm’s AI technology.
M&A is cleaning the decks for AI
As we close the books on 2025, here are two data points to consider: Gold hit a record high and corporate mergers came very close to one.
Gold doubles as investors rush to safety
In addition to retail boosters, central banks have turned to gold as a replacement for US dollars.
Corporate debt issuance nears record highs on AI investment
The $1.7 trillion in bond issuances fell short only of 2020’s pandemic-fueled rush, with 30% of it related to AI.
Technology
Chris Helgren/Reuters
Shir Torem/File Photo/Reuters
Accountancy exams go in-person as AI cheating soars
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants said that cheats were “outpacing” safeguards.
Chris Helgren/ReutersNvidia buys AI chip startup Groq for $20 billion
The semiconductor giant will hire all of Groq’s top staff and license the firm’s AI technology.
Shir Torem/File Photo/ReutersThe 2025 tech predictions that came true, and ones that surprised us
This year marked many tech developments that Semafor saw coming, but there were a few we missed in this honest wrap-up.
Corporate debt issuance nears record highs on AI investment
The $1.7 trillion in bond issuances fell short only of 2020’s pandemic-fueled rush, with 30% of it related to AI.
China dials back robocar ambitions after deadly crash
News of the high-speed crash in March, unlike previous incidents, evaded Beijing’s censors and spread widely.
TikTok’s deal to divest US operations fails to satisfy China hawks
Critics are taking issue with the fact that the content recommendation algorithm, TikTok’s secret sauce, will be licensed from ByteDance.
Energy
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Issei Kato/Reuters
Stephane Mahe/Pool/File Photo/Reuters
Nuclear fusion executives welcome Trump Media merger
The planned merger between nuclear fusion startup TAE Technologies and Trump Media raised some concerns about conflicts of interest.
Nathan Howard/ReutersJapan to reopen world’s largest nuclear reactor
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was one of 54 reactors shuttered after the 2011 earthquake that triggered the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.
Issei Kato/ReutersOffshore wind farms are helping marine life, research suggests
The study found that the wind turbine foundations allow sessile organisms — immobile living things like barnacles, sea sponges, and algae — to thrive.
Stephane Mahe/Pool/File Photo/ReutersGulf
Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
Bahrain taps SandboxAQ to modernize cybersecurity
The Palo Alto-based AI firm is partnering with Bahrain’s National Cyber Security Center to deploy its software across some 60 government bodies.
Stephanie Lecocq/ReutersAbu Dhabi’s renewable giant Masdar expands into Malaysia
Once complete, it will be the largest floating solar plant in Southeast Asia, able to power more than 100,000 homes.
DHL sees the Gulf as the next global logistics hub
As the region builds its cities and industries, logistics is emerging as a backbone of growth.
Saudi presses Yemeni separatists to leave governorates
Separatists accused the kingdom of launching air strikes against them on Friday.
$8,000 train ticket comes to Saudi
The 66-passenger train will offer one- and two-night journeys from Riyadh to destinations including Hail and the UNESCO-listed AlUla.
Africa
Souleymane Camara/Reuters
Leger Serge Kokpakpa/Reuters
Guinea election expected to cement autocrat’s rule
Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a coup in 2021, is predicted to win a seven-year term, cementing the autocrat’s rule in the West African nation.
Souleymane Camara/ReutersTouadéra set to extend his term as president of the Central African Republic
The incumbent looks likely to win another five year term despite slowing growth and a worsening security situation.
Leger Serge Kokpakpa/ReutersAfrican Cup of Nations shifts to 4-year cycle
The move will align the tournament with European sporting calendars after years of complaints from clubs.
Ghana approves bill to legalize the use of cryptocurrencies
Crypto is increasingly popular among digitally savvy consumers and businesses on the continent trying to hedge against currency volatility.
Trump withdraws US ambassadors to Africa
Washington has removed top-level representatives in more than half the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
UAE blockchain project eyes Africa growth through M-Pesa deal
The initiative is part of a push for Abu Dhabi to deepen its financial ties with African countries.
Security
Alex Babenko/Reuters
Seaman Abigail Reyes/US Navy/Handout via Reuters
Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo/Reuters
Russian troops take key Ukrainian town Siversk
The capture eases Moscow’s advance to the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, part of Ukraine’s industrial belt.
Alex Babenko/ReutersUS bolsters military presence in Caribbean
The deployment came as the UN Security Council met to discuss Washington’s campaign against Caracas.
Seaman Abigail Reyes/US Navy/Handout via ReutersEU leaders agree to loan $105B to Ukraine
The agreement comes after separate efforts to leverage frozen Russian assets in order to help Kyiv stumbled.
Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo/ReutersMedia
What media leaders got wrong in 2025
Reflections from media leaders around the world.
What actually mattered in 2025, with Janice Min and Emily Sundberg
The Ankler’s Min and FeedMe’s founder Sundberg join Mixed Signals for a candid roundtable lookback at a disorienting year in media.
Paramount CEO’s father offers $40B backing for WBD takeover
Larry Ellison’s intervention comes as competition heats up between Paramount and streaming giant Netflix to take over WBD.
Trump and television divide CBS newsroom
New top editor Bari Weiss’ explosive decision to pull a “60 Minutes” segment at the last minute has divided the newsroom.
CBS’ independence queried after documentary delay
The network pulled a scheduled documentary on the deportations of migrants to El Salvador.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Target/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
‘AI is going to automate the ordinary’: Cindy Rose’s plan for ad giant WPP
The admaker has fallen behind its peers, but the Microsoft veteran sees opportunity in disruption.
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor‘We’ve got work to do’: The new CEO aiming at an elevated Target
Michael Fiddelke says a clearer focus and simpler messaging can return the retailer to growth.
Courtesy of Target/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Lyft’s David Risher seized his ‘wet cement’ moment
The CEO of the No. 2 in US ridesharing says there’s more to growth than catching ‘the other guys.’
Courtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD