The most important source of energy in the world is not oil and gas. It’s food. Energy for people is even more important than energy for machines. The oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are critical for the world economy. But while economists and politicians focus ...
Category: Semafor
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Democratic lawmaker suggests Orbán’s defeat in Hungary holds promise for USDemocratic lawmaker suggests Orbán’s defeat in Hungary holds promise for US
The News Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Monday that Hungary’s historic election ousting longtime leader and Donald Trump ally, Viktor Orbán, was a “strong vote in favor of democracy,” suggesting that the trend is also happening in the US. Speaking at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC, on Monday, the Democratic ...
150M barrels of Venezuelan oil sold since January, US energy secretary says150M barrels of Venezuelan oil sold since January, US energy secretary says
The News At least 150 million barrels of Venezuelan oil have been sold since the US captured the country’s former President Nicolás Maduro, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC. “In round numbers, probably 150 million barrels of Venezuelan oil have been sold ...
Tricolor and First Brands woes were ‘easy to spot,’ Eldridge’s Boehly saysTricolor and First Brands woes were ‘easy to spot,’ Eldridge’s Boehly says
The News The financial problems that arose at subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings and auto parts manufacturer First Brands were “easy to spot” ahead of time, Todd Boehly, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Eldridge Industries, said on Monday. Eldridge considered investing in debt issued by the Texas-based Tricolor ...
AI bioterrorism risk on the rise, warns leading scientistAI bioterrorism risk on the rise, warns leading scientist
AI can now design and run biological experiments, racing ahead of regulatory systems and raising the risk of bioterrorism, a leading scientist warned. OpenAI’s GPT-5 autonomously operated 36,000 experiments via a robotic lab, cutting the cost of creating a target protein by 40%. AI is making biological engineering more accessible, ...
African startup funding surges to $705M in first quarterAfrican startup funding surges to $705M in first quarter
African startups raised $705 million in the first three months of 2026, a 26.5% increase on the same period last year, according to new analysis. The sum covers 59 deals in 14 countries, African Business reported, pointing to data compiled by Condia and TechCabal Insights. Egypt was in pole position, ...
Heineken sells DR Congo unit in BralimaHeineken sells DR Congo unit in Bralima
Heineken completed its withdrawal from DR Congo, ending more than a century of operations in the country after a turbulent two-year period marked by conflict that severed supply routes and raised security costs. The Dutch brewer’s exit unfolded in two steps. Last year, Heineken offloaded its Bukavu brewery in eastern ...
South Africa, Nigeria enter cybercrime global rankingSouth Africa, Nigeria enter cybercrime global ranking
South Africa and Nigeria ranked among the top 20 countries worldwide where cybercrime complaints were filed last year, research by the US FBI found. Global cybercrime losses surged to a record $20.8 billion in 2025, a 26% increase from 2024, with more than 1 million complaints filed. While sub-Saharan Africa’s ...
Rising oil prices weaken South Africa’s randRising oil prices weaken South Africa’s rand
Oil prices surged above $100 a barrel ahead of a US shipping blockade on Iranian ports after weekend peace talks between the US and Iran collapsed, threatening to pile pressure on several African currencies that have depreciated as a result of the crisis. South Africa’s rand weakened and was nearly ...
Data centers under fire test Gulf sovereign AI ambitionsData centers under fire test Gulf sovereign AI ambitions
Winston Ma’s view At the Future Investment Initiative summit in Miami in late March, geopolitics and technology investing collided in a single, blunt warning, when US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said the region faced a “risk premium” from the threat of infrastructure such as data centers being “blown up.” To ...