Category: Semafor

Surging tensions across the Middle East strangled shipping traffic, driving energy prices higher and raising the specter of accelerating inflation worldwide. A 10th day of aerial attacks between the US and Iran meant just 53 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the week to July 20, a 66% drop ...

Bahrain is studying whether to build a small modular nuclear power plant, the Middle East Economic Digest reported, with the state-owned Bapco Energies leading the effort through its venture capital arm. If it goes ahead, it would be the first nuclear plant in the kingdom, which holds the Gulf’s smallest ...

AI is fast becoming a driver of geopolitical instability and competition, analysts, executives, and officials worldwide warned. The recent announcement of a relatively powerful, open-source Chinese AI model has crystallized US worries over Beijing’s growing capabilities: The bosses of Anthropic and OpenAI have asked Washington to better restrict the use ...

Wael’s view In 2025, Saudi courts received 1.6 million requests to collect on more than 165 billion riyals ($44 billion) in unpaid financial obligations. Justice Minister Walid Al-Samaani said the figure was evidence of a modern, responsive judicial process, but read differently, it is the mark of a society creaking ...

An Indian company broke the US-China duopoly on commercial spaceflight. India has a decades-old state space sector, which has even landed a rover on the moon. But Skyroot’s Vikram-1 rocket that launched Saturday is the first private Indian craft to reach orbit. The Indian space industry has grown quickly. New ...

The News South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham is making major headway with the Republican establishment in the primary race to succeed her late brother Lindsey Graham. Within hours of announcing her bid to pursue a full six-year Senate term, Graham locked in the support of three party leaders: Majority Whip ...

President Donald Trump is imposing an additional 50% tariff on a host of Canadian goods, from wine to hockey sticks to cement, a senior administration official said Monday. The new tariffs come as Trump administration officials are slated to convene in Mexico on Tuesday for further talks on the US-Mexico-Canada ...

Beijing-based AI phenom Moonshot paused new subscriptions for its new Kimi ​K3 model, underscoring the constraints Chinese tech firms face in delivering their products to a global audience. The open-source model, which has capabilities near those of the top American systems, caused an influx of demand that strained the startup’s ...

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham named the country’s ex-defense secretary as his finance minister, a surprise move that signals a focus on military spending. John Healey quit his former post last month after accusing then-premier Keir Starmer of endangering Britain by not committing to spending 3% of GDP on ...

Anglo American picked a group led by one of its former executives as its preferred bidder for an 85% stake in De Beers. The Global Diamond Consortium, led by Gareth Penny, was selected from three shortlisted groups following a bidding process, according to Moeti Mohwasa, Botswana’s defense minister. Botswana holds ...