Flagship

Saudi-US ties deepen with MBS visit

The US inked a raft of deals with Saudi Arabia following talks between the countries’ leaders, deepening a partnership at the core of a revamped Middle East security order. The agreements included the sale of F-35s, a civil nuclear deal, and cooperation on AI technology and critical minerals. Washington also designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, while Riyadh pledged to invest $1 trillion in the US. The visit was not without controversy: President Donald Trump contradicted his own intelligence agencies in saying the Saudi crown prince had no knowledge of the 2018 killing of a Saudi journalist, a murder that once threatened a rupture in bilateral ties. Instead, Congress has largely mimicked the president’s embrace of Saudi.

Scramble to revive Ukraine peace talks

Fitful US efforts to end the Ukraine war appeared to gain renewed momentum, though questions persisted over Russia’s willingness to countenance peace. A top US envoy is set to meet Ukraine’s president in Turkey in a bid to revive stalled talks between Kyiv and Moscow, and Axios reported that the Trump administration has been secretly working with the Kremlin on a new peace plan. American officials hope additional sanctions on Russia’s energy sector will bring the country to the table. But Russian President Vladimir Putin showed little interest in compromise during a meeting with China’s premier, overnight strikes on Ukraine killed nine people, and Romania said it scrambled fighter jets over a purported Russian drone incursion.

Meta’s ‘sweeping’ antitrust victory

A US judge ruled that Meta, the owner of Facebook, does not have an illegal monopoly, a decision that could pave the way for a new era of tech mergers and acquisitions. The US Federal Trade Commission sued the company in 2020, saying its purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram in the early 2010s unfairly stifled competition. It was part of a wider crackdown on perceived antitrust violations under the Biden-era FTC, under which even small acquisitions were closely scrutinized. The New York Times called the ruling a “sweeping victory” both for Meta and for Silicon Valley, which relies on big companies buying small ones to fuel innovation, but which has seen such deals cool under the more hawkish regulation.

Nvidia’s eagerly awaited earnings

Markets — which have suffered sharp losses in recent days on growing fears of an AI bubble — eagerly awaited Nvidia’s earnings report due today. The semiconductor giant’s CEO said this week that it has already booked $500 billion in revenue for 2026 thanks to orders for its cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips, suggesting its results will be healthy. Yet key questions remain over whether the firm can regain access to the lucrative-but-politically-controversial Chinese market, and if Big Tech companies racing to build out AI infrastructure will pause massive expenditures, with potentially significant consequences for Nvidia, and the broader stock market: The company accounts for a tenth of a major tech index, so any shift in its share price has huge implications.

AI’s eye-watering evolution

Yesterday’s unveiling of Gemini 3, Google DeepMind’s latest chatbot, is a sign of how rapidly AI has progressed in the three years since ChatGPT’s release, a leading tech writer argued. Ethan Mollick said that in 2022, he was blown away by AI writing a limerick about otters in space. This time, he asked Gemini to demonstrate its abilities: It coded a playable otters-in-space game, and carried out graduate-level research. “The era of the chatbot is turning into the era of the digital coworker,” Mollick said. The AI boom may yet prove to be a bubble — Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company, warned that there were “elements of irrationality” in the rush to invest — but its technological progress is undeniable.

Republicans’ Epstein reversal

US lawmakers will rush through legislation to release files about sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, potentially opening a new front in a long-running political battle that has threatened to fracture President Donald Trump’s support. Republicans had for months sought to block efforts to publish the files, but came under pressure from Democrats and Trump’s MAGA base; the president suddenly pivoted to urge their release, a move that analysts suggested was to avoid an internal party rebellion. It could be a sign that Trump, once all-powerful in the Republican Party, is entering an early lame-duck period, commentators suggested. After months of focusing on the files’ political salience, their substance will now be scrutinized.

Africa’s persistent debt burden

A group of Africa experts said the upcoming G20 meeting in Johannesburg should focus on debt refinancing for low-income countries hit by soaring debt payments. The panel said developing nations needed immediate debt relief, with interest payments ballooning in recent years amid rising inflation. While developing countries’ debt remains moderate compared to wealthier nations, their government revenues are far smaller and their interest rates far higher, meaning they spend a huge share of their national income servicing debt. Unless these burdens are eased, Africa will never exploit its potential, a former Ethiopian prime minister said. This G20 “will long be remembered for its determination — or for its failure — to rise to the challenge,” Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe wrote.

Jamaica’s urgent climate call

Jamaica said it needed almost $10 billion to rebuild after hurricane Melissa devastated the island nation, issuing a call at COP30 for wealthy countries to boost financing for poorer ones to help adapt to climate change. Scientists say rising temperatures caused by climate change make extreme weather events like Melissa more intense and more unpredictable, with developing nations often most at risk. “We don’t come as mendicants. We come as victims of the actions of others,” a Jamaican official told Reuters. But experts fear the US’ sidestepping of the summit — where China has positioned itself as the leader — as well as dimming interest from private capital means calls for greater financing will go largely unanswered.

Haiti’s surprise World Cup triumph

The Haitian men’s soccer team will go to the World Cup for only the second time in the conflict-battered country’s history, a remarkable feat given that it has been unable to play at home for four years. Les Grenadiers beat Nicaragua 2-0 in a match played in Curaçao because Port-au-Prince, racked by gang violence, is unsafe. Coach Sébastien Migné, appointed 18 months ago, has never even visited Haiti. The victory was met by an outpouring of joy, The Haitian Times reported, one echoed in other small countries thanks to the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. Curaçao itself became the smallest-ever nation to reach the finals, while perennial underachievers Scotland will attend, 28 years after their last appearance.

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