Flagship

Israel launches Gaza City offensive

Israel launched its ground offensive into Gaza City, further eroding prospects for a ceasefire in the enclave, which is already facing a humanitarian catastrophe. The incursion comes as a UN commission alleged Israel’s war in Gaza constituted genocide, accusations that Israel denies. As part of its efforts to destroy Hamas and rescue remaining hostages, Israeli forces have been intensifying their bombardment of the territory, where a UN-backed panel has said famine has taken hold: Israel has denied those claims, too. The offensive — as well as broad anger among Arab states over Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar — has dampened ceasefire hopes: The US secretary of state warned there were possibly only days left to reach a truce.

Trump brings tech CEOs to UK

US President Donald Trump will be joined by Silicon Valley top brass on his state visit to the UK beginning today, highlighting a wave of tech investments in Washington’s leading European ally. Google’s president is accompanying Trump, and announced $6.8 billion in infrastructure and research spending, particularly on AI: Google DeepMind is based in London. OpenAI’s and Nvidia’s CEOs are also with Trump to back a major data center project; a separate nuclear power deal is expected. The announcements offer rare good news for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party lags in the polls and who has lost his deputy prime minister, his US ambassador, and a senior advisor over separate scandals in just a week.

Anthropic’s AI jobs warning

Businesses use AI for automation more than collaboration, according to a report by Anthropic, intensifying fears the technology poses a greater threat to human jobs than previously thought. Three-quarters of companies working with Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot, use it for “full task delegation” — doing entire pieces of work, such as writing reports or coding software — rather than asking for information, or cooperating with it, the AI firm said. Anthropic’s CEO has long predicted that AI will wipe out jobs and said six months ago that AI would write 90% of code within six months. Within Anthropic, that may be true: One coder said the company creates 20 times more code than a few months ago, 95% of it written by Claude.

‘New energy security age’

The global green transition is reshaping geopolitics and triggering a “new energy security age,” JP Morgan argued in a new report. Two of the bank’s top executives said waning — but not disappearing — demand for fossil fuels, combined with the rise of new assets including minerals and sources of electricity, are creating a new paradigm that companies in all sectors must prepare for. They are more bullish on clean energy than is the Trump administration, which has curtailed support for fossil fuels in favor of oil and gas. “The rug has been pulled out from under us,” the bank’s global head of climate advisory told Semafor, “and we need to think about how to have growth under this different regime.”

US-China rivalry drives market moves

Deals involving two major China-based companies highlighted Chinese firms’ vulnerability to the vicissitudes of the rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Hesai, the dominant Chinese manufacturer of laser equipment for cars and which is already listed on the NASDAQ, debuted on the Hong Kong stock market: Its CFO said the move was in part to reassure investors following its inclusion in a Pentagon list of companies with ties to China’s military, allegations it denies. Analysts also said a framework deal to allow the videosharing platform TikTok to keep operating in the US was driven by Beijing’s desire to maintain the possibility of a visit by President Donald Trump to China, as well as to win potential trade concessions.

Japan invests in subsea cables

Japan said it will invest in a new fleet of subsea-cable-laying ships, a sign of communications infrastructure becoming increasingly important to national security. Japan’s NEC Corporation dominates cable installations in Asia, but has only one oceanic cable-laying vessel. This shortage — it is behind French, US, and especially Chinese rivals — is hitting its ability to earn new contracts. Relying on other countries leaves Japan vulnerable to spying and sabotage, and China has laid tens of thousands of miles of cable around the world in the last decade. Tokyo views NEC’s ship shortage and growing competitive weakness as a national security issue, and will subsidize the company’s acquisition of several $300-million vessels, the Financial Times reported.

US right embraces cancel culture

US Republicans called for anyone celebrating the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk to be fired, in a sign that cancel culture is gaining a foothold among American conservatives, who long decried it. Vice President JD Vance said “call them out, and hell, call their employer,” sentiments echoed by at least two congresspeople. Some employees have already lost their jobs over online comments. It is a shift in the use of power, the political writer Noah Smith argued: “The threat of progressive cancel culture in America has been defused.” The right-wing embrace of cancel culture is part of a conservative shift, he said. People are “more likely to get attacked by the anti-immigrant right than by the woke left.”

Award-winning actor, filmmaker, musician, and activist Idris Elba will speak at The Next 3 Billion — the premier US summit focused on connecting the unconnected. Semafor editors will sit down with global executives and thought leaders to highlight the economic, social, and global impact of bringing the next 3 billion people online.

Sept. 24, 2025 | New York City | Delegate Application →

US hits another alleged drug ship

President Donald Trump said the US military struck another Venezuelan ship allegedly carrying drugs, part of Washington’s expanding crackdown on Latin American cartels. Trump said the attack, in international waters, killed three people. In response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Caracas would not “fall into provocations” that may give Washington a motive to invade and replace his regime. The White House also decertified Colombia as a partner in its war against drugs, arguing Bogotá had “failed demonstrably” to crack down on drug gangs. Cocaine production in Colombia has soared as the government takes a hands-off approach to coca cultivation, fueling a wave of violence across Latin America as cartels vie for control of trafficking routes.

Malawi vote reveals gerontocracy