Far-right figure Itamar Ben-Gvir shares footage of himself taunting bound international detainees Middle East crisis – live updates Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked a diplomatic crisis by publishing footage of Israeli security forces abusing international activists who were detained as they tried to sail to Gaza ...
US charges Cuba’s Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 downing of two planesUS charges Cuba’s Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 downing of two planes
Castro and five others are charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, murder, and destruction of aircraft ...
Russian jets ‘dangerously’ intercept RAF spy plane over Black SeaRussian jets ‘dangerously’ intercept RAF spy plane over Black Sea
The unarmed Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft was conducting a “routine international flight” during the incidents, the Ministry of Defence says. ...
Five Republican senators back Letlow in bid to sew up Louisiana runoffFive Republican senators back Letlow in bid to sew up Louisiana runoff
The Scoop Republican senators are moving quickly to get behind Rep. Julia Letlow, President Donald Trump’s pick in the Louisiana Senate runoff. Five GOP senators are backing Letlow in her runoff against Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, a founding member of the House’s conservative Freedom Caucus, according to details first shared ...
Banks taking a closer look at citizenship is ‘common sense,’ US regulator saysBanks taking a closer look at citizenship is ‘common sense,’ US regulator says
The News US President Donald Trump’s new executive order that directs banks to take a closer look at their customers’ immigration status is “a common-sense set of reforms,” US Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said Wednesday at Semafor’s Banking on the Future Forum. Those reforms “give us tools that ...
Monet bait-and-switch sparks debate on art and AIMonet bait-and-switch sparks debate on art and AI
A recent bait-and-switch sparked a debate about AI art. After a user on X posted a picture “in the style of Monet” and asked why it was inferior to a real Monet, hundreds of people replied saying “it lacks the texture” and “no clear focal point.” It was, in fact, ...
Stop talking to new college grads about AIStop talking to new college grads about AI
Reed’s view Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt joins the growing ranks of commencement speakers bombing on stage as frustration with AI builds for the Class of 2026 (read Semafor’s deep dive into why). So I thought I’d offer up a speaker’s guide to not getting booed at graduation this year. ...
Colossal Biosciences engineers synthetic eggsColossal Biosciences engineers synthetic eggs
Colossal Biosciences announced Tuesday it developed a device that acts as a synthetic egg, which successfully hatched two dozen chicks. The company took fertilized eggs from their avian farm and transferred them to a lab, where they matured in synthetic eggs kept in a controlled incubator. After the chicks hatched, ...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the US and Israel’s unlikely choice to lead IranMahmoud Ahmadinejad, the US and Israel’s unlikely choice to lead Iran
Populist former president’s falling-out with the Tehran regime allegedly drew him into a takeover plot US and Israel hoped to install Ahmadinejad as Iran’s leader For all their outward differences, there always seemed to be things that linked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Donald Trump. A visit to the then Iranian president’s ...
UK strikes £3.7bn trade deal with six Gulf statesUK strikes £3.7bn trade deal with six Gulf states
Keir Starmer describes the agreement, worth double original estimates, as a ‘huge win’ for British businesses Keir Starmer has struck a trade deal with six Gulf states in what he described as a huge win for British business, ending four years of talks led by four different prime ministers. The ...