Semafor

President Donald Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, after witnesses heard multiple loud bangs. semafor.com/article/04/25/…

Rwanda faces a crisis due to its 71% export dependency on Middle Eastern hubs while Mozambique’s vulnerability stems from a junk-rated sovereign credit rating and thin foreign currency reserves that leave little room to absorb external shock, according to an S&P report.

Rwanda and Mozambique are the two sub-Saharan African countries most exposed to the Middle East war, the ratings agency S&P said, as surging fuel costs and disrupted trade routes threaten to derail fragile economic recoveries. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

US President Donald Trump’s administration is targeting DR Congo as a location to send deportees, triggering scrutiny about possible violations of international law. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

The US government held talks with Eritrea to explore the possibility of normalizing relations with the isolated Horn of Africa state, drawn by its strategically important Red Sea coastline. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

South African company AngloGold Ashanti, US firm Newmont Mining, and China’s Zijin received the directive from authorities between last October and January, Reuters reported. Newmont requested to comply with the directive by 2027, while AngloGold Ashanti said it was in the process of attaining full compliance by the end of this year.

Ghana threatens to impose sanctions on three multinational mining companies if they fail to include local contractors in domestic mining operations by December. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

New clean energy projects, due to be connected to South Africa’s grid by 2030, will generate 32GW of energy, the government said, roughly equivalent to the electricity generated by the entire fleet of coal-fired power stations operated by state utility Eskom. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

📺@semafor Congressional reporter @nicholaswu12 joins @MajorCBS and @NOTUSreports' @DaniellaMicaela on @CBSNews to discuss the top stories out of Capitol Hill, including the recent embrace of universal basic income by tech billionaires like Elon Musk. ➡️youtube.com/watch?v=GjlanN…

How car spinning went mainstream in South Africa semafor.com/article/04/24/…

The country was once very free online, remarkable given President Vladimir Putin’s autocratic rule, but more recently access to global messaging apps has been restricted and the internet has been completely shut down at times as Moscow has sought to silence criticism.

The Kremlin’s tightening of internet restrictions is fueling discontent across Russia, leading to rare signs of domestic dissent. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

Oil and gas markets — already in turmoil over the Strait of Hormuz closure — will likely face further and lasting disruptions in the months ahead, analysts warned. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

Mexico’s economy minister, meanwhile, warned against “nostalgia,” saying negotiations should focus on reducing rather than ending duties, suggesting the country is resigning itself to permanent tariffs with its biggest trading partner.

Canada and Mexico are taking differing stances ahead of a renegotiation of the North American trade agreement. Canada’s prime minister has taken a hard line, saying a US liquor import ban could be lifted only if Washington ended tariffs on key Canadian products. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

US President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions that Washington may not honor the NATO agreement, and reports that the US is exploring removing Spain from the alliance over its failure to support the Iran war, however, have raised the EU defense agreement’s importance.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk questioned US “loyalty” to its NATO allies and suggested that the EU step up its own mutual defense commitment, the latest sign of worsening transatlantic ties. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

American forces have used thousands of missiles in attacking Iran while allies have powered through stockpiles in fending off Tehran’s assaults, leaving reserves low and forcing the Pentagon to rush hardware to the Gulf. semafor.com/article/04/24/…

Another progressive wasn’t immediately dismissive. “Welcome on board,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who has previously sponsored a UBI pilot program bill. “I think it is important for people like them to become part of the effort.” Read more from @nicholaswu12 on Semafor.

“It’s always that the devil’s in the details where that comes from,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “I am skeptical about their willingness to pay or incur the taxes necessary to sustain such proposals, which would have to target AI.”

Tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Sam Altman have recently embraced the idea of universal basic income. Progressives aren't buying it. semafor.com/article/04/24/…