On The Deals Shaping Our Economy
🌍 Africa’s G20 Debut
South Africa is taking a victory lap after successfully hosting the first G20 summit on African soil, a diplomatic feat hailed by both government and big business.
Driving the news: President Cyril Ramaphosa and business leaders secured a "leaders' declaration" that prioritizes Africa's growth, despite earlier warnings from Washington regarding the document's adoption.
Key wins:
Financial reform: A commitment to address high debt levels in developing economies.
Climate cash: Agreement on the need for increased global investment for climate action.
Minerals: A new approach to critical minerals ensuring local beneficiation and job creation.
What they're saying: Business Leadership SA (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso called the event a "proud legacy," noting strong alignment between the private sector and government recommendations.
"While some have sought to create division and polarisation between nations, we have reinforced our shared humanity."
🕊️ A [draft] peace deal
The U.S. and Ukraine have drafted a new 19-point peace deal following intense talks in Geneva, but negotiators have deferred the most explosive decisions to their respective presidents.
Why it matters: This marks a significant shift from a previous, controversial 28-point proposal.
However, the fate of the war now rests on direct talks between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The difficult stuff: Critical issues, including territorial concessions and the relationship between NATO, Russia, and the U.S., were "placed in brackets" — diplomatic code for undecided.
The U.S. delegation included Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, whose presence initially surprised Ukrainian officials.
"Very few things are left from the original version... The rest will need leadership decisions."
⚛️ Investors bet big on nuclear
X-energy, a reactor developer backed by Amazon, has closed a massive $700 million funding round led by Jane Street, signaling a high-stakes bet that atomic energy will power the AI revolution.
By the numbers:
The company has raised $1.4 billion in 13 months.
They boast an order backlog of 11 gigawatts (roughly 144 units).
Amazon aims to bring 5 gigawatts of small modular reactor (SMR) power online by 2039.
The big picture: Tech giants are racing to secure reliable, carbon-free power for energy-hungry AI data centers.
Unlike traditional plants, X-energy's SMRs use helium gas coolants and are designed to be "meltdown proof."
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