Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) The White House insisted that peace talks with Iran are ongoing, even as Tehran publicly rejected US overtures and issued fresh conditions of its own to end the conflict that’s wreaked havoc across the Middle East and global markets.

(2) Even as Donald Trump pushes for talks to end the war against Iran, the US has ordered thousands of troops to the region, fueling fears that the president is gearing up for exactly the sort of risky ground invasion that he once campaigned against.

(3) Bloomberg's strategic energy team, BNEF, says the price of Brent crude could top $154 a barrel if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed until mid-June.

(4) The Italian government is set to cut its economic growth forecast, reflecting a hit from the war in the Persian Gulf.

(5) The threat of surging inflation has knocked UK consumer confidence to the lowest level recorded under Keir Starmer’s Labour government.

(6) A landmark jury verdict holding Meta Platforms and Alphabet’s Google liable for harming a young user with products designed to be addictive threatens to put the social networking companies in the same category as Big Tobacco and opioid makers — a potential crack in their shield from legal responsibility for what happens on their platforms.

(7) Slovakia became the world’s biggest per capita car producer along with the Czech Republic because of demand from auto companies for cheaper, skilled labor. Now war is turning the tiny nation into a critical ammunition powerhouse.

Podcast Conversation: The ‘Don Tzu’ Solution to Ending the Iran War

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Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) The US has drafted a 15-point plan intended to help bring the war with Iran to a close, according to people familiar with the matter, highlighting the intensifying urgency within the Trump administration to resolve the conflict as the economic toll mounts.

(2) The Trump administration has ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy about 2,000 soldiers to the Middle East, a person familiar with the matter said, as the White House weighs options to ease Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

(3) Iran said foreign ships are allowed to cross the Strait of Hormuz, as long as they aren’t supporting acts of aggression against the country and follow regulations put in place by Tehran.

(4) The Kremlin is earning the most from its oil exports since just after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as it cashes in on the war in the Middle East, boosting crude flows amid soaring prices and eased sanctions.

(5) Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s party won a closely contested election by pledging stability in global turmoil, setting the stage for difficult coalition talks to secure a third term in power.

(6) Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni called on Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche to resign as she attempts to clean house after a defeat in a key referendum this week, in a sign of growing turmoil within her government.

(7) The trading hub Yiwu provides a small glimpse of the existential threat a prolonged war may pose to China. A collapse of global demand will dent the economy’s only bright spot — exports that the government has counted on to help meet its annual growth targets.

Podcast Conversation: NASA to Spend $20 Billion on Moon Base, Create Mars Craft

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Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) Oil resumed gains — paring a steep drop from Monday — on concern that other nations may be drawn into the Middle East war.

(2) Donald Trump’s decision to back down from his threat to destroy Iran’s power infrastructure came after US allies and Gulf countries privately warned the president of the dangers of following through with his threat, according to people familiar with the matter.

(3) The supply shockwaves from the US and Israel’s war in Iran are spreading across the global economy, raising concerns about an inflation hit to companies and consumers that will require policymakers to raise borrowing costs.

(4) UK prime minister Keir Starmer said he is looking at wider measures to support Britain’s economy through the Iran crisis as he prepares to chair an emergency meeting on the economic impact of the conflict.

(5) The European Union and Australia agreed to a free-trade deal, wrapping up almost a decade of talks as the two sides push to tighten ties and reinvigorate a rules-based order that’s under assault from the Trump administration.

Podcast Conversation: Trump’s Wild, 5-Minute Rally Sends Clear Message to Wall Street

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Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) A selloff in stocks, gold and bonds deepened as the US and Iran hardened their rhetoric and signaled a potential escalation to their conflict, which is entering its fourth week.

(2) US President Donald Trump gave Iran a two-day deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or have its power plants bombed, upping the ante in a war now in its fourth week with no sign of de-escalation.

(3) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold an emergency meeting with his top ministers and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey on the Iran crisis on Monday, as the clock ticks on President Donald Trump’s two-day deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.

(4) Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party dislodged the Social Democrats from power after 35 years in a southwestern German state, notching a win for a conservative leader struggling to gain nationwide traction among voters.

(5) Socialist Emmanuel Gregoire was on course to win the race for Paris mayor on Sunday, extending the left’s quarter-century hold on the French capital.

Podcast Conversation: Why the Great Unraveling Will Be So Hard to Stop: Clive Crook

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Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Alexis Christoforous take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

• In the US – a look at to what we can expect for mortgage rates in 2026.
• In the UK – we preview Denmark's upcoming snap elections
• In Asia – a discussion on what we can expect when EV maker BYD releases earnings

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Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) Oil dropped from its highest close since July 2022, as the leaders of the US and Israel sought to reassure investors rattled by damage to major Persian Gulf energy facilities.

(2) Iran’s latest attack on Qatar, which severely damaged the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export facility, will cost the country’s state energy company about $20 billion of lost revenue.

(3) The European Union is bracing for a protracted energy price shock after Iran crippled a vital Qatar gas plant, raising the prospect of a years-long supply crunch.

(4) European Central Bank policymakers would be ready to raise interest rates as soon as their next meeting should fallout from the war in Iran push inflation too far above target, according to people familiar with the situation.

(5) The Bank of England said it “stands ready to act” against a surge in inflation triggered by war in the Middle East, prompting traders to ramp up bets on an interest-rate hike as soon as next month.

Podcast Conversation: Traders Overwhelmed by Iran News Are Turning to AI for Help

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Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) European natural gas prices surged after Iranian missile strikes caused damage to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant, stoking concerns about prolonged tightness in global supplies.

(2) A Qatari complex housing the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant suffered “extensive damage” amid a sharp escalation of attacks on energy facilities across the Persian Gulf.

(3) President Donald Trump pressed for a de-escalation of attacks on Middle East energy assets after Iranian and Israeli strikes on major gas hubs jolted global markets.

(4) Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and continued to expect one rate cut this year as they acknowledged increased uncertainty due to war in the Middle East.

(5) The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate unchanged as uncertainty surrounding the Middle East conflict clouds the economic outlook, while also pledging to raise borrowing costs if its price forecast materializes.

(6) The Bank of England may respond more aggressively than expected to soaring energy prices since war broke out in the Middle East because its internal models assume a large and long-lasting impact on inflation.

(7) UK unemployment held steady and employers hired more staff in early signs that the labor market may be stabilizing ahead of the Bank of England’s interest-rate decision later today.

Podcast Conversation: Iran’s Hormuz Blockade Leaves Stranded Crews Braving Missiles and Signal Jamming

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Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) US President Donald Trump abandoned his effort to recruit partners for the war with Iran and scolded allies who openly rejected his appeals, even as he repeated claims the conflict would end soon.

(2) Europe is learning how to say “no” to Donald Trump over his war in Iran. Nearly three weeks into the expanding conflict, European leaders have stopped equivocating and started outright telling the US president they won’t help his campaign with Israel.

(3) Israel’s killing of Ali Larijani, a veteran Iranian politician known for his pragmatism and long experience helming national security, leaves the Islamic Republic’s wartime leadership largely in the hands of hardliners who may be less likely to seek a diplomatic pathway out of the war.

(4) Oil dropped as Iraq signed a deal to resume exports via Turkey that avoid the Strait of Hormuz, and as the US stepped up efforts to force the reopening of the key waterway.

(5) Artificial intelligence won’t necessarily lead to job cuts in Europe and may benefit companies in the region, according to Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel.

(6) Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said she is drawing up plans to give regional leaders in the UK control of some national tax revenues as part of her push to raise economic growth across Britain.

Podcast Conversation: Why a $1,000 Jacket Puts Designer Todd Snyder at the Sweet Spot

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