Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump repeated his military threats against Iran ahead of a visit to China, saying Iran will either “make a good deal” with the US or face devastation. A ceasefire between the US and Iran has lasted over a month but is fragile, with Trump describing it as being on “massive life support” and Tehran continuing to resist US demands. The President is expecting economic deals and a welcome in China, where he will discuss trade, tariffs, and Taiwan with Xi Jinping. The US has targeted Chinese oil refiners and firms providing satellite imagery to Iran, as Trump ramps up his campaign to pressure Tehran into a deal.
2) Oil shipments from Iran's main export terminal appear to have come to a standstill over the past several days, according to satellite images. If Kharg Island were to remain idle, it would increase the pressure on the country's remaining storage facilities, which satellite images show are filling up. The terminal hasn't been shown empty for more than a single day since the start of the war, with satellite images of the Kharg Island jetties on 33 out of the 73 days since the US and Israel launched their attacks.
3) Anthropic is in early talks with investors to raise at least $30 billion in fresh financing at a valuation of more than $900 billion. The round is expected to close as soon as the end of this month, but the deal is not finalized and no term sheet has been signed. Anthropic needs to make deals to pay for enough computing infrastructure to meet growing demand for its products, amid the breakout success of its AI software.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remained at a standstill on Tuesday, with oil rising after President Trump rejected Iran’s latest offer. Trump called Iran’s response to his proposal a “piece of garbage” and said the ceasefire was on “life support” as he prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The US sanctioned a dozen entities and individuals over the sale of Iranian oil to China, stepping up economic pressure ahead of Trump's visit to meet Xi.
2) President Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will meet Thursday morning in Beijing for a high-stakes summit dominated by discussions on trade and the war in Iran. Trump is expected to press Xi on China's approach to Iran, including revenue for Tehran and potential weapons exports, and will also discuss US arms sales to Taiwan.
3) A defiant Keir Starmer pushed back against widespread calls for him to quit as Britain’s prime minister, telling his Cabinet that he plans to stay on. More than 80 of Labour’s 403 MPs have called on the prime minister to step aside in the wake of last week’s local elections, in which the party lost control of the Welsh parliament and almost three of every five English council seats it was defending. Starmer said the past 48 hours had been “destabilizing” for the UK.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump and Iran rejected each other’s latest peace proposals to end the 10-week conflict as the two sides struggle to maintain a fragile ceasefire. “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives,’” Trump said in a social media post. “I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Iran offered to transfer some of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country, but rejected the idea of dismantling its nuclear facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier. Iran disputed the report, according to the country’s semi-official news agency Tasnim. It was unclear whether the exchange of proposals would offer a path to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Under its latest proposal, Iran would dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and have the rest sent to a third country, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the response, but it also called for guarantees the transferred uranium would be returned if talks fail and ruled out dismantling its facilities.
2) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would like to end US financial support for Israel’s military over the next decade. “I want to draw down the American support for Israel to zero,” he said in an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes that aired Sunday. “We’ve come of age.” He added, “I think that it’s time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support and go from aid to partnership.” The US currently provides Israel with $3.8 billion a year in military assistance under a 10-year agreement originally negotiated by the Obama administration that lasts through 2028. The US military aid to Israel has at times been a contentious political issue, particularly during Israel’s assault on Gaza in response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
3) President Trump is expected to press President Xi Jinping over China’s approach to Iran and hammer out details on a new board of trade when they meet this week in Beijing, senior US officials said Sunday, hours before China confirmed the state visit. Trump and Xi are scheduled for talks on Thursday and Friday in Beijing as they wrestle with strong disagreements over trade and the US-Israeli war with Iran, which counts China as its biggest oil buyer and a key diplomatic backer. In final preparations for the first US presidential trip to China in nearly a decade, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng for last-minute talks in Seoul on Wednesday, both sides confirmed.

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

• In the US – a look ahead to U.S CPI, PPI, and Retail sales data, along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead.
• In the UK – a look ahead to the annual Cannes film festival.
• In Asia – a look ahead to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's Trip to Japan.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) The US and Iran clashed near the Strait of Hormuz, with US forces targeting missile and drone launch sites and other military assets in Iran. The clashes risk undermining talks over a US-proposed deal to end the war, with Iran expected to send a response via Pakistan in the next two days.
2) A federal trade court declared President Trump's 10% global tariffs unlawful, granting a request by small businesses and mostly Democrat-led states to invalidate the tariffs. The court blocked the administration from enforcing the tariffs against two companies that sued and Washington State, but did not issue a "universal injunction" as other states lacked standing.
3) SoftBank has downsized plans for a $10 billion margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake after facing hesitation from some creditors. The Japanese conglomerate and bankers have mentioned targeting an amount as low as $6 billion in separate discussions with potential lenders in recent weeks.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) The Trump administration is waiting on Iran to respond to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end a war that’s killed thousands of people and triggered a surge in energy prices. Iran is expected to give an answer in the coming days, though its leaders have previously shown little sign of yielding on their nuclear program and accepting a moratorium on enriching uranium.
2) The European Union failed to finalize a US trade deal during overnight talks, despite warnings from President Donald Trump that he would soon impose fresh tariffs. Negotiators will continue talks in the coming weeks, with officials committed to moving swiftly, according to Cypriot Energy Minister Michael Damianos. The EU is under pressure from the US to ratify the trade pact, with Trump threatening to increase duties on EU cars and trucks to 25% if the EU doesn't make substantial progress.
3) Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves for Rome today, reprising his role as a more Euro-friendly voice of the administration. He’ll visit with the pope and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni, who have clashed with President Donald Trump, but the stakes go beyond that. Rubio will land amid wider tension with Europe as the president chose to 5,000 troops out of Germany and threatens to do similar in Italy and Spain, while reupping his attacks on Pope Leo XIV for good measure.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) The US believes it’s close to an agreement with Iran to end the near 10-week war, Axios reported, as China added its voice to global diplomatic pressure to wrap up the conflict. Washington and Tehran are working on a one-page memorandum of understanding that would set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations, Axios said Wednesday, citing two US officials and two other sources it didn’t identify. Nothing has been agreed yet, the news agency added, and the US expects Iranian responses on several key points in the next 48 hours. Iran hasn’t commented on any progress toward a deal.   

2) US President Donald Trump said he would discuss the Iran war with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during their summit next week and sought to downplay tensions over the conflict. “That’ll be one subject, but he’s been very nice about this,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday in response to a question about what he hoped to achieve with Xi on Iran when they meet. “He’s been very respectful. We haven’t been challenged by China,” the president added, even as he acknowledged that Beijing is a significant importer of Iranian oil — supplies of which have been disrupted by the war. “They don’t challenge us. He wouldn’t do that. I don’t think he’d do that because of me, but I think he’s been very respectful.” The leaders are slated to meet in Beijing on May 14-15, a high-stakes summit that comes as the Iran war brings fresh tumult to the relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The war has already delayed the meeting once, sparking anxiety in financial markets.   

3) US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder said Washington will implement 25% tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union “relatively soon” if the bloc doesn’t swiftly ratify a long-delayed trade deal. “Unless we see some substantial progress, I think you probably should expect those relatively soon,” Puzder told Bloomberg Television. US President Donald Trump recently vowed to slap 25% tariffs on European vehicles, accusing the bloc taking too long to ratify the agreement, which was initially reached last July. The EU, meanwhile, is frustrated over several Trump moves it argues undermine Washington’s commitments under the pact.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) The fragile US-Iran ceasefire held Tuesday morning after a day of clashes involving shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and missile attacks against the United Arab Emirates. The violence erupted after US President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” which he described as a humanitarian effort to guide neutral ships stranded in the Gulf through Hormuz. Iran warned all ships against trying to get through Hormuz without its permission and hit a South Korean bulk carrier and attacked an empty tanker belonging to the UAE’s state oil firm.
2) A man was shot by Secret Service officers near the White House Monday afternoon after agents spotted him carrying a concealed firearm and he opened fire, according to the agency’s deputy director. The suspect ran, drew a weapon and shot at the officers, who returned fire, striking him. He was taken to an area hospital.
3) Apple held exploratory discussions with Intel and Samsung about producing main processors for its devices in the US, as a secondary option beyond Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The discussions with Intel and Samsung are preliminary and have not resulted in any orders, with Apple having concerns about using non-TSMC technology. Apple is considering additional suppliers due to supply-chain disruptions, including recent shortages driven by the build-out of AI data centers and higher demand for Macs, with CEO Tim Cook saying the company has less flexibility in the supply chain than normal.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) President Trump said the US will help ships stranded in the Persian Gulf transit the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a “humanitarian gesture” and testing his ability to restore traffic through the strategic waterway for the first time since the war with Iran began. The operation, dubbed Project Freedom, was set to begin on Monday with the US military pledging to provide support, including the use of guided-missile destroyers, aircraft and drones. “The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance,” Trump wrote late Sunday in a social media post. “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.” The plan has left shipping executives perplexed, with few details provided by the president. Iran’s military, after Trump’s announcement, said US forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement carried by Iranian broadcaster Press TV.   

2) Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he doesn’t think the US government needs to provide financial lifelines for now to other low-cost carriers, following the collapse of Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc. “At this point, I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said during a press conference Saturday at Newark Liberty International Airport. “They do have access to cash.” Duffy spoke hours after Spirit ceased operations, leaving passengers and employees stranded across the US. Earlier in the day, he announced measures to support those passengers, saying several carriers including United Airlines Holdings Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. agreed to cap prices or reduce fares for customers impacted by the shutdown.   

3) GameStop Corp. is proposing to buy eBay Inc. for about $56 billion in cash and stock, a bold attempt by Ryan Cohen to take over a storied e-commerce name several times larger. The gaming retail chain offered $125 per share in cash and stock for the online marketplace, or about a 20% premium to its Friday close. GameStop, which built a roughly 5% stake in eBay, said it’s secured an initial, non-binding “highly confident letter” from TD Bank to provide about $20 billion of debt financing. In a memo to investors Sunday, Cohen’s company pledged to find some $2 billion of annual savings within 12 months of closing. The takeover bid follows the surprising ascent of GameStop, a chain of video game outlets that shrank its brick-and-mortar footprint after gamers increasingly bought software in digital stores. In 2021, it became the center of a retail-investor frenzy. Michael Burry, the Scion Asset Management head who rose to prominence after a winning wager against mortgages ahead of the 2008 financial crisis, helped fuel GameStop’s rally by taking a bullish stance on the firm around 2019.

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

• In the US – a look ahead to the April jobs report in the U.S and a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead.
• In the UK – a look ahead to the UK’s Midterm local elections.
• In Asia – a look ahead to the next RBA Decision.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump vowed to maintain a naval blockade on Iran and was briefed by commanders on further military options. Iran's speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the blockade will further push up oil prices and that it must be lifted for new talks to occur. Trump and Iranian leaders are waiting for the other to yield first, with Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, casting doubt on the likelihood of a deal and vowing not to give up the country's nuclear or missile technologies.
2) Apple delivered a strong revenue forecast for the third quarter, with sales expected to rise 14% to 17% in the period. The company warned that memory-chip costs will increase and that shortages of Mac computers will persist for “several months.” Apple's total sales gained 17% to $111.2 billion during the fiscal second quarter, with the $599 MacBook Neo being particularly popular and remaining sold out at several retailers.
3) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before Congress, with Democrats criticizing the Trump administration over the Iran war, calling it illegal, unpopular, and ill-defined. Hegseth defended the war as crucial to keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, but declined to provide new details on operational metrics or the Pentagon's $25 billion price tag.

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