Bloomberg Daybreak: Europe Edition

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) The US military is stationing a vast array of forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, fighter jets and refueling tankers, with President Donald Trump saying that Iran had 10 to 15 days at most to strike a deal over its nuclear program. (2) US President Donald Trump’s latest retraction of support for Britain’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius comes as the UK government holds off giving permission for him to use the Diego Garcia military base in the archipelago for any possible strike on Iran. (3) The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office is a fresh nadir for the UK's most powerful family. (4) European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde reiterated calls for global partnership to salvage an international order that not only benefits the strongest. (5) Bank of America is committing $25 billion to private-credit deals, joining its Wall Street rivals in putting its own balance sheet behind lending in the fast-growing market, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Podcast Conversation: The Boss’s Best Party Ever See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mishal Husain, host of 'The Mishal Husain Show' joins Bloomberg's Tom Keene and Paul Sweeney to discuss the Arrest of former Prince Andrew. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of the UK’s King Charles, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after further details of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein emerged. Thames Valley Police confirmed that the force had opened an investigation into an offense of misconduct in public office, and had arrested a man in his sixties. Mountbatten-Windsor turned 66 on Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Federal Reserve officials appeared surprisingly wary of cutting interest rates when they met last month, with several even suggesting the central bank may need to raise rates if inflation remains stubbornly high. (2) OpenAI is close to finalizing the first phase of a new funding round that is likely to bring in more than $100 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, a record-breaking financing deal that would give the startup additional capital to build out its artificial intelligence tools. (3) French President Emmanuel Macron said the free speech defense of social media platforms is “pure bullshit,” pushing back against a key foreign policy goal of President Donald Trump. (4) Oil steadied after its biggest daily gain since October, following a report that American military intervention in Iran could come sooner than expected. (5) Nestlé is considering further reducing its footprint in the ice cream business, as new Chief Executive Officer Philipp Navratil reviews the company’s sprawling operations, people with knowledge of the matter said. (6) Denmark's economy looks robust on paper, with employment at a record high and public finances strong, but many Danes are anxious about their professional futures due to layoffs at major companies. Podcast Conversation: Travellers Are Dying To Solve A Murder Mystery On Vacation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) The US and Iran made progress in nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday, with Tehran’s negotiators scheduled to return with a new proposal in two weeks, a US official said on Tuesday, a cautiously upbeat assessment that suggests the chances of an imminent military clash are low. (2) Japan plans to invest up to $36 billion in US oil, gas and critical mineral projects, the first tranche of its $550 billion commitment under the trade agreement it struck with President Donald Trump. (3) The ECB says Christine Lagarde hasn't made any decision about leaving her job as President early. That follows a report from the Financial Times - citing one person familiar with Lagarde's thinking - saying she wants to step down before France's Presidential election in April 2027. (4) Anthropic is releasing a new artificial intelligence model that’s intended to be better at using people’s computers in increasingly complicated ways, building on the startup’s efforts to make AI tools more effective at streamlining tasks. (5) Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway slashed its stake in Amazon. by more than 75% in the fourth quarter, while also building a stake in the New York Times Co., his last new bet as chief executive officer of the conglomerate. (6) In the two years since the ban on internal combustion engine vehicles in Ethiopia, EV adoption has grown from less than 1% to nearly 6% of all of the vehicles on the road in the country — according to the government’s own figures — some way above the global average of 4%. Podcast Conversation: Downsizing Is The Biggest Trend in Restaurants and Hotels Right Now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) UK unemployment reached its highest since the pandemic and wage growth eased as the labor market continued to weaken, prompting traders to increase bets on further interest-rate cuts from the Bank of England. (2) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog in Geneva on Monday, ahead of a second round of nuclear negotiations with the US. (3) BHP Group posted earnings at the upper end of analyst expectations, as a years-long effort to shore up copper production combined with a historic metals rally to offset a lackluster period for its giant iron ore business. (4) Elon Musk’s SpaceX and wholly owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secretive new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, according to people familiar with the matter. (5) The UK government abandoned plans to cancel local elections scheduled for May in 30 areas, after the move sparked a fierce backlash including a lawsuit from Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party. (6) Secretary of State Marco Rubio showered Viktor Orban with praise on a visit to Hungary as the US doubled down on its support for the strongman leader before an election that could bring an end to his 16 years in power. Podcast Conversation: Why ‘Burnout’ Feminism Is Replacing the Girlboss, Lean In Era See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog in Geneva on Monday, ahead of a second round of nuclear negotiations with the US. (2) BHP Group posted earnings at the upper end of analyst expectations, as a years-long effort to shore up copper production combined with a historic metals rally to offset a lackluster period for its giant iron ore business. (3) Elon Musk’s SpaceX and wholly owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secretive new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, according to people familiar with the matter. (4) The UK government abandoned plans to cancel local elections scheduled for May in 30 areas, after the move sparked a fierce backlash including a lawsuit from Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party. (5) Secretary of State Marco Rubio showered Viktor Orban with praise on a visit to Hungary as the US doubled down on its support for the strongman leader before an election that could bring an end to his 16 years in power. Podcast Conversation: Why ‘Burnout’ Feminism Is Replacing the Girlboss, Lean In Era See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Europe’s fate is intertwined with the US while faulting the continent for what he said was a drift away from their shared Western values. (2) The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas rejected the picture of the bloc’s decline painted by the Trump administration and urged member states to accelerate Ukraine’s membership bid as a sign of the bloc’s power. (3) Warner Bros Discovery is considering reopening sale talks with rival Hollywood studio Paramount Skydance Corp. after receiving its hostile suitor’s most recent amended offer, people with knowledge of the matter said. (4) John Hurley, the Trump administration’s top sanctions official, is set to leave his post after friction with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to people familiar with the matter. (5) Great Britain took their record gold medal tally to three at the Winter Olympics in Italy over the weekend. Podcast Conversation: We’re Living in a Golden Age of Close-Up Magic See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Europe’s fate is intertwined with the US while faulting the continent for what he said was a drift away from their shared Western values. The double-edged message offered some reassurance to allied leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference but did little to temper their push for more independence from Washington. “We want Europe to prosper because we’re interconnected in so many different ways, and because our alliance is so critical,” Rubio told Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on the sidelines of the conference on Saturday. “But it has to be an alliance of allies that are capable and willing to fight for who they are and what’s important.” “What is it that binds us together? Ultimately, it’s the fact that we are both heirs to the same civilization, and it’s a great civilization,” he said. “It’s one we should be proud of.” Rubio’s comments elaborated on a speech he delivered to the event, Europe’s premier annual security gathering, earlier Saturday morning. The speech was the most anticipated of the three-day conference, with fellow leaders eager to hear if he would double down on the contemptuous tone voiced a year earlier by Vice President JD Vance at the same venue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Wall Street’s fears of business disruption caused by artificial intelligence are turning into a blessing for Asian stocks, fueling demand for the region’s leading chipmakers that dominate the industry’s supply chain. (2) OpenAI has warned US lawmakers that its Chinese rival DeepSeek is using unfair and increasingly sophisticated methods to extract results from leading US AI models to train the next generation of its breakthrough R1 chatbot, according to a memo reviewed by Bloomberg News. (3) Goldman Sachs' top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler is leaving the firm following a cache of Department of Justice documents showing her links with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (4) Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said he was secretly taped having sex with his former partner in 2024, preempting a potential release of a video that he called a “Russia-style” attempt to blackmail him before pivotal elections in April. (5) UK Defense Secretary John Healey said allies have pledged as much as $35 billion in new military aid to Ukraine to strengthen its air defenses after a series of massive Russian air strikes on energy infrastructure and civilian targets. Podcast Conversation: Waymo Tries Finding DoorDash Drivers to Shut Open Robotaxi Doors See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Democratic lawmakers accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of using the US Justice Department to target enemies of President Donald Trump and bungling the release of files on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during a fiery hearing Wednesday. (2) Donald Trump’s tariff policies suffered their strongest political blow yet with the Republican-led US House passing legislation aimed at ending the president’s levies on Canadian imports. (3) The UK economy grew less than forecast in the fourth quarter as business investment shrank and services stagnated, adding to pressure on embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (4) Nuveen is buying Schroders Plc in a £9.9 billion ($13.5 billion) deal, creating one of the world’s largest active asset managers with nearly $2.5 trillion of assets. (5) French President Emmanuel Macron returned to his “Made in Europe” push on the eve of a key European Union meeting, putting him at odds with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over how best to tackle Europe’s economic woes. Podcast Conversation: In Defense of Fakes: A Provocation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Democratic lawmakers accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of using the US Justice Department to target enemies of President Donald Trump and bungling the release of files on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during a fiery hearing Wednesday. (2) Donald Trump’s tariff policies suffered their strongest political blow yet with the Republican-led US House passing legislation aimed at ending the president’s levies on Canadian imports. (3) The British Prime Minister has labelled comments on immigration made by Manchester United's Co-Owner Jim Ratcliffe as 'offensive and wrong'. A spokesperson for Number 10 also called on the billionaire boss of Ineos Chemicals to apologise for the remarks made during an interview with Sky News. During the conversation Ratcliffe said the UK couldn't sustain its current population growth. (4) French President Emmanuel Macron returned to his “Made in Europe” push on the eve of a key European Union meeting, putting him at odds with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over how best to tackle Europe’s economic woes. (5) WhatsApp said Russia’s government has moved to “fully block” its popular encrypted messaging service in the country as part of an effort to drive adoption of a new, state-sponsored app. Podcast Conversation: In Defense of Fakes: A Provocation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) At least 10 people are dead and 25 injured after a mass shooting in northeastern British Columbia, according to the police. The shootings were Canada's deadliest rampage since 2020. (2) European Union leaders are finally ready to unify their markets to compete globally, European Council President Antonio Costa said, arguing that the fracturing world order is driving the continent to act. (3) The European Parliament is moving closer to approving a trade deal with the US after senior lawmakers agreed to make some changes ahead of a vote planned this month. (4) Russia’s crude shipments are holding steady in the face of mounting pressures on its critical oil trade, but the steeper discounts that are keeping the barrels flowing have hammered the Kremlin’s revenues. (5) Kimbal Musk, a longtime director at Tesla and the brother of Elon Musk, was connected with at least two women through Jeffrey Epstein several years after the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to sex crimes, emails released by the US Justice Department show. (6) Poland has never been more prosperous or more influential since regaining its independence as a sovereign state a little over a century ago. Data compiled by Bloomberg show that companies from Poland announced 22 acquisitions in Western Europe last year, the highest number on record, and another four are in the works this year. Podcast Conversation: Young Car Collectors Snap Up the Classics They Idolized as Teens See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) Keir Starmer’s cabinet members voiced their support for the prime minister on Monday, buying him time to shore up his beleaguered premiership after the Labour Party’s leader in Scotland urged him to quit. (2) The European Union is preparing a series of options to embed Ukraine’s membership in a future peace deal, according to people familiar with the matter. (3) The European Central Bank is striving to ensure inflation remains under control as part of efforts to fortify the continent’s economy, President Christine Lagarde said, urging lawmakers to follow through on a list of necessary reforms. (4) US insurance broker stocks were pummeled Monday as the launch of an artificial intelligence tool from privately held online insurance shopping platform Insurify sparked fears about the industry facing disruption. (5) A typical lower-income British household would have to wait 137 years to see its living standards double, according to the Resolution Foundation — more than three times longer than in the past. (6) Aberdeen, with its windswept views of the North Sea, has for decades carried the title of Europe’s oil capital. Yet that status has been slipping for years, sharpening a political fight in Westminster over whether the industry is even worth salvaging at this point. Podcast Conversation: Ferrari Shows Interior of EV Designed by Ex-Apple Executive Ive See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) Keir Starmer’s future is in the balance after a crisis over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington claimed the UK prime minister’s closest aide. (2) Chinese regulators have advised financial institutions to rein in their holdings of US Treasuries, citing concerns over concentration risks and market volatility, according to people familiar with the matter. (3) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic election triumph, positioning her as the nation’s strongest leader in the postwar era in an outcome that sent stock prices and bond yields soaring. (4) Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian described the Friday nuclear talks with Washington as “a step forward,” even as he pushed back against any attempts at intimidation. (5) The Seattle Seahawks have won the Superbowl -- beating the New England Patriots 29 to 13, with the halftime performance by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny being attacked as "an affront to the Greatness of America". (6) American activist investor Steven Wood’s one-man mission to overhaul the governance and culture of Swatch Group just became a lot harder. The company’s shares — the most shorted in Europe — recently had their best day ever, and are up 15% this year. Podcast Conversation: Why Some People Live to 100 Despite Bad Habits See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Amazon shares dropped after the company announced plans to spend $200 billion this year on data centers, chips and other equipment, worrying investors that its colossal bet on artificial intelligence may not pay off in the long run For More on this story you can read Vlad Savov's newsletter here (2) All across Wall Street, day by day, the headlong rush into the most popular trades, from tech stocks to gold to cryptocurrencies, has given way to a sudden retreat from risk. (3) Bitcoin whipsawed in a volatile trading session in Asia after a selloff that briefly dragged the token to a more than 50% retreat from its October peak. (4) Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey appeared to endorse markets betting on a 50% chance of an interest-rate cut in March after a more dovish-than-expected decision to maintain the cost of borrowing this month. (5) The euro zone will need time to see further productivity gains from an AI-related investment boom, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said. Podcast Conversation:At $7,700 a Day, Aman’s Cruises Test Travelers’ Price Limits See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) There have been many AI-driven selloffs in the three years since ChatGPT burst into the mainstream. Nothing, though, quite rivals the rout rippling through stock and credit markets this week. (2) Silver fell sharply, wiping out a two-day recovery, as the white metal struggled to find a floor following a historic market rout. Gold also declined. (3) Keir Starmer is not the first Labour prime minister to be plunged into crisis by Peter Mandelson. It’s not even the first time it’s happened to Starmer. The difference is that members of his own party are now starting to number his days as leader. (4) The European Central Bank is set to hold interest rates steady for a fifth meeting, judging that the latest bout of global tensions and euro strength haven’t thrown the economy off course yet. (5) The Bank of England will almost certainly leave interest rates on hold on Thursday and wait for more evidence that inflation is under control, despite mounting concerns about the UK labor market. Podcast Conversation: Sack a Prince? Easy. Fire a Lord? Not So Much: Matthew Brooke See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) A new AI automation tool from Anthropic PBC sparked a $285 billion rout in stocks across the software, financial services and asset management sectors on Tuesday as investors raced to dump shares with even the slightest exposure. (2) Almost half a trillion dollars has been wiped off cryptocurrencies in less than a week as a selloff led by Bitcoin accelerated. Total crypto market value has slumped by $467.6 billion since Jan. 29, according to CoinGecko data. (3) The European Union will pitch the US on a critical minerals partnership to curb China’s influence, looking to shape the Trump administration’s push to strike global agreements this week. (4) London’s Metropolitan Police has started a criminal probe into Peter Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office, after the UK government said it had referred communications between him and Jeffrey Epstein to the authorities. (5) Novo Nordisk A/S shocked investors by forecasting a steep decline in sales this year, a sign of how intensifying price wars in obesity drugs and the Trump administration’s pressure on pharmaceutical prices will hit the company’s results. Podcast Conversation: What happens when the Winter Olympics can’t rely on winter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day On today's podcast: (1) Elon Musk is combining SpaceX and xAI in a deal that values the enlarged entity at $1.25 trillion, as the world’s richest man looks to fuel his increasingly costly ambitions in artificial intelligence and space exploration. (2) Documents released by the US Department of Justice appear to show that Britain’s Peter Mandelson leaked sensitive government information to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a minister. (3) France’s parliament adopted a budget for 2026 after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes Monday, bringing the curtain down on months of political upheaval that’s rattled investor confidence in the country. (4) The UK government is increasingly concerned that more protectionist policies pursued by the European Union could exclude British companies from supply chains in key sectors, derailing a reset in post-Brexit relations and potentially costing firms billions of pounds. (5) President Donald Trump said he would roll back punitive tariffs on India in return for an agreement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would stop buying Russian oil, easing months of tension between the two countries. Podcast Conversation: From New York to London, There's Now a Martini on Every Menu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.