Elections raise stakes of Britain’s fiscal dilemma

With UK 10-year debt yielding 5%, roughly the highest in over a decade, PM Keir Starmer may face brutal losses in local polls. He could then leave, or steer left. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the impact on the country’s budget policy and markets. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Iran conflict is showing no signs of ending with the price of crude teetering above $100 a barrel. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how the fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will be felt acutely in Europe when the crunch arrives. Breakingviews: Oil market’s demand crunch is about to go global Breakingviews: Airline fuel cloud lacks 2022-style silver lining Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world’s largest carmakers descended on the Chinese capital for the industry’s annual shindig. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate whether $100-a-barrel oil will jolt demand for electric vehicles, or if economic pain will deter consumers from splurging. Breakingviews: Oil shock will speed electric cars’ comeback Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economists gathered this week for the IMF and World Bank meetings amid soaring oil prices. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how debt-laden countries face an impossible task of managing inflation, higher rates and defence demands while protecting voters. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it’s Kraft Heinz weighing a split of its ketchup and hot-dog units or Unilever sealing a $65 bln mayonnaise deal, edible empires are coming apart. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate consumer groups’ sticky spot between ultra-budget and luxe rivals. Unilever food spinoff is a tricky M&A soufflé The Week in Breakingviews: End of corporate empire Unilever finds elegant M&A recipe for dud food Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mega-merger boom persists with Unilever’s $65 bln mayo-to-mustard combo while beauty giant Estée Lauder holds talks with Puig. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate whether the good times will keep rolling or if CEOs will get spooked by oil prices and AI. M&A jamboree swings to syncopated rhythm Pernod and Jack Daniel’s would be a stiff cocktail Estée Lauder’s Puig approach fails the smell test Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As war rages and Donald Trump looms, a recent election featured little mention of the ailing $164 bln drugmaker, once so successful it distorted economic figures. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss the future of weight loss pills, and Novo’s place in it. (This episode has been corrected to remove a statement that Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill needs to be refrigerated.) Novo Nordisk's illness offers painful lessons Novo Nordisk’s falling knife is still gathering speed Obesity pills are shaky Hail Mary for Novo Nordisk Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI and Anthropic, together valued at over $1 trln, have raised vast sums from a panoply of backers in the thus-far unprofitable quest to perfect silicon intelligence. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discern the signs that this enthusiasm is hard to sustain. What happens if OpenAI or Anthropic fail? Anthropic gives lesson in AI revenue hallucination Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though investors are still pricing in a swift end to the Middle East conflict, the disruption to oil and gas flows from the region is producing early signs of stress. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate how bad the economic and political fallout could get. Iran shock creates problematic fiscal loop Iran conflict is fresh threat to US fiscal future Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attacks launched by the United States and Israel led to immediate escalation, embroiling neighboring countries and imperiling key oil and gas shipping routes. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists debate the lasting impact on the region and the world. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices