European Midday Briefing : Shares Rise as Hope for Middle East Peace Lifts Mood -2-

Published: 2026-04-16 05:05:44 ET MSFT

Published on 04/16/2026 at 05:05 am EDT

The only way to get Tehran back to the negotiating table, Trump explained to his royal guests and Dutch officials at the White House dinner, was to increase the pressure, officials briefed on the dinner said.

Altman Attack Suspect Called for 'Luigi-ing Tech CEOs' in Online Messages

SAN FRANCISCO-Months before his arrest for allegedly attempting to murder the chief executive of OpenAI, Daniel Moreno-Gama suggested "Luigi'ing some tech CEOs" in an internet chat.

The Texas college student casually referenced Luigi Mangione, the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer, during an online conversation with producers of "The Last Invention" podcast, according to screenshots shared with The Wall Street Journal. They wanted to interview him for a series on artificial intelligence.

Trump Turns Against Italy's Giorgia Meloni, Broadening Clash With Europe

ROME-As President Trump's rift with Europe widens, he is casting even his political friends into the chasm.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spent the past year trying to act as a bridge while Trump tussled with other European leaders over tariffs, Ukraine and Greenland.

Iran's War-Shattered Economy Means It Has an Urgent Reason to Negotiate

Iranian leaders have portrayed the current cease-fire as a victory against an overwhelming U.S. and Israeli onslaught. But they now face a towering postwar reconstruction challenge that is putting pressure on them to negotiate for sanctions relief.

The U.S. and Israel hit at least 17,000 targets over five weeks of war, including factories; rail, road and port infrastructure; government buildings; and military facilities. Iranian state media put the cost to rebuild at $270 billion, though analysts said it was too early for an estimate as the impact of the damage filters through the economy.

A Private Equity Billionaire Mounts His Biggest Takeover Yet: the Pentagon

On Wall Street, Steve Feinberg had a well-oiled sales pitch for investors thinking of betting billions on his corporate turnarounds.

Now the Pentagon's No. 2 official, the former private-equity boss faces the biggest sell of his career: persuading Congress to bless the Trump administration's $1.5 trillion military budget.

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This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-16-26 0504ET