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Julian Assange arrested, Japan braces for a clash with Trump, and another twist in the Brexit mess. Here are some of the things people in markets are talking about.

Assange’s Long Standoff Ends 

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was expelled from his hideout in Ecuador’s embassy in London and charged in the U.S. with conspiracy, ending his seven-year standoff with British authorities and launching what could be a protracted battle to bring him to the U.S. for trial. The 47-year-old, disheveled after a morning handcuffing, appeared in a London court where prosecutors said he tried to resist what he called an illegal arrest. In a day of rapid-fire developments, the U.S. unsealed a year-old indictment accusing Assange of a hacking conspiracy with ex-U.S. Army analyst Chelsea Manning to disclose classified government material.

Japan Braces for Trump Clash 

Japan is finally stepping into the ring for a fight it had managed to dodge for more than two years: Bilateral trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. The world’s third-biggest economy has a lot at stake in the talks, which are expected to start next week in Washington just as the U.S.’s negotiations with China appear to be winding down. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is desperate to avoid tariffs or quotas on lucrative auto exports, while Trump wants to crack open Japan’s agricultural market and reduce a $60 billion trade deficit.

Stocks Edge Lower 

Asian stocks look set for a mixed open after most equity benchmarks declined Thursday, with investors casting an eye toward the start of earnings season. Treasuries dropped as data confirmed the economy remains on solid footing. The outlier was the S&P 500, which eked out its 10th gain in 11 sessions in trading volume more than 20 percent below its 30-day average. Health-insurer shares led decliners as political risks intensified, while industrials paced gains as Boeing, still embattled in the 737 Max crisis, snapped a four-day losing streak. Banking shares rose before Wells Fargo and JPMorgan report first-quarter earnings that will lead off the season Friday.

May Hints at Compromise With Enemies

Theresa May hinted she’s working for a compromise with her domestic political enemies on a post-Brexit customs alliance with the European Union, in a move that would put Britain on course for an even softer divorce. May faced calls to resign from outraged Brexit-supporters in her Conservative Party after agreeing to a six-month delay to Britain’s departure from the bloc. She then risked further inflaming relations with her own side, insisting it’s vital to work with socialist Jeremy Corbyn’s main opposition Labour Party on a joint Brexit plan, even if this is “uncomfortable.”

U.S. Says Time Not Right for North Korea Deals

Donald Trump said Thursday it’s not “the right time” to make economic deals with North Korea, including the reopening of a joint industrial park shuttered by international sanctions -- a signal nuclear talks haven’t advanced since the president walked out of a February summit. “At the right time I would have great support. This isn’t the right time,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, after he was asked about re-opening the industrial park. Moon has advocated for inter-Korean economic projects.

What we’ve been reading:

This is what caught our eye over the last 24 hours.

• An Australian billionaire dynasty confronts the end of an empire.
• Meat prices seen rising as deadly virus wipes out Chinese hogs.
• In Hong Kong, $1.2 million will only buy you an average house.
• Lagarde says Modern Monetary Theory is no “panacea.” 
• Harvard takes plunge into crypto with token sale investment.
• Boeing has called 737 Max 8 “not suitable” for certain airports.
• How to have the best layover at the world’s best airport.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Boris Korby at bkorby1@bloomberg.net

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