2 h. ago Trump exempts many Canadian goods from tariffs after giving same delay to Mexico – US politics live

President signs executive order that will exempt Canadian goods covered by free trade agreement from 25% tariff until 2 AprilThe White House announced that Donald Trump will sign executive orders at 2pm ET.While they did not specify what he may sign, the president is reported to be ready to order the closure of the department of education. Expect a court battle to ensue, since the department was created by Congress in 1980, but Trump is attempting to use his executive authority to shut it down. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Trump delays tariffs on many products from Mexico and Canada

US president paused tariffs on Mexican products covered by USMCA and later stayed tariffs on many Canadian importsDonald Trump pulled back from his trade war with Canada and Mexico on Thursday, temporarily delaying tariffs on many goods from the two countries once again.Two days after imposing sweeping tariffs on all imports from his country’s closest trading partners, the US president announced that duties on a wide range of products would be shelved until April. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago EU agrees new way to spend BILLIONS on Ukraine defence while Donald Trump pauses aid

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

Politics

4 h. ago EU puts on show of solidarity with Zelenskyy after clash with Trump

Leaders’ summit also aimed at endorsing increased defence spending

Politics

5 h. ago Trump backtracks and lifts tariffs on most Mexican goods for a month

Americans will still pay increased prices for Canadian goods due to Trump’s tariff policies

Politics

5 h. ago China boosts its defence spending by 7% after threatening US with 'any war' amid Trump's tariff roll

Sabre-rattling China is set to boost its defence spending by 7.2% after threatening America with 'any war' amid a furious row over Donald Trump's planned tariffs.

Events

6 h. ago Trump will delay US tariffs on many products from Canada and Mexico, official says

US president is said to be preparing to temporarily shelve tariffs on many goods from the two countries once againDonald Trump is poised to pull back from his trade war with Canada and Mexico, according to one of his top officials, temporarily delaying tariffs on many goods from the two countries once again.Two days after imposing sweeping tariffs on all imports from his country’s closest trading partners, the US president is said to be preparing to shelve duties on a wide range of products until April. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Canadians protest imports of US toxic waste amid Trump tariff war

Move to expand landfill for US hazardous waste stirs disputes between leaders in Quebec and Montreal suburbThe proposed expansion of a Quebec landfill that accepts hazardous waste from the United States has ignited a turf war between the Quebec provincial government and local leaders, who say they oppose putting US trash into a local peat bog.Local leaders are protesting the move – saying the state is capitulating to a US company in the midst of a tariff war between Canada and the United States. Continue reading...

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6 h. ago Reeves to be forced into fresh tax hikes or austerity drive by faltering economy, top economists warn

Rachel Reeves is warned it will be tough to find extra money for defence spending without raising taxes

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7 h. ago Trump's erratic trade policies are baffling businesses, threatening investment and economic growth

President Donald Trump’s ever-changing, on-again, off-again tariff war with America’s three biggest trading partners – Mexico, Canada and China — is baffling businesses and causing them to delay or cancel the investments that help drive economic growth

Economics

8 h. ago ‘Watershed moment’: EU leaders close to agreeing €800bn defence plan

Show of unity over Ukraine may be hampered by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán but consensus has built on need for spendingEurope live – latest updatesEuropean leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels are expected to agree on a massive increase to defence spending amid a drive to shore up support for Ukraine after Donald Trump halted US military aid and intelligence sharing.Arriving at the summit, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was originally scheduled to join through a video link, said: “We are very thankful that we are not alone.” Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Zelenskyy joins EU leaders’ meeting over €800bn defence plan after Macron’s stark Russia warning – Europe live

Leaders gather to discuss €800bn plan to boost military capacity and help Ukraine as French president says Europe has to be ready to defend itself without US helpSee all our Ukraine war coverageFrance is offering intelligence to Ukraine, French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday, with Paris stepping in to help and fill the void left after the US suspended its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.Speaking to France Inter radio, he also said that president Macron asked him to accelerate the French aid packages “to compensate” for the suspended US aid.In a famously cautious political culture, Mr Merz’s bid to bypass legal restrictions on government debt represents a seismic shift. It would permit a step-change in defence spending for years to come, putting Germany in a leadership position as Europe seeks strategic autonomy from the United States.Mr Merz, a former investment banker, has been a deficit hawk and economic liberal throughout his career. It is an irony of fate tha...

Events

16 h. ago China vows it will ‘fight to the end’ with US in trade war – or any other war

Wolf warrior-style comments mark China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White HouseChina’s ministry of foreign affairs has promised that China will “fight to the end” with the US in a “tariff war, trade war or any other war”, marking China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White House.On Tuesday, in response to Trump imposing an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods, taking the cumulative duty to 20%, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: “Exerting extreme pressure on China is the wrong target and the wrong calculation If the US has other intentions and insists on a tariff war, trade war or any other war, China will fight to the end. We advise the US to put away its bullying face and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation as soon as possible.” Continue reading...

Events

17 h. ago Is Trump’s America still an ally to the UK? – Politics Weekly UK

The news that the US had suspended military aid to Ukraine stunned world leaders and led to a rapid reassessment of how much we can really rely on our American ally. Is this the end of the western alliance? John Harris asks our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Plus, as the UK pledges to boost defence spending by slashing our foreign aid budget, ActionAid’s CEO, Taahra Ghazi, tells John about the fallout for organisations working on the ground.Send your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Politics

27 h. ago European markets soar as Germany moves to lift ‘debt brake’ and raise defence spending

Berlin’s ‘big bazooka’ proposal sends industrial stocks surging but fiscal sea change also hikes borrowing costsBusiness live – German debt ‘bazooka’ rallies stocks and euroEuropean financial markets have rallied sharply and German borrowing costs have soared after the country’s prospective leaders announced a historic deal to loosen its “debt brake” rule to boost spending on defence.The yield – in effect the interest rate – on 30-year German government bonds rose by about 25 basis points to 3.08% in its biggest daily increase since October 1998. Continue reading...

Economics

27 h. ago Labour MPs warn aid budget cuts could allow greater role for Russia and China

Concerns were raised during a Commons debate despite a welcome for the move to increase defence spending.

Events

28 h. ago Trump’s tariff plans will hit UK economy, top economists warn

The chancellor is plotting billions of pounds of spending cuts as economists warn Donald Trump’s tariffs will throw her growth plans into a spin

Events

28 h. ago FTSE 100 lags behind Europe after Germany outlines ‘seismic’ spending surge

European markets rose sharply after Germany announced a historic change to its fiscal rules to spend heavily on defence and infrastructure.

Politics

28 h. ago Trump’s tariff plans will hit UK economy, top economist warns

The chancellor is plotting billions of pounds of spending cuts as economists warn Donald Trump’s tariffs will throw her growth plans into a spin

Events

29 h. ago ‘A risky bet’: Friedrich Merz criticised over plan to lift Germany’s debt rules

Chancellor-in-waiting accused of taking part in ‘debt orgy’ after proposing loosening rules to boost defenceGermany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, is facing a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians over his radical proposals to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending and boost the economy.The CDU/CSU leader’s proposals for a multibillion-euro package, agreed with his potential coalition partners the Social Democrats, have been described as everything from a “bazooka” to “an extremely risky bet” by economists. He himself has called them vital “in light of the threats to our freedom and peace on our continent”. Continue reading...

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