3 h. ago China calls reports of ongoing US tariff talks ‘baseless’ while Trump claims administration ‘actively’ seeking deal – live

Spokesperson for China’s ministry of commerce says any claims of progress in China-US negotiations are ‘without factual evidence’South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he talked about the war in Ukraine and the need to foster good bilateral relations with the US in his phone call with Donald Trump.“We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths... to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations,” Ramaphosa wrote in a post on X. Continue reading...

Economics

4 h. ago IMF warns that trade tensions could test stability of world economy; Reeves ‘confident’ about US trade deal – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsDonald Trump’s tariffs will make it harder for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s car division, Ineos Automotive, to reach its first profit.Ineos Automotive’s CEO, Lynn Calder, told Bloomberg that the US president’s 25% tariff on foreign cars will make it harder to hit the earnings target.“For sure, this last week has put a dent in that and, for sure, delayed it,”“We’re stubborn as mules. We’re not easy to knock down.”“With fieldwork completed just days after Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, it is unsurprising that consumer expectations for the economy plummeted to a record low. The original tariff schedule, since reduced for most countries, was expected to reduce growth in the UK and elsewhere. Yet despite this economic pessimism, expectations of retail spending rose slightly as the prospect of Easter shopping drew closer.The state of the economy dropped significantly to -48 in April, down from -35 in March.Their personal financial...

Events

6 h. ago UK deal with EU will not return to ‘arguments of the past’, minister says

Exclusive: Nick Thomas-Symonds says growth is highest priority of talks as Keir Starmer prepares to meet EU chiefNick Thomas-Symonds: A new deal with the EU is exactly what Britain needs. Here’s how Labour will achieve itUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK’s new deal with the EU will be a break from “debates and arguments of the past,” the UK’s chief negotiator, Nick Thomas-Symonds, has said, pledging that growth would be the highest priority of the talks.It comes as Keir Starmer prepares to meet the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, in London, as momentum builds towards a crucial EU-UK summit in May. Continue reading...

Politics

27 h. ago UK private sector shrinks as export orders slump; state borrowing nearly £15bn above official forecast – business live

Eurozone private sector ‘broadly stable’ in April; stocks, dollar, oil prices rise on hopes of US-China trade dealUK annual borrowing exceeds forecasts by almost £15bnThe collapse in confidence and drop in output during April raise red flags for the economic outlook and add pressure on the Bank of England to reduce interest rates again at its May meeting, said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.While recent months have been characterised by UK businesses treading water, broadly stagnating since last autumn’s budget, businesses are reporting more of a struggle to keep their heads above water in April.April’s fall in output was the largest recorded for nearly two and a half years, consistent with GDP declining at a quarterly rate of 0.3%, reflecting falling activity and demand across both manufacturing and services. Continue reading...

Economics

30 h. ago Rachel Reeves live: Economists fear more tax hikes in autumn Budget after UK borrowing soars

Rachel Reeves is preparing for crucial talks with her US counterpart as she pushes to secure a trade deal

Economics

31 h. ago Rachel Reeves live: ‘Collapse in confidence’ warning from UK businesses ahead of Trump trade talks

Activity across the UK’s private sector falls to more than two-year low amid Trump tariffs

Events

32 h. ago Rachel Reeves US talks live: Pressure mounts on chancellor as UK borrowing soars ahead of Trump trade showdown

The chancellor is preparing for crucial Washington talks with Donald Trump's Treasury secretary

Politics

33 h. ago UK annual borrowing nearly £15bn above official forecast; stocks rise as Trump rows back on Fed attack – business live

UK government borrowed £151.9bn in year to March; investors cheered by hopes of US-China trade dealEuropean stocks have also opened higher, as a wave of relief spread across markets.The UK’s FTSE 100 index is up by 1.2% at 8,430, while the Italian FTSE MiB rose by 1.4%.Bessent threw a lifeline to fragile US sentiment with conciliatory remarks on the US-China trade war. Bessent said the current tariff situation is “unsustainable” and expects a de-escalation in the near term.We could witness a period where the dollar is tossed around by headlines of Fed independence risk and market-friendly news on US tariff policy. What is clear by now is that no other G10 currency has a higher positive beta to trade news than the dollar. Continue reading...

Politics

34 h. ago Rachel Reeves US talks live: Chancellor in Washington for major Trump trade deal talks

The chancellor is preparing for crucial Washington talks with Donald Trump's Treasury secretary

Politics

34 h. ago Rachel Reeves US talks live: Chancellor under pressure to secure Trump trade deal

The chancellor is preparing for crucial Washington talks with Donald Trump's Treasury secretary

Politics

36 h. ago Rachel Reeves US talks live: Chancellor under pressure to secure Trump trade deal amid tax hike fears

The chancellor is preparing for crucial Washington talks with Donald Trump's Treasury secretary

Economics

45 h. ago Trump’s tariffs spark global recession fears as White House hints at trade deal with China: Live updates

The International Monetary Fund downgraded growth in nearly all countries amid ongoing uncertainty from the Trump administration’s trade policy

Economics

5 d. ago Trump says US will ‘take a pass’ on Ukraine peace deal ‘if parties make it difficult’ – live

US president tells reporters he needs to see ‘enthusiasm’ from both sides to end the war in UkraineThe US is optimistic that it can end “the very brutal war” between Russia and Ukraine, Vice-President JD Vance said before a bilateral meeting with the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday.The meeting comes less than 24 hours after the pair met in Washington. Vance said:I want to update the prime minister on some of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine even in the past 24 hours, we think we have some interesting things to report on.Since there are the negotiations I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago I live next to a 'little' Sainsbury's and have to deal with the 'constant racket' of huge lorries every day... our house shakes and we're always stressed

Sam Dodd has lorries coming and going through all hours of the day, shaking and damaging his house on Torr Top Street in New Milton, Derbyshire.

Society

9 d. ago Trump tariffs live updates: Vance says good chance of UK trade deal and praises ‘cultural affinity’ with Britain

The UK has welcomed J.D. Vance’s statements, saying Britain was in a “good position” to negotiate

Economics

9 d. ago Trump tariffs live updates: Vance says good chance of UK trade deal as China warns of ‘unilateral bullying’

Trump says he can be ‘very flexible’ with tariffs

Events

1 week ago Tariffs live: UK suspends some tariffs to ease business tension as trade deal ‘days away’

Breakthrough between UK and the US over tariffs could be reached in the coming days

Economics

1 week ago Salah’s new deal, Amorim defends Onana, United fans ‘teargassed’: football news – live

Latest press conferences and team newsPremier League: 10 things to look out forAnd you can email Dom with your thoughtsRight, over to Taha Hashim to steer you through the next few hours. Salah reaction, Europa League fallout and press conference news, he’s all over it. Enjoy.Let’s pivot away from Salah and Liverpool for a moment to take in some reaction from last night. Ruben Amorim defended André Onana after his costly errors in Manchester United’s (still quite creditable) 2-2 draw at Lyon. Continue reading...

Society

1 week ago US stocks fall again after rally following Trump’s shock retreat on tariffs

Sell-off comes amid anger from Democrats over retreat that rattled markets, while Republicans praise Trump’s ‘art of the deal’ in actionUS politics live – latest updatesUS stocks fell again on Thursday after a historic rally following Donald Trump’s shock retreat on Wednesday on the hefty tariffs he had just imposed on dozens of countries.The falls came as the president blamed “transition problems” for the market reaction and the sell-off deepened after a White House clarification noted that total tariffs on China had been raised by 145% since Trump took office. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump threatens 104% tariffs on Chinese goods as part of unfolding global trade war

Beijing vows to ‘fight to the end’ as president claims ‘many’ countries are seeking a deal with USUS politics – live updatesDonald Trump is poised to unleash his trade war with the world on Wednesday, pressing ahead with a slew of tariffs on the US’s largest trading partners despite fears of widespread economic damage and calls to reconsider.The US president claimed “many” countries were seeking a deal with Washington, as his administration prepared to impose steep tariffs on goods from dozens of markets from Wednesday. Continue reading...

Events