45 m. ago Trump says Federal Reserve should cut rates; Canada initiates WTO dispute over car tariffs – US politics live

US economic council head denies tariffs were part of strategy to pressure Fed to cut interest rates; Canada says measures breach trade agreementsEU ministers are in Luxembourg to consider the European Union’s response to Trump’s sweeping tariff regime amid continuing market turmoil and heightened fears of a global economic recession.It comes after Trump doubled down on his tariff policy in comments aboard Air Force One overnight. He said Europe “has treated us very, very badly,” and “has taken our leaders for a ride”, and declined to hold talks on changing tariffs “unless they pay us a lot of money on a yearly basis”. He also repeated criticism of Europe for not spending a fair share on Nato. Continue reading...

Politics

67 m. ago Republican senator claims video floating killing of journalists was a ‘joke’

Oklahoma’s Markwayne Mullin downplays comments suggesting lawmakers could shoot journalists over disputesUS politics live – latest updatesThe Republican US senator and Donald Trump loyalist Markwayne Mullin has evidently sought to backtrack from comments suggesting politicians could “handle our differences” with journalists by shooting and killing them, insisting he was trying to make a joke.The Oklahoma lawmaker, a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, on Saturday posted to X a video of himself at a stairway in the US Capitol building recounting the tale of the newspaper columnist Charles Kincaid. Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago Trump live updates: Stock futures down and markets expected to open lower as president doubles down on tariffs

The White House defended Trump’s tariff plans on Sunday even as stock prices continued to drop

Politics

17 h. ago Trump live updates: President heads back to D.C. to face markets crisis after day of protests across U.S.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was forced to answer questions about why Trump’s 10 percent levies on islands occupied by penguins

Politics

23 h. ago Trump live updates: Administration defends controversial tariffs imposed on island only inhabited by penguins

‘Poor old penguins,’ the Australian trade minister said after Trump unveiled his sweeping policy

Politics

25 h. ago Trump live updates: Harris praises the ‘working people’ for ‘Hands Off’ protests against Trump and Musk

‘The voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires,’ the former vice president said

Politics

53 h. ago Trump live updates: Historic stock plunge after tariff announcement leaves Americans rattled

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stock markets plummeting and wiping out $6 trillion in two days

Politics

60 h. ago Historic stock plunge leaves Americans rattled after Trump tariff announcement: Live updates

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stock markets plummeting and wiping out $6 trillion in two days

Politics

60 h. ago Historic stock plunge after Trump tariff announcement leaves Americans rattled: Live updates

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stock markets plummeting and wiping out $6 trillion in two days

Politics

66 h. ago Trump’s tariffs rollout sees stock market suffer worst week since 2020 as Dow drops 2,200 points by close: Live updates

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stock markets plummeting and wiping out $5 trillion in two days

Politics

67 h. ago Trump tariffs rollout sees $5 trillion wiped from stock market in two days: Live updates

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stocks sliding further after worst day since 2020

Economics

69 h. ago China hits back hard at ‘bullying’ Trump tariffs as global recession fears grow

Beijing imposes punitive 34% extra tariffs on all goods imported from US, exacerbating stock market sell-offBusiness live – latest updatesUS politics live – latest updatesChina has hit back hard against Donald Trump’s “bullying” tariffs, raising fears that the escalating trade war could trigger a global recession and prompting fresh turmoil in financial markets.Beijing retaliated on Friday with punitive 34% additional tariffs on all goods imported from the US – mirroring the US decision and exacerbating a sell-off on global stock markets. Continue reading...

Politics

2 d. ago Trump’s tariffs will likely mean ‘higher inflation and slower growth’, says Fed chair

While the US economy remains robust, Jerome Powell cautions there is high uncertainty over its directionUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s global tariffs assault is set to raise prices and slow down economic growth, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has warned, defying the US president’s demands for an immediate interest rate cut.While the US economy remains robust, Powell cautioned that there is high uncertainty over its direction. “Downside risks have risen,” he told an event in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday. Continue reading...

Economics

2 d. ago Trump dismisses China tariff retaliation and implores Fed to cut interest rates as stock market dives: Live

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stocks sliding further after worst day since 2020

Politics

3 d. ago John Rentoul answers your Trump tariffs questions from the ‘Brexit dividend’ to chlorinated chicken

In a live Q&A, The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul fielded readers’ questions on Trump’s trade war, its global consequences and the UK’s options for navigating this latest storm

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Oligarchy’: Trump exempts big oil donors from tariffs package

Trump’s new 10% universal tariffs will not apply to many fossil fuel products in sign of his fealty, advocates sayUS politics live – latest updatesThe sweeping package of tariffs unveiled by Donald Trump on Wednesday includes an exemption for the energy sector, which is a clear sign of the president’s fealty to his big oil donors over the American people, advocates say.Trump’s new 10% universal tariffs – which are higher for many major economies – are wreaking havoc on the global economy and are expected to increase consumer prices in the US. But the levies will not apply to many fossil fuel products, including liquefied natural gas imports, crude oil from Canada, and materials needed for making petrochemicals. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Downing Street says Trump’s tariffs signal ‘new era’ in global economics

No 10 says US president’s decision is ‘disappointing’, as experts warn UK may have to raise taxes in autumnUK politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s tariffs signal a new global economic era, Downing Street has said, as economists warn the British government is likely to have to raise taxes in response.No 10 said on Friday the prime minister believed that this week’s trade announcement by the US president, which has started a global trade war and sent stock markets tumbling, marked a turning point in history. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago Trump claims ‘great time to get rich’ as tariffs turmoil sees Wall Street market sell

Trump’s trade war escalates as China strikes back with 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods, sending stocks sliding further after worst day since 2020

Politics

3 d. ago RFK Jr says 20% of Doge’s health agency job cuts were mistakes

Health secretary says roles will need to be reinstated amid Trump administration’s push to slash federal workforceUS politics live – latest updatesAround a fifth of the 10,000 jobs cut from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were done in error and will need to be corrected, the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has admitted.Mass layoffs from the health department began this week amid a push by Donald Trump’s administration to shrink the size of the federal government workforce. Union representatives were told around 10,000 people were to lose their jobs ahead of further reductions that could see the department’s 82,000-strong workforce slashed by nearly a quarter. Continue reading...

Society

3 d. ago Starmer to hold talks with other global leaders to discuss response to Trump tariffs, says No 10 – UK politics live

UK prime minister to speak to international leaders this weekend to ‘maintain stability and strengthen our partnerships abroad’Trump claims Starmer ‘very happy’ about tariffsDowning Street has refused to confirm President Trump’s claim that Keir Starmer was “very happy” about the treatment the UK is getting under the new US global tariff regime. (See 9.32am.) Asked about the president’s words at the morning lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesperson said that the government had already set out its position yesterday and that it was “disappointed” by the US tariff policy.Livia Tossici-Bolt has been sentenced at Poole magistrates’ court to a conditional discharge for two years for two charges of breaching a “buffer zone” outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth, PA Media reports. See 11.22am. Continue reading...

Politics