6 h. ago EU has a ‘strong plan’ to retaliate on Trump tariffs, says von der Leyen

Head of European Commission says bloc would prefer to negotiate but all countermeasures are on the tableThe European Union has a “strong plan” to retaliate against tariffs imposed by Donald Trump but would prefer to negotiate, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said.Trump, who has upended eight decades of certainties about the transatlantic relationship since taking office, has threatened tariffs on goods from around the world from Wednesday. His administration in March put tariffs on imported steel and aluminium and said higher duties on cars would come into effect on Thursday. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago Politicians criticise US efforts to make EU firms reverse diversity initiatives

Officials in France and Belgium hit out at ‘American interference’ amid growing transatlantic tensionsEurope live – latest updatesOfficials in France and Belgium have hit back at American efforts to impose Donald Trump’s rollback of diversity measures on Europe, which in the US has seen Disney put under investigation.Several companies across the EU have in recent days reportedly received letters informing them that the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives also applies to firms around the world looking to do business with the US government. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Keir Starmer urged to get tough with Trump as US tariff threat looms

PM told to be as robust as Canada with the US president as the UK stages last-ditch talks to strike trade dealKeir Starmer should fight back strongly against Donald Trump if he imposes punitive tariffs on British exports, senior UK and EU diplomats said on Saturday night, amid heightened fears that the US president could trigger a global trade war with devastating effects on the UK economy.British government officials in London and Washington are working frantically this weekend to try to persuade Trump not to slap duties on more key UK industries on what he is calling “liberation day” on Wednesday. The US president has already announced plans for 25% levies on imports of cars, steel and aluminium to the US. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Why Trump’s 25% tariffs on autos could backfire | Steven Greenhouse

Nearly half of the cars sold in the US are imported and Trump’s 25% tariff will add at least $6,000 to the sticker price of the average car, industry experts sayAfter two months of flip-flopping on tariffs, imposing them one day and often suspending them the next, Donald Trump gunned the accelerator of his trade war on Wednesday by announcing a 25% tariff on autos and auto parts imported into the United States. That’s a very big deal, and while the president insists this hefty import tax on cars is going to be good for “anybody who has plants in the United States”, his move – like a car in desperate need of a tune-up – could easily backfire.Nearly half of the cars sold in the US are imported, and Trump’s 25% tariff will add at least $6,000 to the sticker price of the average car, industry experts say. Domestic auto producers will be able to jack up their sticker prices because the new tariffs will make US automakers face considerably less price competition from imported cars. This e...

Politics

5 d. ago Donald Trump imposes 25% tariffs on car imports dealing new blow to UK and global economy

The move came only hours after Britain’s budget watchdog warned Trump’s threatened tariffs on the UK could force Chancellor Rachel Reeves to raise taxes or cut spending

Economics

5 d. ago Donald Trump imposes 25% tariffs on vehicle imports in 'concerning' blow to UK car trade

Donald Trump's move is likely to put a financial squeeze on automakers which depend on global supply chains - so much so British jobs are "clearly now at real risk"

Politics

7 d. ago UK retail sales slump in March; Lower Thames Crossing approval welcomed (and criticised) – business live

UK retailers gloomy, while tunnel to connect A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex has been approved.Lower Thames Crossing plan for Essex and Kent approved by governmentEuropean stock markets are higher this morning, as investors cling to hopes that Donald Trump’s plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on trading partners could be more targetted than feared.The pan-European Stoxx 600 index has gained 0.57% this morning, with gains on the German DAX (+0.5%), French CAC (+0.9%) and Italian FTSE MIB (+0.7%).US markets are beginning to show some belief that President Trump’s strong arm negotiating tactics on tariffs might not be quite as punitive for the US economy as feared.There are growing hopes that if they are more targeted, as rumoured, they might helpshore up domestic industry, while securing better terms for the US on the global trading stage.Tesla currently faces a number of challenges in Europe, ahead of the launch of its new Model Y mid-size SUV this month. The EV maker ha...

Economics

7 d. ago UK retail sales slump in March amid weak confidence, CBI says – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsEuropean stock markets are higher this morning, as investors cling to hopes that Donald Trump’s plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on trading partners could be more targetted than feared.The pan-European Stoxx 600 index has gained 0.57% this morning, with gains on the German DAX (+0.5%), French CAC (+0.9%) and Italian FTSE MIB (+0.7%).US markets are beginning to show some belief that President Trump’s strong arm negotiating tactics on tariffs might not be quite as punitive for the US economy as feared.There are growing hopes that if they are more targeted, as rumoured, they might helpshore up domestic industry, while securing better terms for the US on the global trading stage.Tesla currently faces a number of challenges in Europe, ahead of the launch of its new Model Y mid-size SUV this month. The EV maker has a smaller, ageing lineup while traditional automaker rivals and new Chinese entrants alike continue to launch new, of...

Economics

7 d. ago European universities offer ‘scientific asylum’ to US researchers fleeing Trump’s cuts

Academics from US hoping to escape funding freezes and ideological impositions are being actively recruitedLaced with terms such as “censorship” and “political interference”, the Belgium-based jobs advert was far from typical. The promise of academic freedom, however, hinted at who it was aimed at: researchers in the US looking to flee the funding freezes, cuts and ideological impositions ushered in by Donald Trump’s administration.“We see it as our duty to come to the aid of our American colleagues,” said Jan Danckaert, the rector of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in explaining why his university – founded in 1834 to safeguard academia from the interference of church or state – had decided to open 12 postdoctoral positions for international researchers, with a particular focus on Americans. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Rachel Reeves fails to rule tax changes for US tech giants to avoid Donald Trump tariffs

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and UK minister are desperately seeking to strike a deal with the White House to carve the UK out of the Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on all US imports

Politics

9 d. ago Rachel Reeves fails to rule out tax changes for US tech giants to avoid Donald Trump tariffs

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and UK minister are desperately seeking to strike a deal with the White House to carve the UK out of the Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on all US imports

Politics

1 week ago Donald Trump imposes sanctions on Chinese companies over Iranian oil shipments

Measures from the US Treasury department are latest salvo in a ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Tehran

Politics

1 week ago Trump is trying to crush the arts – and he’s starting with the Kennedy Center | Charlotte Higgins

Artists might cancel shows, donors withdraw and audiences flee. It all plays into the hands of his authoritarian projectIn Washington, Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center – the US’s imposing national centre for the performing arts – presents a bizarre, unnerving and, at times, bleakly comical spectacle. Last month, he announced himself its new chair, replaced 13 board members, and inserted a new interim president, foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell. On Monday this week, the president’s motorcade disgorged him at the building – which contains an opera house, theatre, concert hall and a plethora of smaller venues off its towering, chandelier-hung foyers. By this point, his and Melania Trump’s portraits, alongside those of vice-president JD Vance and his wife Usha, had been screwed to the wall beside the concert hall stage door.Trump and his new trustees – who include Usha Vance and Fox presenter Laura Ingraham – then discussed changes to the Kennedy Center Honors, founde...

Politics

1 week ago Trump’s weird obsession with the arts is part of the authoritarian playbook | Charlotte Higgins

His focus on the Kennedy Center fits a pattern. From Augustus to Stalin, strongmen have sought cultural control for their own endsIn Washington, Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center – the US’s imposing national centre for the performing arts – presents a bizarre, unnerving and, at times, bleakly comical spectacle. Last month, he announced himself its new chair, replaced 13 board members, and inserted a new interim president, foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell. On Monday this week, the president’s motorcade disgorged him at the building – which contains an opera house, theatre, concert hall and a plethora of smaller venues off its towering, chandelier-hung foyers. By this point, his and Melania Trump’s portraits, alongside those of vice-president JD Vance and his wife Usha, had been screwed to the wall beside the concert hall stage door.Trump and his new trustees – who include Usha Vance and Fox presenter Laura Ingraham – then discussed changes to the Kennedy Center Hono...

Culture

2 w. ago Brits turn on Trump and Musk as we hate talking about them even more than Brexit

Donald Trump and Elon Musk seem impossible to avoid, and Brits are fed up of even hearing the names of the US President and his freak sidekick mentioned in conversation

Politics

2 w. ago Donald Trump considering imposing new travel bans on '43 countries'

The draft list would restrict people wanting to come into the US from select countries and would be broader than those implemented by the Republican leader during his first term.

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Slap in the face’: AOC condemns Schumer over plan to vote for Republican funding bill – as it happened

This blog is now closed. You can read the latest story hereLuxury Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari says it is ready for countermeasures if US President Donald Trump imposes hefty tariffs on European auto imports.“We are ready with some countermeasures,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told Cnbc’s Converge Live in Singapore. “We are waiting for the official number to be published,” he added, referring to Trump’s threat of duties “of around 25%” on EU carmakers. He added:We will watch what happens over the next month, in the next few weeks. We are in the same boat in terms of tariffs.The customer is at the centre of our attention.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Slap in the face’: AOC condemns Schumer over plan to vote for Republican funding bill – live

Minority leader’s intention to vote for Republican funding bill to avert shutdown attacked by progressive DemocratsLuxury Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari says it is ready for countermeasures if US President Donald Trump imposes hefty tariffs on European auto imports.“We are ready with some countermeasures,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told Cnbc’s Converge Live in Singapore. “We are waiting for the official number to be published,” he added, referring to Trump’s threat of duties “of around 25%” on EU carmakers. He added:We will watch what happens over the next month, in the next few weeks. We are in the same boat in terms of tariffs.The customer is at the centre of our attention.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Schumer indicates Democrats will support Republican bill to keep government open – live

Minority leader condemns Republican funding bill but says shutdown would give Trump chance to ‘take even much more power’Luxury Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari says it is ready for countermeasures if US President Donald Trump imposes hefty tariffs on European auto imports.“We are ready with some countermeasures,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told Cnbc’s Converge Live in Singapore. “We are waiting for the official number to be published,” he added, referring to Trump’s threat of duties “of around 25%” on EU carmakers. He added:We will watch what happens over the next month, in the next few weeks. We are in the same boat in terms of tariffs.The customer is at the centre of our attention.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Schumer indicates Democrats will vote to support Republican bill to keep government open – live

Democratic minority leader condemns Republicans’ funding bill but says a shutdown would give Trump chance to ‘take even much more power’Luxury Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari says it is ready for countermeasures if US President Donald Trump imposes hefty tariffs on European auto imports.“We are ready with some countermeasures,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told Cnbc’s Converge Live in Singapore. “We are waiting for the official number to be published,” he added, referring to Trump’s threat of duties “of around 25%” on EU carmakers. He added:We will watch what happens over the next month, in the next few weeks. We are in the same boat in terms of tariffs.The customer is at the centre of our attention.” Continue reading...

Politics