2 h. ago Will Trump’s tariffs ignite a global trade war? Today in Focus Extra – podcast

Donald Trump has introduced eye-watering tariffs on countries around the world. Will they ‘make America wealthy again’? Richard Partington reportsDonald Trump is on a mission to ‘make America wealthy again’. Speaking outside the White House, he said for too long the country had been ‘looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike’. Now that would come to an end, he said, as he slapped eye-watering tariffs on countries around the world.The Guardian’s senior economics correspondent, Richard Partington, explains why Trump has taken such action and how it could affect the global economy. ‘It could come at huge costs to consumers,’ he says, as markets around the world react with confusion. With prices in the US also likely to rise, will voters soon rue what the president has called ‘liberation day’? Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago BBC Escape to the Country sobs 'is that right?' over price of mystery house

A buyer was left in tears after finding out the price of their dream property on Escape to the Country

Politics

32 h. ago There is no such thing as an ‘illegal immigrant’ | Mehdi Hasan

It is a factually inaccurate and totally, utterly wrong to say that undocumented people are ‘illegal’ and are ‘criminals’On 29 January, the second Trump administration held its first White House press briefing. “Of the 3,500 arrests Ice has made so far since President Trump came back into office, can you just tell us the numbers?” asked a reporter in the front row. “How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally?”“All of them,” responded the new White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, making her debut in the briefing room, “because they illegally broke our nation’s laws, and, therefore, they are criminals, as far as this administration goes.” She continued: “I know the last administration didn’t see it that way, so it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal. But that’s exactly what they are.”Mehdi Hasan is a broadcaster and author, and a former host on MSNBC. He is also a Guardian US...

Events

51 h. ago The new recycling rules that will affect every household in the UK explained

Massive changes are on the way for households across the country with more recycling bins and weekly food waste collections planned.

Politics

3 d. ago Owners of £17m Jane Austen country house granted permission to demolish it despite objections from residents

Historic England said there was no evidence the house had ‘any direct influence on Jane Austen’s literary output’

Economics

4 d. ago Owners of £17m Jane Austen Hampshire country house are granted permission to demolish it despite objections from neighbours

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has approved plans to demolish Ashe Park House, Hampshire, and replace it with a 'traditional country house' in the Queen Anne style.

Economics

6 d. ago All EU households warned to prepare WW3 survival kit to last families three days

The European Union is pushing for all households in the 27-country bloc to prepare a three-day survival kit in case of a major conflict or natural disaster crisis

Events

8 d. ago King and Queen host reception to unveil national reading medal

A star-studded event at Clarence House saw the launch of the Queen’s Reading Room Medal.

Politics

1 week ago Escape to the Country house hunt abruptly interrupted as buyer says 'here we go'

Escape to the Country host Nicki Chapman was tasked with helping a couple find their dream home in The Chilterns on Monday, but the search was quickly brought to a halt

Politics

1 week ago Trump's prayer army: Spiritual leaders who are guiding the president through his 2nd term

The White House Faith Office and several faith leaders from across the country joined President Donald Trump for a prayer in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Politics

1 week ago Gale warnings, gothic fantasies and a masterpiece of a garden – the week in art

Victor Hugo seduces, big names tackles a world in permacrisis and Hélène Binet challenges the Englishness of the country house – all in your weekly dispatchAstonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor HugoThese gothic fantasies and nature studies by the author of Les Misérables transport you to a surreal, seductive inner world. Read the full review. • Royal Academy, London, until 29 June Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago ‘Just wait until Trump takes away our unions’: Fionnula Flanagan on America, Ireland and acting silent

After almost 60 years in the US, the actor wants to quit the country. She talks about ‘hooligans’ in the White House – and her new silent film role in Four Mothers Fionnula Flanagan, the veteran Irish actor, has been a star of stage and screen for more than six decades, earning Tony nominations for her theatre work, a nod from the Screen Actors Guild for Waking Ned, a Saturn award for The Others and a voice acting trophy for Song of the Sea – as well as accolades for the cult TV series Lost.This means she has spent a lot of time in the US – in fact, she’s lived there since 1968. The home she shared in the Hollywood Hills with her late husband, Garrett O’Connor, was well known for its parties – despite O’Connor, an eminent psychiatrist, being the first president of the Betty Ford Institute. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago People living in coastal communities deserve longer, healthier lives, says MP

Steff Aquarone said wealthy people treat coastal villages like a ‘Jane Austen-era summer jaunt’.

Society

2 w. ago 'Unkillable' houseplant said to bring good luck will add a touch of magic to your home this spring

The Oxalis Triangularis has become a household favourite across the country, say plant experts

Events

2 w. ago WW3 fears as France issues citizens 'survival guide' in case of invasion and nukes

The French government is preparing to send a new survival manual to households across the country, offering guidance on how to respond to potential terrifying emergencies

Events

2 w. ago Sarah Beeny ‘told to demolish’ extension she built at ‘mini Downton Abbey’ home without planning permission

Renovation was filmed for her television series, although permission had not been granted

Events

2 w. ago 9 best UK spa hotels to treat your mum to this Mother's Day – from Cornwall to Cumbria

Relax and unwind with our guide to the best UK spa breaks and pampering packages, from a celebrity-favourite Cheshire estate to a coastal country house in Cornwall

Politics

2 w. ago Sarah Beeny told to demolish extension she built at ‘mini Downton Abbey’ home ‘without permission’

Renovation was filmed for her television series, although permission had not been granted

Events

2 w. ago Cricket legend Colin Cowdrey's son accuses neighbour of 'terrorising' him in bid to ruin sale of his £3.85m home

Film producer Jeremy Cowdrey even claimed the bizarre battle over a strip of land felt like water torture after he claimed she made his sprawling ten-acre country house unsellable.

Economics

2 w. ago French citizens receive 'survival manual' in case of war or invasion

The French government is preparing to send a new survival manual to households across the country, offering guidance on how to respond to potential emergencies

Events