9 h. ago Reeves says Britain’s trade ties with EU ‘even more important’ than US

Chancellor’s comments comes as UK balances trade talks with both regions

Politics

40 h. ago Kenyan president vows closer ties to China during visit amid Trump's trade war

Kenyan President William Ruto pledged to build closer ties with China on Thursday, a day after saying a global trade war triggered by Washington could deal a “death blow” to the current world order

Politics

62 h. ago UK borrowing surges, Rachel Reeves to "defend Britain" in US tariff talks while Elon Musk shifts Tesla focus

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Politics

63 h. ago UK government borrowing spikes as Rachel Reeves scrambles to strike US trade deal to dodge Trump tariffs and revive economy in Washington TODAY

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has vowed to 'defend Britain's interests' as she prepares for talks with American counterpart Scott Bessant during the three-day IMF summit.

Economics

3 d. ago The Latest: Vance calls for greater ties with India as he meets with Modi to discuss trade deal

While in India on Tuesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance called for enhanced engagement with the South Asian country

Economics

3 d. ago JD Vance tour of India rocked by terror attack as gunmen kill 24

Vance had been in the country to help build closer ties with Prime minister Narendra Modi as talks over a trade deal progress.

Events

3 d. ago UK economic growth forecast slashed as Trump’s tariffs hit Britain harder than Europe

The downgrade to Britain’s growth forecasts heightens the importance of Rachel Reeves securing a trade deal for the UK

Economics

5 d. ago Vance set to visit India for bilateral talks on economic, trade and geopolitical ties

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to visit India on a four-day tour as the two countries seek to strengthen their partnership by negotiating a bilateral trade deal

Politics

6 d. ago Rachel Reeves calls for Britain to forge closer ties with Beijing in show of force against Donald Trump after he slapped 245 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports

It would be 'very foolish' for Britain to disengage with China, Rachel Reeves has said as she attempts to draw a line in the sand with the US over their treatment of Beijing.

Politics

7 d. ago British food and drink industry call on EU to ‘reset’ trade ties

Retailers and food producers offer to help efforts reduce ‘unnecessary red tape’ costing industry billions of poundsMore than a dozen of Britain’s biggest retailers and food producers, including Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury and Asda, have called on the EU to reduce checks on food and drink crossing the Channel and Irish Sea, which they say are costing billions of pounds.Ahead of a summit on 19 May that is hoped to “reset” trade ties five years on from Brexit, they are urging politicians to hammer out a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary checks. They hope this would include a veterinary agreement and would harmonise food safety rules or recognise them as equivalent. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Donald Trump expected to visit King Charles in the coming months in the hopes of 'building transatlantic ties' amid US trade war

The US President will supposedly make the trip with his wife Melania in September to meet with the Monarch at the royal residence, the Telegraph reported.

Politics

1 week ago China’s Xi Jinping is in Vietnam to figure out how to ‘screw’ the US, says Trump

US president issues scathing view of Chinese counterpart’s motivations amid escalating trade war with Beijing Xi Jinping’s tour of South-east Asia this week is likely intended to “screw” the United States, President Donald Trump has suggested, as the Chinese leader embarks on five-day tour of some nations hardest hit by Trump’s tariffs.China’s president arrived in Hanoi on Monday, where he met Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, called for stronger trade ties, and signed dozens of cooperation agreements, including on enhancing supply chains. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Xi Jinping seeks to strengthen economic ties during tour of south

President’s first stop is Vietnam as China urges US to end trade war and return to ‘right path of mutual respect’The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will visit Vietnam on Monday as he begins a tour of south-east Asia where he will seek to strengthen ties with neighbouring countries amid an escalating trade war.Xi will visit Vietnam from Monday, before travelling to Malaysia and Cambodia, a high profile tour that Chinese officials have described as being of “major importance”. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago ELLIE REEVES: 'Badenoch and Farage would plunge Britain into coalitions of chaos'

Ellie Reeves, Labour's chair writes for the Mirror, saying Ms Badenoch had "made clear" that her party is open to deals with Reform if their vote is split in next month's local elections.

Events

2 w. ago GDP jump offers Rachel Reeves some light as UK enters Trump tariff tunnel

Growth defied forecasts that chancellor had hobbled economy, but trade war casts long shadowUK economy far exceeds forecasts to grow 0.5%Business live – latest updatesEarlier this year Rachel Reeves was being written off for having jeopardised Britain’s economy. The chancellor’s tax-raising autumn budget had sapped business investment, spooked the financial markets and put the jobs market at risk.The latest official figures showing stronger-than-expected economic growth of 0.5% in February will therefore come as a boost for the embattled chancellor, in a sign that the economy was in better health than her critics claimed. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The Guardian view on Trump’s trade war: no one will win, but China is taking the long view | Editorial

Beijing is braced for turbulence due to swingeing tariffs. But it sees a bigger, more promising story of US hegemonic declineNo one, least of all consumers and workers, will win the ferocious trade war that Donald Trump has unleashed. This is “a game of who can bear more pain”, in the words of one analyst. And because trade is at the heart of US ties with its biggest tariff target, China, the rest of the bilateral relationship is likely to deteriorate. That too is concerning.Yet China, despite the economic struggles of recent years, may see a longer-term opportunity in the current crisis. Beijing’s response to the initial US tariff announcements was measured. Now it vows to “fight to the end” and has imposed an additional 50% tariff on US goods – taking the total to 84% – in retaliation for tariffs that Mr Trump now says will hit 125%.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for p...

Politics

2 w. ago Tariffs driving India to strike trade deals, finance minister says ahead of UK talks

Nirmala Sitharam says turmoil forcing countries to seek accords beyond old ideological and political tiesIndia is seeking to strike more trade deals with other countries at a time of “global uncertainty”, its finance minister, Nirmala Sitharam, said before talks with the UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves.Sitharam, who serves as finance and corporate affairs minister in Narendra Modi’s government, said she was hopeful the UK and India would finalise a free trade deal “sooner rather than later”. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Leaders in the Bay of Bengal region agree to improve trade ties and disasters relief efforts

Leaders of nations in the Bay of Bengal region have pledged to improve trade and transport cooperation as they concluded a summit in Bangkok

Politics

3 w. ago EU leaders hold their first summit with Central Asian states

The leaders of the European Union and five countries of Central Asia are holding their first summit to discuss ways to boost trade and other ties

Politics

3 w. ago Britain can retaliate or negotiate with Trump – but there is no way we can win at this game | Gaby Hinsliff

Starmer will try to calm the situation and focus on May’s local elections, but one thing is clear: our ties with Europe are more crucial than everNobody wins a trade war. You can lose it by greater or lesser degrees: you may be one of the luckier casualties. But that’s about as good as it gets. So, while there will have been initial relief in Downing Street on Wednesday night, a feeling even that Keir Starmer’s placating of Donald Trump looks vindicated, what followed was no victory lap.How could it be, after that grotesquely swaggering show trial the president staged in the White House garden, all the better to jazz up an economic assault on what were once his country’s allies? Come on down, Britain, escaping with just the minimum 10% tariff on its exports to the US and no drive-by insults! Better than Taiwan (32% plus a lecture about how the US used to build all the semiconductors once), Vietnam (“They like me, I like them” but still a brutal 46%), the EU (“very very tough traders...

Politics