2 h. ago Richard Branson pleads for Donald Trump to realise ‘mistake’ of his tariff chaos

‘Courage and self-awareness are cornerstones of true leadership – that includes acknowledging errors and making corrections,’ Virgin boss tells US president

Politics

3 h. ago Fed chair warns of high inflation and slower growth as Trump tells him to cut interest rates – live

Federal Reserve chair says ‘we face a highly uncertain outlook’ as president tells him to cut interest ratesPeople in the US: how have your shopping habits changed due to Trump’s tariffs?Trump insists he won’t back down from global trade war as markets slumpThe Trump administration is taking aim at Brown University with threats to freeze $510m in grants, widening its promise to withhold federal funding from schools it accuses of allowing antisemitism on campus, according to multiple media outlets including Reuters and the New York Times.University officials said they had not yet been formally notified, but the school was among dozens warned last month that enforcement actions could be coming as the administration seeks to crack down on academic institutions . Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Fox News debuts amazing new spin on Trump tariffs: It’s the ‘audit that we need’

Emily Compagno declared on Friday that she is ‘grateful for a commander-in-chief’ who is willing to engage in this global trade war.

Politics

3 h. ago Global trade war intensifies and shares tumble as China hits back at Trump tariffs

FTSE 100 suffers worst losses since Covid-19 as Starmer weighs British response to fees on imports

Events

3 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

4 h. ago Keir Starmer to mount diplomatic blitz as Donald Trump's tariff war triggers meltdown

The global economy has been rocked by Donald Trump slapping tariffs on countries around the world - with the UK FTSE 100 suffering its worst day of trading since Covid

Politics

4 h. ago Keir Starmer to mount diplomatic blitz as Donald Trump's tariff war triggers mayhem

The global economy has been rocked by Donald Trump slapping tariffs on countries around the world - with the UK FTSE 100 suffering its worst day of trading since Covid

Politics

4 h. ago FTSE latest: UK stock markets plunge in biggest daily fall since Covid after Trump tariffs

The stock markets in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Australia were all falling for a second day

Politics

4 h. ago The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s tariff ultimatum: tribute for access to America’s empire | Editorial

As the White House retools US imperialism with import duties, others must resist dependency – deepening regional ties and reducing exposure to chokepointsWhen Donald Trump stood before union auto workers in the Rose Garden he declared “Liberation Day”, promising to stand up for Main Street. Whether that pledge will be fulfilled is moot. He will declare victory either way. What the US president offered was not just an economic programme, but an imperial one.Mr Trump’s logic, if it exists, lies in the 397-page report on “foreign trade barriers” he brandished on Wednesday. Its message is brutally simple: you may sell your goods to Walmart shoppers, but only if you let US cloud services hoover up your data, US media flood your screens and US tech monopolies operate on their terms – not yours. TikTok is the test case for Trump’s platform nationalism: only US firms may mine data, reap profits and rule the digital empire. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago FTSE suffers biggest daily drop since early in the pandemic as Wall Street slides again – business live

Global trade war escalates as Beijing hits back against Donald Trump with new tariffs on US goodsChina retaliates to Trump’s ‘bullying practice’ with 34% tariffs on US importsIMF warns of ‘significant risk’ to global economy from Trump tariffs as markets slideAnalysis: Trump’s ‘idiotic’ and flawed tariff calculations stun economistsNew Civil Liberties Alliance, a conservative legal group, has filed what it says is the first lawsuit seeking to block Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, saying the US president overstepped his authority. Reuters reports:The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, alleges that Trump lacked the legal authority to impose the sweeping tariffs unveiled on Wednesday as well as duties authorized on February 1 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.“By invoking emergency power to impose an across-the-board tariff on imports from China that the statute does not authorize, President Trump has misused that power, usurped Congress’s right ...

Economics

5 h. ago How tiny Lesotho ended up with the highest US tariffs in the world

U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs have struck among others the small southern African kingdom of Lesotho, one of the world's poorest nations

Politics

5 h. ago FTSE 100 suffers worst day in FIVE YEARS as global markets go into meltdown over Donald Trump's trade war

Wall Street opened sharply lower as fears of a global recession mounted in the wake of the US President's extraordinary assault on allies and foes alike.

Politics

6 h. ago This is the barren, uninhabited island Trump has imposed 10% tariffs on

This is the barren, uninhabited island near Antarctica on which Donald Trump slapped a 10% import tariff when he announced his wide-reaching levies on Wednesday, 2 April.

Politics

6 h. 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

6 h. 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

7 h. 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

7 h. ago Trump tears into China for retaliating against him and vows that tariffs 'will never change' despite markets tanking

President Donald Trump remained bullish about the effects of his his newly enacted tariffs on Friday, despite retaliatory actions announced by China.

Economics

7 h. ago US markets tumble further as global meltdown continues over Donald Trump's trade war

Wall Street opened sharply lower as fears of a global recession mounted in the wake of the US President's extraordinary assault on allies and foes alike.

Politics

7 h. ago ‘My policies will never change’: Trump doubles down on trade war after China announces retaliatory tariffs – live

US president says on Truth Social that ‘this is a great time to get rich’ despite China issuing a 34% tariff on all US goods The Trump administration is taking aim at Brown University with threats to freeze $510m in grants, widening its promise to withhold federal funding from schools it accuses of allowing antisemitism on campus, according to multiple media outlets including Reuters and the New York Times.University officials said they had not yet been formally notified, but the school was among dozens warned last month that enforcement actions could be coming as the administration seeks to crack down on academic institutions . Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago ‘Scary times’: New York shopkeepers plan ‘astronomical’ price hikes under Trump tariffs

Small businesses that import goods brace for steep price increases that they have to pass on to their customersIt’s just two days since Donald Trump launched his extraordinary tariff assault on the world in a bid to rebuild the US economy and roll back an era of globalization. But already shopkeepers are bracing for recession, and their customers spending less, as they prepare to increase prices.“We’re going to have to put our prices up and people aren’t going to like it,” said Ian Anderson, store manager at Tea and Sympathy, a UK grocery store, restaurant and fish-and-chip shop stalwart in Manhattan’s West Village. Continue reading...

Economics