1 hour 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

4 h. ago Merz warns of ‘dramatic’ impact of US tariffs on German economy

Chancellor-in-waiting comments after Donald Trump announced 20% levies on all European exports

Events

7 h. ago Global financial 'bloodbath' as Trump's tariffs spark fears of worldwide recession, Hong Kong shares have worst day for 28 years and European stock futures tank

Futures were pointing to further losses in Europe and on Wall Street, with Trump refusing to lift the levies unless foreign governments pay 'a lot of money'.

Economics

8 h. ago Trump claims world’s biggest tech leaders don’t blame him for tariffs

Donald Trump has claimed that the world’s biggest tech leaders, whom he did not name, told him they do not blame him for imposing his sweeping tariff plan.

Politics

11 h. ago Trump is targeting US universities as never before. Here are four ways to help them | Cas Mudde

Supporters in Europe can offer new opportunities and minimise the isolation. Certainly they can avoid making things worseUniversities in the US are under attack. While the Trump administration pretends to punish them for their alleged compliance with or support for “antisemitism” (ie pro-Gaza demonstrations) and “anti-white racism” (ie diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives), the real targets are academic freedom and freedom of speech. Going after the most prominent and privileged universities, such as Columbia and Harvard, kills two birds with one stone: it garners prime media attention and spreads fear among other, far less privileged universities.The rest of the world has taken note and has started to respond, though mostly without knowing much about the specifics of US academia and without asking US-based academics what they need. Obviously, different academics face different challenges – depending on, for example, their gender and race, legal status, the state they live in...

Politics

16 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Macron urges strong action against Russia if it continues to ‘refuse peace’

French president speaks after missile attack on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town that killed 20, including nine children. What we know on day 1,139See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageFrench president Emmanuel Macron on Sunday called for “strong action” if Russia continued “to refuse peace”, days after a Russian ballistic missile killed 20 people, including nine children, in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town. Despite US and European efforts to secure peace in Ukraine, Russia continued “to murder children and civilians”, Macron said. “My thoughts are with the children and all civilian victims of the bloody attacks carried out by Russia, including on 4 April in Kryvyi Rih,” Macron said on X. “A ceasefire is needed as soon as possible. And strong action if Russia continues to try to buy time and refuse peace.” Macron said that even though Ukraine accepted US president Donald Trump’s proposal for a complete ceasefire and European countries were also working to secure peace, “Russia is co...

Politics

30 h. ago Era of globalisation ‘at an end’, says UK minister, as countries mull tariff responses – live updates

Darren Jones says age of ‘fast-fashion or cheap TVs’ is over and people should be prepared for tougher times to come amid market turmoilStarmer orders economic reset amid Trump’s tariff mayhemDarren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, was also interviewed by Sky News’ Trevor Phillips this morning. He said the UK had been “treated differently to the European Union” as a result of Brexit. As a reminder, Trump has imposed a 10% tariff on UK goods but a 20% tariff on EU goods.Asked if the lower 10% tariff imposed by the US was a “Brexit dividend”, the chief secretary to the Treasury said:It is, there’s one. I’ve struggled to find one in the past but there is one we’ve ended up with.It’s good, but what we’re not going to do is pick or trade off the United States or the European Union.People should be prepared for things to be tougher in the global economy.Globalisation has “come to an end” in the wake of the new tariffs. Asked if the era of “cheap fast-fashion or cheap TVs” was over,...

Politics

40 h. ago Elon breaks with Trump on tariffs as he goes public with White House dissent

Elon Musk expressed hope for a future zero-tariff agreement between the US and Europe in a bold statement made as he steps down from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency.

Politics

44 h. ago ‘Hands Off’ protests take off across US and Europe to oppose Trump agenda – live

Protesters gather at more than a thousand events across the US and in cities abroad, such as London, Berlin and ParisHundreds of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump’s administration.Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”. The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “Hands Off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin.We see the foundations of our society, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, the very safety nets that people have fought for, for generations, to ensure that our country lives up to its promise, are being targeted by the billionaires and the oligarchs and the corporations.This insidious rise of authoritarianism is fueled by corrupt billionaires and mega corporations who believe that they have the right to control every aspect of our lives, our healthcare, to our schools, to our thoughts, to our very free sp...

Politics

44 h. ago ‘Hands Off’ protests take off across US and in Europe to oppose Trump agenda – live

Protesters gather at more than a thousand events across the US and in cities abroad, such as London, Berlin and ParisHundreds of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday as part of global demonstrations against Donald Trump’s administration.Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump”. The rally is one of hundreds of so-called “Hands Off” demonstrations around the world – including in cities across the US, Paris and Berlin.We see the foundations of our society, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, the very safety nets that people have fought for, for generations, to ensure that our country lives up to its promise, are being targeted by the billionaires and the oligarchs and the corporations.This insidious rise of authoritarianism is fueled by corrupt billionaires and mega corporations who believe that they have the right to control every aspect of our lives, our healthcare, to our schools, to our thoughts, to our very free sp...

Politics

58 h. ago The Christian right has set the US on the road to Gilead. Without a fight, other nations may follow | Deborah Frances

Organisations that pumped money into overturning Roe v Wade are making inroads in Europe. Women’s rights are truly at riskWith Donald Trump as president, there is now a heavy strain of Christian nationalism driving the US political agenda. From draconian abortion policies to ending birthright citizenship, some of Trump’s first executive orders sound startlingly like something out of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the dystopian novel turned TV show set in Gilead, a fundamentalist, fascist version of the US where women have no rights. But it is urgent we understand that what is happening in the US could happen here. This road to Atwood’s Gilead is charting a course straight through the UK and Europe, and we may well be sleepwalking on to it.In November 2024 I debated with the American conservative lawyer Erin Hawley at the Oxford Union. The motion was “This house regrets the overturning of Roe v Wade”, the US supreme court’s landmark decision that once protected the right to h...

Politics

60 h. ago Defying a court order, Trump administration refuses to fund Radio Free Europe

Delay in financing has forced the news organization to furlough some staff and cut some programs.

Politics

3 d. ago Brewers warn Trump’s beer tariffs could cost 100,000 jobs in Europe

Industry blindsided by 25% levy and confused whether it applies only to products imported in cans

Events

3 d. ago US administration’s ‘antipathy’ towards EU ‘misplaced’ – Irish premier

Micheal Martin acknowledged there was undoubtedly ‘an issue’ in respect of the administration’s negative opinion of the bloc.

Politics

3 d. ago Trump tariffs live: President says Starmer ‘very happy’ with UK’s tariff after Asian markets plunge again

Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs wiped $2.4trn from S&P 500, in its biggest one-day loss since March 2020

Politics

3 d. ago The far right has seemed unstoppable in Europe. Here’s how Trump’s tariffs could change that | Nathalie Tocci

With populist leaders on the back foot and EU support at its highest in years, the US trade war could be an opportunity for the unionDonald Trump has unleashed a trade war on the world, and Europe, considered by Washington to be among the “worst offenders”, is a major target. After hitting European steel, aluminium and cars, this week Trump announced sweeping 20% tariffs on almost all EU imports. Europeans have seen this coming for a long time. Well before his re-election, officials in Brussels were drawing up plans on how the EU might respond to Trump 2.0 and a possible transatlantic trade war.What might the political fallout in Europe be? The good news is that Trump’s trade war puts Trump-friendly far-right forces in Europe in a terribly uncomfortable position. It’s one thing for the European far right to support Trump in principle, or to support the administration’s tyranny over peoples it doesn’t care about, be it Ukrainians, Canadians, Mexicans or Palestinians. It’s quite anoth...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump tariffs live: Asian markets open in red for second day over global trade war

Trump’s tariffs caused global markets to freefall

Politics

3 d. ago Trump live: Markets see worst day since Covid after new tariffs as president teases $5m gold card featuring his face

President Trump imposes blanket tariffs on all countries, hitting China and Europe hardest

Politics

3 d. ago Trump tariffs live: President teases $5m gold card for US entry which features his own face on day that stocks plunge globally

President Trump imposes blanket tariffs on all countries, hitting China and Europe hardest

Politics

3 d. ago Sweeping Trump tariffs shock global economy, drawing threats and calls for talks

Tariff hikes announced by U.S. President Donald Trump have provoked dismay, threats of countermeasures and calls for further negotiations to make trade rules fairer

Events