The U.K stock market has surged after vice president J.D. Vance said there was a "good chance" that a trade deal could be reached with the UK.
Vance said America had a real “cultural affinity” with Britain which helped put it in an advantageous position over negotiating lower tariffs, as more countries work during the 90-day pause on aggressive tariffs to get those duties delayed further or reduced.
The UK’s Business and Trade Minister Sarah Jones welcomed Vance’s comments, saying there was “a deal there to be done”.
Earlier, Trump claimed Chinese president Xi Jinping’s tour of South-east Asian countries – hit hardest by American tariffs – was intended to “screw” the U.S.
Xi has been in Vietnam where he met Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, in Hanoi urged the country to stand up against “unilateralism and bullying” and called for stronger trade ties
Reacting to their meeting, Trump said: “That’s a lovely meeting. Meeting like, trying to figure out, ‘how do we screw the United States of America?’"
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Key Points
- Trump says Xi in Vietnam to figure out how to 'screw' U.S.
- Xi Jinping urges Vietnam to oppose 'unilateral bullying'
- Vance says 'good chance' of UK trade deal
- El Salvador President says he won’t return man mistakenly deported from U.S.
- Harvard refuses to comply with Trump administration’s demands
Obama condemns Trump's 'ham-handed' Harvard funding freeze
12:08
,
Rachel Clun
Former president Barack Obama has condemned the Trump administration’s freezing of more than $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard University as “unlawful” and “ham-handed”.
Earlier, the White House froze more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts for Harvard University after the school refused to comply with a lengthy list of demands including sweeping leadership and admissions reforms.
Obama said on social media that other schools should follow Harvard’s lead.
“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit,” he wrote on X.
French PM said tariff hikes have caused 'a tsunami of destabilization'
11:54
,
Rachel Clun
The French prime minister said Donald Trump’s tariffs have caused a global storm and hit trust across the world.
Francois Bayrou warned it was a moment of truth for France as it attempts to fix its public finances, adding that in his view, Trump had created “a tsunami of destabilization”.
"The fact that this power has gone over to the side of the aggressors is a dramatic turn of events, a warning shot that ruins our fundamental vision of the world," Bayrou said.
FTSE surges amid 'good chance' of U.S-U.K tariff deal
11:34
,
Rachel Clun
The U.K’s FTSE 100 index has surged this morning following comments from vice president J.D. Vance that there was a “good chance” of a tariff deal with the U.K.
Ahead of lunchtime in U.K trading the stock was up 1 percent, building on Monday’s strong gains to take it to 8,215 points and up 3.8 percent from five days ago.
Earlier, Vance said the Trump administration was “working very hard” with the British government to find a deal.
“The president really loves the United Kingdom. He loved the Queen. He admires and loves the King. It is a very important relationship. And he’s a businessman and has a number of important business relationships in [Britain]. But I think it’s much deeper than that,” he told UnHerd website.
“There’s a real cultural affinity. And, of course, fundamentally, America is an Anglo country. I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries.”
Indonesia proposes to spend billions more on U.S oil and gas
11:23
Indonesia, facing the prospect of 32 percent tariffs on its exports to America, plans to buy billions of dollars more oil and gas to help reduce its trade surplus.
The country’s energy minister Bahlil Lahadalia told local media on Tuesday that Indonesia will propose increasing its crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas imports from the U.S. by about $10 billion in tariff negotiations.
Indonesian officials are preparing to leave for Washington later on Tuesday for trade talks. In all, the country plans to by U.S goods worth up to $19 billion to cover the trade surplus with the U.S.
Indonesia’s government has previously said it would also reduce import duties on U.S. steel, mining products and health equipment.
UN trade body urges U.S to exclude vulnerable countries from steep tariffs
11:07
,
Rachel Clun
The United Nations’ trade body has urged the U.S to exclude vulnerable and small economies from its aggressive tariff increases.
In a new report, UN Trade and Development found that in many instances the reciprocal tariffs risked devastating developing and the least developed economies that trade with America, while doing little to reduce the U.S. trade deficits.
Last week Donald Trump paused reciprocal tariffs that were higher than 10 per cent for dozens of trading partners for 90 days. Those additional tariffs ranged from 11 per cent for Cameroon to 50 per cent for Lesotho.
In all 57 countries are affected. Eleven of them are among the least developed in the world, the UN trade body said, and 28 of those 57 nations account for less than 0.1 per cent of America’s deficits.
The report noted that several of the countries produce agricultural goods that are not produced in the U.S, or which have few subsitutes such as vanilla from Madagascar.
10:50
,
Rachel Clun
Watch: Trump tears into journalist over deportation questions
What's at stake for U.K in trade talks with U.S?
10:36
,
Rachel Clun
Vice president J.D Vance said there was a “good chance” of a trade deal between the U.S and the U.K, which is good news for Britain given the significance of its trade relationship with America.
The U.S is the U.K’s largest export partner, according to the Office for National Statistics.
In 2023, the U.K exported £60.4 billion ($80 billion) worth of goods to America, making up 15.3 percent of all the U.K’s goods exports that year.
Machinery and transport equipment were the main exports, and the U.S. is the U.K’s largest export partner for cars, taking £6.4 billion in cars in 2023.
The U.K also exports chemicals, including medicines and pharmaceutical products.
The timeline of Trump's changing tariffs
10:21
,
Rachel Clun
Since his inauguration less than three months ago, Donald Trump has made many changes to tariff plans.
Here’s a timeline of the key moments so far:
- January 20 - Announced additional 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico.
- February 1 - Adds 10 per cent tariffs on China.
- February 10 - Introduces 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum exports to the U.S.
- March 4 - Canada, China and Mexico tariffs come into effect.
- March 26 - Announces 25 percent tariff on all cars and car parts shipped to the U.S.
- April 2 - Reveals 10 percent tariff on any country exporting goods to U.S, unless tariffs already exist. Announces even higher reciprocal tariffs for dozens of countries.
- April 9 - Higher tariffs take effect, but within hours Trump announces a 90-day pause – except the general 10 percent increase. China tariffs are lifted to 145 percent.
- April 11 - Trump administration exempts electronic goods.
- April 12-13 - Trump says new tariffs on semiconductors and chips will be introduced, administration says tech exemption will be temporary.
Obama lauds Harvard's stance against Trump administration demands
10:06
Former president Barack Obama says other universities should follow Harvard’s example, after the prestigious school refused to take on the Trump administration’s demands.
Earlier, the administration froze more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts for Harvard University after the school refused to comply with the White House’s list of demands which included broad leadership, governance and admissions reforms.
Harvard said: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Obama said on social media that other schools should follow Harvard’s lead.
“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit,” he said.
Chinese airlines to halt Boeing deliveries
09:51
,
Rachel Clun
Chinese airlines have been ordered not to take any more deliveries of Boeing aircraft in response to the U.S. decision to lift tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent, Bloomberg News reports.
Sources familiar with the matter told the news services that Beijing has also asked airlines to stop purchasing any aircraft-related equipment and parts from U.S. companies.
Airlines that lease Boeing jets and are now facing higher costs could also receive assistance from the Chinese government, the sources told Bloomberg.
UK must vote down any Trump deal that 'undercuts' Britain: Ed Davey
09:34
,
Rachel Clun
U.K Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says parliament must vote down any tariff deal with the U.S that “undercuts British farmers” or negatively impacts the NHS.
“A good trade deal with the US could bring huge benefits, but Trump is an unreliable partner who breaks deals whenever he feels like it. He and his sidekick JD Vance must not be allowed to bully their way into a bad trade deal for the UK,” he said.
"The Government must commit to protecting our NHS, farmers and online safety laws, not barter them away just to appease Donald Trump."
Irish deputy premier says any tariff hikes during negotiations would be 'bizarre'
09:21
,
Rachel Clun
Ireland’s deputy premier said it would be “bizarre” for the U.S to raise tariffs further while in negotiations with the European Union.
"In any good faith negotiation, you should never take any action to escalate the situation,” Simon Harris said ahead of a cabinet meeting in Dublin on Tuesday.
"I mean, it would be bizarre and not good if, whilst in the middle of talks about trade, one of the parties to the talks was to do something that could cause economic damage or harm to the other.
Donald Trump has singled out pharmaceutical companies operating out of Ireland for higher duties, but Harris said the companies were based there for access to the European market which could “only be good for the American economy as well”.
"So this is an interconnected, interdependent relationship, and I really hope, if time and space is given to some standards of meaningful talks, that good progress can be made on this,” Harris said.
UK welcomes vice president's comments on trade negotiations
08:58
,
Rachel Clun
The UK’s Business and Trade Minister Sarah Jones welcomed J.D. Vance’s comments, saying Britain was in a “good position” to negotiate.
Yesterday, the vice president said Donald Trump was “working very hard” on an agreement with Britain to potentially lift or ease damaging tariffs.
Speaking to LBC, Jones said: "The conversations are ongoing, I can't update more than that.
"We know we're in a good position. We are having good conversations. The Secretary of State (Jonathan Reynolds) has been having good conversations with his partners, and there is a deal there to be done, but as to when that will be done I wouldn't be able to tell you, but it's positive that the vice president is positive about our negotiations."
South Korea working to delay reciprocal tariffs in Trump talks
08:13
,
Rachel Clun
South Korea is working to delay reciprocal tariffs “as much as possible”, the country’s finance minister said.
Choi Sang-mok told parliament that the country was negotiating with the U.S. over tariffs of 25 percent which have been delayed by 90 days by the Trump administration.
"From our national interest perspective, the idea is to negotiate as much as possible and wrap it up under the new government," he said, when asked about Seoul’s response.
South Korea will hold a snap election on June 3 to pick a new president, after Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted this month over his controversial and short-lived martial law declaration in December.
Xi Jinping urges Vietnam to oppose 'unilateral bullying'
07:58
,
Rachel Clun
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Vietnam to “oppose unilateralism and bullying practices” as the trade war between Beijing and the U.S continues.
Xi is on a state visit to the South Asian nation, which also faces high export duties to the U.S under the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariff program.
State media outlet Xinhua reported the Chinese president as urging Vietnam to join Beijing in opposing unilateralism and protectionism.
While Xi did not mention America by name, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the U.S was hurting the entire world with its high tariffs.
“The U.S. uses tariff as a weapon to exert maximum pressure and seek selfish gains, and puts its own interests over the public good of the international community,” Lin Jian said in a press conference on Monday.
“This is a typical move of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying, which severely hurts the interests of China, the EU and the rest of the world.”
White House freezes $2.2b in Harvard funding
07:36
,
Rachel Clun
The Trump administration is freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants for Harvard University after the school refused to comply with the White House’s list of demands.
The funding freeze, as well as a freeze on $60 million in contracts, comes as the White House continues to try and push the country’s most prestigious universities to comply with Donald Trump’s agenda.
The White House has targeted seven schools, including Harvard, demanding broad leadership, governance and admissions reforms.
In a letter to Harvard, the administration made a long list of demands including that Harvard scrap all diversity, equity and inclusion programs, that it reform its admissions for international students and provide audits of its international student program, and crack down on student groups.
Harvard defied the Trump administration's orders, saying in a reply letter: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
The administration has also paused federal funding for Brown, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, and the University of Pennsylvania. Colombia was also targeted, and the school acquiesced to the government’s demands.
Vance says 'good chance' of UK trade deal
07:18
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
U.S. vice president JD Vance said Washington was "working very hard" there was a "good chance" a trade deal could be reached with the UK.
"We're certainly working very hard with Keir Starmer's government," Vance told UnHerd website.
U.S. president Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports to the U.S., rocking the world economy, sending stock prices tumbling and sparking fears of a global recession.
Since then, Trump has rowed back on tariffs, reducing the rate paid on imports from most countries to 10 per cent and, on Saturday, exempting electronics such as smartphones and laptops from the levy.
“The president really loves the United Kingdom. He loved the Queen. He admires and loves the King. It is a very important relationship. And he’s a businessman and has a number of important business relationships in [Britain]. But I think it’s much deeper than that.
“There’s a real cultural affinity. And, of course, fundamentally, America is an Anglo country. I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries.” he added.
Vance added that the “reciprocal relationship” between the US and UK gave Britain a more advantageous position than other European countries to negotiate new trade agreements.
"While we love the Germans, they are heavily dependent on exporting to the United States but are pretty tough on a lot of American businesses that would like to export into Germany."
Trump says Xi in Vietnam to figure out how to 'screw' U.S.
07:16
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Donald Trump claimed Chinese president Xi Jinping was visiting Southeast Asian countries to find ways to "screw" the U.S.
China and Vietnam signed dozens of cooperation agreements yesterday, strengthening ties between the communist-run countries during Xi's visit to Hanoi.
Xi is in Vietnam for the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour, as Beijing tries to present itself as a stable alternative to an erratic Trump following his imposition of sweeping tariffs. Xi warned that protectionism "leads nowhere" and that a trade war would have "no winners".
Reacting to his visit, Trump said: "I don’t blame China; I don’t blame Vietnam.""That’s a lovely meeting. Meeting like, trying to figure out, ‘how do we screw the United States of America?’”
Vietnam was hit by one of the highest tariffs of 46 per cent earlier this month.
WATCH: El Salvador's president won't release man mistakenly deported to his jails
07:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Trump claims he wants to boost American manufacturing. But the industry is already in chaos over his tariffs
06:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
President Donald Trump claims he wants to boost American manufacturing, but his tariff policies appear to be doing the very opposite, creating chaos and uncertainty.
The administration’s back-and-forth policies are making it more difficult for U.S. companies to both sell and make their products.
Costs are going up as demand is decreasing, as buyers — domestic and international — slow down their spending amid the uncertainty. The new American trade policy is turning the international trading system upside down and creating chaos in the financial markets as the risk of a recession rises.
Read more:
Nvidia plans to manufacture AI chips in the US for the first time
05:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Sarah Parvini writes:
Nvidia announced Monday that it will produce its artificial intelligence supercomputers in the United States for the first time.
The tech giant said it has commissioned more than one million square feet of manufacturing space to build and test its specialized Blackwell chips in Arizona and AI supercomputers in Texas — part of an investment the company said will produce up to half a trillion dollars of AI infrastructure in the next four years.
Read more:
Gen. Caine has taken over as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
04:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Lolita C. Baldor writes:
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine has been sworn in as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after a flurry of paperwork was finished to allow him to fill the job nearly two months after President Donald Trump fired his predecessor.
A formal White House ceremony is expected to take place this week.
Caine, a decorated F-16 fighter pilot and well-respected officer, took over on Saturday after Trump signed the necessary documents. He will serve the remainder of the four-year term of Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., who was fired by Trump as part of a broader purge of military officers believed to endorse diversity and equity programs.
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WATCH: Trump repeatedly attacks CNN during sit-down with El Salvador President
03:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele says he won’t return man who was mistakenly deported from U.S.
02:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Andrew Feinberg and Alex Woodward write:
The Trump administration is refusing to ask El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, to release a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to his country and incarcerated in a notorious prison — and Bukele isn't interested in releasing him, either.
Bukele, who met with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, was asked by a reporter if he’d consider releasing Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland before he was arrested and deported back to his home country last month despite an immigration judge’s years-old order preventing the government from deporting him.
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Possible motive revealed after arson attack on PA Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home
01:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Katie Hawkinson and James Liddell write:
A suspected terrorist has been accused of setting alight Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s mansion Saturday evening, forcing his family and other guests to flee the residence.
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, was detained in connection with the alleged “targeted” attack just hours after Shapiro and his family dined to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover at his home in the state capital Saturday, officials say. Balmer is accused of throwing beer bottles full of gasoline into the home.
Now, new details, including a possible motive for the attack, have been revealed in unsealed court documents. Balmer held a deep hatred for Shapiro and told officers if the governor had been home when the attack occurred, he would “beat him with a hammer,” reports WHTM.
Most Republican lawmakers are skipping town halls during long congressional break
Tuesday 15 April 2025 00:15
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Gustaf Kilander
Ariana Baio has the following story:
Fewer Republican lawmakers are holding town halls during the two-week congressional recess, weeks after the National Republican Congressional Committee chairman advised them to skip town halls or hold virtual town halls.
During the weeks when lawmakers return to their districts, it’s common for many to host town halls to connect with constituents and hear which issues are affecting them.
But it seems many Republicans are taking the advice of Richard Hudson, the NRCC chair, and avoiding them entirely — or at least changing their format, NBC News reported on Monday.
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Trump administration has no evidence Tufts student was tied to antisemitism or terrorism before ICE arrest, State Dept. memo says
Monday 14 April 2025 23:30
,
Gustaf Kilander
Alex Woodward writes:
Donald Trump’s administration does not appear to possess any evidence backing up claims of antisemitism and support for a terrorist organization to justify the arrest of a Tufts University doctoral student who was grabbed off the streets by masked federal agents and jailed in a Louisiana detention center.
Lawyers for Turkish PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk told a federal judge in Vermont on Monday that the government is in possession of at least one memo that says Secretary of State Marco Rubio does not have sufficient grounds to revoke her visa and order her removal.
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Trump attacks ‘low-rated CNN’ for pressing him and Bukele on illegally deported man: ‘They hate our country!’
Monday 14 April 2025 22:45
,
Gustaf Kilander
Justin Baragona writes:
President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during an Oval Office meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, claiming her network “hates our country” and personally insulting her as “low-rated” as she pressed both leaders on the status of a wrongly deported Maryland man.
While the president seemed to relish in bashing one of his favorite media targets in front of the populist right-wing El Salvadoran leader, Collins’ questions led to both Bukele and the White House refusing to commit to the safe return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland who was sent to El Salvador’s notorious CECO prison complex last month.
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Harvard refuses to comply with Trump administration’s demands over $9 billion
Monday 14 April 2025 22:25
,
Gustaf Kilander
Harvard University rejected a list of demands from the Trump administration that would require sweeping changes at the higher education institution to secure back nearly $9 billion in federal funding, saying it would not allow itself “to be taken over by the federal government.”
In a letter to administration officials on Monday, lawyers for the university said the list of demands the government sent in early April “go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration” and refused to agree to the terms.
Trump administration officials had demanded Harvard end all diversity, equity and inclusion policies, crack down on student protesters, limit the power of students and faculty over school leaders, cooperate with federal law enforcement like the Department of Homeland Security and more.
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Cory Booker calls for insider trading hearings after Trump’s tariff backtrack
Monday 14 April 2025 22:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker is calling for congressional hearings into allegations of insider trading after President Donald Trump urged people to buy stocks before he backtracked on his tariff policy.
“There is enough of an offense here, there’s enough smoke here that should demand congressional hearings,” Booker NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
Last week, Democratic members of Congress began pressing for answers as to whether the president, his family, administration officials and allies had improperly traded after Trump declared “this is a great time to buy” following chaos in the market after his sweeping tariffs went into effect.
Read more:
DHS spokesperson compares Abrego Garcia to Bin Laden
Monday 14 April 2025 21:49
,
Gustaf Kilander
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin compared Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, to Osama Bin Laden during an appearance on Fox News.
“The media would love for you to believe that this is a media darling, that he's just a Maryland father,” she said. “Well, Osama bin Laden was also a father, and yet he wasn't a good guy, and they're actually both terrorists.”
US Army to control land on Mexico border as part of base, migrants could be detained, officials say
Monday 14 April 2025 21:45
,
AP
A long sliver of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border that President Donald Trump is turning over to the Department of Defense would be controlled by the Army as part of a base, which could allow troops to detain any trespassers, including migrants, U.S. officials told The Associated Press.
The transfer of that border zone to military control — and making it part of an Army installation — is an attempt by the Trump administration to get around a federal law that prohibits U.S. troops from being used in domestic law enforcement on American soil.
But if the troops are providing security for land that is part of an Army base, they can perform that function. However, at least one presidential powers expert said the move is likely to be challenged in the courts.
The officials said the issue is still under review in the Pentagon, but even as any legal review goes on, the administration’s intent is to have troops detain migrants at the border.
Why is Trump trying to excuse Russia’s latest massacre?
Monday 14 April 2025 21:30
,
Gustaf Kilander
Sam Kiley writes:
For a showman given to overarching high-wire performances in every theatre at home and abroad, Donald Trump’s recent criticisms of Russia have been distinctly mumbled – showing he doesn’t have the courage of his lack of conviction.
In his latest utterance, he appeared to be speaking on behalf of the Kremlin for the killing of 34 people, including two children, in a double missile strike on Sumy city, on Ukraine’s northern border with Russia.
“I was told they made a mistake,” he said.
One can only guess whether he made this claim after talking with Vladimir Putin’s officials. It seems more likely that he came up with the line to avoid further global condemnation of Russia for another war crime.
Read more:
Trophy falls apart as JD Vance tries to pick it up at White House event
Monday 14 April 2025 21:28
,
Gustaf Kilander
The CFP National Championship Trophy falls apart as VP JD Vance tries to hold it aloft at the White House. pic.twitter.com/XYmZRnCsK0
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) April 14, 2025
Vance later tweeted jokingly: “I didn’t want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy, so I decided to break it.”
WATCH: Fox News doctor gushes over ‘youthful’ Trump's physical exam results
Monday 14 April 2025 21:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
