‘In economic terms, Trump’s tariffs make no sense at all’

From world leaders, to the tiniest manufacturers thousands of miles from Washington, decision-makers across the global economy are racked with uncertainty as they scramble to come to terms with Donald Trump’s historic tariffs.Experts are all but unanimous that the impact on global growth of Wednesday’s extraordinary Rose Garden press conference will be negative – but just how bad remains highly uncertain.“In economic terms, it makes no sense at all,” said Jordi Gual, the former chair of CaixaBank, Spain’s largest domestic lender, who is now an economics professor at IESE business school in Barcelona. “It is hugely problematic, because we go back to a level we hadn’t seen since the 1930s.”Trump’s announcement that he would impose tariffs of 10% to almost 50% on the US’s largest trading partners – including a 34% additional border tax on Chinese imports and a 10% levy on the UK – was designed to encourage multinational companies to relocate their factories, jobs and supply chains to the US

China retaliates against Trump in trade war with 34% tariffs on US imports

Stock markets around the world plunged for a second day on Friday as China announced retaliatory tariffs of 34% on US imports, signalling a major escalation of a trade war ignited by Donald Trump and feeding fears of a global recession.“For all imported goods originating from the US, an additional tariff of 34% on top of the current applicable tariff rate will be imposed,” Beijing’s finance ministry said.China’s commerce ministry said that it would also impose more restrictions on the export of rare earths, which are used in hi-tech manufacturing such as batteries and electric vehicles. It added a further 16 US companies and organisations to its export control list, meaning that Chinese companies are restricted from doing business with them.China had previously promised “resolute countermeasures” against Trump’s tariffs, which slapped a 10% rate on all imports coming to the US, with extra levies for certain countries, including China

Blanket ban on teen smartphone use ‘potentially detrimental’, says academic

A leading academic tasked by the UK government with reviewing the effects of smartphones on teenagers has suggested blanket bans are “unrealistic and potentially detrimental”.Amy Orben, from the University of Cambridge, will lead the work on children and smartphone use that has been commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) along with a team of other academics from a number of UK universities.Ministers have so far been resistant to implementing any new legal restrictions on social media and smartphones for children that goes further than the current Online Safety Act, which clamps down on harmful content.Some MPs have been pushing for further restrictions that go beyond harmful content – including on access to social media for those under 16, full bans on smartphones in schools or restrictions on social media algorithms that are able to train addictive content on young teenagers.In a paper Orben published this week with four co-authors in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), they said bans and restrictions were unlikely to be effective – though they did advocate for children and teens to have phone-free spaces

Meta faces £1.8bn lawsuit over claims it inflamed violence in Ethiopia

Meta faces a $2.4bn (£1.8bn) lawsuit accusing the Facebook owner of inflaming violence in Ethiopia after the Kenyan high court said a legal case against the US tech group could go ahead.The case brought by two Ethiopian nationals calls on Facebook to alter its algorithm to stop promoting hateful material and incitement to violence, as well as hiring more content moderators in Africa. It is also seeking a $2

County Championship return heralds celebration of past and hope for future

Tearful send-off for Warwickshire’s operations manager after 52 years symbolises spirit that must be preservedThe County Championship returned under splendid spring sunshine on Friday and all it took was a quick glance around the grounds — or a scroll through social media and the Guardian’s live blog — to challenge the notion of a competition struggling for relevance.It may have been pushed to the bookends of summer, and be due for its umpteenth review in the coming months, but in some ways the Championship feels more important than ever. As private money reshapes the sport, accelerating the rise of a dystopian year-round T20 circuit, it remains a vital touchstone: 135 years of unrivalled history and heritage that has only ever paused for two world wars and a pandemic.Before Zak Crawley heard the stumplosion behind him at Northampton, and Yorkshire collapsed at Hampshire on their first day under Jonny Bairstow’s leadership, that history felt very much embodied by one man at Edgbaston. As well as welcoming their first round opponents, Sussex, who closed on 386-5, Warwickshire were saying farewell to their cricket operations manager, Keith Cook, after nearly 52 years of service

Iroko has perfect profile for Grand National as Gina Bryce makes history

The betting tells you all you really need to know about the 2025 Grand National at Aintree. Any one of at least half a dozen runners could end up favourite by 4pm on Saturday, and at least half of the 34-strong field are on offer at 33-1 or shorter, which in the context of such a competitive race is very much the price of a horse with a realistic chance.In other words, it is still the race that it was conceived to be almost two centuries ago: a celebration of semi-random uncertainty that even the most serious students of the form book can only ever hope to unravel with a fair slice of luck.It is also, in a sense, two races in one, with a mixture of experienced, proven stayers with form already in the book that makes them obvious contenders, and a host of rivals at the other end of their chasing careers, with more than enough scope for further improvement to make the most of a relatively light weight.Several leading names in the betting – including Hyland, Grangeclare West, Senior Chief and Three Card Brag – arrive at Aintree with just the official minimum of six starts in chases needed to qualify for a run