Gold climbs above $3,500 for first time as Wall Street rallies after slide
Boeing hopes to find new buyers for up to 50 planes returned by China
Boeing will try to divert as many as 50 planes ordered by Chinese airlines to customers elsewhere after steep tariffs prompted by Donald Trump’s trade war.The US manufacturer said it was confident it could find other buyers for the planes, but said it was lobbying Trump personally to resolve an “unfortunate situation”.Two Boeing jets have returned to the US from China, with another on the way, after the imposition of steep 125% tariffs on American imports. China imposed the levies in retaliation to the White House’s 145% rate that threatens to significantly slow down the world economy.Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s chief executive, said he hoped “over time these tariffs can be resolved”, in a call with investors on Wednesday
Rachel Reeves looks at ending zero tax regime for low-value imports
Rachel Reeves is to review the tax regime for imports of low-value goods in an effort to prevent Chinese companies undercutting British retailers by dumping cheap items on online marketplaces.The chancellor is considering changes to rules which allow goods valued at £135 or less – often listed on sites such as Amazon, Shein and Temu – to be imported to the UK without any customs duty having to be paid.The review follows pressure from leading retailers, including Sainsbury’s and Next, who have argued that the tax break has been hijacked by fast-growing retailers such as Shein and Temu who send small parcels direct to shoppers.Announcing the review in Washington on Wednesday, Reeves said: “I think that retailers can see, through the actions we’ve taken today around low-value imports, that we are absolutely standing up for the British high street against the dumping of cheap imports of products that undercut British retailers.”There are growing fears of dumping in the UK by Chinese retailers and manufacturers just as the US looks set to revoke the “de-minimis” exception for Chinese-made goods under which parcels with a value of less than $800 (£600) shipped to individuals are exempt from import tax and do not pass through normal customs checks
What to do if your phone is lost or stolen: practical steps to restore peace of mind
Smartphones contain the entirety of our modern lives, from photos, messages and memories to credit cards, bank accounts and all life admin, so when one gets lost or stolen it can be far worse than the cost of the actual handset.Here’s what to do if the worst happens. Quickly taking these steps will help protect yourself against data theft, scams and fraud, and with luck could even lead to you being reunited with your phone.Try to locate your phone with Find My on Apple or Google, if you have it turned on. You can use a browser on a computer, tablet or even a friend’s phone
Meta ‘hastily’ changed moderation policy with little regard to impact, says oversight board
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta announced sweeping content moderation changes “hastily” and with no indication it had considered the human rights impact, the social media company’s oversight board has said.The assessment of the changes came as the board also criticised the Facebook and Instagram owner for leaving up three posts containing anti-Muslim and anti-migrant content during riots in the UK last summer.The oversight board raised concerns about the company’s announcement in January that it was removing factcheckers in the US, reducing “censorship” on its platforms and recommending more political content.In its first official statement on the changes, the board – which issues binding decisions on removing Meta content – said the company had acted too quickly and should gauge the impact of its changes on human rights.“Meta’s January 7, 2025, policy and enforcement changes were announced hastily, in a departure from regular procedure, with no public information shared as to what, if any, prior human rights due diligence the company performed,” said the board
Andrew Flintoff feels cricket coaching chance ‘saved me’ after Top Gear crash
Andrew Flintoff has described his return to cricket as a coach over the past 18 months as “the one thing that saved me” as he struggled to come to terms with the mental and physical scars caused in a car accident during filming for the BBC’s Top Gear in December 2022.Flintoff talks for the first time about the accident and its aftermath in a Disney+ documentary to be released on Friday. “After the accident I didn’t think I had it in me to get through,” he says.“This sounds awful: part of me thinks I should have been killed. Part of me thinks I wish I had died
Rory McIlroy shaken by scale of ‘absolutely amazing’ reaction to Masters triumph
Rory McIlroy has admitted to being taken aback by the scale of reaction to his Masters triumph. Two US presidents – Donald Trump and Barack Obama – plus huge names from worlds outside sport have contacted the Northern Irishman since he completed the career grand slam at Augusta National. Amid moving scenes at Augusta, McIlroy’s outpouring of emotion reverberated way beyond golf. The achievement meant “everything and more” to McIlroy. It struck chords elsewhere
MPs should not do media work that ‘monetises’ their role, says government
Badenoch declines to criticise Jenrick over Reform coalition comments – as it happened
Russia imposes sanctions on 15 UK MPs over ‘hostile statements’
Labour must do the right thing on two-child benefit cap | Letters
UK overtures to China worry Hongkongers | Letter
Scottish Greens table amendment to scrap king’s stamp duty exemption