Trump’s trade war risks undermining his hopes of hefty US interest rate cuts | Graeme Wearden

Donald Trump and Denis Healey don’t have much in common. One of the greatest prime ministers Britain never had shares little of his famous hinterland with what some historians see as one of the worst occupants of the White House.But Trump would be well advised to remember Healey’s first law of holes – when you’re in one, stop diggingInstead, having seen the supreme court reject his sweeping global tariffs on Friday, Trump dug his shovel out, announcing a new global tariff of first 10%, then upping it to 15%. That may have lifted the president’s mood, after a stinging rebuke from the top judges in the US, but it risks backfiring on his hopes for hefty interest rate cuts this year.The trade war, with its exhortation to businesses to make their products in the US if they know what’s good for them, is one of Trump’s signature policies

China overtakes US as Germany’s top trading partner

China has overtaken the US as Germany’s top trading partner, figures have shown, as the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, prepares for his first visit to Beijing since taking office.Merz will head to China on Tuesday and will be welcomed with military honours on Wednesday in Beijing by the prime minister, Li Qiang, before later meeting the president, Xi Jinping, for talks over dinner, his spokesperson Sebastian Hille said.Germany’s Federal Statistical Office released figures on Friday showing that China was back on top as the country’s most important market with €251bn (£219bn) in trade in 2025, up 2.2% on 2024, when the US was the country’s leading export destination.Germany imported goods worth about €170

‘It’s survival of the fittest’: the UK kebab chain seeking an edge with robot slicers

They are already packing our groceries and delivering shopping. Now robots are coming to the kebab shop, alongside self-service screens and loyalty apps, as takeaways look for ways to tackle rising costs.German Doner Kebab (GDK), a perhaps surprisingly British-owned chain that has been springing up across the country, has turned to technology to keep its fast food business buzzing in the face of rising costs and tough times on the high street.With households cooking at home more often to save money, and restaurants facing increases in energy bills, business rates, national insurance and hourly pay, profits are under pressure despite rising prices at the till.“It is survival of the fittest,” says Simon Wallis, the CEO of the brand, which operates via dozens of franchise partners running 155 outlets in the UK and nearly 40 more overseas including in the US, Dubai, Ireland and Sweden

Nascent tech, real fear: how AI anxiety is upending career ambitions

Matthew Ramirez started at Western Governors University as a computer science major in 2025, drawn by the promise of a high-paying, flexible career as a programmer. But as headlines mounted about tech layoffs and AI’s potential to replace entry-level coders, he began to question whether that path would actually lead to a job.When the 20-year-old interviewed for a datacenter technician role that June and never heard back, his doubts deepened. In December, Ramirez decided on what he thought was a safer bet: turning away from computer science entirely. He dropped his planned major to instead apply to nursing school

‘The Brits are coming again’: Team GB hail their greatest ever Winter Olympics

Team GB have hailed a “historic” Winter Olympics after Britain’s greatest performance in the 102 years of the Games left them 15th in the medal table – and warned their rivals the “Brits are coming again”.Zoe Atkin’s women’s halfpipe bronze medal on Sunday ensured that Britain left Milano Cortina with five medals – equalling the tally from Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018. However, Team GB also won a record three gold medals with Matt Weston winning two of them in the individual skeleton and the mixed event with Tabitha Stoecker. Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale also took gold in the mixed snowboard cross, while the men’s curling team won silver.“It is far and away our most successful Games ever, both in terms of total medals achieved but also the number of Olympic champions,” the UK Sport performance director, Kate Baker, said

Winter Olympics 2026 come to a close at Verona Arena after Norway top medal table – as it happened

Norway has once again topped the Winter Olympics medal table, surpassing countries with far larger populations.The Scandinavian country won more gold medals (18) and more total medals (41) than the US, who came second in both categories (12 golds and 33 total medals). Norway’s 18 golds were the most by a country in Winter Olympics history, while their cross-country skiing hero Johannes Høsflot Klæbo accounted for six golds on his own, more than the all but seven other countries at this year’s Games.The achievements of Norway, which has a population of about 5.7m, are all the more remarkable given that they outperformed winter-sports nations with far larger populations such as the US (342m), China (1