‘Fundamentally wrong, brutal and paranoid’: how will the world respond to Donald Trump’s tariffs?

On Thursday evening, towards the end of a long week at a textiles factory on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Thi Dieu and her husband were watching the news. More than 8,700 miles away, US president Donald Trump was announcing sweeping, unprecedented tariffs on every country around the world. Nowhere was safe, even the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands off the western coast of Australia that, for some unexplained reason, were hit with a 10% tariff.His announcement launched a fierce global trade war and triggered a global market meltdown, including on Trump’s own cherished Wall Street, where hundreds of billions of dollars of stock values evaporated.And for Dieu and her husband, it could mean they lose their jobs

China needs friends in Trump’s trade war. But Xi may have to go it alone

Beijing has launched a charm offensive with other countries as US tariffs tighten. If they can’t be won over, it may have no choice but to stimulate its vast domestic marketChina’s leader, Xi Jinping, says he is prepared to dance if it means sidestepping some of the worst of Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. Last week he sent a letter to India’s president, Droupadi Murmu, urging her to join him in a tango to celebrate 75 years of ­bilateral trade.Xi said it was “the right choice” for the two countries to be “partners of mutual achievement and realise the ‘Dragon-Elephant Tango’”, which, he added, “fully serves the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples.”Beijing is on a wide-ranging charm offensive, aimed at redirecting its exports away from the US to other willing destinations as Washington erects trade barriers

Australia’s social media ban is attracting global praise – but we’re no closer to knowing how it would work

The smash hit Netflix show Adolescence, which explores a teenage murder fuelled by social media and toxic masculinity, has renewed calls for social media bans in some countries. One of the show’s stars this week said the UK should follow Australia’s lead in banning children aged under 16 from social media platforms.The ban has been praised in the US and UK, and is described as “world-leading” by the Australian government. Time magazine this week praised the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, for a “remarkable” policy that was “politically uncontroversial” on the basis that both major parties supported it.Left unsaid was all the criticism raised by mental health groups, LGBTQ+ groups and other campaigners during the rushed process to pass the bill in parliament last year

TikTok ban deadline looms in US amid last-minute takeover bids

Once again, the future of TikTok in the US is at stake. After a years-long tussle over whether or not to ban the app in the country, the deadline for the company to divest or sell its assets to a non-Chinese owner is up again on 5 April. Donald Trump has said his administration is “very close” to a deal for the app.A handful of potential buyers have said they’re interested in the tremendously popular social media app and various news reports have floated other types of deals, including an investment from the Trump-friendly venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz or a bid from Amazon. The president signed an executive order in January to postpone a ban-or-divest deadline until April; earlier this week he said he would “like to see TikTok remain alive”

Max Verstappen beat Lando Norris to claim F1 Japanese Grand Prix – as it happened

Giles Richards’ report as Max Verstappen wins at Suzuka. But that’s just about all for our live coverage. It was a race in Suzuka that wasn’t exactly high on thrills and spills… or overtakes… or perhaps some needed aggression from McLaren. But what it did provide was a reminder that Verstappen is quite good at this whole F1 driver thing – even if he doesn’t have the fastest car. It also gave us a fitting farewell for Red Bulls’ partnership with Honda

Road to Roland-Garros: how Sinner, Sabalenka and co are shaping up for French Open

Jannik Sinner Still serving his three-month doping ban, Sinner maintains his spot as the world No 1 after his rivals’ faltering performances in Indian Wells and Miami. He will return to competitive tennis in Rome, aiming to capture his home ATP 1000 title for the first time after missing the 2024 edition due to a hip injury before the French Open. The ban limits his preparation, but he will be rested and eager to impress.Alexander Zverev The German’s form has been concerning, with unexpected losses to Arthur Fils at the Miami Open, the world No 43, Tallon Griekspoor, at Indian Wells and the teenage qualifier Learner Tien at the Mexican Open. By his own admission he has been “playing terrible” but clay is his strongest surface, where his powerful groundstrokes and topspin are highly effective