First Thing: Trump imposes fresh tariffs on UK, EU and dozens of other trading partners

Good morning.

Donald Trump has imposed a fresh round of tariffs on more than 80 countries to replace a 10% global duty that was due to expire, provoking a wave of criticism and protests from US allies and trading partners.

In the latest attempt to pursue aggressive trade policies despite challenges by supreme court, the president has imposed tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on dozens of countries, including the UK, Mexico, Canada, Australia, India, China and the 27 member states that make up the EU. In effect, it replaces the blanket 10% tariff that Trump imposed in February, after the supreme court declared that many of his earlier tariffs were illegal.

• What is Trump’s justification for the tariffs? The newest tariffs, announced late last night by the US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, would fall under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, aimed at countries that engage in forced labor. Trump had said his administration would investigate unfair trading practices to impose permanent tariffs as soon as the February supreme court decision was announced.

• How have the affected countries reacted to the news? The “forced labour” rationale for Trump tariffs has been met with bewilderment, with some saying their labor laws are stronger than those in the US.

Southern California suburb alarmed as ‘exceptionally rare’ cancer affects several children

Concerns are growing in southern California over a cluster of “exceptionally rare” cancer cases that have affected several children in a suburban community.

Families living in the Orange county neighborhood of Ladera Ranch, home to about 26,000 people, reported that six children had been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, according to Katrina Foley, the vice-chair of the county board of supervisors.

Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that primarily affects bone and soft tissue, typically affects young adults and children.

• How are the authorities responding? Last week, Bill Essayli, an assistant US attorney, asked the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the cluster to determine if there is an environmental cause.

Trump says decision on ‘massive attack’ against Iran is close

Trump has said he is close to deciding whether to mount “a massive attack” against Iran, on a scale larger than strikes previously launched during the months of conflict with Tehran.

Speaking to the Axios news site, the president said: “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”

Trump made his remarks on Thursday, as oil prices once again soared past the symbolic $100 for a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark, and amid indications the price could continue to climb.

• What else did he say? Trump acknowledged that such a move would have consequences but said he had not yet made a final decision. Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to”, he claimed, adding: “We don’t need anybody.”

In other news …

• The Minnesota man who pleaded guilty to killing a senior Democratic lawmaker and her husband was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison yesterday, a little over a year after the political attacks.

• A panel of federal health advisers yesterday narrowly recommended easing access to several peptides popular with wellness influencers and celebrities, despite warnings from government scientists that the chemicals have not been shown to be safe or effective.

• Four Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed in a shooting in the northern West Bank, according to health officials. Several more people were seriously wounded.

• The Indian “cockroach” activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended a 26-day hunger strike over an exam paper scandal that has spiralled into a wide-ranging, youth-led wave of demonstrations against Narendra Modi’s government.

Culture pick: What happened to Ryan Gosling’s ‘La La Hand’ on the La La Land poster?

After 10 years and much complaining by Ryan Gosling, a “minor adjustment” to correct his famously bent wrist has been made to the La La Land poster. The actor has previously said the pose “haunts” him because he ignored the choreographers and bent his wrist during filming, not realising the image would become the film’s poster. But many fans have criticised the change, arguing the quirky pose had become a celebrated part of the movie’s identity.

Stat of the day: The Hegseth budget: defense secretary’s $1.5tn ask reveals military-industrial chaos

When the much-maligned Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) was slashing federal spending in February 2025, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordered officials to find annual cuts of 8% for five years – a plan that briefly sent Palantir and other defense stocks tumbling before quietly disappearing. He is now seeking a $454bn increase for 2027 military spending, taking the budget to almost $1.5tn, calling it a “generational investment”.

Don’t miss this: ‘It’s become a nepo baby sport’ – how secondhand fashion got so expensive

Janelle Best, the owner of a vintage boutique, has been rummaging through thrift shop bins since the 1990s. When she started, shopping for secondhand clothes carried a stigma. “It was either you were a freak or you were poor – and I was a freak.” Today, thanks to gen Z resellers and platforms such as Depop, thrifting has ballooned into a $350bn industry.

Climate check: More than 900 wildfires rage across Canada

Recent hot, dry weather in Canada has triggered hundreds of wildfires across the country. As of Wednesday, more than 900 were burning, scorching about 3m hectares of land. The greatest concern is in the Northwest Territories and Ontario, where several remain out of control. The risk of further blazes remains high as North America enters the peak of fire season.

Last Thing: Elon Musk says he got ‘carried away’ with Trump

Elon Musk has admitted he became too consumed by politics during his volatile alliance with Trump and his brief appointment as the president’s financial axman at the helm of Doge.

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