Reeves says she understands Trump's concerns ahead of trade talks

The chancellor will meet her US counterpart to make the case for a UK-US trade deal

Earlier this week, she signalled the UK could lower tariffs on US car imports from their current 10% to 2.5% as part of a wider deal.

Ahead of her meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Reeves said the government was working "flat out" to secure a trade deal with the US.

Rachel Reeves said there were similarities with the way both the US and UK governments had come to power off the back of voter frustration with the economy.

The chancellor says she "understands what President [Donald] Trump wants to address" with his tariffs, ahead of talks with her US counterpart in Washington on Friday.

What are tariffs and why is Trump using them?

"We're all grappling with this issue of tariffs but I think that there is an understanding why President Trump wants to address some of the global imbalances there are in the system," she said.

Trump has already imposed tariffs of 25% on all car imports to the US including from the UK.

The UK also faces a broader tariff rate of 10% and is looking to negotiate an agreement with the US administration, along with dozens of other countries hit with even higher levies – most of which are currently on pause until July.

Some US officials have been positive about the prospects of a deal. Last week US Vice-President JD Vance said there was a "good chance" a trade deal could be reached with the UK.

Reeves said she had also been working closely with European and Canadian counterparts to remove trade barriers, and that conversations around the table at G20 meetings this week had been difficult.

"Obviously there are strains. We are all following what's happening in our domestic bond markets, in our equity markets, and we all know that that uncertainty is bad for investment in the UK economy."

Reeves went on to say there would not be any celebrations if the UK got a deal as other countries were still affected.

Despite the chancellor's focus on talks with the US, she suggested that moving closer to the EU on trade was a bigger priority. The UK is preparing for a summit with the EU in May in an attempt to "reset" the relationship between the two.

"I understand why there's so much focus on our trading relationship with the US but actually our trading relationship with Europe is arguably even more important, because they're our nearest neighbours and trading partners," she said.

"Obviously I've been meeting Scott Bessent this week whilst I'm in Washington, but I've also this week met the French, the German, the Spanish, the Polish, the Swedish, the Finnish finance ministers - because it is so important that we rebuild those trading relationships with our nearest neighbours in Europe, and we're going to do that in a way that is good for British jobs and British consumers."

Can India really stop river water from flowing into Pakistan?

2 hours ago Share Save Navin Singh Khadka Environment correspondent, BBC World Service Share Save

Getty Images The Indus river flows through parts of India and Pakistan

Will India be able to stop the Indus river and two of its tributaries from flowing into Pakistan? That's the question on many minds, after India suspended a major treaty governing water sharing of six rivers in the Indus basin between the two countries, following Tuesday's horrific attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) survived two wars between the nuclear rivals and was seen as an example of trans-boundary water management. The suspension is among several steps India has taken against Pakistan, accusing it of backing cross-border terrorism - a charge Islamabad flatly denies. It has also hit back with reciprocal measures against Delhi, and said stopping water flow "will be considered as an Act of War". The treaty allocated the three eastern rivers – the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – of the Indus basin to India, while 80% of the three western ones – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – to Pakistan. Disputes have flared in the past, with Pakistan objecting to some of India's hydropower and water infrastructure projects, arguing they would reduce river flows and violate the treaty. (More than 80% of Pakistan's agriculture and around a third of its hydropower depend on the Indus basin's water.)

EPA Tuesday's attack in Kashmir has escalated tensions between India and Pakistan

India, meanwhile, has been pushing to review and modify the treaty, citing changing needs - from irrigation and drinking water to hydropower - in light of factors like climate change. Over the years, Pakistan and India have pursued competing legal avenues under the treaty brokered by the World Bank. But this is the first time either side has announced a suspension - and notably, it's the upstream country, India, giving it a geographic advantage. But what does the suspension really mean? Could India hold back or divert the Indus basin's waters, depriving Pakistan of its lifeline? And is it even capable of doing so? Experts say it's nearly impossible for India to hold back tens of billions of cubic metres of water from the western rivers during high-flow periods. It lacks both the massive storage infrastructure and the extensive canals needed to divert such volumes. "The infrastructure India has are mostly run-of-the-river hydropower plants that do not need massive storage," said Himanshu Thakkar, a regional water resources expert with the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People. Such hydropower plants use the force of running water to spin turbines and generate electricity, without holding back large volumes of water. Indian experts say inadequate infrastructure has kept India from fully utilising even its 20% share of the Jhelum, Chenab and Indus waters under the treaty - a key reason they argue for building storage structures, which Pakistan opposes citing treaty provisions. Experts say India can now modify existing infrastructure or build new ones to hold back or divert more water without informing Pakistan. "Unlike in the past, India will now not be required to share its project documents with Pakistan," said Mr Thakkar.

Getty Images India's dams are far from the Pakistan border

But challenges like difficult terrain and protests within India itself over some of its projects have meant that construction of water infrastructure in the Indus basin has not moved fast enough. After a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in 2016, Indian water resources ministry officials had told the BBC they would speed up construction of several dams and water storage projects in the Indus basin. Although there is no official information on the status of such projects, sources say progress has been limited. Some experts say that if India begins controlling the flow with its existing and potential infrastructure, Pakistan could feel the impact during the dry season, when water availability is already at its lowest. "A more pressing concern is what happens in the dry season - when the flows across the basin are lower, storage matters more, and timing becomes more critical," Hassan F Khan, assistant professor of Urban Environmental Policy and Environmental Studies at Tufts University, wrote in the Dawn newspaper. "That is where the absence of treaty constraints could start to be felt more acutely."

Getty Images Pakistan could feel the impact during the dry season if India begins controlling the water flow

'Very, very toxic': The risk of asbestos in Gaza's rubble

7 hours ago Share Save Tom Bennett BBC News Reporting from London Share Save

BBC

Israel's destructive military campaign in Gaza has released a silent killer: asbestos. The mineral, once widely-used in building materials, releases toxic fibres into the air when disturbed that can cling to the lungs and - over decades - cause cancer. Nowadays, its use is banned across much of the world, but it is still present in many older buildings. In Gaza, it is found primarily in asbestos roofing used across the territory's eight urban refugee camps - which were set up for Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war - according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In October 2024, UNEP estimated that up to 2.3 million tons of rubble across Gaza could be contaminated with asbestos.

"The Gaza rubble is a very, very toxic environment," says Professor Bill Cookson, director of the National Centre for Mesothelioma Research in London. "People are going to suffer acutely, but also in the longer term as well, things that children may carry throughout their lives." "The lives lost now are not going to end here. The legacy is going to continue," says Liz Darlison, CEO of Mesothelioma UK. When asbestos is disturbed by something like an air strike, its fibres - too small to see with the human eye - can be breathed in by those nearby and can then work their way through to the lining of the lungs. Over many years - usually decades - they can cause scarring which leads to a serious lung condition known as asbestosis, or, in some cases, an aggressive form of lung-cancer named mesothelioma.

"Mesothelioma is a terrible, intractable illness," says Prof Cookson. "The really worrying thing," he adds, "is that it's not dose related. So even small inhalations of asbestos fibre can cause subsequent mesothelioma. "It grows within the pleural cavity. It's extremely painful. It's always diagnosed late. And it's pretty well resistant to all treatments." Typically, those who contract mesothelioma do so 20 to 60 years after exposure - meaning it will take decades before the possible impact across the territory is felt. A higher level, or longer period, of exposure is believed to accelerate the progression of the disease. Dr Ryan Hoy, whose research into dust inhalation was cited by the UNEP, says it is extremely difficult to avoid breathing in asbestos fibres because they are "really tiny particles that float in the air that can get very, very deep into the lungs." They are even harder to avoid, he says, because Gaza is so "densely populated". The territory houses approximately 2.1 million people and is 365 sq km (141 sq miles) - about one quarter of the size of London.

Experts on the ground there say people are unable to manage the risks posed by asbestos or dust inhalation due to the more immediate dangers of Israel's military offensive. "At this point in time, [dust inhalation] is not something that is perceived as a worrying thing by the population. They even don't have things to eat, and they're more afraid to be killed by the bombs," says Chiara Lodi, medical co-ordinator in Gaza for the NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians. "The lack of awareness about the risks of asbestos, combined with the ongoing challenges [people in Gaza] face in trying to rebuild their lives, means they are unable to take the necessary measures to protect themselves," a Gaza-based spokesperson for the NGO SOS Children's Villages said. Many are "not fully aware of the harmful effects of the dust and debris", they added. After a previous conflict in Gaza in 2009, a UN survey of the territory found asbestos in debris from older buildings, sheds, temporary building extensions, roofs and the walls of livestock enclosures. There are several types of asbestos ranging from so-called "white asbestos", which is the least dangerous, to "blue", or crocidolite, which is the most. Highly-carcinogenic crocidolite asbestos was previously found in Gaza by the UN. Globally, around 68 countries have banned the use of asbestos, though some maintain exemptions for special use. It was banned in the UK in 1999, and Israel banned its use in buildings in 2011. As well as mesothelioma, asbestos can cause other forms of lung cancer, larynx and ovarian cancer.

A further, lesser known risk is that of silicosis, a lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, usually over many years. Concrete generally contains 20-60% silica. Dr Hoy says the sheer amount of dust in Gaza could lead to an "increased risk of respiratory tract infections, upper and lower airway infections, pneumonia, exacerbations of pre-existing lung disease like asthma," as well as, "emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can be worsened by acute exposure to dust". For years, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York have been used as a case-study by health experts to examine the effects of a large toxic dust-cloud on a civilian population. "The Twin Towers were not in the middle of a war zone," says Ms Darlison, "so it was something we were able to measure and quantify easier". As of December 2023, 5,249 of those who were registered with the US government's World Trade Center Health Programme have died as a result of aerodigestive illness or cancer - a far higher figure than the 2,296 people who were killed in the attack itself. A total of 34,113 people were diagnosed with cancer over the same period.

Getty Images Asbestos rocks like these are mined before being processed into asbestos-containing building materials, like roofing

Getty Images Asbestos roofing sheets are present in many of Gaza's refugee camps, according to the UN. This one was removed from a former Jewish settlement in Gaza in 2005

Missing convicted murderer caught on Edinburgh bus

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Police Scotland Raymond McCourt absconded from HMP Castle Huntly on Tuesday

A convicted murderer who went on the run from an open prison in Dundee has been found in Edinburgh. Raymond McCourt was arrested by plain clothes officers after being removed from a Lothian Bus in the city's London Road area on Friday morning. He was earlier spotted on Duke Street in Glasgow after being reported missing from HMP Castle Huntly on Tuesday. McCourt, 59, was jailed in 1993 after shooting shopkeeper Khalid Mahmood in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire.

An eyewitness told BBC Scotland News that McCourt was "surrounded" by six officers when he was asked to step off a No. 5 bus close to the junction with Leith Walk. It is understood he boarded the bus in the Abbeyhill area minutes earlier. Passengers saw him being searched by plain clothes and uniformed officers before the bus was allowed to move on.

Police Scotland Raymond McCourt was last seen on a street in the east end of Glasgow

Police Scotland had warned the public not to approach McCourt. The alarm was raised on Tuesday after he did not return to HMP Castle Huntly - Scotland's only open prison - following a period of leave.

Eddie Howe says he is "OK" but "not 100%" as he returns to manage Newcastle United after his stay in hospital with pneumonia.

The 47-year-old was admitted to hospital on 11 April having felt unwell for a number of days, and has missed three Magpies matches.

On Thursday, the club announced he was well enough to return to work.

"I've been through a range of emotions but I feel like I'm on the road to recovery," said Howe on Friday.

"I'm not 100% in my body but I like to think I'm close to 100% in my mind, which is the most important thing."

Newcastle, who are fifth in the Premier League, face Ipswich at St James' Park on Saturday.

Howe reflected on how hard the period of illness has been but said he tries "to take a positive from every experience".

He added: You take [your health] for granted - I certainly have - and when you don't have the luxury of feeling normal, it can be very difficult."

Assistant manager Jason Tindall and fellow coach Graeme Jones oversaw two wins and one defeat in the Premier League in Howe's absence.

More to follow.

Warhol print accidentally thrown away by Dutch town hall

The Andy Warhol prints of Queen Beatrix were on display at an exhibition in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in October last year. It is not known which has been accidentally lost

Mayor Hans van der Pas told public broadcaster Omroep Brabant: "That's not how you treat valuables. But it happened. We regret that."

An investigation said the artworks were stored in a basement during renovations and a lack of guidelines for storing the artworks could have been among the reasons why they ended up being thrown away.

Maashorst municipality said the works, including a 1980s silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix worth about €15,000 (£12,800), disappeared during work on a town hall last year.

A Dutch town hall has admitted that it "most likely" accidentally disposed of 46 artworks, including an Andy Warhol print of the former Dutch queen, during renovation works last year.

A statement by the municipality on Thursday said the artworks were put into storage during work on a town hall in Uden - which is being incorporated into the neighbouring municipality of Landerd to form the Maashorst municipality.

"It's most likely that the artworks were accidentally taken away with the trash," they said.

A report by investigators found that some of the artworks were stored in wheelie bins in the basement and were "not handled with care", according to local newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

The report concluded: "Ownership was not properly established, no policies and procedures were established regarding the renovation and insufficient action was taken when the artworks turned out to be missing."

It went on to say that a lack of guidelines for registration, storage, conservation and security of the artworks, were also contributing factors.

Local media reports that the 46 artworks altogether were worth around €22,000 (£18,800) and the Maashorst municipality said it was unlikely they will ever be found.

Queen Beatrix reigned as queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until she abdicated in 2013, when she was succeeded by her son King Willem-Alexander.

The Queen Beatrix print was part of Warhol's series Reigning Queens, which comprised of 16 colourful prints of four monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, Margrethe II of Denmark - who abdicated in 2023 - and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland.

Warhol, considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, created the prints in 1985 - two years before his death.

In November last year, Warhol prints of Queen Beatrix and Ntombi Twala were stolen - and abandoned - during a heist on a Dutch art gallery.

Local police at the time said thieves took four silkscreen prints from the MPV Gallery in the North Brabant province and fled by car.

But the portraits of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi were later abandoned because they did not fit in the vehicle, NOS reported at the time.

Water bosses could now face jail for cover-ups

Law-breaking water company executives face tougher punishments, including possible prison sentences, under new powers that have come into force in England and Wales.

Bosses who fail to co-operate or obstruct investigators looking into sewage spills can now be jailed for up to two years.

The government said the threat of tougher sentences would act as a "powerful deterrent".

At the same time a highly critical report from the public spending watchdog accuses the government and regulators of failing to manage risk and drive investment in the water sector, contributing to higher bills for customers.