China’s 84% retaliatory tariffs on US goods, announced on Wednesday, are due to come into effect on Thursday

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China and the European Union have exchanged views on strengthening their economic and trade cooperation in response to US tariffs, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, according to Reuters news agency.

In a video call on Tuesday, China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao discussed with European trade and economic security commissioner Maros Sefcovic the restart of talks on trade relief and to immediately carry out negotiations on electric vehicle price commitments, the Chinese ministry statement said.

Exclusive: Question of visas for Indian workers said to be nearly resolved and deal may be finalised this year

The UK and India have agreed 90% of their free trade agreement, businesses were told on a call with negotiators this week.

There are hopes the UK government will succeed in finalising a highly coveted trade deal with India, a booming economy of 1.4 billion people, this year.

More schools also reducing spending on trips, IT, extracurricular activities and GCSE subject choices

Half of secondary schools in England have been forced to cut staff this year due to financial pressures that are pushing many “towards breaking point”, according to polling.

As well as cuts to teaching and support personnel, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of secondary school leaders having to reduce subject choice at GCSE to save money, while extracurricular activities, school trips and investment in IT have also been hit.

Five new boxes in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire enable company to cash in on boom in secondhand selling

Royal Mail has unveiled a solar-powered “postbox of the future” with a built-in barcode reader and a hatch to accept parcels larger than letterbox size.

In the “biggest change to postbox design since their introduction more than 175 years ago”, the hi-tech pillar box looks as if it is wearing a jaunty beret. The black, chequered lid is in fact solar panels that power the scanner.

With white paper imminent, Institute for Government urges ministers to abandon ‘reactive, kneejerk’ decisions

Ministers should introduce an annual migration plan to put an end to decades of “incoherent, disconnected and unpredictable” policies around work visas, according to a Whitehall thinktank.

The Institute for Government (IfG) said that successive governments have put forward “reactive, kneejerk policies” formulated when politicians have been questioned by broadcasters over net migration figures.

British royals wish pontiff well in recovery from pneumonia during their state visit to Italy

King Charles and Queen Camilla paid a surprise private visit to a convalescing Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon during their four-day state visit to Italy.

The royal couple visited Francis, 88, at his home in Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City, where he is recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia in both lungs. An official audience had previously been removed from the royals’ schedule due to the pontiff’s ill health.

Announcement billed as a return to an era of ‘bobbies on the beat’ as part of community-focused measures

Police officers on foot will patrol every busy neighbourhood at peak times as part of a set of community-focused measures to be unveiled by Keir Starmer.

In an announcement billed as a return to an era of “bobbies on the beat”, the prime minister will also confirm that every neighbourhood in England and Wales will be given a named and contactable police officer.

Researchers say ‘relatively simple, inexpensive’ means of assessing genetic risk offers hope of better screening

An at-home spit test appears to perform better at predicting prostate cancer risk than the current frontline test, a study suggests.

The test assesses 130 genetic variants to provide a risk score for prostate cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men in the UK.

London fire brigade asks people to behave responsibly and Scottish fire and rescue service gives ‘extreme’ alert

Hot weather is expected to bring highs of 24C to the UK as fire services continue to warn of wildfires across the country.

The Met Office said temperatures would peak on Friday in London and south-east England, which could make it the hottest day of the year so far, while temperatures could hit 23C on Thursday.

White House says order will ‘make America’s showers great again’ and ‘end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure’

A global trade-war rollercoaster was not enough to distract Donald Trump from fulfilling one of his longtime priorities on Wednesday: changing the federal definition of “shower head”, a move the White House said would “end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure”.

Trump has complained for years about inadequate water pressure in American showers, sinks and toilets, and has blamed federal water-conservation standards for the problem.