Top story: Tariffs hit 6,000 Chinese products

Good morning, this is Alison Rourke bringing you the last briefing of the week.

The US has dramatically increased trade pressure on China by raising tariffs on thousands of goods from 10% to 25%. With Chinese negotiators in Washington for trade talks that will resume this morning, the White House followed through on its midnight deadline to increase tariffs. Almost immediately Beijing said it would retaliate, sparking fears over the impact a trade war could have on the global economy. The state-run Global Times said countermeasures were expected soon from Beijing’s commerce industry.

All eyes will be on stock markets today to see how they react to the changes. In the immediate aftermath of the tariffs coming into force at 0500GMT, China’s main index, the Shanghai Composite, was up 1.5% and the Hang Seng was up too. In Tokyo the Nikkei was down around 0.8% while the Australian ASX200 was flat. China’s currency, the yuan, was up too, which suggests there’s not a huge amount of anxiety about the deal despite Beijing’s threat.

The new tariffs of 25% will hit some 6,000 products made by Chinese farms and factories, from fresh and frozen food to chemicals, textiles, metalwork, building materials, electronics and consumer goods. But they will only apply to goods leaving China after the deadline expired. “This creates an unofficial window, potentially lasting a couple of weeks, in which negotiations can continue and generates a ‘soft’ deadline to reach a deal,” investment bank Goldman Sachs said.

You can see a list of what’s going to be hit by the tariffs here , read our full coverage of the story here and stay up to date with live updates on our blog.

‘Off-rolling’ – One in four teachers in England say they have witnessed pupils being illegitimately removed from schools, often to artificially boost a school’s performance. The figures from a new survey by Ofsted suggest “off-rolling” pupils in order to manipulate exam results or rankings in league tables is widespread, despite three-quarters of teachers saying they have not seen or heard of it. Some reported that parents who were seen as “an easy touch or not well-educated” were approached informally and told it “will be difficult for their child to stay”, in the hope they move their child. “Our experience is that the vast majority of school leaders deplore off-rolling. Nevertheless, the findings of this study are worrying and we support any action to put a stop to off-rolling,” Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said. Teachers interviewed as part of the survey said league tables were a “key driver” of off-rolling, with schools feeling under pressure from parents, the education department and Ofsted.

Alcohol warning – One in five people say they have been harmed by others drinking alcohol in the past year, a new survey has found. The most common complaints were related to less serious things, such as being kept awake (8%), or feeling anxious or uncomfortable about someone’s behaviour because of alcohol (7%). But nearly one in 20 who took part in the survey of 5,000 people reported being physically threatened or hurt, or being pressured into something sexual. Men (5%) were slightly more likely than women (4%) to experience violence or aggression, while women were about twice as likely as men to say they had experienced emotional harm (5% v 2%). The most commonly cited perpetrator was a partner sharing the same home (23%).

Tommy Robinson snubbed – More than 40 charities have rejected the English Defence League founder’s pledge to donate his hypothetical European parliament salary to child victims of sexual grooming. Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – frequently singles out Muslims as being behind grooming gangs and has been accused of selectively publicising certain child sex abuse cases to promote a wider anti-Islam agenda. The coalition of women’s groups, including the End Violence Against Women and Girls Coalition, said Robinson exploited the pain suffered by victims in a self-serving attempt to fuel racial hatred. “We, as organisations and individuals fighting tirelessly against the abuse of women and girls, as survivors of abuse and their families, and as people who care about our communities, do not want your money, Tommy,” the groups said.

‘Ineffective and risky’ – Penis extensions don’t work and leave many men physically or psychologically scarred, according to new research. The treatments carry a high risk of complications, including permanent numbness, and most men are dissatisfied with the results. “These procedures should almost never be done,” said Gordon Muir, a urologist at King’s College hospital in London, whose analysis was reported in the Sexual Medicine Reviews journal. “They can cost up to £30,000 or even £40,000, often the man ends up with a penis that is disfigured and there is no more than 20% satisfaction rates with these procedures.” Complications include penile deformity, shortening, and erectile dysfunction, the journal reported.

Freddie Starr – Reports say the man who gave rise to one of the country’s most famous headlines (“Freddie Starr ate my hamster”), has died in Spain at the age of 76. Neighbours say the comedian was discovered in his chair by carers after a possible heart attack. Posts on social media pages claiming to belong to Starr appeared to confirm the news. “This is Freddie’s manager. Just to confirm Freddie has passed away. R.i.p to our greatest comedian of all time,” a brief statement on Facebook read. Starr was the lead singer of the Merseybeat group the Midnighters during the 1960s and rose to national prominence in the early 1970s after appearing on Opportunity Knocks. At the height of his fame, Starr was known by fans for his eccentric and often unpredictable behaviour. In 2012, during the Operation Yewtree investigations, police looked into an allegation of historical sexual abuse against Starr, which he said left him “suicidal”. Starr was told in 2014 he would not be prosecuted after spending 18 months on bail. He lost a damages claim against his accuser in the high court in 2015.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Freddie Starr found fame on Opportunity Knocks in the 1970s. Photograph: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock

Today in Focus podcast: Love Corbyn, hate Brexit? Labour’s EU elections dilemma

Jeremy Corbyn launched Labour’s European elections manifesto with a renewed promise to back a second Brexit referendum in certain circumstances – but to also respect the result of the first. Yet for ardently pro-Corbyn Europhiles such as Momentum’s Laura Parker, it has been a tough balancing act to support. Also today: Jason Burke on the South African election and the ANC.

Lunchtime read: Is the ‘spy’ whale actually a child therapist?

The beluga whale that drifted into Norwegian waters is so tame it retrieved a woman’s iPhone after she dropped it in the water this week. The animal’s harness, bearing the label “Equipment St Petersburg” led many to speculate it was part of of a covert Russian spying programme. Locals have christened him “hvaldimir” – hval for whale in Norwegian, and “dimir” coming from the popular Russian name Vladimir.

Play Video 0:48 Beluga whale in mystery harness harasses Norwegian boats – video

But a former Norwegian consul to the Russian city of Murmansk said the amiable beluga reminded him of a “therapy whale” he had seen a decade ago at a diving centre in northern Russia. “Maybe it wasn’t the same whale but it acted the same way,” said Morten Vikeby. “The whale has been accused of espionage. I see it as my big purpose to defend him.”

Sport

Chelsea will play Arsenal in the Europa League final, with both of Uefa’s major showpieces to be contested by Premier League sides, the first time a single nation has completed a clean sweep of participation at that level. While Unai Emery’s Arsenal were winning impressively in Valencia courtesy of a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hat-trick, Eden Hazard scored the decisive spot-kick at Stamford Bridge after Kepa Arrizabalaga had made two saves to deny Eintracht Frankfurt in a penalty shootout. The former England full-back Alex Scott, who is preparing for the Women’s World Cup, as a pundit this time, tells Suzanne Wrack that she relishes her studio clashes with Graeme Souness and she wouldn’t want him to change because she’s a woman. Joe Root has warned England’s selectors they must look beyond the runs column when choosing their Ashes top order this summer. Roger Federer saved two match points before beating Gaël Monfils at the Madrid Masters for his 1,200th win, while in the women’s draw, Ash Barty’s hot start to the year was ended by Simona Halep. And there were no fracking worries for Dave Brailsford as he unveiled Team Ineos’s youth policy for the 2019 Giro d’Italia in Bologna, personified by Tao Geoghegan Hart and Pavel Sivakov.

Business

Uber is seeking a valuation of $82.4bn, less than the $100bn it was hoping for, when it lists on the New York stock exchange on Friday. That adds up to $45 per share in the hotly anticipated listing. At that price, the company would raise $8.1bn to fund expansion into new markets and the continued development of expensive projects such as its driverless car and food-delivery divisions.

The pound was buying €1.158 and $1.300

The papers

Freddie Starr, Danny Baker, David Beckham and princes Charles and Harry ... today’s front pages have them all.

The Sun seizes its last chance to riff off its 1986 headline, with “Freddie Starr joins his hamster” after the death of the comedian. The Mirror goes for the slightly more serious “Freddie Starr found dead”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: The Guardian

The Guardian leads on an investigation showing at least five men deported from the UK to Jamaica have since been murdered. The main image is given to David Beckham’s walk of shame on the day he is banned from driving for using his phone.

The Daily Mail carries the report criticising Prince Charles’s “misguided” support for paedophile former bishop Peter Ball, and gives its pic slot to Danny Baker, who has been fired for posting an offensive tweet about Harry and Meghan’s baby. The Times also carries a single column on Prince Charles but focuses on its clean air campaign: “Wake up to air pollution, doctors tell ministers” is the headline. The image is Prince Harry with an Invictus bodysuit for little Archie.

The Telegraph says the non-emergency police hotline may soon be free to call, that school breaks are disappearing and that the Windrush scandal is undermining the fight against illegal immigration.

The i raises the prospect of a breakthrough in treatment of heart attacks, the Express quotes the health secretary as saying no one should have to sell their home to fund aged care, and the FT says Hong Kong is letting Chinese tech giants set up digital banks there.

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