UK trade secretary says ‘essential steps’ happening ‘at pace’ to turn UK-US tariff pact into deal – as it happened

UK trade minister Jonathan Reynolds has said “essential steps” are taking place “at pace” to turn Keir Starmer’s recent tariff pact with Donald Trump into an implementable deal that once entered into force will see 27.5% tariffs on cars and 25% tariffs on steel eliminated.He was speaking at a brief press conference in Brussels, unveiling 13 new partnerships with third countries to develop critical minerals supplies, including one pact to financially support Tungsten West, a closed mine in Devon.Reynolds welcomed Trump’s decision last might to British made steel and aluminium from the a doubling to a 50% tariff saying it “reflects the recent breakthroughs” with the US.But he added:The two essential steps we are continuing to progress at pace is, first of all, the implementation of the agreement we have on sectoral tariffs

A race against time: what now for Thames Water after rescue deal collapses?

Thames Water came close to collapse this year as it almost ran out of money. But after agreeing to exclusive takeover talks with the US private equity company KKR, the debt-laden utility was hoping for a quieter period as it sorted out the details.Those hopes were extinguished on Tuesday after KKR said it was withdrawing its bid – to the shock of Thames Water and its creditors.It is those creditors, some of whom bought Thames’s debt at a big discount in the hope of a quick profit, who have been left – without warning – with the responsibility of pulling together billions of pounds to carry out a turnaround that could take 15 years.Thames Water has been through a tumultuous year already

Luxury Airbnbs: tell us what got you into running one, or booking a stay at one

High-quality finishes, amenities such as pools, saunas, snooker tables and firepits, or a prime location: luxury Airbnb-style rentals are on the rise, amid a skyrocketing demand for holiday stays at exclusive and often very large properties that can cost thousands per night.We’re interested to hear from both owners of luxury short-term rentals and from guests who have booked stays at them.If you own a luxury Airbnb or similar type of holiday let, tell us what made you enter this market, and how business has been. If you’ve stayed at such a property, share what your experience was like, and what drew you to booking it.Tell us what got you into running a luxury Airbnb-style rental, and what business has been like, or what got you into booking a stay at such a property

Surface Laptop 13in review: Microsoft’s cheaper, more compact Windows 11 machine

Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop is smaller and cheaper, managing to condense most of what is great about its larger siblings into a more compact frame without compromising too much on power.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The Surface Laptop 13in joins the current seventh-generation Laptop 13

Jannik Sinner storms past Alexander Bublik to reach French Open semi-finals

Half an hour into his first appearance in a grand slam quarter-final, Alexander Bublik pumped his fist to the sky and smiled widely. The source of the 27-year-old’s joy, however, was not a blazing start to the biggest match of his career or the hope that he could take his run even further. He had simply won his first game.After the jubilation of breaking new ground in Paris, Bublik’s fairytale came to a harsh end as he was picked apart by Jannik Sinner, the world No 1, who continued his march through the French Open draw with another relentless performance and a 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 win.Five matches into his tournament, Sinner is still to drop a set

Epsom aims to put showpiece Classic back at level of Kentucky Derby

Having staged the draw for last year’s Derby with hand-scrawled ping-pong balls outside the local Wetherspoons, the only way was up before the 246th running of the Epsom Classic and there was a welcome sense of occasion and sporting heritage as 19 runners – the biggest field since 2003 – were handed their spots in the starting stalls for the race on Saturday.For that, thanks were due in no small measure to the Football Association, which agreed to lend its famous balls, velvet bag and Perspex bowl, familiar from FA Cup draws gone by, for the ceremony. As Willie Carson, four times a winner of the Classic and on hand to draw the stall numbers, pointed out during the rehearsal, the FA’s crest was still obvious on the bag.But if a little borrowing from elsewhere can help to rebuild the Derby’s popularity and status, both locally and further afield, then Jim Allen, Epsom’s new general manager, will ask away. “I came here [to the local Picturehouse] to watch a movie a few months ago, and I thought it would be an ideal venue for the draw,” Allen said on Wednesday