Britain’s deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, resigned on Friday after an investigation found she breached the ministerial code by underpaying on a property tax, in a major blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s embattled Labour government.
Rayner, a figurehead among the party’s left-wing base, had earlier this week admitted not paying enough on the flat purchase and referred herself to the government’s independent ethics adviser.
In a letter to Starmer, ethics chief, Laurie Magnus, wrote that Rayner had failed to “heed the caution” of legal advice she had received and had therefore breached the ministerial code.
“Given the findings, and the impact on my family, I have therefore decided to resign,” Rayner wrote in a letter to Starmer, adding she would also be stepping down as housing minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party.
“I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice,” Rayner said, adding she took “full responsiblity for this error”.
In his reply, Starmer told her he was “very sad” to lose her from government, but added: “You will remain a major figure in our party”.
Rayner disclosed on Wednesday that she had underpayed on the so-called stamp duty on a flat in southern England following days of reports suggesting that she had saved £40,000 ($53,000) by removing her name from the deeds of another property.
The 45-year-old has three sons, one of whom was born prematurely and is registered blind with lifelong special needs.
She said on Wednesday that after her 2023 divorce she sold her part of the family home to the trust fund to protect it for her child’s future and used the money in the flat purchase.
She paid less of the property surcharge because she claimed it was her main home rather than a second home, but later conceded this was wrong because her son is under 18 years old.
Magnus said Rayner had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service” but concluded he considered the “code to have been breached”.
Rayner had often been tipped to become Labour leader one day and has been a top target for political attacks by the Conservatives and right-wing media.
She left school with no qualifications after becoming pregnant aged 16, and has a straight-talking style that has proved popular with working-class voters.
She grew up in Stockport on the outskirts of Manchester in northwest England, living in one of the area’s most deprived social housing complexes. (Punch)
The Duchess of Kent, one of Britain’s most beloved royals, died on Thursday night at age 92, surrounded by close family, Buckingham Palace announced Friday.
“It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent,” a statement from Buckingham Palace said.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” the statement continued.
King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the British royal family will remember the duchess for her “life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,” the palace said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent his “sincere condolences” to the royal family following the death, calling the duchess “one of our hardest working royals.”
“She brought compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did,” he added.
The Prince and Princess of Wales said the duchess “will be a much missed member of the family” in a statement posted on X. “The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music,” the post said.
The King has approved a period of royal mourning to take place until the day of her funeral. Details of the funeral and who will attend have not yet been released. The Union Jack over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half mast in a sign of respect following the announcement of the duchess’ death, and the traditional framed announcement was placed on the royal residence’s railings.
During this period of royal mourning, members of the royal family and staff will wear specific clothing until the funeral. Troops on public duties and those working in the Royal Mews and Livery will wear black armbands.
The duchess may not be as well known as other members of the family to the current generation of royal-watchers as she stepped back from royal duties more than two decades ago, in 2002. However, in Britain and to tennis fans worldwide she will be remembered for the part she played at the Wimbledon tennis tournament., where she presented the trophy at the ladies’ singles final for years.
Born Katharine Worsley to an aristocratic family from Yorkshire, the duchess met her future husband, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in 1956, while he was stationed at a military barracks in northern England. She married into the royal family five years later, in 1961. Prince Edward was a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Following their wedding, the duchess became a working royal, volunteering for the Passage night shelter for the homeless, and traveling the world as an ambassador for UNICEF. The couple had three children, and another son who was stillborn. In 1994, she became the first royal to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years.
At Wimbledon, she famously cast aside royal formalities and became a consoling figure for the competition’s finalists – most notably comforting a devastated Jana Novotna following the Czech star’s defeat in the 1993 final.
Five years later, it was a different story when Novotna beat Nathalie Tauziat in the final to win the title, with the duchess on hand to present the trophy.
After stepping back from public duties in 2002, the duchess, who had a deep passion for music and played the piano, organ and violin, taught the subject at a primary school in Hull, northeastern England, for several years. She also founded Future Talent, a charity that seeks to give children equal opportunities to excel in music. (CNN)
Portuguese police have confirmed that three Britons were among the 16 people killed in Lisbon on Wednesday evening when one of the city’s funicular streetcars derailed and hurtled down a hill and into a building.
The accident, described by Portugal’s prime minister, Luís Montenegro, as “one of the biggest tragedies in our recent history”, also left 21 people injured, five of whom are in a serious condition.
A preliminary report on the crash on the Elevador da Glória is due to be released on Friday by the government’s office for air and rail accident investigations.
In a statement on Friday morning, police said the accident had killed five Portuguese citizens, three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one American, one Ukrainian, one Swiss citizen and one French person.
Police said that a German citizen thought to have died in the crash had been located alive in a hospital. Local media had reported that a German father had died and a mother was seriously hurt while their 3-year-old child suffered minor injuries.
The German foreign ministry said at least three German nationals were in hospital.
The injured also include Spanish, Israeli, Portuguese, Brazilian, Italian and French citizens, according to the executive director of Portugal’s national health service, Álvaro Santos Almeida.
Downing Street said Keir Starmer was deeply saddened to hear of the death of the three Britons.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister is deeply saddened to hear that three British nationals have died in the funicular crash in Lisbon. His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident. We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time.”
The wreckage of the Elevador da Glória vehicle was removed from the scene on Thursday night and taken by police for examination as a day of national mourning ended. The chief police investigator, Nelson Oliveira, said a preliminary police report, which would have a broader scope, was expected within 45 days.
Investigators have not found any evidence of sabotage, leaving mechanical failures or maintenance issues among the possible causes.
The Glória line carries about 3 million people, tourists and residents annually. Its two cars, each capable of carrying about 40 people, are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, with traction provided by electric motors on the cars.
On Thursday, the leader of the Fectrans union, Manuel Leal, told a local television station that workers had complained that problems with the tension of the cable that hauls the carriages had made braking difficult, but added it was too early to say if that had caused the crash.
Carris, the municipal public transport company that operates the service, said “all maintenance protocols” had been carried out, including monthly and weekly service programmes and daily inspections.
The president of Carris, Pedro de Brito Bogas, said the streetcar, which had been in service since 1914, underwent a scheduled full-maintenance programme last year and the company conducted a 30-minute visual inspection of it every day.
At a news conference, he said the streetcar had last been inspected nine hours before the derailment, but did not detail the visual inspection, nor specify when questioned whether all the cables had been tested.
Hundreds of people, including the prime minister, Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, attended a solemn mass at Lisbon’s church of Saint Dominic on Thursday evening.
On Thursday afternoon, the prime minister called the crash a “tragic accident that transcends borders and a pain that knows no nationality”, and promised a quick investigation to establish what had gone wrong.
“The competent authorities will swiftly carry out the necessary investigations to determine the cause of this tragic accident,” he said. “We will determine all responsibilities with a sense of respect for all those who suffered and are suffering the effects of this accident.”
Moedas said there were no words to describe the pain the city was feeling. “We’re gathering all the information to determine who is responsible. The city needs answers,” said Lisbon’s mayor. (Guardian)
US President Donald Trump is directing that the Pentagon be known as the Department of War.
He will sign an executive order on Friday for the Department of Defense to use the new name as a secondary title and for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to be known as Secretary of War.
The Pentagon – which oversees the US armed services – is the successor to the War Department, which was first established as a cabinet-level agency in 1789 and existed until 1947.
The responsibility of creating executive departments rests with the US Congress, meaning that an amendment would be required to legally change the department’s name.
The BBC has seen the text of the executive order, which says: “The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.”
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of the name change, arguing that the US had “an unbelievable history of victory” in both world wars under the previous name.
He has also expressed optimism that lawmakers would support such a change.
“I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t even think we need that,” the president said last week. “But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along.”
Trump and Hegseth have sought to refocus the department on “warfighting” and a “warrior ethos”.
They have argued that the department has become too focused on diversity, equity and inclusion programmes and “woke ideology”. (BBC)
Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, king of a high-end lifestyle empire, has died at the age of 91, “surrounded by his loved ones”, his company said on Thursday.
“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” it said in a statement.
The best-known contemporary designer, Armani, opened his fashion house in Milan in 1975, quickly rising to the top of the industry and going on to dress the stars.
His funeral will be private, the group said, but well-wishers can pay respects beforehand at a funeral chamber open on Saturday and Sunday in Milan.
“Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” the company said.
“Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects,” the company said.
Armani had cancelled his menswear show in Milan this year due to health reasons. He also missed the Paris Armani Prive show on doctors’ orders.
“My doctors advised more rest, even though I felt ready.”
He added that he had “followed and overseen every aspect of the show remotely”, stressing: “I approved and signed off on everything you will see.”
The Italian icon was credited with inventing red-carpet fashion, but also moved into a younger and less expensive range through Emporio Armani, and opened luxury hotels.
His death came just weeks ahead of celebrations marking 50 years of his eponymous label.
Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli led the tributes, paying homage to “a leading figure in Italian culture, who was able to transform elegance into a universal language”.
“His understated and innovative style redefined the relationship between fashion, cinema, and society, leaving an indelible mark on contemporary culture,” he said.
“He was not only a master of fashion, but also a recognised ambassador of Italian identity around the world.” (Punch)
US officials have further restricted visitor visas for Palestinians, by denying them to almost all applicants who use a Palestinian passport, media reports say.
The development comes days after 80 Palestinian officials were denied visas ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Earlier in August, visitor visas were paused for people hoping to travel from the Palestinian territory of Gaza. This newly-reported decree would affect a wider group – including people living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Department of State did not explicitly confirm the move but said it was “taking concrete steps in compliance with US law and our national security”.
The decision was issued in a diplomatic cable dated 18 August, the New York Times and CNN reported.
US consular officers were told to refuse non-immigrant visas to “all otherwise eligible Palestinian Authority passport holders”, the communication was quoted as saying.
That would apply to Palestinians hoping to come to the US for a range of purposes, including for business, study or medical treatment.
The move meant that officials would be required to perform a further review of each applicant, which amounted to a blanket ban on issuing visas to Palestinians, the New York Times added in its report.
Palestinians who are able to make visa applications using other passports were said to be unaffected.
It is not clear what prompted the reported move, though the Trump administration has been steadfast in its support for Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
The news also follows last month’s announcements by a number of other US allies – including the UK, Canada and France – that they would recognise a Palestinian state on certain conditions. US Vice-President JD Vance has said Washington has “no plans” to follow suit.
The Trump administration has also cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
The move represents a further toughening of the president’s stance on visas, following two earlier measures.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was among a group of dozens of Palestinian officials who were recently blocked from attending the UN General Assembly session in New York later this month, after US officials revoked his visa and accused the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), both of which Abbas leads, of undermining peace efforts.
And the Department of State said on 16 August it had paused approvals of visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza specifically, so that a review could take place.
Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the US, governed Gaza when hundreds of its armed fighters attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The attack triggered a massive and ongoing Israeli military offensive, in which at least 63,459 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The US visa policy has effectively been extended now to include people from the West Bank and wider Palestinian diaspora.
Asked about the latest move, a Department of State spokesperson’s statement said: “The Trump administration is taking concrete steps in compliance with US law and our national security in regards to announced visa restrictions and revocations for PA (Palestinian Authority) passport holders. We refer you to those public announcements for more information on those restrictions and revocations.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for PA passport holders accordingly.” (BBC)
The Trump administration has moved to terminate almost 500 employees of federally funded news organisation Voice of America (VOA).
The step is the latest in President Donald Trump’s drive to strip back the outlet, which the White House has accused of being “radical”.
Acting CEO of VOA’s parent agency, Kari Lake, said the decision would “help reduce the federal bureaucracy, improve agency service, and save the American people more of their hard-earned money.” A union representing employees called the step illegal in a statement to the New York Times.
VOA was set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda, and has become a major global broadcaster.
The outlet is overseen by the Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which said a total of 532 positions would be eliminated. The majority of those employees are from VOA, which would be left with 108 staff, according to a court filing.
In June, Lake announced 639 employees would be terminated, although the notices were later rescinded due to paperwork errors. Some employees also filed lawsuits to block the terminations.
The announcement late on Friday night came a day after a judge ruled the Trump administration had not followed proper procedures in its attempt to fire VOA’s director, Michael Abramowitz. The judge also ordered Lake to sit for a deposition, where she would be questioned by lawyers.
The lawsuit was brought by a group of agency employees trying to block attempts to close down VOA.
“We find Lake’s continued attacks on our agency abhorrent,” they said in a statement to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
“We are looking forward to her deposition to hear whether her plan to dismantle VOA was done with the rigorous review process that Congress requires. So far we have not seen any evidence of that, and as such we will continue to fight for what we believe to be our rights under the law.”
Most of VOA’s journalists have been on administrative leave since March but some Farsi-speaking staff were called back as war between Israel and Iran broke out this summer.
The notices will also not affect journalists working in its Office of Cuba Broadcasting division, which broadcasts news in Spanish from Miami.
Critics say Trump’s attempts to strip back VOA amount to an attack on press freedom, and impacts America’s ability to exercise soft power abroad. The administration has accused the outlet of being “anti-Trump” and “radical”.
VOA broadcasts TV, radio and digital content in almost 50 languages. (BBC)
More than 800 people have been killed and at least 2,800 injured after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan, a spokesperson for the country’s Taliban government has said.
Health authorities in the capital Kabul, however, said the numbers could change as they worked to reach remote areas.
The earthquake struck the country’s northeastern province of Kunar near the Pakistan border at 11.47pm local time (8.17pm UK time) on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said.
The quake’s epicentre was near Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, at a depth of 8.7 miles (14km). Jalalabad is situated about 74 miles (119km) from Kabul.
There was a second earthquake in the same province about 20 minutes later, with a magnitude of 4.5 and a depth of 6.2 miles (10km). This was later followed by a 5.2 earthquake at the same depth.
“All our… teams have been mobilised to accelerate assistance, so that comprehensive and full support can be provided,” interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Maten Qanee told Reuters news agency, citing efforts in areas from security to food and health.
Homes of mud and stone were levelled by the midnight quake and several villages completely destroyed in Kunar province, officials said.
Rescuers searched for survivors in several districts of the mountainous province where the quake hit.
Images showed helicopters ferrying aid out to the affected, and residents helping soldiers and medics carry the wounded to ambulances.
Footage from Nangarhar province showed people frantically digging through rubble with their hands, searching for loved ones in the dead of night.
Hundreds of injured people have been taken to hospital, a local official said, with figures likely to rise.
Ziaul Haq Mohammadi, a student at Al-Falah University in Jalalabad, was studying in his room at home when the quake struck. He said he was knocked over by the power of the tremor.
“We spent the whole night in fear and anxiety because at any moment another earthquake could happen,” he said.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, said: “Sadly, tonight’s earthquake has caused loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces.
“Local officials and residents are currently engaged in rescue efforts for the affected people. Support teams from the centre and nearby provinces are also on their way.”
He added “all available resources will be utilised to save lives”.
According to earlier reports, 30 people were killed in a single village.
“The number of casualties and injuries is high, but since the area is difficult to access, our teams are still on site,” said health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman.
Earlier, an Afghan foreign office spokesperson said “no foreign governments have reached out to provide support for rescue or relief work”.
Later, India said it had delivered 1,000 family tents to Kabul and was moving 15 tonnes of food material to Kunar, with more aid to be sent on Tuesday. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said it was ready to provide disaster relief assistance “according to Afghanistan’s needs and within its capacity”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said its mission in Afghanistan was preparing to help those in areas devastated by the quake.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, described the disaster as “a perfect storm”.
He told Sky News: “It is very tragic. We have very little information as of yet, but already reports of hundreds of people killed and many more made homeless.
“It is a country that is already suffering from a multiplicity of crises – there is a big drought, Iran has sent back almost two million people, Pakistan is trying to do the same with Afghans living there – and of course, it is extremely difficult to mobilise resources because of the Taliban.
“It’s a perfect storm, and this earthquake, likely to have been quite devastating, is just going to add to the misery. So, a strong appeal to all of those who can help.”
Kate Carey, an officer at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), warned of the risk of landslides due to heavy rainfall in affected areas.
She also said the shrinking of funding for Afghanistan, led by US aid cuts, was hampering the response to the quake.
Ms Carey said: “The actual delivery of response has been badly hit by the funding cuts this year, but also the number of people we have on the ground is much less than we would have had six months ago.” (SkyNews)
Chinese President Xi Jinping began welcoming dignitaries including United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and Egyptian Premier Moustafa Madbouly on Saturday before a summit attended by leaders from more than 20 countries.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering will be held in the northern port city of Tianjin on Sunday and Monday, days before a massive military parade in nearby Beijing to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will be among some 26 world leaders slated to attend the parade.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Sixteen more countries are affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also due to arrive in Tianjin ahead of the summit.
China and Russia have used the organisation — sometimes touted as a counter to the Western-dominated NATO military alliance — to deepen ties with Central Asian states.
Other leaders including Iranian and Turkish presidents Masoud Pezeshkian and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend the bloc’s largest meeting since its founding in 2001.
Multiple bilateral meetings are expected to be held on the sidelines of the summit.
The Kremlin said on Friday that Putin will discuss the Ukraine conflict with Erdogan on Monday.
Turkey has hosted three rounds of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this year that have failed to break the deadlock over how to end the conflict, triggered when Moscow launched its invasion of its pro-European neighbour in February 2022.
Putin will also talk about Tehran’s nuclear programme on Monday with his Iranian counterpart Pezeshkian, a meeting that comes as Iran faces fresh Western pressure.
Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, triggered a “snapback” mechanism on Thursday to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran for failing to comply with commitments made in a 2015 deal over its nuclear programme.
Russia’s foreign ministry warned that the reimposition of sanctions against Iran risked “irreparable consequences”.
Tehran and Moscow have been bolstering political, military and economic ties over the past decade as Russia drifted away from the West.
Relations between them grew even closer after Moscow launched its offensive against Ukraine.
Modi’s visit comes after a trip to Japan, and is his first to China since 2018.
The world’s two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.
A thaw began last October when Modi met with Xi for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia. (Punch)
A US appeals court has ruled that most tariffs issued by US President Donald Trump are illegal, setting up a potential legal showdown that could upend his foreign policy agenda.
The ruling affects Trump’s so-called “reciprocal” tariffs, imposed on most countries around the world, as well as other tariffs slapped on China, Mexico and Canada.
In a 7-4 decision, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected Trump’s argument that the tariffs were permitted under an emergency economic powers act, calling them “invalid as contrary to law”.
The ruling will not take effect until 14 October, to give the administration time to ask the US Supreme Court to take up the case.
Trump criticised the appeals court and its ruling on Truth Social, saying: “If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America.”
He wrote: “Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end.
“If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong.”
Trump had justified the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president the power to act against “unusual and extraordinary” threats.
Trump has declared a national emergency on trade, arguing that a trade imbalance was harmful to US national security. But the court ruled that imposing tariffs was not within the president’s mandate, and that setting levies was “a core Congressional power”.
In its 127-page judgement, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the IEEPA “neither mentions tariffs (or any of its synonyms) nor has procedural safeguards that contain clear limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs”.
The power to impose taxes and tariffs therefore continues to belong to Congress, the court ruled, and the IEEPA did not override this.
The court wrote that it was unlikely that, when Congress passed the law in 1977, it was intended to “depart from its past practice and grant the president unlimited authority to impose tariffs”.
“Whenever Congress intends to delegate to the president the authority to impose tariffs, it does so explicitly, either by using unequivocal terms like tariff and duty, or via an overall structure which makes clear that Congress is referring to tariffs,” the judges wrote.
The ruling comes in response to two lawsuits filed by small businesses and a coalition of US states.
They were brought after Trump’s executive orders in April, which imposed a baseline 10% tariff on almost every country in the world, as well as “reciprocal” tariffs intended to correct trade imbalances with dozens of countries. Trump declared the date to be America’s “liberation day” from unfair trade policies.
In May, the New York-based Court of International Trade declared the tariffs were unlawful. That decision was put on hold during the appeal process.
In addition to those tariffs, Friday’s ruling also strikes down tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, which Trump argues are necessary to stop the importation of drugs.
However, the decision does not apply to other tariffs, like those imposed on steel and aluminium, which were brought in under a different presidential authority.
Ahead of the ruling, lawyers for the White House argued that invalidating the tariffs would lead to a 1929-style financial collapse, a stock market crash which led to the Great Depression.
“Suddenly revoking the president’s tariff authority under IEEPA would have catastrophic consequences for our national security, foreign policy, and economy,” they wrote in a letter.
“The president believes that our country would not be able to pay back the trillions of dollars that other countries have already committed to pay, which could lead to financial ruin.”
The ruling also raises questions about deals some nations agreed with the US for reduced tariffs rates.
The latest development means the case is now almost certain to head to the Supreme Court, which has in recent years taken a sceptical view toward presidents who try to implement sweeping new policies that are not directly authorised by Congress.
During Joe Biden’s presidency, the court expanded on what it called the “major questions doctrine” to invalidate Democratic efforts to use existing laws to limit greenhouse gas emissions by power plants and to forgive student loan debt for millions of Americans.
The top court’s nine justices, if they agree to consider the case, could weigh whether Trump’s expansive tariff programme is another example of presidential overreach or sufficiently grounded in law and presidential authority.
Even though the appellate court handed the president a defeat, the White House may take solace in the fact that only three of the court’s 11 judges were appointed by Republicans.
The Supreme Court has six Republican appointees, including three who were selected by Trump himself. (BBC)
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