Plans for a sprawling factory in rural Michigan making batteries for electric cars offer an economic lifeline, but for some residents there is a big problem: the parent company is in ChinaSet among green rolling hills and tall pines, Lori Brock’s storybook farm encapsulates northern Michigan. A five-day-old mare bucks around a pen, while small black...

Andrew Stephenson says there are concerns over its current draft but the UK would not sign up to a deal that did not respect national sovereigntyAlex Chalk, the justice secretary, is taking questions in the Commons this morning. After he finishes there are two urgent questions (UQs). At 12.30pm a Home Office minister will respond to one from Gavin Robinson,...

White House levy to protect US makers from cheap imports likely to inflame trade tensionsThe US president, Joe Biden, has announced a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles as part of a package of measures designed to protect US manufacturers from cheap imports.In a move that is likely to inflame trade tensions between the world’s two biggest...

Opposition questions extension of bilateral security treaties amid ‘gravely concerning’ reports of activities on Australian soilFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian federal police must explain why it renewed a cooperation deal with China’s ministry...

Staff at a Chinese supermarket chain can take ‘unhappy days’ whenever they want. Perhaps we’re finally recognising a basic truth: work doesn’t make us happyNo more croaky, fake phone-in-sick voice for the employees of one regional Chinese supermarket chain: the founder of Pang Dong Lai, Yu Donglai, is offering employees up to 10 days’ “unhappiness leave”.“I...

Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan’s search for the truth during the early days of the pandemic was seen as a threat by the authoritiesA Chinese citizen journalist who has been in prison for four years after reporting on the early days of the Covid-19 epidemic in Wuhan is due to be released on Monday.Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, travelled to Wuhan in February...