As Xi Jinping prepares to host Donald Trump for a delayed summit in Beijing on May 14-15, a lot has changed since the US president’s last visit to China in November 2017. Trump’s first trade war with China began in earnest the following year, ushering in a new era of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Trump will travel to Beijing in the wake of a US Supreme Court ruling in February that struck down his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The Trump administration responded by imposing a 10% universal tariff on all goods coming into the US, but it’s time limited to 150 days under US law and will expire on July 24. Since the ruling, both China and the US have also launched investigations into each other’s trade practices.

Before the Supreme Court ruling, the effective tariff rate on Chinese goods into the US was 47%. Now, researchers at Yale put the effective tariff rate at between 19-24%. The range reflects different scenarios for what might happen after July, and factors in tariffs on other goods, such as steel, aluminium and copper, not covered by the ruling.

And yet, amid all the tit-for-tat on tariffs, China reported a record trade surplus in 2025 of US$1.2 trillion. How did it manage it?

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to economist Jiao Wang at the University of Sussex, about how decisions China took over the past two decades, meant it was able to protect itself from the worst of Trump’s trade wars.

Wang explains that while the direct trade between the US and China fell sharply in 2025, “it was more than compensated by the increase in trade to other part of the world. We already observed this great reallocation in the first trade war, and then in the second trade war, the conclusion is it becomes even more prominent.”

She traces the history of this great reallocation to understand what moves China made to decouple its economy from the west, and the strategy its now pursuing on global trade.

Listen to the interview with Jiao Wang on The Conversation Weekly podcast.

This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and the executive producer was Gemma Ware. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

Newsclips in this episode from APArchive, WSBTTV News, Max Media Asia, Al Jazeera English, CNA, BBCNews, CNBC Television, DW News, France 24 English, CNN, Global News and NBC News.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.

It follows sunny spells and a return to Spring temperatures over the weekend

After a relatively dry and sunny weekend, the week ahead is set to be more of a mixed bag across Northern Ireland.

The Met Office forecast for the region shows a mix of sunshine, rain showers, and wind, with temperatures turning “rather cold” for a time by the middle of the week.

It comes as we experienced a return of sunny spells and Spring temperatures over the weekend, after parts of the country experienced the coldest May night in five years last week.

READ MORE: Northern Ireland’s weather week as UK is forecast 30 hours of wintry showersREAD MORE: Warning over dangerous viral squishy toy trend causing severe burns to children

Across the UK, weather maps have suggested there could be a 30 hour period of uninterrupted wintry precipitation in the week ahead.

However, Northern Ireland is forecast to escape the worst of these colder conditions, with the wintry weather set to stay on the other side of the Irish Sea.

Here is what you can expect from the weather in Northern Ireland this week.

Monday:

Any remaining overnight rain in south soon clearing the a dry day with some good spells of sunshine. Cloudier again in evening with a little rain in west. Maximum temperature 13 C.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Early rain on Tuesday then sunny spells and showers. Rather cold Wednesday with heavy showers and occasionally strong northwesterly winds, the showers and winds easing on Thursday.

Long-range forecast, May 15 – 24:

Changeable and at times rather unsettled conditions look to dominate through the middle part of May, with low pressure often close by. This means periods of rain or showers, some of which could be heavy, for many places, though some drier interludes are also expected.

For the most part, temperatures are likely to be close to or perhaps a little below normal, with winds often blowing from a northwesterly quadrant. By the end of this period, pressure may increase towards the southwest, which could bring more in the way of dry weather here.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

BEIRUT (AP) — Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a Tehran hospital more than a week after collapsing in prison, her foundation said Sunday.

Her transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical. Her foundation said she has been granted a prison sentence suspension on bail. It was not clear for how long her sentence is suspended, the foundation said.

Mohammadi had been imprisoned since December in Zanjan prison. She lost consciousness twice and was transferred to a local hospital on May 1.

A statement from her foundation, shared with The Associated Press, said the suspended sentence is not enough and that Mohammadi needs “permanent, specialized care.”

The statement added that “we must ensure she never returns to prison to face the 18 years remaining on her sentence. Now is the time to demand her unconditional freedom and the dismissal of all charges.”

Mohammadi’s Iran-based lawyer Mostafa Nili said on social media the transfer order was issued following the decision of the Legal Medicine Organization — government-appointed medical examiners — “which stated that, due to her multiple illnesses, she needs to continue treatment outside prison and under the supervision of her own medical team.”

There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.

Mohammadi’s brother Hamidreza Mohammadi, who is based in Oslo, Norway, had said medical examiners previously recommended her transfer to Tehran but the decision was blocked. He blamed Iran’s intelligence agency.

“I’m relieved now. I can breathe lightly,” her brother told the AP in a message.

The 53-year-old rights activist and champion of women’s rights was awarded the Nobel in 2023 while in prison and has been jailed repeatedly throughout her career. Her current imprisonment began when she was arrested in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

Mohammadi’s family said her health had been deteriorating in prison, in part because she was heavily beaten during her arrest. She had a heart attack in March and has a blood clot in her lung since before her imprisonment that needs blood thinners and monitoring to manage it.

Since being taken to the Zanjan hospital’s cardiac care unit, Mohammadi’s blood pressure had been swinging between extremely low and extremely high, and she was receiving oxygen to breathe and can’t talk, according to her brother.

The Nobel committee had called on Iranian authorities to immediately transfer Mohammadi to her dedicated medical team in Tehran, saying that “without such treatment, her life remains at risk.”

Adolescence was the big winner at the BAFTA TV Awards this evening, whilst it was also a great night for Celebrity Traitors, who picked up two awards tonight including a public-voted one

Adolescence was the big winner at the BAFTA TV Awards this evening.

The award show – which is currently airing on the BBC and was recorded earlier today – is back for another year, with a string of famous faces walking the red carpet.

It was a big night for Netflix’s Adolescence, with Owen Cooper and Christina Tremarco winning in Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Stephen Graham won Leading Actor and there was an award for the show itself for Limited Drama.

Collecting his gong, Owen said: “Wow, it’s heavy the award. A year ago, I was presenting one and now I am collecting one. Thank you to the Adolescence family, and they are family now. Yous have travelled me and my mum and dad across the world.”

He then quoted John Lennon and added: “You only need three things in life to succeed, an obsession, a dream and the Beatles.”

Christine added: “Oh my goodness. Thank you so much Bafta. I feel so privileged to be standing up here holding this Bafta. I feel so honoured to be a part of Adolescence. I hold this Bafta high to Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters. Thank you for giving me Manda.”

It was also a good night for Celebrity Traitors, who won in the Reality category.

Host Claudia Winkleman said: “Bafta thank you so so much. This is unbelievable. It is such an honour to be part of it. This is for our extraordinary cast who played with gusto and their entire hearts.” She then handed the Bafta to Alan Carr, who jokingly went to the front of the stage holding the award, before being pushed off stage by Paloma Faith.

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BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises winners in full:

Supporting Actor: Owen Cooper – Adolescence

Supporting Actress: Christine Tremarco – Adolescence

Reality: The Celebrity Traitors

Scripted Comedy: Amandaland

Specialist Factual (given in honour of Huw Wheldon): Simon Schama: The Road To Auschwitz

Factual Series: See No Evil

Children’s: Non-scripted: World.War.Me (Sky Kids Investigates)

Children’s: Scripted: Crongton

Entertainment Programme (given in honour of Lew Grade): Last One Laughing

Limited Drama: Adolescence

Single Documentary (given in honour of Robert Flaherty): Grenfell: Uncovered

Short Form: Hustle and Run

Live Event: VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember

Actor in a Comedy: Steve Coogan

Actress in a Comedy: Katherine Parkinson

Soap: EastEnders

Sports Coverage: Uefa Women’s Euro 2025

Daytime: Scam Interceptors

Best Current Affairs: Gaza: Doctors Under Attack

Best News Coverage: Israel-Iran: The Twelve Day War

BAFTA Television Special Award: Martin Lewis

Most Memorable TV Moment: The Celebrity Traitors – Alan Carr wins

International: The Studio

BAFTA Fellowship: Mary Berry

Best Entertainment Performance: Bob Mortimer for Last One Laughing

Drama Series: Code of Silence

Leading Actress: Narges Rashidi

Leading Actor: Stephen Graham

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The one-act play, which was originally performed at York Theatre Royal will run until Saturday (May 30) at London’s Royal Court Theatre.

The play centres on Krapp, a solitary, ageing man who spends his 69th birthday reminiscing about his younger self – whose dreams and ambitions never materialised.

Recommended reading:

The character’s painful self-reflection is mirrored by his attempts to record a new tape, shrouded in the torments of his memories.

Gary Oldman, who himself began his long esteemed acting career at York Theatre Royal, will play the role of Krapp as part the play’s 70th anniversary season.

It came after the actor starred and directed in the play in York in May 2025.

Speaking about this, CEO of York Theatre Royal, Paul Crewes, said: “Working with Gary on our production of Krapp’s Last Tape was remarkable and we are delighted that even more people will get the opportunity to see his extraordinary performance in this landmark play.

“It was first performed at the Royal Court 67 years ago and it’s so wonderfully fitting that it makes a return as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations.”

The London run will take place at the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.

Each performance will open with Godot’s To-Do List, a Beckett-inspired short play by Jerwood New Playwright Leo Simpe-Asante.

More information can be found here.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor pointed out “it’s in our hands” after Sunday’s “huge win” over their city rivals.

Only defeat by Motherwell on Wednesday, combined with a Hearts win, will prevent a final-day showdown.

Nevertheless O’Neill believes Celtic still have “two mountains to climb” if he is to lead them to the Scottish title for a fourth time – and his first in 22 years.

“I’ve never been confident,” the 74-year-old Northern Irishman said. “People have said to me about momentum and momentum can get shifted at any given moment.

“We have to win because I would expect Hearts to win. We’ve a really difficult match at Motherwell, but I think the run that we’re on gives us confidence to compete.”

O’Neill would not be drawn on whether it would be his final Old Firm derby when asked if a league and cup double might persuade him to stay on at Celtic.

However, Lennon thinks giving the veteran a winning send-off will be another motivating factor for the players.

Hearts are unbeaten against Celtic this season, winning two of the three meetings, but Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday also pointed to the O’Neill factor as potentially crucial.

“Of Celtic’s January signings, none are in the starting line-up,” the former Hearts and Rangers player said. “So what he’s done is make all the players Celtic already had at their disposal better.

“Celtic are on a five-game winning run. You talk about mentality and playing your best level at the right time and Celtic have hit theirs now.

“But Hearts, for 30 weeks in a row now, are just finding ways to win, so it’s going to be a very interesting finish.

“We were salivating for these post-split fixtures and they’ve been everything we hoped for. I don’t think that’s going to change.”

The have-a-go hero, 71, challenged the youngster who was carrying a metal wrench.

A have-a-go pensioner bravely confronted a “tooled-up youth” who alleged threatened a tourist in Edinburgh. The shocking scenes were caught on camera at Hunter Square in the city at 8pm on May 7.

The hooded thug, who is wearing a black tracksuit, can be seen holding a weapon as he allegedly steals a bike, in footage shared with Edinburgh Live.

The young thug can be seen pulling a bicycle from the rack while being confronted by a tourist. The youth then swings a weapon, understood to be a metal wrench, towards the man.

A plucky pensioner then confronts the youngster in a bid to scare him off, before he flees the scene with the bicycle.

The 71-year-old local, who did not want to be identified said: “I witnessed the bike theft and tried to stop the thief at Hunter Square. The youth was dressed in black and attempted to hit me and hit another man with a metal wrench.

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“I trust someone can help identify the youth who was in a group of three – one riding a bike. Being a lot older and less mobile and faced with a young weapon yielding thug. I was in a vulnerable position and unable to chase or hold the bike.”

Police Scotland confirmed they were aware of a bike theft in the city and said an investigation is underway to get to the bottom of what happened and find the person involved.

A force spokesperson said: “On Thursday, 7 May, 2026, officers received reports of the theft of bikes on Hunter Square, Edinburgh. Enquiries are ongoing.”

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Greg Davies is hosting the BAFTA TV Awards tonight and has been candid about his three-stone weight loss using Ozempic after a doctor’s warning, and the lasting effect it has had on his appetite

Greg Davies has revealed a difficulty he encountered following a three-stone weight reduction. The 57-year-old resorted to Ozempic after being cautioned by his GP.

Ozempic is a medication used to treat people with type 2 diabetes helping to manage blood sugar levels (HbA1c) by stimulating insulin secretion, reducing liver glucose production, and slowing digestion. But many people use it to lose weight, including Greg.

The Taskmaster host explains he chose the treatment after his doctor warned he would “look obese” were it not for his 6ft 8in stature. Yet after dropping the weight, Greg determined to discontinue using the treatment.

Speaking to The Times, the comic stated: “Three stone fell off me. But I didn’t really like it, it made me a bit gaunt.”

Greg nevertheless acknowledges he now confronts a challenge after taking the treatment. He continued: “My appetite’s never gone back to the way it was. I can’t ram things in the way I used to.”

While Greg concedes he desired to shed weight, he has previously confessed he isn’t frightened of growing older, even considering it might benefit his profession. He told The Times: “I think that’s probably good in my game, isn’t it?”

The Inbetweeners performer has cultivated a comedic approach that he describes frequently involves “turning the gun on myself”. He routinely makes jokes about his embarrassing masturbation experience as a teenager, the dimensions of his own penis, and his struggles with an enlarged prostate.

He explains that his choice to direct jokes at himself stems from his appearance. He says he “looks weird” and describes himself as a “pot-bellied giant”.

Greg, however, believes it is a “very British style of humour”. Despite this, it still managed to win over Hollywood star Ryan Gosling, who dissolved into fits of laughter during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show in 2016 when Greg recounted a bout of diarrhoea that struck him while wearing his mother’s underwear.

He acknowledges that making himself the target of the joke feels “safer”. He added: “I know who the victim of that material is – it’s me – and I know that I can take it.”

Greg will host the prestigious annual Bafta ceremony tonight from London’s Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with the event broadcasting from 7pm on BBC One.

He succeeds actor Alan Cumming, who presented the 2025 television awards show and who recently also hosted the Bafta film awards in 2026.

Greg said: “I see the whole event as an opportunity to wave a flag for this beloved medium and, with the exception of one commissioner, two execs and a co-star that I have personal beef with, I will do everything I can to ensure it’s a night of warm celebration for all.”

Stand-in captain Charlie Dean and 18-year-old debutant Tilly Corteen-Coleman salvaged a tense one-wicket victory from an underwhelming overall performance to ensure England’s summer began with a win in the first-one day international against New Zealand.

Despite dismissing the White Ferns for 210, England, who open the T20 World Cup at Edgbaston in a month, leaked runs in the field and then slipped to 160-7 in their chase at Chester-le-Street.

And while tailender Lauren Bell put on an important 35 with Dean, 10 were still needed when last batter Corteen-Coleman emerged.

However, the teenager appeared as nerveless as she did in taking 2-49.

She finished three not out while Dean, who was crucially dropped with seven run required, ended unbeaten on 31 as England won in the penultimate over.

But though England are able to celebrate the win, there remains plenty of room for improvement before the World Cup.

Maia Bouchier put down a straightforward chance offered by Georgia Plimmer, while a number of misfields helped New Zealand to their score, with Maddy Green hitting 88 and Amelia Kerr 55 as their fielding problems returned.

The remaining ODIs in the three-match series are on Wednesday and Saturday.

After that the World Cup preparation ramps up when the teams switch to the T20 format.

Emergency services were called but it was only later the body of a man aged in his 90s was discovered in the wreckage

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An investigation has been launched following the death of a man after an explosion and fire tore through a property on Saturday evening (May 9).

Emergency services rushed to Church Lane in Selston at 7.18pm, where the body of a man in his 90s was later recovered from the wreckage. Sadly, despite the best efforts of emergency crews, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Firefighters from across Nottinghamshire, including Ashfield, attended the incident, and nearby residents were urged to keep their doors and windows shut. Road closures were put in place at the junction of Church Lane and Station Road, and Church Lane and Stoney Lane, but have since been lifted, reports Nottinghamshire Live.

Residents in the surrounding area were evacuated while emergency services worked at the scene. A joint police and fire investigation remains ongoing to determine the cause of the blast.

Detective Sergeant Millie Gillett, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with the man’s family at this difficult time. They continue to be supported by our officers.

“There is no indication at this stage of any wider threat to the public, and it’s being treated as an isolated incident. I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation of local residents and thank them for their patience.”

Group Manager Jonathan Holford, of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, stated: “On behalf of everyone at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS), we would like to express our sincere condolences to the man’s family, friends and all those affected by this tragic incident.

“Our crews worked alongside partner agencies throughout the incident, and we would also like to thank local residents for their patience and cooperation while emergency services carried out their work.”

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