The looming prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency has sparked fears of a global trade war after he pledged to impose tariffs on all goods imported from US trading partners.

The UK could well find itself in the "firing line" if Trump's administration does bring in these levies, said The Guardian. Britain's trading relationship with the US is worth "more than £300bn a year, at a time when links with the EU are still boxed in by Brexit".

What are the potential Trump tariffs?
During Trump's previous term, he introduced a series of tariffs targeting "hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese goods", citing unfair trade policies and intellectual property theft, said Newsweek.

This time around, his campaign rhetoric suggested he could impose a blanket tariff of 10% to 20% on all goods from US trading partners, with even higher tariffs of up to 60% for China and up to 100% for Mexico. Such a move would cause major disruption to the global economy, including the UK's.

How would tariffs impact the UK?
The US is the UK's largest export market, so any tariffs imposed on British goods are likely to seriously affect the UK's economy. If a 20% tariff is imposed, the UK could face a £22 billion loss in exports, decreasing British exports worldwide by over 2.6%, estimated analysts from the University of Sussex's Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy.

Which UK sectors would be most affected?
If tariffs are introduced, they are likely to hit key UK sectors such as "fishing, petroleum and mining", potentially reducing exports in these industries by about 20%, said the BBC. Pharmaceuticals, agriculture and electronics could also be affected. But some sectors, such as textiles and clothing, "could see gains due to reduced competition" if Chinese exports were hit by much higher Trump tariffs.

The UK is likely to have to choose whether to cut a trade deal with the US to reduce the impact of tariffs on UK goods, or join with its European and other Western allies to "send a clear message to Trump and the US Congress that American exporters would also be badly hit by such policies".

"Paddington in Peru" is in cinemas across the UK, but viewers will have spotted "something unusual" about the beloved bear's adopted family, said Michael Hogan in The Guardian. "Mrs Brown has had a full body transplant."

Sally Hawkins, who played the role for the first two films, has left the cast for the latest instalment, and Emily Mortimer has stepped in. "Happily her ursine adoptee doesn't seem to have noticed or he might have choked on his marmalade sandwiches." Mortimer has received positive reviews so far, but "recasting can backfire".

A 'poisoned chalice'
"Nothing riles up actors or their fans quicker than a controversial bit of recasting," said Adam White in The Independent. Often it becomes a "poisoned chalice for the film itself" with both stars and critics publicly airing their frustrations. Warner Bros' decision to ask Johnny Depp to resign from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts" after the actor lost his "wife beater" libel case against The Sun, and subsequent replacement by Mads Mikkelsen, "sparked an abundance of Twitter outrage". Some fans threatened to boycott the entire franchise.

Then there was the controversial recasting of Lavender Brown in the "Harry Potter" series. In the early films, she appeared in "small or non-speaking roles", played by two Black actors, Kathleen Cauley and Jennifer Smith, said Screen Rant. But when the character got a more "prominent story" in "Half-Blood Prince" (2009), a white actor, Jessie Cave, took over the role, triggering a backlash as viewers questioned why Lavender's race was changed just as she was given more screen time.

The 'magic faded'
While Rachel Weisz won over audiences with her "strong, resourceful and courageous" portrayal of Evie O'Connell in the first two "Mummy" films, the "magic faded" when Maria Bello took over the role in "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", said Screen Rant. Bello's performance failed to "capture the essence of the original character" and her chemistry with Brendan Fraser felt "forced".

News of recasting is often "sensationalised", Emmy-nominated casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry told The Guardian, and gets reported as a "spicy, gossipy situation". But changes are never made lightly; switches could happen for "prosaic" reasons like a scheduling conflict or because of personal issues. "Like any job, things are complicated."

Big US hotel chains are racing to capitalise on a surge of interest in all-inclusive holidays by launching luxury resorts across Europe.

Traditionally found in the Caribbean and Mexico, high-end all-inclusive packages offer dining, butler services and unlimited drinks – all for a fixed price.

The "cost of living crisis and currency fluctuations" have "pushed up the popularity" of these breaks in recent years, said The Times, and Hotels.com has named it as one of its major trends for next year.

Hyatt began its European venture last month, opening Dreams Madeira, a 366-room resort on the Portuguese island. A 24-hour room and concierge service is included in the price, as well as premium spirits and à la carte restaurants. And this is just the beginning – the group is set to join with Grupo Piñero, a Spanish tourism company, to add 23 all-inclusive resorts to Hyatt's profile.

Marriott, which currently has one luxury all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, is also venturing into Europe, seeking a site in Turkey to add to its portfolio.

The package holiday "has definitely reinvented itself" from its associations with spring breakers and cheap booze, Ana Ivanovic, executive vice-president at property group JLL, told the Financial Times. The move is being "pushed by families who want everything taken care of", and Europe is an untapped market. As holidaymakers become increasingly keen on package deals, the big brands will continue to "grow and expand" upscale sites across the continent.

No, Trump will not be worse than Biden for Palestine and the Middle East
Muhannad Ayyash on Al Jazeera
"Many observers" have predicted that Donald Trump will be "far worse for Palestine and the Middle East", writes Muhannad Ayyash. But "nothing fundamental will change for the Palestinian people and the region" because Joe Biden "continued the policies of the first Trump presidency". Biden, like Trump, has worked "to ensure the end of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination". There may be "surprises and unexpected developments", but Trump will continue in the same direction he "set back in 2017". 

Voters around the world wish a plague on all incumbents. Labour can avoid that fate
Polly Toynbee in The Guardian
"Look around the world," writes Polly Toynbee. "Everywhere, incumbent governments of every hue have taken a beating from angry voters." Prices were sent "soaring" by the "post-Covid cost of living crisis" and the invasion of Ukraine, and yet "governments get the blame". But Keir Starmer "may escape that plague on all incumbents" in a Britain "still queasy from political rollercoaster rides" because, "lucky in its opponents", Labour can "relish Kemi Badenoch falling into every trap".

Amsterdam was vile, but no pogrom – and it’s important to say so
Marc Cave in The Jewish Chronicle
The attack on Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans in Amsterdam was "vile and pre-meditated", but it was "not a pogrom", writes Marc Cave. It is "offensive to the memory of those who were murdered in Germany, Austria and Sudetenland" to "liken Amsterdam to Kristallnacht". In a "febrile world" of "exaggeration, narcissism and conspiracy theory", it "credits the morality" of Jews when "we uphold lucidity, calm and truth" because, "as the People of the Book, we know that words matter".