WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Trade deals, wildfires threat, and the benefits of brisk walking

 
today's trade story

White House expects UK trade deal 'within weeks'

What happened
White House officials believe a UK-US trade agreement could be finalised in the next three weeks, according to The Telegraph. A White House official told the paper that while Britain was well placed for a quick deal, it was expected to come after pacts with Japan, India and South Korea as part of Donald Trump's strategy to isolate China.

Who said what
The unnamed official said an agreement was expected "soon", which could be as early as "two weeks or maybe three". The comment comes a day after JD Vance, the US vice president, predicted that Trump would agree to a "great" trade deal with the UK because of his feeling of the two countries' shared "cultural affinity".

Yet in what The Guardian calls an "indication of the strains on the 'special relationship'", British civil servants have reclassified some trade negotiation documents to higher security levels to limit access by American officials, according to sources cited by the paper. Keir Starmer has made securing a US trade deal a top priority, choosing not to retaliate against Trump's tariffs on UK goods and instead offering concessions on digital taxes and agriculture. But "behind the scenes concern is growing over the vulnerability of UK industries and companies to Trump's 'America first' agenda", added The Guardian.

What next?
Starmer is set to host an EU-UK summit in London on 19 May as he "seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels", said The Times. Yet experts have cautioned that by aligning with Brussels, Britain risks being drawn into Trump's trade war with the EU. In the meantime, negotiations with the US continue.

 
 
today's environment story

UK wildfires are 'devastating' ecosystems, charities say

What happened
Charities have warned that one of the worst UK wildfire seasons on record has devastated ecosystems and endangered species, with habitats for butterflies, beetles and falcons all damaged.

Who said what
"Whole ecosystems have been decimated and will remain altered well into the future," said Chris Smith, the National Trust’s countryside manager for Mid and South Wales. The damage in Wales has been particularly acute. The combination of an extremely dry March – with one of the lowest rainfall totals recorded in decades – and warmer than average temperatures this month has seen wildfires across Wales rise dramatically this year.

Pressure on fire services has also surged, according to The Guardian. Between 1 January and 10 April last year, South Wales Fire and Rescue responded to 34 wildfires. This year that number has soared to 445 – a 1,200% rise.

What next?
WWF Cymru said the "devastating" wildfires offered a "stark reminder that the climate and nature crisis is upon us". This month the National Fire Chiefs Council warned that it needed "long-term and sustained investment" to cope with climate change and the "increased demand" on its services.

 
 
Today's health story

Study finds brisk walking leads to big heart benefits

What happened
People who walk quickly are far less likely to develop atrial fibrillation (a common condition when the heart beats irregularly or too quickly) than slow walkers, according to a study by the University of Glasgow. About 421,000 UK adults with an average age of 55 were divided into groups based on walking pace – slow, classed as less than three miles an hour; steady, 3-4mph; and brisk, more than 4mph – and monitored for 13 years.

Steady and brisk walkers were 27% less likely to develop heart rhythm abnormalities – even after adjusting for factors such as their sex and lifestyle. Brisk walkers were also 39% less likely to suffer heart arrhythmias.

Who said what
"This study is the first to explore the pathways underpinning the association between walking pace and arrhythmias," said the researchers. "Walking faster ­decreased the risk of obesity and inflammation, which in turn reduced the risk of arrhythmia."

What next?
The findings, published in the journal Heart, "reinforce the ­promotion of a faster walking pace" in exercise recommendations, added the researchers.

 
 

It's not all bad

Astronomers may be closer than ever to answering the age-old question: are we alone? The James Webb Space Telescope has detected strong signs of two chemicals – dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide – on a distant planet, K2-18b, which on Earth are only produced by life. While not definitive proof of alien biology, scientists say this is the clearest signal yet and a major step towards identifying life beyond our solar system.

 
 
under the radar

Christian dramas are having a moment

"If you're looking for your own personal Jesus this Easter," said Steve Rose in The Guardian, then "you've never had it so good." That's because Christian television content is enjoying its own resurrection.

With shows like "House of David", "The Chosen" and "Jesus Revolution" drawing high ratings, production houses and streaming platforms are taking advantage of the fact that "the copyright" on biblical intellectual property "expired 2,000 years ago".

Jesus's "viewing figures", much like Christ himself, "have risen", said The Economist. "The Chosen" has been watched by about 280 million people worldwide.

Christian dramas have "proved profitable" because they're "relatively cheap and simple to make", they don't need big-name celebrities as Jesus "offers name recognition enough", and because they can tap into the 2.4 billion worldwide people who "identify as Christian".

But it's not just Christians watching, noted Hanna Seariac in the Deseret News, because the content "treats faith as part of people's lives" rather than preaching about it. "Taking this tack" makes the shows and films "accessible to wider audiences".

Yet a "lasting religious revival in Hollywood is unlikely", Diane Winston, a professor at the University of Southern California who studies religion in the media, told the broadsheet, due to the "cyclical nature of faith in entertainment".

Nevertheless, this sort of "outreach" could still be a "savvy financial move" for a "secular business looking to spiritual audiences". So, in the meantime, said The Economist, "let there be lights, camera, action!"

 
 
on this day

17 April 1521

Martin Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms, an assembly of the Holy Roman Empire, to defend his views on church reform. The German theologian refused to recant and was labelled "a notorious heretic" by the emperor, but the diet proved a turning point for Christianity, fuelling the Protestant Reformation.

 
 
Today's newspapers

"Trans women are not women", says The Telegraph, reporting on yesterday's landmark ruling by the Supreme Court on the definition of "woman" in Scottish legislation. The judgment could have "far-reaching ramifications", says The Guardian. "Real deal" is the Daily Mirror's headline, referencing Arsenal's impressive 2-1 Champions League quarter-final win over Real Madrid (5-1 on aggregate).

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

The puck stops here

An election debate in Canada has been rescheduled to avoid a clash with a Montreal Canadiens' NHL ice hockey game. The French-language leaders' debate had been scheduled to start at 8pm – halfway through the crucial game for the Canadiens. But the Leaders' Debates Commission says the political face-off will now start two hours earlier at 6pm to "recognise Canadians' passion for hockey".

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Jamie Timson, Harriet Marsden, Ross Couzens and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Carl Court – Pool / Getty Images; Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images; Bertlmann / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images.