U S President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a "30% or 35%" tariff on Japan if a deal between the two countries is not reached before a deadline next week. That would be well above the 24% tariff Japan was hit with as part of Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" on 2 April, when he announced steep import duties on countries around the world.

Good morning. Donald Trump sticks with a July 9 tariff deadline. Keir Starmer’s planned welfare reforms are slashed. And a London-based startup unveils its latest smartphone. Listen to the day’s top stories.

After failing to cut a trade deal with Japan following weeks of talks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer decided to turn up the pressure.When Japanese officials arrived in Washington in late May,