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After months of conflict and tens of thousands of deaths, fighting continues between Israel and Hamas, with the Middle East appearing to be on the brink of a wider war.

In this story, Sky News looks back at what has happened between the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and the same date a year later.

The renewed conflict has raged for months and has seen an escalation between Israel and Iran and the most dangerous situation on the border with Lebanon for many years.

Middle East conflict latest – blasts heard after part of Beirut told to ‘evacuate immediately’

What follows is by no means an exhaustive timeline, but it aims to capture some of the more salient moments in the devastating conflict.

Hamas attack and Israeli retaliation

A destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis. Pic: AP
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A destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence on 7 October. Pic: AP

On 7 October, Hamas gunmen launch an attack on southern Israel, rampaging through communities and killing 1,200 people.

Some 250 people are taken back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies, where they are held captive. The status of the hostages becomes a central issue of the renewed conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares that Israel is at war and orders airstrikes on Gaza, along with a total siege of the densely populated territory.

Explosions in Gaza City
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Explosions in Gaza City as Israel strikes Hamas on 7 October

Israel ground offensive into Gaza

On 13 October, Israel tells residents of Gaza City, where more than a million people live, to evacuate and move south.

The same day, Israel Defence Force (IDF) troops move into the Gaza Strip in what is described as a raid.

An explosion at the al Ahli hospital in Gaza City on 17 October triggers outrage in the Arab world, but there is disagreement and confusion about who is behind it.

Later the same month Israel launches its large-scale ground assault on Gaza, marking the beginning of its invasion of the territory.

Al Shifa hospital

Palestinians inspect damage in the area around Al Shifa Hospital. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Palestinians inspect damage in the area around the al Shifa hospital. Pic: Reuters

On 15 November, Israeli troops enter Gaza’s biggest hospital, al Shifa, in Gaza City, after a siege lasting several days during which medical staff say patients including newborn babies died from a lack of power and supplies.

The IDF says the hospital has been used to conceal an underground Hamas HQ, a claim that hospital staff deny.

Within a few more weeks, all hospitals serving the northern half of Gaza cease functioning.

November ceasefire

After weeks of fighting, Israel and Hamas announce the first truce of the war. They agree to pause fighting for four days to exchange women and child hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian women and teenagers detained or jailed by Israel on security grounds, and allow in more aid.

The ceasefire would eventually be extended for a week in total and lead to the freeing of 105 hostages and about 240 Palestinian detainees.

War resumes on 1 December. Days later, Israeli forces launch their first big ground assault on southern Gaza, on the outskirts of the city of Khan Younis.

On 6 December, 22 members of the same family are killed in an Israeli airstrike at the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

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Moment US vetoes ceasefire resolution

Two days later, the US vetoes a UN Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The UK abstains.

On 15 December, three Israeli hostages are killed by IDF troops who mistakenly open fire on them.

Two of them are killed in an initial volley of gunfire, while the third dies 15 minutes later after being urged to come out by the IDF and is then fired upon.

US and Britain launch airstrikes on Yemen

US launches planes in airstrike operation over Yemen, targeting Houthi bases
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US launches planes in airstrike operation over Yemen, targeting Houthi bases. Pic: US Central Command

Continued attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi rebels during this time cause major concerns for international trade.

On 11 January 2024, the US and UK launch dozens of airstrikes across Yemen in retaliation.

The Houthis say five of their fighters have been killed in the initial strikes, and vow to continue their attacks on shipping.

On the same day, the International Court of Justice hear opening statements in a case in which South Africa accuse Israel of committing a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population. Israel denies the accusation.

Death toll surpasses 30,000

On 22 January, 21 IDF soldiers are killed in central Gaza in a single incident – the deadliest day for Israel’s forces since the war began.

At the end of February, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the number of deaths in the territory since 7 October has risen above 30,000.

It says most of those killed are women and children and warns that the real figure is likely to be higher.

At this time there is widespread international concern about Israel’s plan to launch a military offensive into the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering.

The UN warns that a famine is imminent in northern Gaza and says 1.1m people are starving.

On 1 April, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen are killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza. Three British nationals are among the dead.

An Israeli investigation finds that incorrect assumptions, decision-making mistakes and violations of the rules of engagement had resulted in their deaths.

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Iran and Israel trade salvos

Escalating tensions between Israel and Iran boil over in April.

Tehran alleges that an Israeli strike on its embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has killed several Iranian officers including a top general.

In retaliation it launches a barrage of dozens of missiles and drones at Israel on 13 April. The vast majority are intercepted.

Amid international concern about a regional crisis, Israel responds by striking a number of targets in Iran.

Tehran plays down the impact of the attack near a major military airbase and a nuclear site in the central city of Isfahan, but satellite photos suggest an air defence radar was hit.

Also in April, tens of thousands of people take part in anti-government protests in Israel, urging Mr Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal for the release of hostages. It follows months of other demonstrations against the government.

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‘My brother was kidnapped’

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‘Everything is destroyed’

May: Negotiations in Cairo fail to produce ceasefire

Talks in the Egyptian capital aimed at getting Israel and Hamas to agree terms for a ceasefire come under the spotlight in early May.

Hopes of a breakthrough when Hamas announce it has accepted a ceasefire proposed by Egypt and Qatar are dashed after an Israeli official called it a “ruse”.

People on the streets of Rafah celebrate after Hamas’s announcement, but hours later the Israeli military says it is conducting strikes in the city.

Outcry after strike on Rafah kills 45

There is international outrage after an Israeli airstrike on Rafah kills 45 people in late May.

According to Palestinian medics, the strike hits tents for displaced people and Hamas-run authorities in Gaza say “most” of the dead are women and children.

Mr Netanyahu says it was a “tragic mistake”, while the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says the city has become “hell on earth” following the deadly strike there.

Hostage rescue amid heavy death toll

In early June, four hostages are rescued in an Israeli raid in Gaza.

Hailed as “heroic” in Israel, the military says it freed the hostages under heavy fire and responded with strikes “from the air and from the street”.

But the ensuing attack on central Gaza’s al Nuseirat, a historic Palestinian refugee camp, led to scenes like a “horror movie”, according to residents.

Court ruling on Israel settlement policy

On 19 July, the International Court of Justice rules that Israel’s settlement policy in occupied Palestinian territories is in breach of international law.

The “transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence” is “contrary to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention”, a panel of 15 judges from around the world say.

The court says Israel must end the construction of settlements immediately – acts which render “Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful”.

Netanyahu visits US

US Vice Kamala President Harris meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington
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Kamala Harris meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington DC. Pic: Reuters

Mr Netanyahu embarks on a controversial visit to the US in late July and pledges in a scathing speech to Congress to achieve “total victory” against Hamas.

But Kamala Harris says she will “not be silent” over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza following a meeting with the Israeli PM.

Ms Harris says Israel has a right to defend itself, but pointedly adds: “How it does so matters.”

Escalating tensions with Hezbollah

A couple of days later, Mr Netanyahu vows heavy retaliation after a strike in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights kills 12 children.

He blames the Hezbollah group for the rocket, which struck a football field in Majdal Shams. Hezbollah denies having any role in the attack.

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Brits urged to leave Lebanon

Following this, the IDF carries out what it says is a retaliatory strike on Beirut and kills Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander who Israel says was responsible for the Majdal Shams attack.

Hamas leader killed

In a seismic event, Hamas’s top political leader Ismail Haniyeh is killed in an apparent assassination in Iran at the end of July.

Hamas later says Haniyeh died in an airstrike and blames Israel, which had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas following the 7 October attacks.

Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind those attacks, is named the new leader of Hamas days later.

FILE PHOTO: Haniyeh talks to his supporters during a Hamas rally marking the anniversary of the death of its leaders killed by Israel, in Gaza
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Ismail Haniyeh’s death was a significant moment in the conflict. Pic: Reuters

Fallout from assassinations

On 10 August, dozens of people are killed in an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, according to officials in Gaza’s Hamas-run government.

The Israeli army says it struck a “Hamas control centre” but does not provide evidence and Hamas denies having a base at the school.

As August continues, the region waits with baited breath to see how and if Iran and Hezbollah will respond to the recent assassinations – or if a ceasefire can be agreed.

Fresh ceasefire talks

Peace talks resume in Qatar, as Iran says it “will only hold back if [a] ceasefire [is] agreed”.

President Biden says he is “optimistic” about a deal, but this is rejected by Hamas which says there have been “no improvements”.

No deal is agreed and the conflict continues.

Read more:
The 97 hostages who haven’t returned home to Israel

Who is Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Netanyahu: Israel’s longest-serving leader

Fire exchange with Hezbollah

In late August, Israel carries out what it says were “pre-emptive” airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israeli military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, says the group were “starting to get ready to attack us”.

Hezbollah fires drones and rockets in what is says was a response to the killing of Fuad Shukr the previous month.

In Gaza, a tentative agreement for a series of brief ceasefires so that the polio vaccine can be distributed is agreed.

Exploding pagers

On 17 September, the unprecedented mass explosion of handheld pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon kills 12 people and injures nearly 3,000, sending shockwaves through the region.

Less than 24 hours later, a similar series of explosions hits two-way radios used by the group.

The remains of what is said to be one of the exploding pagers
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The remains of what is said to be one of the exploding pagers

Israel is widely believed to be behind the attacks, which if true would be a huge intelligence victory and suggestive of deep infiltration of Hezbollah’s supply chain.

Hezbollah’s leader accuses Israel of carrying out “massacres” with the pager and walkie-talkie explosions, saying it wanted to kill “5,000 people in two minutes”.

Hassan Nasrallah killed

As Hezbollah reels from the pager and radio explosions, Israel targets Beirut with a series of attacks and kills the militant group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Iranian demonstrators hold posters of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during an anti-Israeli protest after his death. Pic: AP
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Iranian demonstrators hold posters of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Pic: AP

The killing is a monumental event and there are fears that a wider war is now inevitable.

In late September, these fears only deepen as IDF tanks are seen at the Israel-Lebanon border.

Israel moves into Lebanon – and Iran responds

On the last day of the month, Israeli forces cross the border to conduct what they call “limited, localised, and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah – despite calls from its allies to cease fire.

On 1 October, in an anticipated move, Iran launches nearly 200 missiles, according to Israel’s army radio, in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah.

In the hours that follow, Iran’s state TV claims 90% of the missiles hit their targets while an Israeli spokesman says officials are so far not aware of any injuries from the attack. A Palestinian worker in the West Bank is later confirmed dead after being hit by falling debris following Iran’s attack.

During the October 7 attacks and the ensuing war more than 1,200 Israelis have been killed and 97 hostages out of around 250 taken to Gaza remain there.

More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and over 96,000 have been injured according to its health ministry. The IDF estimated in August that more than 17,000 of those killed were Hamas fighters.

More than 700 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and over 6,000 have been injured.

The Lebanese Health Ministry says nearly 2000 of its citizens have been killed, mostly since Israel stepped up attacks. The IDF says 250 Hezbollah fighters have been killed.

Up to 20 September, 28 Israelis had been killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks.

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Donald Trump announces sweeping global trade tariffs – including 10% on UK imports

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Donald Trump announces sweeping global trade tariffs - including 10% on UK imports

Donald Trump has announced a 10% trade tariff on all imports from the UK – as he unleashed sweeping tariffs across the globe.

Speaking at a White House event entitled “Make America Wealthy Again”, the president held up a chart detailing the worst offenders – which also showed the new tariffs the US would be imposing.

“This is Liberation Day,” he told a cheering audience of supporters, while hitting out at foreign “cheaters”.

Follow live: Trump tariffs latest

He claimed “trillions” of dollars from the “reciprocal” levies he was imposing on others’ trade barriers would provide relief for the US taxpayer and restore US jobs and factories.

Mr Trump said the US has been “looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by other nations.

President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Pic: AP

His first tariff announcement was a 25% duty on all car imports from midnight – 5am on Thursday, UK time.

Mr Trump confirmed the European Union would face a 20% reciprocal tariff on all other imports. China’s rate was set at 34%.

The UK’s rate of 10% was perhaps a shot across the bows over the country’s 20% VAT rate, though the president’s board suggested a 10% tariff imbalance between the two nations.

It was also confirmed that further US tariffs were planned on some individual sectors including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and critical mineral imports.

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Trump’s tariffs explained

The ramping up of duties promises to be painful for the global economy. Tariffs on steel and aluminium are already in effect.

The UK government signalled there would be no immediate retaliation.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We will always act in the best interests of UK businesses and consumers. That’s why, throughout the last few weeks, the government has been fully focused on negotiating an economic deal with the United States that strengthens our existing fair and balanced trading relationship.

“The US is our closest ally, so our approach is to remain calm and committed to doing this deal, which we hope will mitigate the impact of what has been announced today.

“We have a range of tools at our disposal and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to engage with UK businesses including on their assessment of the impact of any further steps we take.

“Nobody wants a trade war and our intention remains to secure a deal. But nothing is off the table and the government will do everything necessary to defend the UK’s national interest.”

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Who showed up for Trump’s tariff address?

The EU has pledged to retaliate, which is a problem for Northern Ireland.

Should that scenario play out, the region faces the prospect of rising prices because all its imports are tied to EU rules under post-Brexit trading arrangements.

It means US goods shipped to Northern Ireland would be subject to the EU’s reprisals.

The impact of a trade war would be expected to be widely negative, with tit-for-tat tariffs risking job losses, a ramping up of prices and cooling of global trade.

Research for the Institute for Public Policy Research has suggested more than 25,000 direct jobs in the UK car manufacturing industry alone could be at risk from the tariffs on car exports to the US.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) had said the tariff costs could not be absorbed by manufacturers and may lead to a review of output.

The tariffs now on UK exports pose a big risk to growth and the so-called headroom Chancellor Rachel Reeves was forced to restore to the public finances at the spring statement, risking further spending cuts or tax rises ahead to meet her fiscal rules.

Read more:
What do Trump’s tariffs mean for the UK?
The rewards and risks for US as trade war intensifies

A member of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), David Miles, told MPs on Tuesday that US tariffs at 20% or 25% maintained on the UK for five years would “knock out all the headroom the government currently has”.

But he added that a “very limited tariff war” that the UK stays out of could be “mildly positive”.

He said: “There’s a bit of trade that will get diverted to the UK, and some of the exports from China, for example, that would have gone to the US, they’ll be looking for a home for them in the rest of the world.

“And stuff would be available in the UK a bit cheaper than otherwise would have been. So there is one, not central scenario at all, which is very, very mildly potentially positive to the UK. All the other ones which involve the UK facing tariffs are negative, and they’re negative to very different extents.”

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Israel announces military operation expanding in Gaza to seize ‘large areas’

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Israel announces military operation expanding in Gaza to seize 'large areas'

Israel is beginning a major expansion of its military operation in Gaza and will seize large areas of the territory, the country’s defence minister said.

Israel Katz said in a statement that there would be a large scale evacuation of the Palestinian population from fighting areas.

In a post on X, he wrote: “I call on the residents of Gaza to act now to remove Hamas and return all the hostages. This is the only way to end the war.”

He said the offensive was “expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and capture large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel”.

The expansion of Israel’s military operation in Gaza deepens its renewed offensive.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that had begun in January ended in March as Israel launched various air strikes on targets across Gaza.

The deal had seen the release of dozens of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, but collapsed before it could move to phase two, which would have involved the release of all hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

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26 March: Anti-Hamas chants heard at protest in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had already issued evacuation warnings to Gazans living around the southern city of Rafah and towards the city of Khan Yunis, telling them to move to the al Mawasi area on the shore, which was previously designated a humanitarian zone.

Israeli forces have already set up a significant buffer zone within Gaza, having expanded an area around the edge of the territory that had existed before the war, as well as a large security area in the so-called Netzarim corridor through the middle of Gaza.

This latest conflict began when Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.

The ensuing Israeli offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Read more:
Father demands protection after Gaza aid workers’ deaths
Anti-Hamas chants heard at rare protest in Gaza

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Bodies of aid workers found in Gaza

Aid group Doctors Without Borders warned on Wednesday that Israel’s month-long siege of Gaza means some critical medications are now short in supply and are running out, leaving Palestinians at risk of losing vital healthcare.

“The Israeli authorities’ have condemned the people of Gaza to unbearable suffering with their deadly siege,” said Myriam Laaroussi, the group’s emergency coordinator in Gaza.

“This deliberate infliction of harm on people is like a slow death; it must end immediately.”

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‘Liberation day is here’: But what will it mean for global trade?

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'Liberation day is here': But what will it mean for global trade?

“Liberation day” was due to be on 1 April. But Donald Trump decided to shift it by a day because he didn’t want anyone to think it was an April fool.

It is no joke for him and it is no joke for governments globally as they brace for his tariff announcements.

It is stunning how little we know about the plans to be announced in the Rose Garden of the White House later today.

It was telling that we didn’t see the President at all on Tuesday. He and all his advisers were huddled in the West Wing, away from the cameras, finalising the tariff plans.

Follow the events of Liberation Day live as they unfold

Three key figures are central to it all.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the so-called ‘measured voice’. A former hedge fund manager, he has argued for targeted not blanket tariffs.

Peter Navarro is Trump’s senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing. A long-time aide and confidante of the president, he is a true loyalist and a firm believer in the merits of tariffs.

More on Donald Trump

His economic views are well beyond mainstream economic thought – precisely why he appeals to Trump.

‘Stop that crap’: Trump adviser Peter Navarro reacts to Sky News correspondent’s question over tariffs

The third key character is Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary and the biggest proponent of the full-throttle liberation day tariff juggernaut.

The businessman, philanthropist, Trump fundraiser and billionaire (net worth ranging between $1bn and $2bn) has been among the closest to Trump over the past 73 days of this presidency – frequently in and out of the West Wing.

If anything goes wrong, observers here in Washington suspect Trump will make Lutnick the fall guy.

What are Donald Trump’s tariffs, what is ‘liberation day’ and how does it all affect the UK?

And what if it does all go wrong? What if Trump is actually the April fool?

“It’s going to work…” his press secretary said when asked if it could all be a disaster, driving up the cost of living for Americans and creating global economic chaos.

“The president has a brilliant team who have been studying these issues for decades and we are focussed on restoring the global age of America…” Karoline Leavitt said.

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‘Days of US being ripped off are over’

Dancing to the president’s tune

My sense is that we should see “liberation day” not as the moment it’s all over in terms of negotiations for countries globally as they try to carve out deals with the White House. Rather it should be seen as the start.

Trump, as always, wants to be seen as the one calling the shots, taking control, seizing the limelight. He wants the world to dance to his tune. Today is his moment.

But beyond today, alongside the inevitable tit-for-tat retaliation, expect to see efforts by nations to seek carve-outs and to throw bones to Trump; to identify areas where trade policies can be tweaked to placate the president.

Even small offerings which change little in a material sense could give Trump the chance to spin and present himself as the winning deal maker he craves to be.

One significant challenge for foreign governments and their diplomats in Washington has been engaging the president himself with proposals he might like.

Negotiations take place with a White House team who are themselves unsure where the president will ultimately land. It’s resulted in unsatisfactory speculative negotiations.

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Treasury minister: ‘We’ll do everything to secure a deal’

Too much faith placed in the ‘special relationship’?

The UK believes it’s in a better position than most other countries globally. It sits outside the EU giving it autonomy in its trade policy, its deficit with the US is small, and Trump loves Britain.

It’s true too that the UK government has managed to accelerate trade conversations with the White House on a tariff-free trade partnership. Trump’s threats have forced conversations that would normally sit in the long grass for months.

Yet, for now, the conversations have yielded nothing firm. That’s a worry for sure. Did Keir Starmer have too much faith in the ‘special relationship’?

Downing Street will have identified areas where they can tweak trade policy to placate Trump. Cars maybe? Currently US cars into the UK carry a 10% tariff. Digital services perhaps?

US food? Unlikely – there are non-tariff barriers on US food because the consensus seems to be that chlorinated chicken and the like isn’t something UK consumers want.

Easier access to UK financial services maybe? More visas for Americans?

For now though, everyone is waiting to see what Trump does before they either retaliate or relent and lower their own market barriers.

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