Trade talks continue as tariffs hit

Talks in Washington between the United States and China are set to continue on Friday, the deadline set by US president Donald Trump for a rise in increased duties on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25%. CNBC cited Trump saying on Thursday he would probably speak on the phone with Xi Jinping after he received a “beautiful letter” from the Chinese president. Reuters cited a “person close to the talks” who said they could still go several ways. The news agency reported president Trump saying that failure to reach a deal would see the US manufacture products that China now makes. “It’ll be the old-fashioned way, the way we used to do it: We made our own product.” The Guardian says that modest stock market losses on Thursday indicated that investors expected a deal to be reached. But the BBC says the IMF is again warning that failure to agree poses a "threat to the global economy".

North Korea tests missile

North Korea carried out a second weapons test in five days on Thursday when it launched suspected short-range missiles, The Guardia reports. US president Donald Trump reacted by telling reporters “I don’t think they’re ready to negotiate” CNN reported.

VW electric success

CNBC says that Volkswagen has claimed it has received more than 10,000 pre-orders for its new electric hatchback just 24 hours after it started to accept pre-orders for the ID.3. The Golf-sized car will cost around €30,000 and is set for delivery in mid 2020.

Chelsea Manning released

The BBC says that Wikileaks source Chelsea Manning has been released from prison after the period during which she could be held for failing to give evidence to a grand jury expired. But, as The Guardian reports, the former army intelligence analyst has been subpoenaed to appear before another grand jury, possibly on 16 May.

Bezos unveils lunar lander

Blue Origin, the company founded by Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos, on Thursday showed off its lunar lander vehicle as well as a new BE-7 rocket engine. “It's time to go back to the moon and this time stay," Bezos said, according to CNBC.

Another all-English final

Arsenal and Chelsea will compete Uefa’s Europa League final in Baku on 29 May after winning their respective semi-finals on Thursday. With Liverpool and Tottenham in the Champions League final, it is the first time in the history of European football that four teams from one country have reached the two finals, The Guardian says.

This weekend

Saturday 11 May: at 5 a.m. Luxembourg’s first Darkness Into Light walk starts. The event is sold out. At 9 a.m. the international section of the Lycée Michel Lucius is holding an open day event. At 2 p.m. the International School of Luxembourg hosts an open-day. Sunday 12 May: 3 organisations have joined forces to host an introductory course on how to submit data to the national database for biodiversity to help monitor butterfly distribution and abundance.

British comedian dies

Comedian Freddie Starr has been found dead in his Spanish home, The Guardian reports. In a reference to one of its most famous headlines,  The Sun said Starr had joined his hamster.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts