Good morning. Tesla denies a report it’s seeking to replace Elon Musk. The US and Ukraine sign a deal. And learn how to write all things crime from (an AI) Agatha Christie. Listen to the day’s top stories.
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm pushed back against a report the board was looking to replace CEO Elon Musk, saying directors are “highly confident” in his ability.The rebuke came after the Wall Street Journal said that board members contacted executive search companies about a month ago to hunt for a successor to Musk, as investors fretted about the amount of time he was devoting to his US government role.
The US and Ukraine reached an agreement over access to the country’s natural resources. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News the deal is a signal to Russian leadership, while a key Trump ally said he has broad US Senate support for a bill that would enact “bone-crushing” new sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin doesn’t engage in serious negotiations to end the war.
Tariffs latest: The EU is set to present proposals to Washington next week to lower trade barriers and boost European investments in the US. Separately, Donald Trump acknowledged that tariffs are politically risky for him, while his trade chief told Fox News the US is close to announcing the first tranche of deals. American officials have been seeking contact with Beijing to start talks, according to a Chinese state-run media outlet.
As for markets, US equity futures rallied, bolstered by those tech results. FTSE 100 contracts advanced. Elsewhere, the yen weakened after the Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady and cut its GDP forecasts while indicating downside risks to inflation.
George Simion submits his bid for presidency on March 14. Photographer: Andrei Pungovschi/Getty Images
This weekend’s presidential election looks set to expose divisions in Romania again, six months after the authorities cancelled the last one following a shock victory byfringe pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu.
Georgescu has largely vanished from the public scene since being barred from taking part in the rerun. The baton’s beenpassed to George Simion, leader of a far-right party that rejects aid for Ukraine and calls for unification with neighboring Moldova.
Polls show Simion with a firm lead in the May 4 first round, ahead of Crin Antonescu, a former Liberal party leader backed by the coalition government, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, and ex-premier Victor Ponta.
Should no candidate receive an absolute majority, a second round will be held on May 18 and the likely outcome of that is murkier.
The UK government urgently needs to get more young people into the work force, Matthew Brooker writes. Better support and career guidance, more funding for apprenticeships and job placement programs will all help. Lectures from their elders probably won’t.
AI Poirot. The Agatha Christie estate and BBC Maestro are offering an online writing course using an AI version of the author, The Times reported. Lessons will cover the “rules of the game,” detectives and clues using Christie’s letters, interviews and notebooks.
Trump won’t succeed in getting a 51st state, newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said. “That’s
