The cult leader who said he was Jesus — and is now jailed for 12 years

Deep in a remote corner of Siberia, a group of masked men swarmed the City of the Sun, a deeply religious settlement in the Krasnoyarsk region.

The Russian security forces had arrived in September 2020 to arrest the so-called Jesus of Siberia, a former traffic policeman known as ‘Vissarion’ who some viewed as the reincarnation of Christ. The religious leader, whose real name is Sergei Torop, was accused of extorting money and causing physical and psychological harm to his many of followers, some 10,000 worldwide.

On Monday, nearly five years later, Torop’s stint as a cult leader came to an end when he was convicted in a Siberian court and sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security prison camp, along with two other sect leaders, Vladimir Vedernikov and Vadim Redkin.

The 64-year-old bearded and long-haired mystic, who led the Church of the Last Testament, claimed that he had been “reborn” to convey god’s word to the world. Many of his devotees flocked to the settlement known as ‘Abode of Dawn’ or ‘Sun City’, soaking in Torop’s teachings of reincarnation, veganism, and harmonious human relations.

“It’s all very complicated,” he explained to a reporter for The Guardian in 2002. “But to keep things simple, yes, I am Jesus Christ. I am not god. And it is a mistake to see Jesus as god. But I am the living word of God the Father. Everything that god wants to say, he says through me.”

Torop told his followers not to eat meat, smoke, drink alcohol or swear – and to stop using money. They would often hold prayers in his honour, looking up to his large hilltop residence in the City of the Sun.

But it was a darker, hidden side to life in Vissarion’s commune that led to his arrest.

His apparent re-birth was followed by decades of psychological manipulation of his followers, exploiting them for labour and money from 1991 to 2020. Torop exerted control over his followers, prosecutors said, inflicting “moral harm” on 16 people, leaving six with “serious health problems”.

“There were these ridiculous situations when adults and children died because they didn’t receive medical assistance,” Elena Melnikova, one of at least eight people who testified against Vissarion and his lieutenants in the year after his arrest, told the BBC.

An anti-medical commandment was one of a number of regulations imposed by Vissarion which proved to be harmful to his followers. “Know thyself. From now on, the flesh must heal itself. In most cases, illness is a punishment for the inability to keep one’s flesh in harmony with nature,” Ms Melnikova said, recalling his teachings.

Community leaders would beg for money for the community, she said. In some cases, people donated all of their funds, admitted Alexander Staroveroc, who acts as a press secretary for the City of the Sun.

Along with Vedernikov and Redkin – jailed for 11 and 12 years respectively – Torop denied all wrongdoing, and it is unclear whether they will appeal their sentences. After their conviction, the court also awarded 45 million rubles (£417,000) in damages to the victims.

Torop’s journey as a spiritual leader began when he was 29 in 1990, the year he claimed he was reborn as Vissarion, claiming to be a returned Jesus Christ.

Born in 1961 in the city of Krasnodar, which was then the Soviet Union, Torop’s life until his turn to religion was a tale of toil. Stints in the Red Army, on building sites, in factories, and as a traffic policeman, ultimately led to bitter disappointment when he was made redundant from his latest role after five years of service.

As he embarked on a spiritual path following his redundancy, Torop began drawing from elements of various religions: Russian Orthodox Church, Buddhism, and apocalypticism. He embraced veganism and began to adopt collectivist views and ecological values.

It would be just two years before he founded the Church of the Last Testament in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in just months before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The end of the world, Torop told his early followers, was imminent. Only those who observed his strict teachings would be saved.

“He radiates incredible love,” 57-year-old Hermann told The Guardian. “I met Vissarion last August. He told me we had to follow two laws. It was like an electric shock, like bells ringing.”

Denis, a 21-year-old Australian, said: “No doubt about it, mate. Definitely the Son of God.”

An entire new calendar was adopted based around moments in Vissarion’s life: Christmas was replaced by a feast day on Vissarion’s birthday, 14 January, while another feast day on August 18 was the largest, and originated from his first sermon in 1991.

But following decades of worship of a self-professed messiah, his thousands of followers remaining in the remote corner of Siberia now live without their spiritual teacher. He is not due to be released until he is 76 years old.

Ukrainian gran stranded after being refused UK flight over eVisa

A Ukrainian grandmother was left stranded at Krakow airport after being stopped from boarding a flight to the UK over eVisa issues.

Liudmyla Karpenko, 78, had spent 25 hours travelling by bus from Kyiv to Krakow, from where she was due to catch a flight to visit her daughter in the East Midlands.

But she was not allowed to board the Ryanair flight due to a problem in her electronic visa account, which would not link to her old residency permit.

The government has been moving millions of foreign nationals from physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) to electronic visas. Ms Karpenko had confirmation from the Home Office that she had correct visa status in the UK but was denied boarding on her flight because of the eVisa issue.

Her daughter, Maria Bondarenko, who lives in the UK with her British husband, said the experience showed how difficult the new electronic visa system was for elderly people.

She said: “We tried to connect her BRP to her eVisa but we had problems with her photo, because her eyes were shut. The Home Office sent an email saying you need to do it again but it won’t affect your status in the meantime.

“When my mother got to the airport, the staff just kept not listening when she showed them the email from the Home Office. They were just saying ‘it’s your problem’. We tried to call the visa centre that’s supposed to help with eVisa problems but they didn’t know what to do. They suggested getting a separate temporary visa, but she already had a visa for the UK.

“It’s so wrong, this system, especially for old people. For my mum, it was really hard even to sign in to the online visa account. You need to sign in with your email, and then get a code, and then put it into gov.uk – for older people it is hard for them to do. What would happen if you are without a phone?”

She added: “My mother was crying when they refused her. She was at the check-in desk maybe for four hours. She was also worried about a place to stay. She said she would sit in the airport and she hadn’t slept the night before because she was on a bus. She was worried about money and I said, ‘No, don’t worry, we have no choice, we have to get a hotel’.”

Luckily a volunteer who was helping Ukrainian refugees at Krakow airport was able to help her mother try and link her BRP card with her eVisa account the next day. However, Ms Bondarenko estimates she had to spend an extra £600 on nights in the airport hotel for her mother, an extra plane ticket, and taxis to the UK consulate in Krakow, which turned out to be closed.

She also had to spend £16.56 on two calls to the government’s Ukraine visa helpline, which is operated by private company Teleperformance. The helpline is labelled as free on the government website, but can incur costs depending on where you call from.

Ms Bondarenko booked her mother on a new flight on 26 June to the East Midlands but Ms Karpenko had problems again when she got to the check-in desk. Her eVisa account had automatically translated to Ukrainian on her phone and the airport staff wanted to see it in Polish.

Ms Bondarenko, who was supporting her mother through speakerphone, said: “They refused to check her status, they kept saying ‘show it to us in Polish’. They refused to talk to me. They finally found some girl who was able to understand Ukrainian and they finally said it was alright.”

Andreea Dumitrache, a campaigner at the3million rights group which supports EU citizens in the UK, said: “This heartbreaking situation highlights the urgent need for the Home Office to recognise the disproportionate impact the eVisa system has on older and vulnerable people. Technology is failing many people like Liudmyla when they need it most.

“The shift to eVisas assumes a level of digital access, confidence and literacy that not everyone has. Even for those who can navigate the system, when errors occur, there is no safety net. People are left distressed, isolated and in limbo, despite having the legal right to return to their home in the UK.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “While it is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases, free and practical support is available for vulnerable individuals who need help creating a UK Visas and Immigration account and accessing their eVisa.

“Biometric Residence Permits are no longer valid for travel to the UK; however, they can still be used to create an eVisa account, even if they have expired.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “All visa-required passengers travelling with Ryanair must present the correct travel documentation for the country of destination as determined by that country. Ryanair must comply with these rules and airport agents are trained in these visa rules, however it is each passenger’s responsibility to carry valid travel documents.

“In this case the passenger was required to hold a valid UK visa which she failed to present to the agents at Krakow airport and she was correctly denied travel. Once this passenger provided the correct UK visa documentation, she was permitted to travel.”

Norrie aims for quarter-finals as last Brit standing after Sonal loses

The best Wimbledon run of Sonay Kartal’s career so far has come to an end. The 23-year-old fought well on Sunday (6 July) but ultimately suffered a straight-sets loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, as the Brit’s Centre Court debut turned into a gruelling affair.

The British No 3 has been on the rise over the past year, shooting up the world rankings and now into the top 50 by making the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time. But the Brighton player came up short against former major runner-up Pavlyuchenkova, who beat former world No 1 Naomi Osaka on Friday.

Pavlyuchenkova defeated Kartal 7-6(3), 6-4, with the players contesting numerous lengthy games under the shelter of the Centre Court roof, which kept out the heavy rain.

Cameron Norrie now continues his Championships on No 1 Court against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, having seen off 12th seed Frances Tiafoe before knocking out unheralded Italian Mattia Bellucci.

Elsewhere today, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is back on court after beating Emma Raducanu to play against 24th seed Elise Mertens. In the men’s draw, American fifth seed Taylor Fritz led Australia’s Jordan Thompson before the latter withdrew due to injury, while Carlos Alcaraz faces 14th seed Andrey Rublev.

Follow all the latest tennis updates, scores and results from Wimbledon below.

Cardiac nurse says five daily behaviours can reduce heart disease risk

Health and longevity are hot topics right now. But whether you want to improve your exercise performance or simply live well for as long as possible, a healthy heart underpins all of it. Consistent behaviours such as a sedentary lifestyle or diet high in saturated fats can increase the chance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) – an umbrella term relating to heart attacks, strokes, coronary heart disease and other conditions. They will also reduce your physical capacity and, consequently, quality of life.

However, the inverse is true if you adopt heart-healthy behaviours. Research has repeatedly shown that certain habits can lower your risk of CVD, reduce all-cause mortality and increase your chances of enjoying a longer, happier life. To identify the common denominators behind a healthy heart, I turned to Ruth Goss and Dell Stanford, the British Heart Foundation’s senior cardiac nurse and senior dietitian respectively. Below, you can find their top five.

You may be familiar with the phrase “movement is medicine”. This sentiment rings true for heart health. “Whatever your age, being active now will have an immediate impact on your health, reducing your risk of heart and circulatory diseases,” advises Goss. “It’s never too late to increase your physical activity or start a new sport, regardless of how little you have exercised in the past.”

In line with World Health Organisation guidelines, she recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. “This is any activity that makes your heart beat faster, whether that’s a brisk walk, swimming, cycling, or even gardening or cleaning,” says Goss. “Every minute counts, so start small and build up gradually. Doing just 30 minutes a day is a good way to reach 150 minutes a week.”

To enjoy bonus health benefits, the British Heart Foundation also suggests adopting a varied exercise routine comprising “aerobic exercise, balance and flexibility exercise including yoga, tai chi and pilates and resistance exercise like weights or bands which strengthen your muscles to help take strain off your heart”.

“If you have a health problem that interferes with your ability to exercise, it’s important that you speak with your doctor so they can recommend the type of activity that’s best for you,” Goss adds.

Read more: A chartered physiotherapist shares three exercises that can ‘help reduce lower back pain’

If movement is medicine, food is the fuel we need to facilitate it. For this reason, it pays to pay attention to what you eat each day, alongside when you consume it.

“There are several theories about why timing of meals is important,” explains senior dietitian Dell Stanford. “Studies have shown that even when people eat the same number of calories, the time of day they are eaten affects how they are used in the body. This difference could affect weight, cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels – all of which can affect your risk of heart and circulatory diseases.”

Stanford points to evidence indicating that eating late at night can be linked to obesity, while also impacting how the body regulates blood sugar levels.

“Research is limited, but there appears to be a link between our internal body clock and the digestion and absorption of nutrients,” he continues. “Our body’s circadian rhythms – its natural daily cycles – are designed for eating in the day and sleeping at night. If they are disrupted, this could have implications for our heart health.

“More research is needed to know for sure how meal timings influence our health. For now, try to stick to a regular meal pattern. Eating earlier in the day rather than late at night is unlikely to be harmful and could help our health.”

Now you know when is best to eat for a healthier heart, it is time to look at what to eat.

“Whatever your activity level, you will need a healthy balance of foods from five main food groups – carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, dairy and healthy (or unsaturated) fats,” Stanford says.

“Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy when you’re exercising. It’s best to choose high-fibre, wholegrain varieties of oats, pasta, rice, breads and cereals.

“Then protein is known as the building blocks of life. It helps your body grow and repair, so you should try to include a portion of protein like lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy or plant sources like peas, beans or other pulses with most meals.”

He also prescribes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (“these are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre which help keep the body and immune system healthy”) and two to three portions of dairy foods.

“Dairy foods are packed with calcium and protein for good bone health – choose lower fat varieties to reduce saturated fat intake,” Stanford adds.

“Fats are also an important part of a healthy diet, but choose foods that are high in unsaturated fats such as olive or rapeseed oil, nuts and seeds, oily fish, olives and avocados.”

Read more: From reducing visceral belly fat to stress and muscle hacks, longevity doctor reveals the four behaviours to ‘live healthily for as long as possible’

Consuming enough fluids will benefit your heart health on several levels. On a more superficial basis, it supports exercise – the first heart-strengthening activity on this list.

“Exercising raises your body temperature, and your body tries to cool down by sweating,” says Stanford. “This causes a loss of water and salts through the skin. How much fluid you need depends on how long you exercise for, the temperature and the amount you sweat.

“For most people, unless you are exercising for more than an hour, drinking six to eight glasses of fluid a day is a good idea. This can include water, low-fat milk, sugar-free squash, teas and coffee.”

However, staying hydrated has several welcome effects beyond this, while also helping you avoid the unwanted impacts of dehydration.

“When you are dehydrated, there is less blood travelling around the body,” an article from the British Heart Foundation states. “This can lead to low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting. In response, the heart may start beating faster [tachycardia] to help move blood around the body. You may experience this as a racing, pounding heartbeat in your chest, called palpitations. Dehydration can also thicken the blood, increasing the risk of blood clots and heart attacks.”

Drinking more water, on the other hand, can lead to desirable outcomes such as improved circulation, better digestion and gut health, and reduced joint pain.

Read more: Five science-backed sleep tips to supercharge your fitness efforts

“Getting enough sleep is important for our general wellbeing, as well as our heart and circulatory health, and most adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night,” says Goss.

“But sleep isn’t the only factor that can impact heart health – it’s also important to look at your lifestyle. Knowing your numbers, such as your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly, cutting down on salt and alcohol intake, and eating a balanced diet can also help keep your heart healthy.”

Coffee, in moderation, can have beneficial effects on your heart health, according to Stanford.

“One observational study found that consuming two or three cups of coffee a day could be good for you and may be linked to lower risk of CVD compared to drinking no coffee,” he explains.

“In addition to caffeine, coffee contains polyphenols which may help reduce harmful inflammation and reduce CVD risk. Research tells us that moderate amounts of caffeine shouldn’t be a problem for most people.”

However, he warns, drinking more than four or five cups of coffee per day will likely raise your caffeine intake above the recommended daily maximum of 400mg.

“Generally, the effects of too much caffeine may include temporarily increased blood pressure and heart rate, palpitations, anxiety, agitation, nausea, headaches and sleep disturbance,” he says.

Read more: We’ve overcomplicated fitness – these six simple things will make you healthier than most people

Adding more movement into your routine is at the top of most lists intended to help you improve various health parameters – but it’s easier said than done. The tips below are designed to make exercise more accessible, achievable and enjoyable, leading to many benefits for your heart, mind and more.

Musk launches new political party to fight ‘one-party system’

Elon Musk says he has formed a new political party amid his ongoing feud with President Donald Trump.

Musk asked his 221.7 million X followers to vote in a poll deciding whether he should form the new “America Party” on Friday. The tech mogul first threatened to form a party earlier this week if Congress passed Trump’s sweeping tax and spending legislation, which he calls the “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

The billionaire has argued that the legislation, which the president signed into law on Friday, will increase the deficit by trillions.

After 65 percent of respondents voted “yes” on his poll, Musk says he’s following through.

“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it,” Musk wrote Saturday afternoon. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.”

“Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” he added.

Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” passed in the Senate with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday. The House passed the bill on Thursday, and Trump signed it into law during a Military Family Picnic celebration for Independence Day.

The bill provides sweeping tax cuts — particularly to wealthy Americans — while curbing access to Medicaid and food assistance programs for millions of people. The legislation also provides billions more for defense and immigration enforcement.

Musk, once known as Trump’s “First Buddy,” sparked a public feud with the president last month over the bill, arguing it will increase the budget deficit by $2.5 trillion.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote of Trump’s bill on June 3. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”

Musk spent several months this year leading the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to slash government spending. Under his leadership, DOGE laid off hundreds of thousands of federal employees, hollowed out several agencies and terminated thousands of government contracts and grants.

Musk doubled down on June 5, calling the legislation the “Big Ugly Bill.” The billionaire also flirted with the idea of forming a new political party, but didn’t offer specifics.

Musk wrote: “Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?”

Trump hit back on Truth Social, accusing Musk of going “crazy” because he “took away his [electric vehicle] mandate.” Less than an hour later, Musk escalated the feud and alleged that Trump appears in the unreleased Epstein Files.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk wrote. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

The pair exchanged a few more jabs until June 6, when tensions seemed to ease. Musk expressed “regret” on June 11 for the posts he made about the president, while Trump revealed he had “no hard feelings” toward Musk.

The peace didn’t last long, though. This week, Musk pledged to fund primary challengers running against Republicans who supported the bill.

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” the billionaire wrote on Monday.

“And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” he added.

Nearly every Republican in Congress voted to pass the bill, with just three senators and two representatives joining Democrats in voting against it.

Trump responded by threatening to cut of the billions of dollars in federal subsidies Musk’s companies receive. The president also threatened to “take a look at” deporting Elon Musk to South Africa, where he was born and raised for several years.

How to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning like you’ve never seen before

What comes to mind when you think of a fundraising coffee morning? Soggy digestives, weak tea and sitting in a school hall having forced fun? Think again.

Macmillan Cancer Support are celebrating 35 years of the iconic Coffee Morning fundraiser, and we’re here to help you give your next Coffee Morning a glow-up. Behind the fun, Coffee Mornings help raise vital funds for people facing one of the toughest challenges of their lives.

Almost one in two people in the UK will get cancer in their lifetime, and no two experiences are the same. Where you live, who you are, or whether you have another health condition can all affect the care you receive – and that’s not fair. Macmillan is working to change that, doing whatever it takes to make sure everyone gets the best possible care, whoever and wherever they are.

So while tasty treats and fundraising fun of course get to stay, we’re leveling up the atmosphere with fresh ideas to keep everyone entertained.

Want to be a Coffee Morning Host?

Best of all, these new ways of raising vital funds don’t have to be expensive. In fact, they might even save you a bit of time, wardrobe space and money. Here’s how to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning like you’ve never seen before…

Organise a ‘style swap shop’

Clear out your wardrobe, raise money and bring your community together all at the same time by organising a ‘style swap shop’ – with all your finest, unworn or unwanted clothes and accessories.

Pack up the majestic hats you bought for a wedding but only wore once, the satin gloves that make you feel like Audrey Hepburn but don’t go with anything you own, or maybe that lace vintage dress your aunty wore to Glastonbury in the 70s, which now lives in an unexplored drawer in your bedroom.

Fill up a bag with your best cast-offs and get your friends, family and neighbours to do the same. Everyone pays £5 entry to the ‘style swap shop’ and then you all get to browse through each other’s preloved treasures – grabbing what takes your fancy.

One person’s hand-me-down is another person’s new look – so elbows at the ready! Want to raise extra cash? Add a £1-£2 price tag on each item that’s been donated.

Strut your stuff at a cake walk

We know that staying healthy and being physically active can reduce the risk of cancer, so why not combine the classic Coffee Morning with a walk around the block? Creative costumes, silly hats and streamers at the ready as we leave behind the school hall and instead take our cakes and cookies for a little jaunt to stretch our legs.

Up the fun, and the stakes, by upgrading from a cake walk to a cake race – the bigger and messier the dessert, the better!  And get the kids involved in the baking and racing too.

Or if you want to keep it indoors, turn your catwalk into a cake walk and give your best strut with your favourite pudding in hand. It’s giving egg and spoon race, jelly wobbling on a plate and doubling over with laughter as you sashay along clutching a platter filled with your finest roulade.

Dance away the morning at a sober rave

Why sit or stand when you can dance? Sober raves are all the rage – and ideal for a morning of fun with friends, family and neighbours. There’s no hangover, no late night and the kids can join in too – so, no need for a babysitter.

Grab your glow sticks for a Coffee Morning like no other, and you can still eat cake and have a brew or a cold drink. It’s a club night where nobody has to worry about the morning-after-the-night-before! You can host it in any hall, all you need is music and a disco ball.

You might feel silly at first, but soon you’ll be grinning with joy as dancing is proven to release endorphins (natural painkillers and mood boosters) as well as reducing stress and keeping you fit. Now, who does a good Big fish, little fish, cardboard box?

Run an Is it cake? competition

If you haven’t seen the Netflix hit Is it cake? – an American game show-style cooking competition, you’re missing a treat. Contestants compete to both identify and recreate their best version of everyday items – in cake form.

That could be fire hoses made from vanilla sponge and icing, kitchen utensils that cut open to reveal red velvet cake, replica designer handbags that are actually edible, and even other food items such as burgers, which are of course, cake.

Up the baking ante by running your own cake lookalike competition inspired by the show. The best thing about it is that even if your cake looks like a pair of stinky old sports shoes, it’ll still taste great!

Whether you’re swapping styles, raving sober or sculpting a sponge handbag, every slice of fun helps Macmillan Cancer Support do whatever it takes to help everyone living with cancer.

Signing up to host your own Macmillan Coffee Morning this year couldn’t be easier! Find out more today on the Macmillan website

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.

EU locked in Trump trade talks as tariff deadline looms

The European Union and the United States have just 48 hours to resolve a trade dispute or face Donald Trump unleashing billions of dollars worth of transatlantic tariffs.

A 90-day pause on the imposition of the US president’s so-called “Liberation Day” import taxes expires on Wednesday, and leaders across Europe are bracing for the threat of 50 per cent tariffs on goods sold in the US.

A split has emerged in the bloc, with some urging European trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic to pursue a UK-style deal to resolve the trade dispute, sparing the EU from the worst of Mr Trump’s wrath.

Other EU leaders have cautioned against the thin UK-US deal agreed by Sir Keir Starmer, and believe Brussels should use its clout to secure a more comprehensive agreement.

Mr Trump imposed a 20 per cent import tax on all EU-made products in early April as part of a set of tariffs targeting countries with which the US has a trade imbalance. Hours after the nation-specific duties took effect, he put them on hold until 9 July at a standard rate of 10 per cent to quiet financial markets and allow time for negotiations.

But as talks dragged on, Mr Trump has threatened to hike the tariff rate to 50 per cent if a deal is not reached. The higher rate would hit everything from French cheese to Italian leather goods, making them more expensive for American consumers.

Talks will now go down to the wire this week, with Mr Sefcovic and US treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s teams seeking to hash out a deal to avoid escalating the trade war.

“Among member states, the big question will be whether we should reach a deal at all costs to avoid a trade war, or show muscle if the deal is not good enough,” one EU diplomat told The Guardian.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a similar deal to the UK’s sector-specific agreement, while French president Emmanuel Macron is keen instead for a better, more comprehensive deal if a rushed agreement is uneven.

Mr Trump has previously threatened to impose 17 per cent tariffs on European food and farm products as part of the US’s aggressive negotiating tactics, with the president once describing the EU as “nastier” than China on trade.

Progress towards a deal was made last week, an EU trade spokesperson said on Friday, but talks continued throughout the weekend.

Without a deal, the EU has said it was prepared to retaliate with tariffs on hundreds of American products, ranging from beef and auto parts to beer and Boeing aeroplanes.

Given the complexity of the talks, it may only be possible for the sides to arrive at a slimmed-down deal by Wednesday, leaving a 10 per cent base level tariff in place, as well as specific tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium.

Before Mr Trump was re-elected, the average tariff on goods from the EU sold in the US was just 2 per cent.

Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Germany’s Berenberg bank, said the most likely outcome of the trade talks is that “the US will agree to deals in which it takes back its worst threats of ‘retaliatory’ tariffs well beyond 10 per cent”.

“However, the road to get there could be rocky.”

The US offering exemptions for some goods might smooth the path to a deal. The EU could offer to ease some regulations that the White House views as trade barriers.

Mr Schmieding added: “While Trump might be able to sell such an outcome as a ‘win’ for him, the ultimate victims of his protectionism would, of course, be mostly the US consumers.”

Van der Poel pips Pogacar to win on hilly stage 2 of Tour de France

Mathieu van der Poel won stage two of the Tour de France ahead of Tadej Pogacar in a dramatic sprint finish to claim the yellow jersey.

After adverse weather conditions that caused logistical issues, the start of the stage was delayed by about 15 minutes. Once racing finally got underway, a large leading group stayed together for much of the stage which boiled up into a mass sprint for the line.

Dutchman Van der Poel ultimately edged out Pogacar in a photo finish, with Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard taking third place. It meant that Jasper Philipsen, who had sprinted to victory on the opening stage in Lille, surrendered the yellow jersey to the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider.

The 209.1km run through France’s extreme north from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer, a town familiar to plenty of Channel hoppers, had provided an entertaining day’s racing and the hills at the end were just enough to dislodge the peloton’s pure sprinters, allowing the classics specialists to fight for victory.

Follow all of the latest from Stage 2 with our live blog below: