Wednesday newspaper round-up: Tesla sales, Trump trade war, mortgages, Kingsmill-Hovis merger

(Sharecast News) - Elon Musk's Tesla sold just over 500 vehicles in Britain in April, down by more than half on the previous month, as motorists shifted decisively away from all-electric vehicles in favour of plug-in hybrids. According to the latest registration figures, the big government push to get drivers into all-electric cars appears to have stalled seemingly in favour of the plug-in hybrids, internal combustion engine vehicles which can run for a few dozen miles on a rechargeable electric battery. - The Times Tens of thousands of British workers will be forced to delay retirement or even go back to work because of the market turmoil triggered by Donald Trump's trade war, experts have warned. The Society of Pension Professionals (SPP), which includes Aviva and Legal & General among its members, said savers' pension pots faced a hit of up to 20pc after the US president announced new import taxes on goods from almost every country on April 2. - Telegraph

A one-of-a-kind mortgage offering a major financial perk - no repayments for the first three months - has been launched in the UK. The deal, unveiled by Skipton Building Society, is the latest innovation aimed at cash-strapped first-time buyers and is designed to provide them with a bit of breathing space as they settle into their new property. - Guardian

The owner of Kingsmill has confirmed it is considering a merger of its bread business with Hovis as the baking industry struggles against a backlash to processed foods and the growing adoption of low-carb diets. Associated British Foods, which also owns Ryvita and Primark, said it was in discussions with Endless, the private equity firm, about combining Hovis and Allied Bakeries, the bread business which includes Kingsmill. - The Times

TalkTalk has been hit by an exodus of customers as the struggling broadband business loses ground to rivals. The telecoms group, which is owned by billionaire Sir Charles Dunstone, saw its customer base fall by more than 400,000 to 3.2m in the year to February. It comes amid heavy cost-cutting at TalkTalk, which narrowly avoided collapse last year after securing an emergency cash injection from Sir Charles and other shareholders. - Telegraph

China has vowed to "safeguard international fairness and justice" in upcoming talks with the United States in Switzerland, the first meeting between the two countries to discuss trade war that has roiled the global economy since US president Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs last month. China's vice-premier He Lifeng will meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of meetings in Switzerland between 9 and 12 May. US trade representative Jamieson Greer will also attend. - Guardian