China has won the trade war with Trump
The deal that was announced this morning in Switzerland, where negotiations took place, by the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant appears very simple. The US will reduce its tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 per cent to 30 per cent, while China will cut its from 125 per cent to just 10 per cent. For now, it is just a 90-day pause, but it already looks likely that over the next three months a more permanent agreement will be worked out.
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Daily Mirror
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage's 'fantasy' plan to cut crime as huge questions remain
Nigel Farage has been accused of peddling a string of 'ill-thought through slogans' after making big promises to tackle crime, with questions over his sums and the impact on prisons Nigel Farage has yet again been accused of peddling "fantasy" plans based on dodgy sums - this time on tackling crime. The Reform leader resorted to "amateur hour" headline-grabbing measures, including sending thousands of prisoners overseas to serve lenghty sentences, critics said. He named El Salavador as an example - but then admitted he hadn't discussed it with the central American nation. Mr Farage claimed it would cost £17.4billion to halve crime in five years, a sum he insisted could be raised without raising tax - but was later told his estimate was "billions out". His plans appeared to unravel after he said drug traffickers would face mandatory life imprisonment, as would people with three convictions for serious crimes. He also said people found in possession of a knife would not be eligible for suspended sentences. Despite this his proposals would create just 30,000 new prison spaces. Last year there were nearly 50,000 crimes reported to police involving a knife in England and Wales. The operating capacity of prisons was 89,600 in June this year. Sex offenders and those convicted of violent crimes would not qualify for early release, Mr Farage said. The Reform leader said the Army would be ordered to help build five "Nightingale" prisons - modelled on the hospitals fast-tracked during the Covid crisis. Inmates from overseas would be sent back to their homelands, he claimed. But it is unclear what would happen if countries refuse to take them back, with Mr Farage suggesting the UK would use its ecomonic heft to punish those who say no. The previous Tory government suggested sending prisoners to overseas jails - but experts questioned whether this would actually work. The populist Reform boss also claimed he would abolish a shoplifters' "charter" - even though he and his party voted against the Government's Crime and Policing Bill which does just that. Tory law changes mean thefts from shops worth under £200 are less likely to result in prosecution - sending cases sprialling. Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves said: ' Nigel Farage repeatedly tried to block tough measures to make our streets safer. Reform is more interested in headline-chasing than serious policy-making in the interests of the British people. Farage's Reform MPs voted against the Labour Government's landmark Crime and Policing Bill which tackles antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, violence against women and girls, knife crime, and child abuse. The public deserves better than ill-thought through slogans and unfunded policy commitments. 'Unlike Reform, this Labour government is backing up its words with action." And Tory shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: "Farage's sums don't add Reform's crime plan suggests prison places can be provided at £25,000, when the real cost is £40,000. This isn't a manifesto - it's a fantasy, written on the back of a fag packet. "Farage's numbers are billions out. You don't halve crime with wishful thinking. You do it with a real plan, real costs, and real leadership. Britain needs serious leadership, not amateur hour." Mr Farage claimed his plans would see 12,400 new prison places on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land within 18 months of a new Government. He said there would be an additional 10,400 created by transferring serious offenders overseas. He named El Salvador, but then admitted that he had not tested the water to see if its government would be open to such a deal with the UK. It is also unknown how much this would cost, but Reform documents suggest £1.25billion would be set aside over five years. He also said it is "fair, right and proper" that British criminals are taken back in return. Mr Farage said: "Reform will be the toughest party on law and order and on crime that this country has ever seen. "We will aim to cut crime by half in the first five years of Reform government. We will take back control of our streets. We will take back control of our courts, of our prisons. If you're a criminal, I am putting you on notice today that from 2029 or whenever that may be, either you obey the law or you will face very serious justice," Following Tory proposals to send prisoners overseas last year, the Prison Reform Trust responded: "Examples of where similar policies have been implemented by other countries to relieve problems of overcrowded and limited capacity have shown mixed results. "In the past decade, both Norway and Belgium have rented prison places in the Netherlands to handle problems of overcrowding and limited capacity. Ultimately, neither Norway nor Belgium extended their contracts with the Netherlands. "Both schemes were heavily criticised by national and international detention monitoring bodies." And it said: "In the case of Belgium, the arrangement did not reduce overcrowding – which continued to get worse."
South Wales Guardian
14 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ukraine's allies stand at ‘moment of maximum opportunity'
The Defence Secretary said the UK and other allies must use Donald Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin to start a '50-day drive' to arm Ukraine ahead of any talks, with the aim of strengthening its hand against Russia. The US president has threatened to impose 'very severe' tariffs on Russia if it does not agree a ceasefire by September 2, 50 days on from his announcement that he would sell 'top-of-the-line' weapons to Nato that could then be given to Ukraine. Speaking at the 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), Mr Healey told allies gathered from 52 nations: 'This is a moment of maximum opportunity. 'Last week, President Trump announced a new plan for large scale Nato weapons transfers, and committed to getting these, he said, quickly distributed to the battlefield. 'The UK backs this policy. We will play our full part in its success.' Mr Healey added: 'Alongside this new agreement to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, President Trump also started the clock on a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace or to face crippling economic sanctions. 'And as members of this UDCG, we need to step up, in turn, a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and to help push Putin to the negotiating table.' The UK Defence Secretary chaired the meeting for the fourth time, also his third time co-chairing with German defence minister Boris Pistorius. The group, which brings together defence ministers and officials from Ukraine's allies, was chaired by the US until Mr Trump came to power and began rowing back on American support for Kyiv and European security. As the UK and Germany led calls for European allies to step up their support for Kyiv, Mr Healey said the two countries have 'agreed to partner in providing critical air defence missiles to Ukraine'. His German counterpart Mr Pistorius, meanwhile, said the pair were involved in an initiative to replenish ammunition for anti-aircraft guns. 'We will, together with our British friends, provide 220,000 rounds of 35 millimetre ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft gun system at short notice, financed by Germany,' the German defence minister said. The drive to step up support for Ukraine comes after the UK revealed it has spent some £150 million on air defence and artillery for the war-torn nation over the past two months. At least £700 million will be spent on similar support over the course of the year, according to the Ministry of Defence.
South Wales Guardian
40 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into a Dhaka school and kills 19
According to the military and a fire official, the Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College, in the Uttara neighbourhood, in the afternoon as students were attending classes. The military said the jet took off at 1.06pm local time and crashed soon after, catching fire immediately. The cause was not immediately clear. It is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. Local media indicated most of the injured were students. Relatives arrived at the scene as rescuers, using tricycle rickshaws or whatever was available, transported the injured to local hospitals. Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that the school, with some 2,000 students, offers classes from elementary to twelfth grade. 'I was terrified watching videos on TV,' the 16-year-old said. 'My God. It's my school.' Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus pledged an investigation into the crash, expressing his deep sorrow over the 'heartbreaking accident' at Milestone School and College. In a statement, he lamented the 'irreparable' loss suffered by 'Air Force personnel, students, parents, teachers, staff, and others', calling it 'a moment of deep national grief'.
