Industry

Faisal Islam: US and China deal is significant, but not an end to the trade war

by Logan
written by Logan

It's a ceasefire on the main front of the global trade war. Global markets are rising again, and container ships can set sail across the Pacific.

The progress made in US-China talks in Switzerland was far greater than expected. The prohibitive triple-digit tariffs are now down to just moderately high levels, at least for three months.

The details were a little complicated, perhaps by design to enable both sides to save face.

The bottom line is this: the retaliatory tit-for-tat rise in tariff rates has been cancelled, and the so-called "reciprocal" tariff rate of 34% is lowered for at least 90 days to 10%.

The rates applying now are 30% from the US (which includes an existing 20% component aimed at curbing the illegal trade in fentanyl), and 10% from China.

The world's two biggest economies have stepped back from beyond the brink.

  • Markets rise as US and China agree to slash tariffs
  • What does the US-China deal mean?
  • Laura Bicker: China has come to the table – but this fight is far from over

Who blinked first? The row-back started a month ago, as investors sold US government debt aggressively after the reciprocal tariff rates were first revealed.

The ascent of the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to lead trade negotiations was the start of the process. Trade hardliner Pete Navarro has been clearly sidelined. It was Bessent who was in Switzerland with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the weekend.

The US pushed back strongly against the idea of countries retaliating against their tariffs. China did the most and currently has the same baseline 10% tariff as the rest of the world.

So the US now has the problem. Why would any ally who did not retaliate expect to get worse than China, who did?

There was also nothing agreed on the longer-term challenges to the relationship, for example Chinese exchange rate policy.

So this does also affect the rest of the world profoundly. In the first instance this ceasefire is much better news than expected. It is not an end to the trade war, but it is a very significant truce.

China was facing a 2008-style factory shutdown and potential significant unemployment. It should be averted now.

At these tariff levels, prices will go up somewhat, but the trade will flow. Some uncertainty will remain, given the temporary nature of some of this.

The toy shop owner I met last month in Arizona, who will not publish prices in her Christmas catalogues, may still have that uncertainty, but probably can now count on the container ships sailing with her products onboard.

At the time the retaliatory tariffs were released, the US administration strongly suggested that the buyer countries always win trade wars. The seller or deficit countries such as China, need their buyer more than the other way round.

This has not proven to be the case. The potential financial market turmoil proved to be an equal and opposite source of pressure on the US.

The situation has improved, but the situation is far from over. And even the trade shock we have seen so far will have consequences.

China will attempt to project to the rest of the world that it is now the more reliable economic partner.

The US will have to decide how much it can contain China's rise in advanced technology, from microchips to electric vehicles to artificial intelligence. It may find it has some patching up to do with the rest of the world too.

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Market

What matters to students in the local elections?

by Alyssa
written by Alyssa

Rising bus fares, the environment and the cost of living were some of the issues students said matter most to them ahead of the upcoming local elections.

Thousands of young people will be eligible to vote for the first time on 1 May – but some said they will not. One man said it had fallen to the bottom of his priorities.

Students at the University of Warwick spoke about whether they would vote or not and what the issues were that mattered to them.

Naomi Carter, 24, said there was both a lack of awareness and "disillusionment" about the local elections, as people had thought there would be a "revolution" following the results of the general election last year.

Naomi Carter, 24, plans to vote in the upcoming local elections

Ms Carter, a welfare and campaigns officer for the university and who just graduated from a sustainable development degree, said she planned to vote.

"I always said I could vote in every election I could," she said. "Potentially my great grandmothers could have died for me to have the right to vote, so I better exert it."

Some people were not fully aware of what a council does for them, she added.

"Especially if you've got local councils and district councils and all sorts and the county council as well, I think it's just difficult for people to know why it feels relevant to them," she explained.

"If it's the huge election like the general election, you hear so much coverage of it, you know how important it is, but I think as it gets distilled down, people are less and less aware of why it's important and whose running."

Students at Warwick University would be eligible to vote in the Warwickshire County Council elections, depending on where they live.

  • I don't believe my vote will have an impact
  • What does your council do for you?
  • Are there elections where you live?

The council is responsible for waste management, although not roadside bin collections, and are also in charge of education and transport and social care.

Nathaniel Gate, 21, is undecided as to which party he will vote for

Nathaniel Gate, 21, lives in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and does not yet know if he will be voting – or who he would vote for.

"Alongside all of my university responsibilities, I think it falls more or less to the bottom of my priorities," he said.

The marketing and strategy masters student, who has lived in the area for four years, said "things were so static" voting was a "bit of a moot point".

Asked what mattered the most to him, he said the key issues had always been local buses.

"Currently me and my friends here are now going to go to my car, because i've had to bring my car up from home which is costing me quite a bit of money," he said.

He said it cost £3 each way for the journey to campus but parking cost £8.50. But now he has a staff job on campus he can park for free.

As the university was campus based, the only options for students who did not live on campus were to live in Canley, Coventry, or Leamington Spa.

"It takes about an hour on average to get from wherever you are in Leamington. The bus itself takes about half an hour, but waiting for the bus, that's the big issue," he said.

"Most university courses have a huge problem with attendance which I think would be massively helped if there was way more emphasis on making the transport and the buses way better."

Amro Maraqa, 18, said he wasn't sure if he was eligible to vote as an international student

First year management student Amro Maraqa, 18, said bus fare increases had affected him.

"Bus fares went up by 90p this year, from £2 to £2.90," he said.

"Which was not something I was expecting as it was kind of a hefty jump within a single year."

As an international student, he was not sure if he was eligible to vote, but he said his other main concerns were around the cost of living and the environment, including waste management.

Raphael Roy Taylor, 20, said he would "absolutely" be voting in the local elections

Raphael Roy Taylor, 20, is in his second year of a politics and history degree and said he "would absolutely be voting".

He said there should be more funding in the arts.

"We've got two different council areas. We're both representing Warwickshire but we're also a university that's based in Coventry," he explained.

"We're in rich privileged Warwickshire, half of it is in Coventry, I think we need to be really engaging with the regeneration fund for Coventry City Centre."

Sasha King-Smith, 21, said it was "really important" for students to vote

Sasha King-Smith, 21, just graduated with a politics degree and said it was "really important" for students to vote.

She said she had always voted in the local elections and went to the polls for the first time during the local elections in 2021- on the day she celebrated her 18th birthday.

Ms King-Smith, who is the union's democracy and development officer, spoke of how the key issues for her were the environment and inclusivity, alongside the cost of living.

"Even just trying to breathe. Existing, studying, everything costs money, also with the recent fee increases we're going to see students unhappy about that," she said.

"For the bus pass to get us to campus, my first year I think it was £325 and now it's like £410," she added. "It increases massively every year."

Daniel Eggleton, 20, said he had voted in the general election in the past

Daniel Eggleton, 20, is in his second year of studying Maths and has voted in the general election in the past.

But he said he found it tricky to vote for candidates who he thought were"morally reproachable" and at the local elections, he wanted to vote for those who deemed "honourable and upright."

"I think having people with a good sound set of ethics is very important to me," he explained.

"I want someone who is going to say what they're going to do and keep up with what they're going to do."

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Innovation

Executive told it may need to bring in water charges

by Oscar
written by Oscar

The Stormont Executive will need to raise money from water charges or other sources if it wants to improve the performance of NI Water, an independent watchdog has concluded.

The Northern Ireland Fiscal Council said changing the structure of NI Water will not, on its own, make a sufficient difference.

"The fundamental constraint on NI Water is a budgetary one," it said.

Persistent underfunding of NI Water has led to a shortfall in the wastewater infrastructure, which in turn, is limiting house building and other development.

How is water paid for?

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where households do not pay directly for their water.

Instead, NI Water receives a government subsidy which diverts more than £300m annually from the Executive's budget.

The fiscal council said a popular belief that households pay for water through a portion of their rates bill is not true.

It said the link with the regional rate was broken in 1998.

Sir Robert Chote, chair of the council, said: "The current funding model is not fit for purpose.

"Charging for water or increasing taxes would put a further squeeze on the household finances, but failing to do so has its own costs."

Sinn Féin and the DUP, the largest Executive parties, are opposed to water charges.

The Sinn Féin-controlled Department for Infrastructure is holding a consultation which could lead to all house builders in Northern Ireland having to pay into a wastewater infrastructure fund.

Pacemaker
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has proposed voluntary contributions from developers to a wastewater infrastructure fund

Infrastructure is aging

The Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, has set out a second proposal which would involve voluntary contributions from developers.

She said developer payments alone would not solve the problems but would be a "step forward on the journey towards having the infrastructure we all need".

Much of Northern Ireland's wastewater infrastructure is ageing and needs upgraded.

It means there are more than 100 towns and villages where the system is operating near or above capacity and cannot accommodate any additional wastewater connections.

Speaking in March, Kimmins said: "Due to years of historic underfunding and austerity by the British government, our current drainage and wastewater infrastructure is in urgent need of upgrades.

"Improving our sewerage systems will be a significant undertaking, costing billions and spanning multiple decades."

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Tech

Murder inquiry launched as teenager dies

by Linda
written by Linda

A murder investigation has been launched after a teenage boy died in north Manchester.

Officers, paramedics and the air ambulance were called to Nevin Road in the New Moston area of Manchester at about 17:00 BST, Greater Manchester Police said.

The force has not yet said how the boy died. Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Supt Marcus Noden said it was "distressing and heartbreaking" that a boy had lost his life and urged witnesses to come forward.

JMG Press
Police and forensics officers are at the scene, with a section of Nevin Road cordoned off

The force said it was "still trying to establish the circumstances" around the incident and several areas had been cordoned off, including outside the Fairway Inn Pub on Nuthurst Rd.

An air ambulance was scrambled to the scene, landing in Nuthurst Road Park, a short distance away from Nevin Road.

JMG Press
The North West Air Ambulance landed in Nuthurst Road Park

Detectives said the boy's family was being supported by specialist officers.

Supt Noden appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

He said they wanted to hear from "anyone who was in the Nevin Road area" who saw the incident take place.

"We will bring updates as we get them as the investigation continues," he added.

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Economy

Vanuatu looks into revoking Andrew Tate's golden passport

by Erin
written by Erin

Vanuatu authorities are looking at revoking Andrew Tate's citizenship after it was revealed that he acquired a golden passport at around the same time as his 2022 arrest in Romania for rape and human trafficking.

The self-described misogynist influencer acquired citizenship under a fast-track scheme for those who invest at least $130,000 (£96,000) in the tiny Pacific archipelago, according to an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

The scheme has raised security concerns, and led the European Union to revoke Vanuatu's visa-free privilege in late 2024.

A Vanuatu government spokesman said authorities were "definitely looking into" Tate's citizenship.

"Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship," Kiery Manassah told ABC News.

"The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship," he added. "Those who are wanted by their countries or who are investigated by police authorities from overseas are not welcome to be part of the citizens of Vanuatu."

Passports-for-sale or citizenship by investment schemes are a source of income for countries like Vanuatu. But they have also been abused by organised crime suspects, oligarchs and even intelligence agents, said Aubrey Belford, Pacific lead editor at OCCRP.

"It's caused a lot of alarm because it's one of those loopholes that allows people to get a new passport or even a new identity and be able to evade law enforcement," Belford told ABC News.

Vanuatu granted Tate citizenship in December 2022. That same month, Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania and have since largely been under travel restrictions in the country.

Vanuatu does not have a formal extradition treaty with Romania.

It is unclear if Tristan Tate also acquired Vanuatu citizenship.

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Business

Plans for large-scale solar farm approved

by Camila
written by Camila

Plans for a large-scale solar farm in North East Lincolnshire have been approved, despite objections from residents.

One Planet submitted a proposal for a 49.9MW solar farm on agricultural land off Margaret Street, Immingham.

The proposals also include the installation of a battery energy storage system (BESS).

Objections included the potential for noise from the battery storage facility, loss of agricultural land and the impact on the landscape.

Councillors were told the solar farm and BESS would cover about 182 acres (74 hectares) of the 232-acre (94-hectare site), with the remainder set aside for landscaping.

One written objection stated "there were enough solar panels in Immingham", adding that the land should be used for crops.

However, a report stated the land was not "the best and most versatile agricultural land", in part due to the wetness of the soil.

Concerns were also raised about the potential for noise from the battery storage facility, but a council planning meeting was told the nearest property was 300m (985ft) away.

Councillors approved the plans at the meeting last Wednesday.

The official permission for the solar farm project is yet to be granted due to a consultation period with the Ministry of Defence, which is set to be completed on 4 May, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

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Global Trade

RUC failed to arrest suspects over Kingsmills murders – report

by Adam
written by Adam

Police investigating the murders of 10 men in County Armagh failed to arrest and interview 11 men identified by intelligence, the police ombudsman has found.

Last year an inquest found the atrocity, in Kingsmills, was an overtly sectarian attack mounted by the IRA.

Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson said the failures took place against a backdrop of "wholly insufficient" resources.

The textile factory workers were shot dead when a gang ambushed their minibus near Kingsmills in 1976.

The victims were shot after IRA gunmen stopped their bus as they travelled home from work

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Jon Boutcher acknowledged "the pain and suffering" of the families of those killed and injured.

In a statement, he said: "I am determined to do all I can to provide these remarkable families with the acknowledgement they deserve and the answers they crave."

He said that areas of the report "make for uncomfortable reading" and noted the failings identified in the original investigation.

"It is important to note that the ombudsman found no intelligence that could have forewarned of, or allowed police to prevent, the murders nor did it identify any intelligence that indicated a direct threat to any of the deceased or injured," Boutcher added.

Investigation failings

A number of complaints made by the Kingsmills families regarding the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) investigation in 1976 were upheld by the police ombudsman.

Several important witness statements were never taken, including those of two people who had travelled on the bus that evening and a woman who had been one of the first people on the scene.

A threat call which was made to Glenanne Mill, where the victims of the shooting worked, days before the attack was not properly investigated by the murder investigation team.

There was also no record that the police investigation sought to link the weapons used to other incidents.

The ombudsman also found that there were missed investigative opportunities in areas such as forensics, fingerprints and palm prints and witness inquiries.

Alan Black described the attack as "evil"

The families and their legal teams will also consider legal action, which is currently paused, alongside Tuesday's findings.

Their families and some unionist politicians have called for a public inquiry.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said it was not for her to call for a public inquiry into the Kingsmills murders, but she was not "ruling anything in or out".

Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Long said that calling for a public inquiry "will not necessarily get us a clearer picture if all of the avenues of investigation have already been exhausted."

Alan Black, who survived the shooting, told the media that it "isn't over until it's over" as he described the attack as an "evil act".

"The IRA should come clean for the sake of the families," he added.

"Just being killed because of your religion, that's never acceptable."

Mr Black said if the original police investigation "had done their job and arrested the men involved look how many lives would have been saved".

"We're going to take it right to the end of the road," he added.

"As long as I'm here, I'm going to go after getting the truth because I owe it to the boys.

"Robert, my apprentice, he would've been 69 now, probably a grandfather, and he's been lying in the ground since he was 18 years old."

Mr Black also spoke about the widows of those who were killed who "go home to an empty house" all because of "an act of madness".

Karen Armstrong said the families have only ever wanted the truth

Karen Armstrong, the sister of John McConville who was killed in the attack, said it had "been a long road" as the families have only ever wanted "the truth".

Mrs Armstrong said that she did not accept a lack of resources being the reason for the failures.

"On numerous occasions whenever we went through the files it was pretty obvious that nothing was really finished off," she told BBC News NI.

Barry O'Donnell from KRW Law said there was an "intelligence agenda" involved in protecting those involved in the attack.

His colleague, Kevin Winters, said his clients would now "refocus" on the stalled High Court civil action and "today's findings will really help recalibrate that case".

What happened at Kingsmills?

The attack took place on 5 January 1976, just after 17:30 GMT.

A red Ford Transit bus was carrying the men home from their workplace in Glenanne, along the rural road to Bessbrook.

As the bus cleared the rise of a hill, it was stopped by a man standing in the road flashing a torch.

As the vehicle came to a halt, 11 other men, all masked and armed, emerged from hedges around the road.

Only one man, Alan Black, survived the shooting

The IRA men ordered the passengers out of the bus demanding to know the religion of each of the men.

One of the workers, who identified himself as a Catholic, was told to leave.

The gang then opened fire on the remaining passengers, killing 10 Protestant workmen and seriously wounding another.

No-one has ever been held to account for the murders.

Who were the Kingsmills victims?

Ten workmen, aged from 19 to 58, were murdered by the IRA at Kingsmills in 1976

The 10 men who were killed at Kingsmills were:

  • John Bryans
  • Robert Chambers
  • Walter Chapman
  • Robert Freeburn
  • Reginald Chapman
  • Joseph Lemmon
  • John McConville
  • James McWhirter
  • Robert Walker
  • Kenneth Worton

A memorial service is held in south Armagh every year to remember them.

Only one man, Alan Black, survived the shooting.

He was shot 18 times and spent months in hospital recovering from his injuries.

Who carried out the Kingsmills murders?

In 2011, a report from the Historical Enquiries Team in Northern Ireland said the IRA was responsible for the attack.

It concluded that it had been a purely sectarian attack.

An inquest last year found there was no evidence of collusion or state involvement and that the attack was carried out by a unit consisting of at least 12 members of the IRA, pretending to be an Army patrol.

Shortly after the attack, the so-called South Armagh Republican Action Force claimed responsibility for it. The coroner, Judge Sherrard, said that was a lie.

The IRA has never admitted involvement and was supposed to be on ceasefire at the time of the attack.

The judge at the inquest added Kingsmills was "ostensibly in direct response" to attacks on the Catholic Reavey and O'Dowd families by loyalist terrorists the previous day, though Kingsmills was not spontaneous and had been planned "well in advance".

Throughout the Troubles, loyalist and republican paramilitaries carried out tit-for-tat murders, killing people simply based on their religion.

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Innovation

RAF Typhoon display team to perform at Classic TT

by James
written by James

RAF Typhoon jets are set to put on a display in Manx skies as part of the 2025 Classic TT.

The team will perform over Douglas Bay at 19:30 BST on 28 August during the reinstated event, which runs alongside the Manx Grand Prix (MGP).

The Classic TT is set to return to the road-racing schedule for the first time since 2019 after it was scrapped by the government following the coronavirus pandemic.

TT organisers said the performance would showcase "the speed, power and agility" of the RAF's frontline multi-role combat aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4.

Led by Squadron Leader Nathan Shawyer of 29 Squadron at UK MOD, the display would showcase "one of the most powerful and dynamic fast-jet demonstrations in the world", they added.

Held alongside the MGP between 2013 and 2019, the return of the Classic TT will see a return to classic racing under the TT banner for the next three years.

Under the new arrangements, the Department for Enterprise has taken on the role of promoter for the Classic TT, while the Manx Motor Cycle Club has retained responsibility for promoting the MGP.

Racing will be split into two periods, with the Supertwin, Supersport, Junior and Senior MGP races on modern machinery set to take place first on 23 and 25 August.

That will be followed by the Formula 1, Lightweight, Historic Junior, Historic Senior and Classic Senior TT races on 27 and 29 August.

The event is set to return to its previous two week duration in 2025 after being scaled back when the Classic TT brand was dropped in 2022.

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