‘Very low bar’: analysts say Starmer faces slim pickings in China

Keir Starmer’s trip to China is billed as an attempt to revitalise diplomatic relations but eight years after Theresa May paved the way for a never-materialised “ambitious” post-Brexit deal, the prospect of the prime minister landing any meaningful trade deal is slim, experts have warned.The visit to Beijing, involving a delegation of British companies led by Starmer, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the business secretary, Peter Kyle, is the first since May’s 2018 visit, and will revolve around joint trade and investment efforts.Downing Street is already treading a sensitive diplomatic path, suggesting that while issues such as human rights breaches, national security or the imprisonment in Hong Kong of the 78-year-old British pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai will be raised, the main focus will be on the business and economic links between China and the UK.It is also, said Starmer before the flight, not about Donald Trump, who just threatened Canada with 100% tariffs if “it makes a deal with China”.In an interview with Bloomberg, the prime minister said China would bring “significant opportunities” to British businesses and insisted he would not be forced to make a choice between China and the US

U-turn on pubs has not solved the government’s mess on business rates | Nils Pratley

Will the chancellor’s inevitable U-turn on business rates for pubs be enough to quieten the developing riot behind the taps? Possibly, a bit. After two months of damaging headlines, Rachel Reeves has granted pubs a 15% discount on bills, worth £1,650 on average in the next tax year, then a two-year freeze in real terms, with the promise of a change in methodology in time for the next revaluation in 2029. Live music venues get the same deal. The package is not insignificant, especially as it was the year-three escalation in bills that was causing the most angst.Yet it would be a mistake to think the government’s troubles on business rates end there

Pornhub to stop new UK users accessing site from next week

Pornhub is to stop new users accessing its site in the UK from next week, citing the impact of mandatory age checks that were introduced last summer under the Online Safety Act.The pornography website, which is one of the most visited in the world, announced that from 2 February only users who have already verified their age will retain access through their existing accounts. The change also affects YouPorn and RedTube, explicit websites operated by the same Cyprus-based company, Aylo.The move comes after Pornhub said in October that its traffic was down 77% in the UK since July, when the age checks came in and began to be enforced by Ofcom, the communications regulator.In a statement, the company said that it would “no longer participate in the failed system” created as a result of the OSA

How ICE is using facial recognition in Minnesota

Immigration enforcement agents across the US are increasingly relying on a new smartphone app with facial recognition technology.The app is named Mobile Fortify. Simply pointing a phone’s camera at their intended target and scanning the person’s face allows Mobile Fortify to pull data on an individual from multiple federal and state databases, some of which federal courts have deemed too inaccurate for arrest warrants.The US Department of Homeland Security has used Mobile Fortify to scan faces and fingerprints in the field more than 100,000 times, according to a lawsuit brought by Illinois and Chicago against the federal agency, earlier this month. That’s a drastic shift from immigration enforcement’s earlier use of facial recognition technology, which was otherwise limited largely to investigations and ports of entry and exit, legal experts say

Brook’s ‘Stone Cold’ celebration in England series win as Root praises ‘great leader’

The wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was the surprising inspiration for Harry Brook’s century celebration as the England white-ball captain led his side to a one-day international series victory against Sri Lanka with a thrilling, unbeaten 136.Brook, who was involved in a clash with a nightclub bouncer on the tour of New Zealand earlier this winter, took his gloves off upon reaching his hundred and imitated Austin’s move of bashing beer cans together in the ring before drinking them.“I think you can work it out if you’ve ever watched wrestling,” said Joe Root, who hit his 20th ODI century to set up England’s innings, with Brook joining him in the 32nd over. “I think that’s his way of doing that, trying to show that he wants that approval from the group. It’s through humour

Everton in line to host Fiji ‘home’ match against England in Nations Championship

Everton have been offered the chance to host England’s Nations Championship game against Fiji in July at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in what would be their first match in England held away from Twickenham since 2019.The 11 July Test against Fiji is an away fixture for England in their second game of the inaugural Nations Championship after they face South Africa in Johannesburg the previous week. However, the host union wants to move it to a neutral venue to maximise the revenue they receive from gate receipts.Steve Borthwick’s side had originally been scheduled to play Fiji in South Africa before travelling to Argentina to play the Pumas for their final summer fixture on 18 July, but the Fiji Rugby Union is understood to have asked permission from the Nations Championship organisers to switch it to England.World Rugby, the Six Nations and Sanzaar have all given their blessing on the proviso that the game is not held at England’s home ground of Twickenham for integrity reasons