There’s now a surefire way to defeat ‘left-wing’ Nigel Farage

If people are forced to choose, they are more likely to say that Nigel Farage is “for working people” than Keir Starmer is. This probably reflects the prime minister’s unpopularity more than it is a positive endorsement of the Reform leader, but opinion poll findings such as this encouraged Farage to make his pitch for Labour votes.

His starting point was that the Conservatives are “finished”, “done” and “have had a good 200 years”: he is now squaring up to Labour.

Farage said that Starmer was “terrified” of what Reform was doing to the Labour vote, and that was why the prime minister was aping him.

It was a typical Farage performance – except that there was no crowd of enthusiastic supporters to cheer his well-rehearsed applause lines. He is an energetic speaker, able to carry an imaginary mass rally, even if the only people there were Zia Yusuf, the Reform chair, and Sarah Pochin, the party’s newest MP, sitting mutely on stage facing a silent audience of mostly journalists.

Farage contrasted his “passion” with Starmer’s stiffness, noting that the prime minister, when he won the election and addressed the nation from the door of No 10, looked down at his notes 158 times when he might be expected to know what he wanted to say.

“What I bring to this now is experience, passion and courage,” Farage said modestly. But his is a pitch that suggests he has thought more deeply about how to fight Labour than some in Labour have thought about how to fight him.

Before Farage’s speech, the Labour Party line to take was that he is a privately educated stockbroker who should not be taken seriously. This is disastrously misjudged. No one cares what school he went to, or what his job was before politics – he was actually a metals trader in the City.

If Labour try to portray him as posh and out of touch, they will fail, because voters are more likely to see Starmer, with his knighthood, as a member of the establishment. If they make it about personality, they will fail.

That is why Farage said of Starmer, “This man doesn’t believe in anything.” Farage contrasted Starmer, who is in politics to “be something”, namely prime minister, with his own desire to “do something”, namely to “turn the country around”.

Many Labour supporters dislike Farage so much that they cannot see clearly how to fight him. They have no idea how effective his pitch is, and how unpopular Starmer is.

The centrepiece of today’s pitch for Labour votes was Farage’s counterintuitive call to lift the two-child limit on welfare benefits. On this, he is aligned with rebellious Labour MPs and – according to superficial polls, at least – on the wrong side of public opinion.

The popularity of the two-child limit, brought in by George Osborne, prompted a Farage digression: “I have never been a populist politician; I’ve nearly always spent my career pushing minority opinions and trying to make them majority opinions.”

It is a clever line, but the danger to Labour is that he and his policies are more popular than the government’s policies and the prime minister.

When scrapping the two-child limit is rephrased as backing the family and supporting low-paid workers on universal credit – “it would make having children a little bit easier for them”, Farage said – it is much more popular. Combined with a tax break for marriage, the “family, community and country” line is a threat to Labour.

The key to defeating Farage is to be found in another opinion poll published today, from YouGov, which found that when people are asked to choose between Starmer and Farage as prime minister, they prefer Starmer by a significant margin, 44 per cent to 29 per cent.

So, although Farage beats Starmer on important qualities – “strong”, “tells the truth”, “understands people like me” – people struggle to see him as prime minister. Labour needs to attack him on that. That is why Farage was stressing his “experience” today, even if his experience is mainly of blowing up one party after another.

Starmer needs to hammer Farage on his fantasy budgeting; journalists were not buying any of it today, and rightly so. Reform’s figures at the election last year did not add up, and now Farage has casually added to them the £3.5bn-a-year cost of lifting the two-child limit.

He does not believe the numbers he read out at his news conference, as the annual saving from abolishing net zero rose from £40bn to £45bn between his prepared notes and his answers to questions. His figures were, he said, “maybe I accept slightly optimistic”.

Labour needs to remind voters that Farage welcomed Liz Truss’s mini-Budget as the “best Conservative Budget since 1986”, and use that to set out what he really is, which is a Thatcherite. Paying benefits to families with three or more children is not really him: the real Farage thinks the state should do law and order, defence and nothing else.

He challenged Starmer to a debate in a working men’s club in the red wall: they should go to a former coal mining area and ask Farage what he thought of the miners’ strike. Then we might find out what Farage means by being “for working people”.

Man Utd close in on Matheus Cunha as Bruno Fernandes decision to be made

The transfer window is almost open with the Club World Cup creating an emergency, short-term window — though clubs not involved in the new Fifa tournament are pushing ahead with plans to strengthen this summer.

Manchester United have an awful lot of work to do in the window after a disastrous season, and Matheus Cunha appears to be the first one through the door, with Wolves set to bank more than £60m for the Brazilian forward. There could also be exits from Old Trafford, though, with captain Bruno Fernandes among those being linked with moves away.

Liverpool are ready to go from strength to strength after winning the Premier League title, with a new striker perhaps on the wish list as right-back Jeremie Frimpong nears a switch to help fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure. A forward to monitor could be Hugo Ekitike, who is also a Chelsea target, with the Eintracht Frankfurt striker one of the hottest properties in European football.

The season might have finished, but the football doesn’t stop for long and you can sign up to DAZN to watch every Club World Cup game for free, while all the latest updates, rumours and done deals from what promises to be a chaotic transfer window will be covered in the blog below:

Musk’s SpaceX rocket tumbles out of control and explodes in latest failure

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship tumbled out of control after a test launch in Texas on Tuesday evening, and both the first-stage Super Heavy booster and rocket exploded before the craft’s planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

Fuel leaks on the unmanned rocket caused it to spin uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.

SpaceX confirmed that the rocket broke apart during re-entry, which it again euphemistically termed as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”

“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly,” SpaceX said in a statement. “Teams will continue to review data and work towards our next flight test.”

The mammoth 400-foot Starship rocket was successfully launched into sub-orbit from its Starbase in Texas at 6.36pm local time, but it was unable to deploy its payload – eight mock Starlink satellites – when the rocket door failed to fully open as the flight went awry about 30 minutes after launch.

“We are in a little bit of a spin. We did spring a leak in some of the fuel tank systems inside of Starship,” SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot said on the company’s livestream as the flight began to come undone.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement later that the agency was “aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX Starship Flight 9 mission … and is actively working with SpaceX on the event.” The FAA said there were “no reports of public injury or damage to public property at this time.”

It was the third straight major problem in a Starship launch that SpaceX has repeatedly characterized as a valuable learning experience. Starship rockets also exploded in January and March after about ten minutes into launch on each occasion.

“Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase. Lot of good data to review,” Musk said in a post on X after the Starship disintegrated.

He noted: “Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent.”

Musk vowed that Starship launches will be increased to about one every three to four weeks.

SpaceX again put a positive spin on the accident.

“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary,” the company wrote in a post on X.

Tuesday’s mission was the ninth test launch of a Starship rocket.

SpaceX has previously successfully launched Starship into space, and the rocket has splashed down into the ocean as planned. Giant robotic arms have also caught the craft’s rocket booster stage, which is supposed to be reusable, on Starship’s return to Earth.

The latest failure comes amid mounting problems for Musk, the richest human in the world, as President Donald Trump seems to have edged him aside after Musk’s hugely controversial federal contract, service and jobs cuts as part of his Department of Government Efficiency.

His surging unpopularity in the U.S. and around the world is seriously damaging his Tesla brand. Tesla vehicle sales in Europe plunged 49 percent last month over April of 2024 even as sales of electric cars are surging.

SpaceX has received more than $19 billion from the federal government since 2008 and is reportedly poised to collect several billion dollars more for years to come.

New Covid variant spreading from Asia now surges across US

The new Covid variant is continuing to proliferate around the U.S. — although you might not know it by just checking federal variant-tracking dashboards.

Known as NB.1.8.1, the omicron variant has been tracked in states across the country following a large surge in China. Although, right now, LP.8.1 — a descendent of JN.1 — is the nation’s dominant strain.

The Centers for Disease Control is in regular contact with international partners, and is aware of reported NB.1.8.1 cases in China, an agency spokesperson told The Independent. There have been too few U.S. sequences reported thus far for the variant to be included in its dashboard.

But, in Asia, it’s resulted in increased hospitalizations and emergency room visits. So, what should Americans know about NB.1.8.1, and how worrying is its spread? Here’s what to know.

NB.1.8.1 has been designated a SARS-CoV-2 variant under monitoring, with increasing proportions globally, according to the World Health Organization. There are currently six tracked by the agency.

It’s spread throughout 22 countries. In the U.S., it has been traced to New York, California, Arizona, Ohio and Rhode Island, according to records from local health officials at the CDC’s airport testing partner Ginkgo Bioworks.

While still low in numbers, the WHO noted that there had been a significant rise in its prevalence from late March to April.

The public health risk posed by this variant is evaluated as low at the global level.

“Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalizations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data do not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,” the WHO said.

But, while it may not be particularly severe, may infect people more easily than previous variants. There is some evidence that the variant binds more tightly to human cells.

“Data indicates that NB.1.8.1 does not lead to more severe illness compared to previous variants, although it appears to have a growth advantage, suggesting it may spread more easily,” Subhash Verma, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, told CBS News this week. “In other words, it is more transmissible.”

Yes, our currently-approved Covid shots are expected to remain effective against this variant and protect against severe disease.

However, access to the vaccines is being limited by the Trump administration. On Tuesday, health officials said the Covid vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women had been removed from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule. The Food and Drug Administration said last week that it will continue to approve updates for seniors and Americans with underlying medication conditions. However, it will require vaccine makers to conduct major new clinical trials before approving them for wider use.

Although the number of Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths has fallen considerably since the pandemic’s start, experts worry about what limiting access to vaccines could do.

“Is the pharmacist going to determine if you’re in a high-risk group?” Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press. “The only thing that can come of this will make vaccines less insurable and less available.”

For now, people can still get the shots.

AI-powered robot salesperson could be coming to UK showrooms

Robots powered by AI could soon be selling cars to customers in the UK as a global car manufacturer debuts an unusual new member of staff.

Omoda and Jaecoo owner Chery has showed off robotic sales assistant ‘Mornine’ at the Shangai Motor Show on 23 April. It can greet customers, show them around a car, and even make them a tea or coffee.

The AI robot uses machine learning to improve its performance, learning from interactions with customers. It has been trialled in showrooms in Malaysia and could soon be rolled out worldwide, a spokesperson for Chery said.

The car maker added that Mornine has capabilities including perception, cognition, decision making and task execution and explained the “ideal use case” was for “dealer-level admin and service.”

The car brand’s robotics experts said Mornine uses speech and vision inputs that allow it to “accurately interpret commands including physical gestures”.

Ian Wallace, spokesperson for Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands in the UK, said Mornine could even be offered for use in people’s homes in the future if showroom trials go well.

He said: “Mornine is an intelligent showroom aid. She can show customers around a vehicle, she can answer questions and she can make teas and coffees, so in a busy showroom environment, if staff are tied up, she’s there to be a helpful face of the brand.

“She has learning capabilities so she can react to commands and learn your voice so if you were to use her in a household environment she would start to learn what you like and don’t like.”

Chery said the robot uses ‘automotive-grade hardware’ to allow it to walk upright and it has ‘dexterous hands’ to allow it to grip items. It can also distinguish between voices to identify different customers.

The car maker also showcased a robotic dog called ‘Argos’ at the Shanghai show. They say the AI-powered animal is designed to offer companionship to those who are unable to keep real pets at home.

Raducanu vs Swiatek LIVE: French Open updates with Alcaraz in action

Emma Raducanu aims to back up her impressive victory over Wang Xinyu in the first round of the French Open with victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek on day four.

The pair are up third on Court Philippe Chatrier in a blockbuster encounter that is heavily favoured towards Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion. Raducanu has never beaten the Pole and was cast aside 6-1 6-0 at the Australian Open back in January. The Brit will hope for a better showing today will no pressure on her shoulders as Swiatek is one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Elsewhere in the women’s singles World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka headlines proceedings on Court Suzanne Lenglen when she faces Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann and Jessica Paolini goes up against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic first up on Philippe Chatrier.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz returns to court to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan while Casper Ruud and Holger Rune are also in action.

Follow all the latest updates, scores, results and analysis from Roland Garros below:

Egypt illegally detaining British writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah, UN investigation finds

British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is being illegally detained in Egypt and should be released immediately, UN investigators have said.

In a ruling from the United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), a panel of independent human rights experts found that Egyptian authorities have an obligation to release Mr el-Fattah immediately under international law.

In a legal opinion shared with el-Fattah’s lawyers, UNWGAD requested that the Egyptian government “take the steps necessary to remedy the situation of Mr. Abd el-Fattah without delay”.

The panel said: “The appropriate remedy would be to release Mr. Abd el-Fattah immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”

Mr el-Fattah has spent most of the last decade in prison. He been detained in Egypt since September 29, 2019, and in 2021 was handed an “unjust” five-year prison sentence for sharing a social media post, according to Amnesty International.

He was due to be released last September, but has remained in custody.

The UNWGAD panel said Mr el-Fattah’s continued imprisonment was illegal on four different grounds: the lack of a warrant at the time of his arrest, and lack of reasons for his arrest; being arrested for exercising freedom of expression; the lack of a fair trial; and the fact his detention was discriminatory, due to his political views.

Mr el-Fattah’s lawyer Can Yeginsu said: “The UN Working Group has delivered a clear and unequivocal decision: Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s detention is arbitrary and in breach of international law. Egypt is now obligated to release Alaa immediately.”

Mr Yeginsu said the British government now must take action to free Mr el-Fattah.

“With Alaa’s continued detention now confirmed as illegal under international law, we are calling on the British government to take Egypt to the International Court of Justice for breach of the Vienna Convention,” he said.

“For too long now the Egyptian regime has withheld access to a British citizen that they are holding illegally and it cannot be allowed to stand.”

Last week 100 MPs urged Sir Keir Starmer to “deploy every tool” available to help free Mr El-Fattah, who at the time had been on hunger strike for more than 80 days.

The cross-party group of parliamentarians argued in a letter that Mr el-Fattah was a “political prisoner” who should have been released last year, and added he has been “acutely unwell” in prison.

Mr el-Fattah’s mother, Laila Soueif, has been on hunger strike since her son’s sentence was meant to end.

“We are requesting an urgent update on progress, given the serious risks both to his health and that of his mother Laila Soueif, who has been on hunger strike in support of him since September 2024,” the letter said.