If anyone has earned the right to indulge in a hobby or two, it is surely an 80-year-old man, enjoying his golden years of retirement, after decades in the workforce. Few of us would want to begrudge a pensioner that.
Donald Trump, though, is not just any 80-year-old. Instead of winding down as he enters his ninth decade, he volunteered himself for not just the most demanding job of his own career – that of US president – but one of the most demanding jobs in the world.
Trump is trying to end multiple wars across the world, including one he started with Iran, and last weekend had his personal envoys negotiating in person with Vladimir Putin. There is a cost of living crisis to tackle at home, and midterm elections in less than two months that will decide the rest of his presidency.
‘No bailout’ for Jaguar Land Rover amid job cut reports
The Government is facing calls to “mitigate” thousands of job losses, but “challenging” business conditions mean manufacturers will continue to struggle.
JLR to cut as many as 4,000 jobs
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will meet with the leadership team of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) this week after it emerged that Britain’s largest car manufacturer is set to .
The cuts are largely expected to impact office roles, with the majority of job losses affecting its UK operations, where around 34,000 staff in total are based (compared to just under 10,000 overseas employees).
Aiming to save £1.7bn
- Job losses will be spread over the coming two years, JLR said, as part of efforts to save about £1.7bn.
- There will be a voluntary redundancy programme for salaried and management teams.
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The Government’s response
We understand that this will be an uncertain and concerning time for affected workers, their families and wider communities.
Reynolds said he will aim to “mitigate any job losses” in meetings with JLR leadership. However, when asked by the BBC on Sunday whether there could be financial support to protect jobs, the Business Secretary replied: “Not if it’s to bail people out.”
Hundreds protest Portsmouth ‘mega-dinghy’ – what we know
Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in Portsmouth after migrants from a “mega-dinghy” were brought ashore by lifeboats.
Here’s what we know.
What happened?
Protesters gather
Hundreds gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday night to protest the arrival of migrants from a small boat.
What sparked it?
Around 140 migrants were brought to shore in Hampshire after travelling to the UK on a single “mega-dinghy”.
What did they do?
Crowds tried to stop the migrants being taken to an asylum processing centre in Kent.
Investigation launched
- About 200 demonstrators who gathered were on Monday, police said.
- A handful of police offers were treated for injuries at the scene, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.
- Several police, coastguard and border force vehicles were also damaged.
- An investigation to identify offenders responsible for any officer assaults, criminal damage or other criminal offences has been launched.
‘Closest I’ve been to an insurrection’
Portsmouth resident Sue Dewey, who watched the scenes unfold from her balcony, said: “It was a very surreal night, that was the closest I’ve ever been to an insurrection.”
Asked if she is worried similar incidents will happen again, she replied: “Yes, we are worried it’s going to happen again… the ferry had to be stopped, lots of things had to be stopped because of it yesterday.
Watch: Protesters clash with police
Who is behind the protests?
Some of the demonstrators at Portsmouth were dressed in all black and wore face masks, similar to those who joined an anti-migrant protest which blocked the Port of Dover on Saturday.
Daniel Thomas, a former bodyguard for far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who has claimed credit for the Dover protest, live-streamed himself at the Portsmouth protest.
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- Treasury Chief Secretary Emma Reynolds called the protestors’ behaviour in Portsmouth and Dover “thuggish and intimidating”.
- Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “This is a serious situation, it’s about to get significantly worse.
- He added: “The government needs to act, I suspect it won’t. But remember, peaceful protests good, uniforms and masks bad.”
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‘Significant issue’ to come?
- In the wake of the protests, police warned that ministers will have a “significant issue” if people traffickers shift their routes further west of Dover.
- Places like Portsmouth along the hundreds of miles of England’s south coast are “not set up” for the arrival of migrants, Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said.
- “My concern, as a police and crime commissioner, is that we don’t have this repeated,” she added.
Why Reform are fighting to replace Farage
The political “mood board” at the Reform UK conference over the weekend ranged from gloomiest black to the teal-suited larkiness of Nigel Farage. Yet the UK’s biggest political figure laced his gutsy “I will survive” message with a bleaker one about his family wishing he would quit frontline politics.
What challenges is Farage facing?
The Reform leader has faced heavy scrutiny for an undisclosed £5m “personal gift” he received in 2024.
Farage’s senior adviser, George Cottrell, is a convicted felon.
Now, the party is under the lens again after a documentary appeared to show Reform officials discussing donations from foreign financiers.
Challenges within Reform
- 1 – Farage says his family “begged” him to quit politics following the murder of Reform member Ann Widdecombe.
- 2Lack of professionalism – Farage spoke of Reform’s lack of professionalism after the sting and admitted he “wasn’t listening” carefully.
- 3Party infighting – Reform’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, is frequently at odds with treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick on issues like the details of how migrant deportations would work.
Reform’s future
The most likely outcome is that Farage, still the stardust of Reform, however tainted by the slew of funding scandals, will be the candidate at the next election in a do-or-die moment.
Even so, senior Reform figures can, however, calculate odds – and whether it is Tice, whose friends describe him as “always on standby” if a new leader is needed, Jenrick, whose old Tory frenemies joke he wakes up every day with the mantra “I will become leader…” or Yusuf, the man whose diehard views could pave the way to a rapprochement with Restore Britain, this party is in search mode for what follows the Nigel era.
Go deeper on this topic
Farage rivals begin to circle after Reform’s nightmare week
The i Paper
For now, Farage, who was given a hero’s welcome by activists at this year’s annual conference, remains firmly in control. But the man long viewed as politically untouchable is looking more vulnerable as the vultures begin to circle.
Watch more from The i Paper
What happened?
In an interview with , Moshiri said she has been diagnosed with an incurable type of blood cancer.
What is polycythaemia vera (PV)
PV thickens the blood by causing bone marrow to continuously produce red blood cells.
What are the risks?
This increases the risk of blood clots, which can cause stroke, heart attack or deep vein thrombosis.
The symptoms
Symptoms can include headaches, confusion, dizziness and blurred vision.
What treatment did she receive?
Her treatment involved a procedure called a , where almost a pint of blood is removed through a vein about twice a month to reduce the red blood cell concentration.
Immunotherapy treatment reduced the frequency of Moshiri’s venesections but initially came with “horrendous” side effects including insomnia, headaches and itching.
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Working through treatment
I was working 14-hour days, constantly on air, constantly having to think on my feet
Moshiri worked throughout her treatment, including leading the BBC’s coverage of the death of Pope Francis from Rome.
She said that although “adjusting to a different life” is challenging, a future “punctuated by hospital appointments and loads of medication” to deal with the disease is better than the alternative.
How UK’s first ‘super-university’ can tackle Neets crisis
The head of the UK’s first “super-university” has said that merging two universities can help reduce the number of people not in employment, education or training (Neet).
A new ‘super-university’
What is it?
The newly formed London and South East University Group (Lase) is now the third largest university in the UK.
How big is it?
It contains over 50,000 students across four campuses in London, Medway and Kent.
Which universities merged?
The universities of Kent and Greenwich legally merged to form Lase last month.
What is the Neets crisis?
- 1In April to June, an estimated 981,000 people aged 16-24 in the UK were classed as Neets.
- 2This represented a fall of 30,000 compared with the first quarter of the year.
- 3However, the figure is still 30,000 higher than a year ago, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The role of ‘super-unis’
It’s a real opportunity for us address the very people that the Government’s worried about
Lase chief executive Professor Jane Harrington said the merger will help the universities deal with growing operational costs and provide more accessible learning pathways to better address the needs of the regions in a way they could not on their own.
How will Lase work?
- Kent and Greenwich universities will still operate as distinct academic entities within the group.
- They retain their current names and students still apply to and graduate from the institution they choose.
- The group will now be able to offer subjects that they could not before when they were separate entities.
- Students will also be able to use libraries and access wellbeing services across campuses.
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What strain are universities facing?
Higher education providers in the UK have been facing increasing financial pressures, with MPs on the Education Committee warning earlier this year that there is a “real risk” a university in England could close due to insolvency for the first time.
The Office for Students told the committee it feared 24 providers were at risk of becoming insolvent and closing in the 12 months from November last year.
More ‘super-universities’ to come?
Lase is writing up a “blueprint” for the Department for Education to work as a “model” for a group structure which other universities would be able to use.
In May, King’s College London and Bedford-based Cranfield University announced plans to merge in August 2027.
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Watch more from The i Paper
EES checks resume – three ways to avoid border delays
A loophole allowing countries to pause the EU’s new border checks has ended, sparking concern that the travel chaos reported earlier in the summer may return.
EES border checks set to resume
EU border checks are set to start again in full force from Monday, 7 September, as member states’ rights to waive Entry/Exit System (EES) checks during times of maximum stress comes to an end.
While EES is unavoidable, and there is no way to skip the queue entirely, there are some ways to alleviate the stress of border check delays.
What is the EES?
- EES requires British passport holders and other third-country nationals to register biometric data when entering or exiting the Schengen area.
- Applying to 29 countries across Europe, excluding Ireland and Cyprus, the system caused has widespread delays since its introduction in April.
- Until now, the registration could be temporarily suspended by border officials when queues were too long to manage.
- But despite objections from some member states, this loophole has now expired, leaving holidaymakers facing the possibility of more significant delays.
How can you avoid delays
- 1Travel outside peak times – even the busiest airports, like Palma and Lisbon, were quieter later in the summer.
- 2Skip duty free – going straight to the border control desk will allow you to see how busy it is.
- 3Pre-register for Sweden and Portugal – currently applying only to Sweden and Portugal, the Travel to Europe app allows users to pre-register, reducing the information needed at border control to just fingerprint scans.
Go to passport control ASAP
A spokesperson for Abta, a UK travel agent trade association, recommended passengers go to passport control as soon as possible after getting through security.
It follows reports earlier this summer of long delays and some flights setting off while several passengers were still in the long border control queues.
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As if those didn’t amount to enough pressures on his time, he already has one hobby that borders on obsession: the President spends hours every weekend playing golf, almost always on courses he owns.
That would be enough for almost anyone, but Trump sadly seems to have plenty more time – day or night – to indulge in yet another favourite activity: boomer-posting on social media, spending his idle moments putting up AI slop relentlessly.
This hit new levels over the weekend, with the President posting dozens of images in rapid succession – culminating in an AI image of a new Nazi-inspired aesthetic for one of the branches of the US military.
Trump has always been an avid user of social media. It’s arguable that he would never have become president without it. Trump built up a following of millions with his authentic, if erratic, posting, first on whatever topics jumped to mind while he was still the popular host of , and then with increasing monomania about the Obama birther conspiracy – the false idea that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, rather than the USA, making him ineligible for the office.
Social media was a huge asset for Trump – he used it to coin nicknames for political rivals, attack foes in the media, and give his millions of followers marching orders as to who to pile onto, and how. Endless column inches were spent writing about the President’s supposed genius with the medium.
Anyone trying to claim the President’s recent use was “genius” would have a much harder time of it. Last week, he posted an AI-generated video of Kharg island – a vital Iranian oil hub – supposedly being blanketed with explosions after a US bombing operation. Once, something like that would spark alarm. Today it is barely noticed, aside from a few concerns about whether Trump knew for sure the video was not real.
On Sunday afternoon, he posted crude AI-generated memes showing himself renaming the state of New Mexico “New America”; a meme announcing the Strait of Hormuz to be “New US Territory”; himself smacking Iran with a wooden mallet emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes; and a meme showing himself as the greatest US president in history – ahead of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Amid that torrent of slop, though, one picture stood out: an image supposedly showing a new uniform design for the US Space Force, a branch of the military set up by Trump himself to oversee security issues concerning outer space.
The uniforms are a smart dark grey, with leather epaulets, and what can only be described as jackboots. Just in case anyone missed their aesthetic origins, it states plainly that they are “inspired by the discipline and functionality of the Starship Trooper uniform”.
was a 1997 sci-fi film explicitly written and shot as an “ironic” play on a futuristic fascist state – and the uniforms were expressly designed to signal that to an audience. The film’s director, Paul Verhoeven, who grew up under Nazi occupation in the Netherlands, said in 2022: “I decided to make a movie about fascists who aren’t aware of their fascism,” adding that it had been “about American politics”.
By posting the image of a US military service member in Nazi chic, Trump seems to be embracing that fascist vision, either knowingly or unknowingly, because he simply likes the visual.
Of course, liking an AI uniform doesn’t in any way suggest Trump is a Nazi or a proponent of Nazi ideas.
One image might be an accident. But the President seems to be on a roll on the theme of space. Another shows him sitting on the bridge of a spaceship as a viewing window behind him shows two cataclysmic nuclear detonations happening down on Earth.
A third shows him leading a US-themed imperial march, showing Transformer-like monster robots, and slightly off-brand AT-AT walkers from – the four-legged fighting machines of Vader’s evil Empire – proceeding behind him.
is a famously subtle movie, which has been criticised in the years since for being admired by the people it is trying to condemn. , on the other hand, has never been accused of subtlety. The Empire is made up of Space Nazis, pure and simple. Does Trump want his dwindling pool of supporters to think they were the good guys, now? Or is the man in charge of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal no longer capable of understanding the basic messages he’s relentlessly posting?
Everyone is entitled to a hobby. But for his own sake, and that of the world, perhaps it would be best if Donald Trump stuck to golf.