After India and America, time for a better EU deal
There was a time when, doing this job, you could not get away from trade deals. Postwar trade liberalisation, which Donald Trump has been doing his best to reverse, meant a series of often protracted negotiations under the auspices of Gatt (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and its successor, the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
From 1947 to 1994 there were eight Gatt rounds, named after where they were launched, including Geneva, Tokyo, Uruguay, Annecy in France, and even Torquay.
Multilateral trade liberalisation has, however, come to a stop in the 21st century. The WTO's Doha Round, or Doha development agenda, was launched in 2001 and has yet to conclude. It is a bit like that court case in Charles Dickens's Bleak House.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
LA protests: Newsom says Trump 'deranged' to deploy of thousands more troops
President Donald Trump's administration has sent thousands more troops to Los Angeles on a fourth day of chaotic protests against immigration raids, as the unrest spread to other US 700 US Marines have been deployed to the Los Angeles area and the contingent of National Guard troops mobilised to help quell the disorder has been doubled to 4, Governor Gavin Newsom said the deployment was fulfilling "the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president".The state is suing the president for sending in troops without the governor's permission. It is highly unusual for US military troops to have any domestic law enforcement role. It is the first time since 1965 that a president has sent National Guard troops to a US city without a governor's Marines were previously deployed domestically for major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the 11 September 2001 the Trump administration has so far not invoked the Insurrection Act, which would allow the troops to directly participate in civilian 700 troops of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, from Twentynine Palms, California, will help protect federal property and personnel, including immigration agents, said the US Monday evening, Los Angeles police officers fired stun grenades and gas canisters to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who gathered outside a federal detention centre in downtown LA where undocumented immigrants have been Guard forces formed a cordon to keep protesters out of the building in the heart of America's second largest city. LAPD said late on Monday afternoon some demonstrators had thrown objects at also sprang up in at least nine other US cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Austin and San took to the streets of LA on Friday after it emerged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were raiding Latino protests unravelled into looting, self-driving cars being torched, rocks thrown at law enforcement and a major freeway blocked by say they arrested 29 people Saturday night and made 21 more arrests on face charges ranging from attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail and assault on a police officer to LAPD also says more than 600 rubber bullets and other less-than-lethal rounds were used over the the White House on Monday, Trump said his decision to send in the National Guard had stopped the city from "burning down". "You watch same clips I did: cars burning, people rioting, we stopped it," the president said. "I feel we had no choice... We did the right thing."The Republican president said he supported a suggestion that California's governor should be arrested over possible obstruction of his administration's immigration enforcement who has engaged in a war of words in recent days with Trump, responded on X that "this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism". He said the troop deployment was "about stroking a dangerous President's ego".Trump meanwhile posted a warning to protesters in LA who confront police and federal wrote on social media: "IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!"His border tsar, Tom Homan, who has been conducting ICE raids, applauded Trump's show of force in LA."I was there for two nights," Homan said on Fox News on Monday. "It was out of control. The city was burning. Governor Newsom did nothing."The mayor did nothing. So President Trump, God bless him. He sent the National Guard in to save property and save lives, and I salute him for doing well." But at a press conference on Monday evening, LA Mayor Karen Bass said the deployment of troops was a "deliberate attempt" by the Trump administration to "create disorder and chaos in our city".The city leader also said she was aware of at least "five raids by ICE throughout the region" on Monday, including one near her grandson's Monday, Governor Newsom's administration sued the Trump administration for deploying the National lawsuit argued that the president was violating the US Constitution and state has argued that Democratic President Joe Biden's administration allowed far too many immigrants to enter the has pledged to deport record numbers of people who are in the country illegally and to lock down the US-Mexico border, setting a goal of at least 3,000 daily arrests.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
FBI unmasks protester who attacked officers with cinderblocks at LA immigration riots
Pam Bondi has warned the man caught tossing cinderblocks at law enforcement during the anti-ICE riots has been identified and he and others will be hunted down. The man, who the FBI has named 'Reyes,' is set to be on the bureau's most wanted list with a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's identification, arrest, and conviction. 'That guy has just been identified, and they are doing a search warrant on his house as we speak,' Bondi told Fox News. The man was photographed wearing a green and orange Los Angeles Lakers cap along with a mask. Donald Trump has demanded anyone wearing a mask during the demonstrations be arrested. 'He has been identified by great police work by the FBI,' Bondi said to Sean Hannity. Bondi described the man as breaking up cinderblocks before hurling them at officers. 'So you can run. You can't hide. We are coming after you, federally.' LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said demonstrators were arriving to protests armed with hammers and cinder blocks, throwing chunks of concrete or enormous rocks at officers simply doing their jobs. Asked at a news conference on Sunday night if LA needed the National Guard, McDonnell said he would have to 'make a reassessment', adding: 'Looking at tonight, you know, this thing has gotten out of control.' 'We are overwhelmed We had individuals out there shooting commercial grade fireworks at our officers. That can kill ya.' Many, he said, were wearing masks - a direct violation of Trump's 'no masks' mandate. At least 700 Marines have begun their journey into riot-torn Los Angeles along with 2,000 more National Guard troops as the city braces for another night of immigration protests. The Marines from the 2nd Battalion were seen gearing up next to a convoy of Humvees at Twentynine Palms, 142 miles from Downtown LA, after President Donald Trump 's controversial order. Harrowing scenes overnight saw demonstrators torch cars, attack authorities with fireworks, bricks of cement and tear gas and destroy infrastructure - even as state officials tried to maintain the 6,000 protests were primarily peaceful. The Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops will join the 2,000 boots already on the ground as LA is turned into a battleground. Police have resorted to firing rubber bullets into crowds in an effort to quell the violence, which first kicked off on Friday on the back of a series of coordinated ICE raids across the city. Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out at Trump as the violence escalated, accusing him of inflaming tensions by sending in the National Guard and insisting the crisis would be better handled by state authorities. California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the National Guard deployment 'unlawful' and said it 'trampled' on the state's sovereignty. Bonta sued the Trump administration Monday in response. This appears to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor. Trump has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilize federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass argued the state of California is instead being used 'as an experiment' by the Trump administration seeking to test the limits of its power. 'These are not the people we were told were going to be detained, and it makes me feel like our city is actually a test case,' she said. 'A test case for what happens when the federal government moves in and takes the authority away from the state or away from local government.' At least 700 Marines are on their way to Los Angeles along with 2,000 more National Guard troops as the streets descend into violence and lawlessness Their arrival comes as Downtown Los Angeles braces for a fourth night of riots as pro-migrant protesters take to the streets to rail against federal immigration agents and President Donald Trump 's ambitious deportation agenda She said ICE agents had struck fear through the hearts of hardworking Angelenos, who are now constantly nervous about the next raids. 'I can't emphasize enough the level of fear and terror that is in Angelenos right now, not knowing if tomorrow or tonight it might be where they live, it might be their workplace, should you send your kids to school, should you go to work,' she said. Newsom said on X he had been informed of the decision. He called the move reckless and 'disrespectful to our troops.' 'This isn't about public safety. It´s about stroking a dangerous President's ego,' Newsom said. But both Trump and the Pentagon responded to Newsom with a greater show of force on Monday with the additional deployments. These troops are tasked with defending federal assets and personnel, including the federal immigration agents at the center of the conflict. The forces have been trained in deescalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force, Northern Command said. These Marines are highly trained in combat and crisis response, with time in conflict zones like Syria and Afghanistan. Now, they'll be facing furious protesters - carrying gas canisters or other makeshift weapons in some instances - and have to quickly decide how to respond with an appropriate show of force. At least three buildings have been broken into and vandalized, according to LAPD chief Jim McDonnell, with 'significant damage and broken windows.' He has placed his city on a 'tactical alert', meaning LAPD officers can be mobilized and reallocated quickly to respond to incidents as they arise. The violent protests have sparked mass road closures and sweeping 'unlawful assembly' orders across the entirety of Downtown LA. McDonnell weighed in on the decision to mobilize Marines and the National Guard, raising concerns that 'without direct coordination [they] create logistical challenges and risks confusion during critical incidents.' According to a US official, troops will be armed with their normal service weapons but will not be carrying tear gas. They also will have protective equipment such as helmets, shields and gas masks. The Pentagon is working on a memo with clarifying language for the Marines that will lay out the steps they can take to protect federal personnel and property. Those guidelines also will include specifics on the possibility that they could temporarily detain civilians if troops are under assault or to prevent harm. Having the Marines deploy to protect federal buildings allows them to be used without invoking the Insurrection Act, one US official said. The Insurrection Act allows the president to direct federal troops to conduct law enforcement functions in national emergencies. But the use of that act is extremely rare. Officials said that has not yet been done in this case and that it's not clear it will be done. President George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to respond to riots in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tweeted late Saturday that he was considering deploying the Marines to respond to the unrest. Bondi compared the streets of LA to a third-world country on Monday night, expressing disdain for protesters and warning any violence will be prosecuted. 'We can prosecute federally people who assault state law enforcement officers and we are going to do it, we are going to prosecute them federally,' she said. 'Look at it out there, it looks like a third world country. And it's not, it's the United States of America.' On Monday, the LAPD arrived at the Federal Building to disperse a group of protesters who had gathered there. Officers were seen in riot gear and wielding batons and rubber bullets, giving a large, agitated mob of protesters five minutes to evacuate from the area. One protester shouted 'we're fighting to die' as cops set off flash bangs and deployed tear gas. The rioting is still ongoing in San Francisco as well after the violence spread on Sunday. While horrifying scenes and stories of violence emerged from Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, officers actually made more arrests in San Francisco, with 154 taken into custody compared to the 74 people picked up in LA.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
'We're happy to have this fight': Trump administration leans into California protests
President Donald Trump's immigration agenda has met a groundswell of opposition in Los Angeles, the country's second-largest city. At least 56 people have been arrested so far in massive protests against the administration's immigration raids in the city Friday. The demonstrations have spilled over onto one of the region's largest freeways, and federal authorities are facing criticism after they arrested, and apparently injured, a prominent labor leader. In response, the White House has threatened to arrest California's governor and mobilized Marines to support National Guard troops in defending federal property — even though state officials say they don't want the assistance and are now suing the administration. For the White House, this scene — Trump battling a blue state over his signature issue — is a win. It's a nationally watched saga of the sort that has long defined his career: a made-for-TV moment. 'We're happy to have this fight,' a White House official said, emphasizing that politically, the administration sees it as a winning issue. Democrats and immigration activists have broadly blasted the Los Angeles operation as illegal and inhumane and insisted that it's all about politics — and not about sound public policy. 'This Administration's actions are not about public safety — they're about stoking fear,' former Vice President Kamala Harris, a Los Angeles resident who ran against Trump last year, wrote in a statement. But Trump allies argue that it's simply Trump carrying out the hard-line immigration agenda that was the centerpiece of his campaign. NBC News spoke with four White House officials, in addition to other Trump supporters, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. 'This is what America voted for, period,' a Trump adviser said. 'This is the America First focus that got the president elected and is driven by nothing else than what he promised American voters.' 'Look at the violence, the attacks on law enforcement,' the adviser added. 'If Democrats want to support that, let them. This is why we win elections and they do not.' Trump advisers also pointed to the fact that the president's immigration policies continue to get high marks in most public polling. A CBS/YouGov poll conducted just before the Los Angeles immigration raids found that 54% of respondents approved of the administration's ' program to deport immigrants illegally.' Those numbers help clarify why the administration and more broadly congressional Republicans are politically comfortable leaning into support of the raids over vocal opposition from critics — and a persistent threat of legal challenge. 'I know there's no question places like California have thumbed their nose at the American people and decided they want to be a sanctuary for criminals,' Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Monday, adding, 'I think he's exercising exactly what he said he'd do and what people elected him' to do. Trump advisers say the president also points to the fact that he got more votes in California in 2024 than in his previous campaigns, even though he still badly lost the heavily Democratic-leaning state. The administration's response to the protests does seem to have one eye on the reaction in conservative media, a space increasingly dominated by pro-Trump influencers. Some of those influencers have been posting from the protests — most notably Phil McGraw, a well-known Trump supporter better known as 'Dr. Phil,' who embedded with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during the Los Angeles raids, as he did during similar immigration raids in Chicago this year. The Trump adviser, asked about McGraw's involvement, said: 'This is an important moment in American history. People have a right to see it in a way not unfairly skewed by a biased mainstream media.' The adviser wouldn't elaborate on how McGraw, whose presence was first reported by CNN, was able to have front-line access to the federal immigration operations. A spokesman for McGraw didn't respond to a request for comment. Republicans more broadly also see the fight as a political winner and say Democrats are functionally taking the bait on an issue in which polling has given Trump an advantage. 'I think it is a symptom of how far left this party has done when you have major Democrats standing on the side of illegal aliens that are torching vehicles,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News on Monday. 'It is one of the reasons the Democratic Party is struggling so much nationally,' he added. Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump administration official, said the raids shouldn't be a surprise because immigration is a 'legitimate issue' the voters have signaled they care about. 'There is no political upside in defending or denying the images of burning cars, rioters and looting and the destruction,' he said of Democrats. 'A feeling that things have spun out of control in California and that government can't effectively govern. … It has changed the conversation from illegal immigration to a breakdown in society.' Still, there has been some disagreement — at least in public messaging — about how far to push in going after California Democrats, a break between what may be politically popular with the base and what's politically realistic. The clearest example centers on the Trump administration's authorizing the deployment of National Guard troops over the opposition of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have argued that inserting National Guard troops will inflame tensions and potential violence — a response that has led Trump to signal he would consider arresting Newsom if he were to continue what the administration considers to be his interference. 'I would do it if I were Tom,' Trump said, referring to his 'border czar,' Tom Homan. 'I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity. But I do think it would be a great thing.' While detaining Newsom would no doubt please Trump's MAGA base, White House officials privately say it's not currently in the cards. 'It's not being actively planned or considered,' a senior White House official said. 'But anyone who breaks federal law puts themselves at risk of being arrested. That's just a basic fact.' A second White House official said that if either Newsom or Bass, a former Democratic congresswoman, do something at odds with federal immigration law, they could be detained. But the official also acknowledged that the optics of arresting California officials amid an immigration fight they believe most Americans support could backfire with some Republican voters because, at the moment, it doesn't appear they have actually broken any immigration laws. The official said there isn't some grand strategy to deploy National Guard troops in blue cities across the country; the administration is simply waiting to see whether other protests get out of control. Meanwhile, Newsom has leaned into the threats, practically daring the administration to arrest him rather than focusing on the protesters. 'He's a tough guy. Why doesn't he do that? He knows where to find me,' Newsom told MSNBC on Sunday. Referring to Homan, he added: 'That kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let's go.' On Monday, California sued the Trump administration, arguing that Trump's federalizing the state's National Guard is 'unlawful.' 'Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion,' Democratic state Attorney General Rob Bonta said. 'The president is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends. Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the president's authority under the law — and not one we take lightly. We're asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.' Trump supporters have lined up behind him, with some even offering to head to Los Angeles to help, despite having no law enforcement experience. 'Preparing to deploy … to Los Angeles,' vocal Trump supporter Benny Johnson said on X. He followed up with a post to his 3.7 million followers showing him wearing military-style gear with his name on it. The increasingly contentious political fight over Los Angeles, administration officials admit, is no longer about just deporting those with criminal records, which was Trump's main pitch to voters on the campaign trail. On Monday, an MSNBC host asked Homan whether everyone ICE has arrested as part of the Trump administration's immigration efforts had criminal records, and he had a blunt response. 'Absolutely not,' he said.
