Afternoon briefing Friday 30th January

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0:35This is the Times Radio afternoon briefing for Friday 30th January. Donald Trump has warned it would be very dangerous for the UK to deepen trade ties with China as Sir Keir Starmer concludes his visit to the country. The Prime Minister promised a broader, deeper and more sophisticated relationship after meeting with China's President Xi Jinping. The US President earlier threatened Canada with 100 % tariffs after Ottawa signed new deals with China, but he didn't set out any specific measures against the UK when asked about Starmer's visit. It's very dangerous for them to do that and it's even more dangerous I think for Canada to get into business with China and you can't look at China as the answer.

1:16I know China very well, I know President Xi's a friend of mine and I'm very well but that's a big hurdle. Times Radio's political editor Anna Mikhailova is travelling with the Prime Minister. The source said they kept Donald Trump aware and informed of Keir Starmer's trip in advance and also pointed out again that Trump will have his own visit in April. But all of this gives a sense of just how carefully choreographed that this trip is and what a tightrope Keir Starmer is walking. Back here in the Green Party has announced the plumber and Trafford councillor Hannah Spencer as their candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

1:54Leader Zak Polanski says she's the best option for voters looking to block Reform UK's candidate Matt Goodwin from winning. Labour won the seat with more than half the vote in 2024 and will announce their candidate tomorrow. Ministers are to introduce a new law to ban Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terror group. It's after advice that existing legislation is ill-suited to deal with state-backed organisations like the IRGC. As well as allowing it to be prescribed, it will provide for more targeted actions against suspected members. Jonathan Hall, KC, is the independent reviewer of terror legislation.

2:26He told Times Radio it's frustrating. Parliamentary time hasn't been found for the bill yet. What the EU have done is to say we are putting you in the same brackets as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. That's the sort of message that they are sending. I think what's frustrating here is that the government hasn't got the option of doing that unless it brings forward new laws. It did accept my recommendation way back last year that it would bring forward new legislation, but it hasn't yet found the time to do that. Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into a mountain of waste fly-tipped in an Oxfordshire field.

3:02The men aged 69 and 54 were questioned over environmental and money laundering offences. The Environment Agency declared a critical incident over the 150 metre long illegal dump near the River Chowell. It could take until the end of the year to clear the site. And in tennis, Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Alexander Shevrev in five sets to reach the Australian Open Grand Final. After 5 hours and 27 minutes on court, the Spaniard will now face either Yannick Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic on Sunday. You can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio Online.

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