Afternoon briefing Tuesday 12th August

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0:35This is the Times afternoon briefing for Tuesday the 12th of August. The government has defended its progress in tackling the small boat crisis, despite figures confirming that 50 ,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats since Sakhir Starmer took office. It means the milestone has been reached quicker than under previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Reform's Richard Tice has claimed this morning that migrants are loitering outside primary schools across the UK and catcalling mothers and daughters. Times Radio's Kate McCann asked him to substantiate the claim. Be irresponsible of me to quote a specific school in a specific constituency because that might then herald a demonstration that might get out of hand.

1:17So much better to talk about the generalisation. You're saying the government is failing people by not giving them information, but you're not giving me information. I'm giving you the stories and the reality of what is going on on the ground, up and down the country, in deprived communities, where it's the cheapest and easiest to put these asylum hotels. The Minister for State and Skills, Jackie Smith, says the government's new deal with France and measures to speed up deportation are working. She had this reaction to calls from reform for neighbourhood watch-style protection groups to help keep women safe.

1:50I know that there aren't enough police officers on our streets. That's why as a government we're investing and already delivering additional police into neighbourhood policing teams in particular to help people to feel safe. I hope all men are concerned about keeping the women around them safe. We've all got a responsibility to do that, but we also need to make sure that the police have got the support that they need to do that. President Zelensky has said we all support President Trump's determination to end the war but called for unity in the face of ongoing Russian offensives. President Trump says Ukraine must be prepared to accept new borders in order for an end to the war.

2:31It's ahead of his meeting in Alaska with Vladimir Putin on Friday to which Vladimir Zelensky is not invited. Former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander General Sir Richard Shireth says Europe have paid the price for its weakness and that Trump's motives going into this meeting will be entirely and dangerously self-centred. I think it's about hubris. It's about personal hubris. It's about Nobel Peace Prizes and it's about a place in history. If he were serious about this, he would not be effectively kowtowing to Putin, allowing an indicted war criminal to come to the United States and be fated as the head of state of Russia and rolling over, effectively giving Putin what he wants.

3:13The rate of unemployment in the UK remained at 4.7 % in the three months to June. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the portion of adults not in work remained stable compared to the previous quarter, where it rose to its highest level since 2021. And parts of the UK could get hotter than Bali as an amber heat health alert is in force. Temperatures could hit 34 degrees Celsius, putting pressure on health and care services. Meanwhile, the National Drought Group's warning England is now suffering from nationally significant water shortfalls. You can hear more of these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

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