Morning briefing Wednesday 25th February

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0:35This is the Times Radio's morning briefing on Wednesday 25th February. Donald Trump's delivered the longest State of the Union address ever, clocking in at almost one hour and 50 minutes. The US president repeatedly pushed his economic agenda, saying he'd overseen a turnaround for the ages during his first year back in the White House. He also criticised a recent Supreme Court ruling against his tariffs policy, calling it disappointing. Mr Trump insists the measures will remain in place under alternative legal routes. As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love.

1:24The 15 % tariffs he put in place after the Supreme Court ruling expire in 150 days if Congress doesn't extend them. Peter Mandelson's lawyers say his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office was triggered by baseless claims he was planning to leave the country. The former cabinet minister was detained on Monday afternoon and later released on bail. He's accused of passing sensitive government information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary. He denies any wrongdoing. Times Radio's Adam Bolton says the response reflects Maddelson's well-known ability to shape the narrative.

2:03He's calling into question either the bad faith of the police or the bad faith of people briefing against him which is a classic spin. Meanwhile, Thames Valley Police says searches at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former home in Berkshire have ended. Andrew was released under investigation last week after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. His previous denied any wrongdoing over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Clyde Kumru's Westminster leader Liz Savile Roberts told Times Radio it's important we find out the full details of Andrew's association with the late paedophile financier.

2:41We all know that what really matters with Andrew is his association with Jeffrey Epstein and then the questions about trafficking of children who were sexually abused, who were raped. If we can't find about the details of whether there was any association between Andrew McMuffin-Winsor and those actions of trafficking, it'll be in the security detail and that appears at present to be very difficult to get hold of. Ministers are set to unveil plans for blitz courts in the biggest overhaul of the justice system in 50 years. Proposals include judge-only trials for some serious offences from 2028, aimed at tackling the growing Crown Court backlog, but the government admits victims may not see meaningful reductions in delays until the next decade.

3:31From today, most visitors will need an electronic travel authorisation to enter the UK. The The£16 digital permit allows multiple stays of up to six months over a two-year period or until the passport expires. British and ARA citizens, including dual nationals, are exempt from the scheme. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

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