Concern for Storm Bram, named by the Irish Met Office, has sparked several weather warnings, including two amber alerts for rain across parts of the Southwest of England and south Wales

05:00, 09 Dec 2025Updated 05:00, 09 Dec 2025

Prepare for wet and windy conditions today, including in Birmingham as pictured (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)

Nearly one month’s rain will lash across some parts of the UK today amid Storm Bram.

The Met Office forecasts around 100mm (nearly four inches) of rain to fall in just a few hours across south Wales and parts of the Southwest of England. Forecasters have issued several weather warnings, including two amber alerts for rain and multiple for wind, which remain in place throughout today.

“Storm Bram will bring a very wet and windy spell of weather, with very strong winds and further heavy rain which falling over saturated ground, could cause flooding impacts,” Dan Suri, a chief forecaster, with the Met Office, said.

Multiple flood warnings are in place, most of which are for parts of the Southwest of England. One of the two amber warnings covers sections of Devon and Cornwall, where up to 100mm of rain is expected. Typically, Plymouth in Devon sees 125mm of rain fall across a standard December.

READ MORE: Storm Bram horror as 84 UK areas at risk of 85mph winds and ‘heavy rain’READ MORE: Storm Bram LIVE: Met Office urgent ‘danger to life’ warnings for 17 UK regionsA band of low pressure – named Storm Bram – is sweeping in from the west(Image: Met Office)

The other amber warning for rain concerns large sections of south Wales, such as Swansea and Bridgend. According to the Met Office statistics, Swansea sees around 114mm of rain across an entire average December so today’s forecast is particularly bleak.

There is one flood warning for Wales, for the River Ritec at Tenby, and a further 52 less severe flood warnings. It will rain heavily across north Wales too and this, coupled with the 70mph winds, will cause significant travel disruption throughout the day.

Parts of north Wales and west Wales are subject to a weather warning for wind. The fiercest gales, though, are expected across northwest Scotland, including Argyll and Bute, tonight. An amber weather warning is in place for the 90mph gales, which could lead to flying debris and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.

It will dangerous along coastlines due to high winds today(Image: Tom Maddick / SWNS)

Mr Suri added: “Within the Amber wind warning over northwest Scotland, gusts of up to 90 mph could be recorded. More widely, gusts of 50-60 mph, and perhaps 70 mph in a few spots, are expected across Wales, southwest England and Northern Ireland.

“Rain is an additional impact from Storm Bram, with the possibility of 100mm over higher ground in the south of Wales and parts of Devon. This could require updates to warnings, so it’s important to stay up to date with the forecast in your area, as well as any flood warnings from your local environment agency.”

Storm Bram will slowly pull away northwards from Britain during Wednesday. In its wake, Wednesday will be a windy day, especially in the north, with some showers, mainly in the west as well as some more persistent rain in the far north, at least at first.

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Ukraine will share an updated peace plan with the US today after European leaders reaffirmed support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a meeting in London.

Mr Zelenskyy said it now comprised 20 points, down from 28, after some “obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed”.

However, he said there was still no agreement on giving up territory – something America believes is necessary for peace but Ukraine and Europe have long resisted.

The Ukrainian leader was speaking after talks with Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street.

All four men “underscored the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which includes robust security guarantees,” said the prime minister’s spokesperson.

“Positive progress” was also made on a stalled plan to use billions of dollars of frozen Russian assets as a loan for Ukraine.

The quartet held a call with other European leaders after their face to face in which all agreed it was a “critical moment” to ramp up support for Ukraine and bolster “economic pressure on Putin“, the spokesperson added.

It comes as President Donald Trump appears increasingly keen to push through a peace deal – with his original plan widely seen as favouring Russia.

A US delegation met Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, but there was no breakthrough and Russian officials said afterwards they were unimpressed with much of it.

Image:
The four leaders gathered at Downing Street. Pic: AP

‘Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed’

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Zelenskyy said: “The mood of the Americans, in principle, is for finding a compromise.

“Of course, there are complex issues related to the territory, and a compromise has not yet been found there.”

The Ukrainian leader also went to Brussels later on Monday to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Mr Zelenskyy described it as “good and productive”, while Ms Von der Leyen posted on X that the “EU remains ironclad in its support for Ukraine”.

“Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed, in the long term, as a first line of defence for our Union,” she added – referencing Ukraine’s insistence for strong deterrents against Russia attacking again.

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0:40

Trump: ‘Zelenskyy hasn’t read’ peace proposal

Trump ‘disappointed’ with Zelenskyy

The extent of US involvement in any such guarantee is unclear, but Mr Zelenskyy stressed its importance as he answered reporters’ questions on WhatsApp on Monday.

“What if after the end of the war, Russia will start another aggression?” he commented. “What will the partners be ready for? What could Ukraine count on?”

Despite the Kremlin’s downbeat response to his peace plan, Mr Trump said at the weekend Mr Putin was “fine” with it – while adding he was “a little disappointed” with Mr Zelenskyy, who he claimed hadn’t yet read it.

Read more:
Navy chief issues chilling warning
Putin looks ready for more war, not less

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3:01

Trump Jr: ‘My father may walk away’

The president’s eldest son, Donald Jr, told Sky’s Yalda Hakim in recent days that his father could walk away from the whole peace process.

It all plays into concerns that America is increasingly losing interest in maintaining the traditional strong European alliances.

The US National Security Strategy – published on Friday and praised by Moscow as “appealing to us” – was another sign of the direction of travel.

It stated a wish to “re-establish strategic stability with Russia”, while also cautioning NATO must not be “a perpetually expanding alliance” – a persistent complaint of Russia’s.

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3:29

Inside Ukraine’s underground military HQ

‘Europe has to be careful,’ warns Trump

Mr Trump dissatisfaction with more liberal leaders across the Atlantic was also clear on Monday when he commented: “Europe has to be very careful, we want to keep Europe, Europe.

“Europe is going in some bad directions – very bad, very bad for the people. We don’t want Europe to change so much.”

Mr Zelenskyy’s diplomacy takes place as Ukrainians continue to endure regular electricity cuts due to Russia’s established winter strategy of fierce attacks on power infrastructure.

It is also grinding out small gains in the Donbas – the sprawling region it hopes to seize in its entirety under any peace deal despite Ukraine still controlling significant areas.

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In Indonesia, at least 961 people have been killed in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra while 293 are still missing, Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported late on Sunday.

Some 5,000 people have been injured across the three provinces, and more than one million people have been displaced. More than 156,000 homes have been damaged and 975,075 people are in temporary shelters.

“Everything is lacking, especially medical personnel. We are short on doctors,” Muzakir Manaf, governor of Indonesia’s Aceh province, told reporters late on Sunday.

“People are not dying from the flood, but from starvation. That’s how it is.”

Illegal logging, often linked to the global demand for palm oil – along with forest loss due to mining, plantations and fires – have both exacerbated the disaster in Sumatra.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said the country plans to buy 200 helicopters in 2026, for defence and natural disaster preparedness.

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Reuters

The nightclub is located in a busy tourist area

The owners of a nightclub in Goa, India, where a devastating fire killed 25 people on Sunday, fled the country hours after the tragedy, police have said.

Indian authorities confirmed the two brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, boarded a flight to Phuket in Thailand shortly after the incident.

Investigators believe the fierce blaze was triggered by fireworks being set off inside the venue, Birch By Romeo Lane, which is located in a busy nightlife area of Goa, a coastal state popular with domestic and international tourists.

The majority of the victims were staff members, while four were holidaymakers visiting from Delhi. Five people are still being treated in hospital.

Police have appealed to Interpol for help to find and arrest the Luthra brothers.

Police said they travelled to Delhi to carry out a raid on the mens’ home, but discovered they had left the country.

“It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,” Goa police said in a statement.

Saurabh Luthra, whose social media identifies him as the chairman of the company which operates the club, posted a statement on social media expressing “profound grief”, but did not reference his whereabouts.

“In this hour the irreparable sorrow and overwhelming distress, the management stands in unwavering solidarity with the families of the deceased as well as those injured, and conveys its heartfelt condolences with utmost sincerity,” Monday’s post said.

It added that “management” would provide “assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved”.

His brother Gaurav Luthra has not commented publicly.

At least four people were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the fire, including the venue’s manager.

The Birch nightclub in Arpora, an area with several high-end nightlife businesses, was packed with customers who had come to hear a Bollywood DJ when the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning.

Eye witnesses have described scenes of total panic to the BBC, as people tried to flee.

The main section of the venue is built on an island in the middle of a lake, which visitors accessed via narrow walkways – a layout which made it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze.

Part of the venue was entirely destroyed. Police initially said an exploding gas canister was the cause, but now believe it was due to pyrotechnics igniting wooden ceiling beams.

Several of the victims were migrant workers who had travelled to Goa to find employment, including four Nepalese nationals.

Among those who died were two brothers who were both engaged to be married next year, and four members of the same Delhi family.

The police said the bodies of all the victims had been returned to their families.

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US President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of Europe, saying the continent was “going in some bad directions” as he condemned a multimillion-euro EU penalty against Elon Musk’s social media platform X.

Here are the key points:

• Trump slams EU’s €120 million ($140 million) fine on X
• Warns Europe is heading in “bad directions”
• Musk denounces the penalty
• US officials say EU is targeting American firms
• EU cites transparency and data-access breaches
• New US strategy warns of democratic “erosion” in Europe

Speaking at the White House, Trump said that Europe was “very bad, very bad for the people” and warned that the United States did not want the continent “to change so much.”

He did not specify what he meant, but said Europe “has to be very careful doing a lot of things.”

Washington questions EU’s handling of Musk platform fine

Trump was responding to questions about last week’s €120 million fine imposed by EU tech authorities on the X social media platform for violating digital transparency and content-management rules.

“I don’t see how they can do that,” Trump commented, adding that Musk had not contacted him for help and that he expected a full briefing later in the day. 

EU vs. Big Tech: What are the bloc’s regulation options?

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Musk rejected the penalty, responding sharply to the European Commission’s announcement and reposting messages criticizing the decision. “Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy,” he wrote.

Senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, also condemned the EU’s action as unfairly targeting American companies.

Brussels rejects bias claims

EU regulators defended the fine as proportionate, saying X failed to meet transparency obligations by withholding data for researchers, maintaining an incomplete advertising repository and using deceptive design in its blue-check verification system.

Tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the Digital Services Act “has nothing to do with censorship” and applies equally to all platforms.

The dispute comes days after Washington released a national security strategy warning of a decline in democratic norms in Europe.

The document cited “censorship of free speech, suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence” as major challenges for the continent.

TikTok, which faced similar scrutiny in May, avoided a penalty by pledging improvements to its advertising transparency systems and urged the EU to enforce the rules consistently.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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NEED TO KNOW

• Kylie Jenner joined Timothée Chalamet for their second red carpet appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, Marty Supreme
• At the Monday, Dec. 8 event, they arrived in matching custom Chrome Hearts bright orange ensembles
• The couple first made their red carpet debut at the 70th David Di Donatello Awards in May

Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner coordinated in custom Chrome Hearts for their second red carpet appearance.

On Monday, Dec. 8, the couple made a rare red carpet appearance together in style. Chalamet, 29, attended the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, Marty Supreme, with Jenner by his side.

They arrived in matching custom Chrome Hearts ensembles. Chalamet wore a bright orange leather suit, with an orange silk shirt and orange boots. He also carried a Chrome Hearts black leather ping-pong paddle case draped over his shoulder.

The Kylie Cosmetics founder, 28, wore a floor-length orange gown with triangular cutouts below her bust and across her waist. The base of her deep V-neckline was cinched with a cross embellishment, which was then replicated on her necklace with several more crosses varying in size. She paired the look with orange pointed-toe pumps.

Jenner’s dedication to orange didn’t stop there. Her nails were painted a bright orange, while her blush had hints of orange hues. For her glam, her eyeshadow and blush blended with vibrant pops of pink and orange, while she wore a matte nude lipstick. Her hair was styled in a simple straight blowout.

Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner in Los Angeles, California, on December 8, 2025.

Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty

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Although the couple have been dating since the spring of 2023, this is only Jenner’s second time accompanying the actor on the red carpet. In May, they made their red carpet debut in Rome at the 70th David Di Donatello Awards, where the A Complete Unknown actor received the David for Cinematic Excellence honor.

Just as they did on Monday, the couple wore color-coordinated looks. Chalamet opted for a sleek velvet suit decorated with a boutonniere, while Jenner wore a curve-hugging dress with a plunging neckline, a design from the Schiaparelli Fall/Winter 2025 collection.

Jenner accessorized with a velvet clutch with gold embroidery and statement Schiaparelli earrings, one of which featured a gold brass finger topped with a pearl and rhinestone and the other a sculpted hand with a crystal-set nail and pearl pendant. Her hair was styled up in a slicked-back bun to show off her bling.

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet on May 7, 2025 in Rome.

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Long before their red carpet debut, Jenner accompanied the actor to the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs and the Oscars — each of which Chalamet was nominated for his role as Bob Dylan in the biopic A Complete Unknown.

At the 2025 Golden Globes in January, Jenner stunned in a silver chainmail dress that included a backless silhouette. She wore her black hair in loose curls around her shoulders and accessorized with Lorraine Schwartz jewels. Meanwhile, he rocked a black suit and a gray shirt underneath with a blue scarf.

The next month at the BAFTAs, she donned a slinky black gown with some sparkle. Chalamet wore a classic black Bottega Veneta suit with a black T-shirt underneath and black dress shoes. He accessorized with Cartier jewelry.

At the Oscars, Chalamet wore a custom Givenchy butter yellow suit. The model wore a skin-baring Miu Miu gown, which was decked out in beaded details that complemented her dazzling Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

Marty Supreme hits theaters on Dec. 25.

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Diana Ashmore often goes to bed at 6pm simply to stay warm

A pensioner claims she’s been left “deflated and depressed” after shelling out £150 weekly on electricity just to keep her modest two-bedroom flat warm during winter. Diana Ashmore, 70, believes a mix of inadequate insulation, costly energy rates and her housing estate’s pricey heating infrastructure is driving her bills through the roof.

Diane, who funnels nearly her entire pension into utility expenses, has been urging authorities to address insulation issues at her Doncaster housing estate. However, she maintains the primary culprit behind her enormous bills is the steep electricity tariff for the building’s district heating network, coupled with the two-bedroom flat’s single-brick construction and draughty windows.

Ms Ashmore revealed she allocates virtually all of her £460-a-fortnight pension towards heating costs. Between December 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025, she stated she had spent an eye-watering £3,500 maintaining warmth in the flat.

She said: “When I get up in the morning, my clothes feel damp because they’re that cold. It’s terrible and shocking that you should have to live life like this in the 21st century.”

Diane says she has been left “deflated and depressed” by eye-watering heating bills

Ms Ashmore explained that whilst the estate features a gas-fired boiler house situated across the road, the warmth arrives at her flat via electric pumps and prepayment meters, which means she iss charged for electricity to pump the hot water around. She explained the tariff stands at 28.9p per kWh, above the UK average of 26p for electricity.

Her housing block, Chevet House, is managed by St Leger Homes of Doncaster (SLHD), which she claims has ignored repeated requests for insulation upgrades.

Ms Ashmore said: “We’ve got single brick with no insulation, and we’re all getting drafts through our windows because they’re old. I’ve been fighting to get it fixed, but it’s like pulling teeth.

“They can’t give you an answer, it’s always they have to ‘write a report’ and then send it to this department or that department. I said to them last year that we need to get this sorted before next winter. But here we are again.”

READ MORE: Hotel hack saved me more than £6K in just one year at university’READ MORE: ‘World’ top doctors’ explain how they avoid getting sick

Ms Ashmore explained that Chevet House contains seven flats across three storeys, all facing identical problems. She added: “Some won’t put the heating on because it’s too expensive to run.

“Because of the draft coming through, I have to sit with a cover around my ankles when I’m watching TV. I take myself to bed at 6pm to keep warm. I’m putting all my money on the heating, so I’ve got no social life anymore.”

Diane also says she can’t get the winter fuel allowance. She says she has worked throughout her life, always paid full rent, and now battles to afford food, electricity, water, and rent from her modest pension.

Ms Ashmore said: “I can’t remember when I last bought myself some new clothes.”

Chevet House

Despite the situation, she has no desire to leave her flat where she has resided for 14 years, especially given its convenient location and her pending back operation. However, the steep charges and inadequate insulation have left Ms Ashmore feeling “deflated and depressed”, she confessed.

She further expressed her frustration, saying: “It has just knocked the stuffing out of me. It shouldn’t have to come to this, but no one is listening to me.”

Diane Ashmore says her flat becomes so cold she is forced to get into bed to simply keep warm

SLHD, in a previous statement, mentioned: “We have recently carried out surveys at Chevet House and we are reviewing the findings to determine what work may be recommended.”

They reaffirmed their commitment to their residents, stating: “We remain committed to supporting our customers and will continue to liaise directly with them and address any concerns.”

The housing provider was contacted for additional comments.

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With more than a thousand troops being killed or wounded every day, there’s no sign that Donald Trump’s push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine is reducing the battles on the ground.

Quite the opposite.

Ukraine‘s military chief says Vladimir Putin is instead using the US president‘s focus on peace negotiations as “cover” while Russian soldiers attempt to seize more land.

That means much greater pressure on the Ukrainian frontline, even as Russian and American, or American and Ukrainian, or Ukrainian and European, leaders shake hands and smile for cameras before retreating behind closed doors in Moscow, Alaska, and London.

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3:05

This was not an upbeat meeting of Ukraine and its allies

Putin’s not counting on peace

The lack of any indicators that the Kremlin is looking to slow its military machine down also makes the risk of war spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders increasingly likely.

It takes a huge amount of effort, time, and money to put a country on a war footing as Putin has done, partially mobilising his population, allocating huge portions of government spending to the military and realigning Russia’s vast industrial base to produce weapons and ammunition.

Image:
Putin has been in India to shore up support from Narendra Modi. Pic: Reuters

But when the fighting stops, it requires almost as much focus and energy to switch a society back to a peace time rhythm.

Deliberately choosing not to dial defence down once the battles cease means a nation will continue to grow its armed forces and weapons stockpiles – a sure sign that it has no intention of being peaceful and is merely having a pause before going on the attack again.

The absence of any preparations by Moscow to slow the tempo of its military operations in Ukraine – where it has more than 710,000 troops deployed along a 780-mile frontline – is perhaps an indicator that Putin is anticipating more not less war.

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3:07

What is Putin trying to achieve in India?

How could the war end?

What happens next in Europe will depend on the content of any peace deal on Ukraine.

An all-out Russian defeat is all but impossible to conceive without a significant change of heart by the Trump White House and a massive increase in weapons and support.

The next best result for Ukraine would be a settlement that seeks to strike a fair balance between the warring sides and their conflicting objectives.

This could be done by pausing the fighting along the current line of contact before substantive peace talks then take place, with Ukraine’s sovereignty supported by solid security guarantees from Europe and the US.

But such a move would require Europe’s NATO allies, led by the UK, France and Germany, genuinely to switch their respective militaries and populations back to a wartime footing, with a credible readiness to go to war should Moscow attempt to test their support of Ukraine.

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6:47

Why Ukraine’s allies may welcome Trump walking away

Will Starmer level with the public?

That does not just mean increased spending on defence at a much faster rate – in the UK at least – than is currently planned. It is also about the mindset of a country and its willingness to take some pain.

France is already openly saying that parents may have to lose their children in a war with Russia, while Germany is requiring all 18-year-old men to undergo medical checks for possible national service.

No such tough but frank conversation is being attempted by Sir Keir Starmer with the British public.

The furthest his military chief has gone is to say “warfighting readiness” is his top priority.

But that is meaningless jargon for most of the public. Being ready for war is about so much more than what the professional armed forces can do.

Armies fight battles. Countries fight wars.

Read more:
UK unveils undersea tech
Navy chief offers chilling warning
Does Britain’s threat to Russia ring hollow?

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1:46

New UK military technology unveiled

Worst case scenario?

The other alternative when it comes to Ukraine is a scenario that sees a sidelined Europe unable to influence the outcome of the negotiations and Kyiv forced to agree to terms that favour Moscow.

This would include the surrender of land in the Donbas that is still under Ukrainian control.

Such a deal – even if tolerated by Ukraine, which is unimaginable without serious unrest – would likely only mean a temporary halt in hostilities until Putin or whoever succeeds him decides to try again to take the rest of Ukraine, or maybe even test NATO’s borders by moving against the Baltic States.

With Trump’s new national security strategy making clear the US would only intervene to defend Europe if such a move is in America’s interests, it is no longer certain that the guarantees contained in NATO’s founding Article 5 principle – that an attack on one member state is an attack on all – can be relied upon.

To have a sense of how a war with Russia might play out without the US on NATO’s side, Sky News and Tortoise ran a wargame that simulates a Russian attack on the UK.

In the scenario, Washington does not come to Britain’s defences, which leaves the British side with very few options to respond short of a nuclear strike.

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The Trump administration has accused ICEBlock of making federal agents vulnerable to attack and called for its removal.

Published On 9 Dec 20259 Dec 2025

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The developer of a popular app used to monitor and share alerts about immigration enforcement activities has sued the administration of United States President Donald Trump for pressuring Apple to remove it.

ICEBlock, whose name refers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), had one million users before it was dropped from Apple’s app store, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday.

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Developer Joshua Aaron alleged in the complaint that the Trump administration’s campaign against the tracking app amounted to a violation of free speech.

“When we see our government doing something wrong, it’s our duty as citizens of this nation to hold them accountable, and that is exactly what we’re doing with this lawsuit,” Aaron said in the lawsuit.

The suit calls on the district court system to protect the Texas-based software company from “unlawful threats” under the Trump administration.

It also names as defendants some of Trump’s highest-level officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons.

First released in April, ICEBlock quickly became a widely used tool across the US as communities sought ways to share information about immigration raids.

Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has pushed a campaign of mass deportation, targeting a wide range of immigrants, many of whom are in the country legally.

Those raids, many carried out by heavily armed immigration agents in military-style attire, have also faced repeated accusations of human rights abuses.

Critics have questioned the violence used in some arrests, as well as the ICE officers’ use of face masks and plainclothes to conceal their identities.

There have also been reports of inhumane conditions once immigrants are in custody, including overcrowding, a lack of sanitation and faeces-smeared walls.

Human rights advocates have also questioned the speed with which deportations are being carried out, claiming the immigrants arrested have no opportunity to exercise their due process rights and are often prevented from contacting lawyers.

Even US citizens have been accidentally detained in the immigration sweeps. Some immigrants have been deported despite court orders mandating that they remain in the US.

The Trump administration has faced fierce criticism and judicial rebukes for its tactics.

But it maintains that software like ICEBlock puts federal immigration agents in danger of retaliation.

“ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line,” Attorney General Bondi has said.

In October, ICEBlock was pulled from Apple’s app store, a popular platform for downloading mobile software. The Justice Department confirmed that it had contacted Apple to push for the removal.

The lawsuit states that the tech company told Aaron the app had been removed following “information provided to Apple by law enforcement”.

Aaron has countered that the app is an exercise of essential free speech rights and is meant to help protect people from overbearing government activity.

“We’re basically asking the court to set a precedent and affirm that ICEBlock is, in fact, First Amendment-protected speech and that I did nothing wrong by creating it,” Aaron told The Associated Press news agency in an interview.

“I mean, these are people that are wearing masks — which is the antithesis of everything about this country — and they are not identifying themselves, and they’re zip-tying children, and they’re throwing women into vans.”

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US President Donald Trump has unveiled a $12bn (£9bn) farm aid package aimed at helping farmers impacted by low crop prices and the administration’s ongoing trade wars.

Most of the money – $11bn – is earmarked for one-time payments to farmers for row crops as part of the agriculture department’s Farmer Bridge Assistance programme, with another billion reserved for crops not covered by the programme.

While farmers have broadly supported Trump, the agriculture sector has been disrupted by trade disputes during his second term, particularly with China.

Also on Monday, Trump threatened to hit Mexico with an additional 5% tariff in a row over water supplies to US farmers.

The White House says the aid package will help farmers suffering from “years of unjustified trade actions” and accumulated inflation.

Trump made the announcement during an event at the White House, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Members of Congress and corn, cotton, sorghum, soybean, rice, cattle, wheat and potato farmers were also in attendance.

“Maximising domestic farm production is a big part of how we will make America affordable again and bring down grocery prices,” Trump said.

Sorghum and soybean farmers have been hit hard by the Trump administration’s trade dispute with China, the greatest importer of their crops.

According to a White House official, the payments are intended to help farmers market this year’s harvest and plan for next year’s crops, as well as act as a bridge until the administration’s policies “deliver a better market environment”.

Rollins said the last $1bn would be held back to help officials understand the state of “specialty crops” and ensure that the government is “making every forward moving position that we need to”.

When asked if further farm aid packages were planned, Trump said “it depends” on how the market develops.

“The farmers don’t want aid,” he said. “They want to have a level playing field.”

The announcement comes as polls suggest Americans are increasingly concerned about rising costs – an issue which Trump has at times characterised as a “hoax” and a “con job” perpetrated by Democrats.

It also followed complaints from US farmers after they lost access to customers in China as a result of Trump’s trade policies.

For example, China is the world’s biggest market for soybeans and has in recent decades been a major buyer from the US.

But Beijing effectively shut the door on American soybean imports for months after Trump hit Chinese goods with new levies earlier this year.

Later on Monday, Trump threatened to impose a new 5% tariff on Mexico, accusing it of violating an agreement that gives American farmers access to water.

“It is very unfair to our US Farmers who deserve this much needed water,” he posted on social media.

Trump was referring to a more than 80-year-old treaty that grants the US water from Rio Grande tributaries.

For decades the US has accused Mexico of not meeting the terms of the agreement.

Mark Legan, a livestock, corn and soybean farmer in Putnam County, Indiana, told the BBC that the government aid would “help our bottom line”

As crop prices have fallen and profitability has plummeted, he could use the funds to help replace tractors and other machinery – investments he has put on hold.

During his first administration, Trump also provided aid packages to farmers, including $22bn in 2019 and another $46bn in a 2020 package that also included relief from the Covid pandemic.

Mr Legan said he believed the new package would be similar to what he received during the first Trump term, in that it would not resolve persistent cost pressures and shrinking export markets, he said.

“The problem is still that we have high costs of production,” Mr Legan said, pointing to record high prices for crop protection chemicals and seeds.

“While some markets have opened up, we’re still not back to exporting as much ag products as we have in the past,” he added.

Another Illinois farmer, Brad Smith, heard news of the $12bn package while at the Illinois Farm Bureau State Convention in Chicago.

“None of us really love it, but we’re not in a position where we can be turning it down,” he said. “We hope we can reduce the need for anything like this going forward.”

If he does receive funds from the government, the money will likely be in his hands for three days, he said, before spending it to clear outstanding bills and hopefully buy seeds, chemicals and fertilisers for next year’s crop.

Mr Smith said that distributing government aid to farmers who need it the most, rather than to larger farms, has been a challenge in the past.

Following an October meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, the White House said China had committed to buying at least 12 million metric tonnes of US soybeans by the end of 2025, followed by 25 million metric tonnes annually for the next three years.

So far, China has only purchased approximately one-quarter of that amount.

Those purchases, however, have accelerated, and Bessent told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that China is likely to meet the goal by the end of February.

Asked why a farm aid package was necessary, Bessent said “the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations”.

“We are going to create this bridge because… agriculture is all about the future,” he said. “You’ve got to start financing for planning next year when things will be very good.”

On Saturday, he signed an executive order creating food supply chain security “task forces” and assessing “anti-competitive behaviour” in the agricultural sector.

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