Afternoon Briefing Fri 6th March

0:00This episode of the Times Radio News Briefing is sponsored by PwCWC. Staying competitive means getting ahead, not just keeping up. So how do business leaders cut through the noise and focus on what really matters? PwC takes you further with tech, from optimising the systems that put your data to work, to scaling AI from proof of concept to competitive edge. PwC helps you meet tomorrow's tech demands, so you can compete at a speed that rewrites the rules. Discover more at pwc.co.uk. Welcome to the Times Radio afternoon briefing on Friday 6th March. The Met Police says four men have been arrested under the National Security Act on suspicion of aiding Iran's intelligence service.

0:44It's linked to surveillance of London's Jewish community. One Iranian and three British-Iranian dual nationals were detained shortly after 1am at addresses in Barnett and in Watford. Six other men were arrested at the same location in Harrow on suspicion of assisting an offender. More details from Home Affairs commentator Danny Shaw. Scotland Yard is saying this is a long-running investigation and part of our ongoing work to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it. So it doesn't appear that this is a plot that has sort of suddenly come to light over the past week since the bombing operations in Iran.

1:22The US Defence Secretary says America has only just begun to fight in Iran and attacks are about to surge dramatically. Pete Hegseth says that's partly because of help from UK air bases. He's also insisting the US military operation is on track. Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke says a major part of the Iranian defences has not yet been targeted. They haven't yet started to attack the nuclear sites. And I suspect that's because they wait until they've got real air control over the whole of Iran and then they're going to go low with their aircraft to really demolish those sites. But you've got to get close to them to do that.

1:57to really be sure. So they've left those sites alone for now, but I'm sure they will go for them when they feel they can do it safely. The Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy says helping Britons to leave the Middle East is a huge evacuation exercise and there are rapid deployment teams across the region. The flight from Oman landed at Stansted just before 1am and another is scheduled for tonight. Reporter Sally Lockwood in Dubai is monitoring developments. We've heard reports this morning of fast jets, UAE fast jets, escorting airliners out of UAE airspace. And they are all being routed via Oman.

2:29That seems to be the air corridor now that is deemed safest. So yeah, it's a really evolving situation here and quite unnerving, I think, for a lot of mostly tourists who are looking to get out. But I'm also hearing from a lot of residents on my residence WhatsApp group that people are trying to make their way to the Omani border today. Oil and gas prices have soared and energy suppliers are increasing their prices to keep track. Greg Jackson, chief exec of Octopus Energy, is warning of an energy price shock, and that means some row back on fixed tariffs. The wholesale price of gas has roughly doubled since a week ago.

3:04It's today's price, but it's also the price for the foreseeable future. So no one's priced in an end to the conflict yet. In the UK, the price of electricity is very tightly coupled with the price of gas. So we're seeing electricity prices for quarter two. That's wholesale prices. Consumers won't see this for quite some time, if at all. But wholesale prices are up about 60 % for electricity. And you can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online. This episode of the Times Radio News Briefing is sponsored by PwC. AI is everywhere. In the news, in our hands, but return on investment, not so much.

3:44So how do you get beyond the hype and deliver AI that powers reinvention and growth across your business? Strong foundations unlock AI's potential. That's why PwC takes you further with tech, strengthening the data quality, processes and workflows that shape how well AI performs. PwC turns innovation into implementation so you can accelerate from experiments to scale. Discover more at pwc.co.uk.

4:17As a fitness coach, my active psoriatic arthritis can slow me down. With Sky Rizzy, Rizinkizumab RZA, I'm treating my skin and joint symptoms so I can keep moving. Sky Rizzy, a prescription-only injection for adults, helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling and fatigue. And for those who have plaque psoriasis, 90 % clearer skin is possible. With SkyRizzy, there's no daily dosing. It's just four doses a year after two starter doses. Don't use if allergic to SkyRizzy. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis.

4:52Tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. Thanks to SkyRizzy, there's nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything.

5:05Ask your doctor about SkyRizzy. Visit SkyRizzy.com or call 1-866-SKYRizzy to learn more.