Afternoon Briefing Friday 18th July

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 Hello, this is your Times Afternoon Breathing for Friday the 18th of July with me, James Kitchen. There's been a sharp rise in the number of serious water pollution incidents in England.

0:43The Environment Agency says they increased by 60 % last year, with Southern, Thames and Yorkshire water responsible for 81 % of them. Its chair, Alan Lovell, warns the water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution and respond rapidly when it does. Water companies have previously said they're investing billions of pounds to meet their environmental requirements. The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury has told Times Radio, Sir Keir Starmer is determined to rip out anti-Semitism from the Labour Party by its roots. It comes as Diane Abbots lost the whip after she doubled down on claims that Jews experience racism differently from black people.

1:19The longest-serving female MP was initially suspended for 13 months for comments she made in a letter to The Observer in April 2023. Speaking to Times Radio, James Murray wouldn't be drawn on the investigation, but denied Diane Abbots' claim that Labour was trying to push her out. What's absolutely clear to me is how determined Keir Starmer has been to rip anti-Semitism out of the Labour Party by its roots. And, you know, he has been totally focused on that. He's changed our party beyond recognition and there's no going back. The former Conservative Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has defended the use of a super injunction to hide the catastrophic MOD data breach in 2022.

1:59The personal information of thousands of Afghans who helped British forces was leaked, along with the details of MI6 officers and Special Forces soldiers. Mr. Schapp says he'd make the same call again in a heartbeat. The breach led to a secret relocation scheme, bringing thousands of Afghans to the UK. The British Medical Association has told Times Radio it's open to a number of solutions that address the cost of living of resident doctors. It's understood the medics could see their student loans written off in a deal with the government to avoid a five-day walkout next week. The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has insisted he cannot move on headline pay for resident doctors who are demanding a 29 % rise.

2:40Dr Melissa Ryan is co-chair of the Resident Doctors Committee at the BMA. We're keen to explore additional measures that the government could agree to help restore the value and well-being of resident doctors. And student loans, obviously, after five years of study, students can finish medical school with debts of up to£100 ,000. And then as doctors, you face monthly payments, which can be up to 10 % of your salary for most of your working life. And Donald Trump is threatening to sue the Wall Street Journal over a story which he denies about his relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

3:14Documents seen by the paper include an apparent birthday letter from 2003, which it's claimed includes the drawn outline of a naked woman. Posting on Truth Social, the US president described it as fake and ordered grand jury transcripts relating to Epstein be released. And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

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4:22This week on The Business Podcast, Trini Woodall on building a company from scratch and why she went for the over 40s skincare market. You need to build a network of other female founders so that you feel you have women at the same place as you with the same struggles. From The Times and The Sunday Times, join me, Hannah Previtt. And me, Dominic O 'Connell, for conversations from the world of business and entrepreneurship. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts or find our channel on YouTube by searching Times Business.