Afternoon Briefing Monday 9th November

0:00Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, which email spreadsheets and our shared Google doc, the headline hammer. With Google workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use like Gmail docs and sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google workspace with Gemini at go. GLE slash workspace with Gemini. That's go. GLE slash workspace with Gemini.

0:34Welcome to The Times Radio afternoon briefing for Monday 9th November. Russell Brand's wife has arrived at Southwark Crown Court ahead of his sentencing today. The disgraced comedian and actor was found guilty of one count of rape and three of sexual assault last week. The Times newsroom reporter Olly Cole has been following the case. Brand arrived at court this morning in the back of a white van after spending the weekend at Wandsworth Prison. Earlier his wife Laura arrived flanked by his personal security. The court will hear statements on how Brand's crimes have impacted the women involved through the morning before a sentence is handed down for rape and several sexual assaults.

1:09Defence chiefs are deploying what are described as hunt forces overseas to disrupt enemy hackers in secret locations. Soldiers, sailors and aviators are being deployed across Europe and Asia with the agreement of host countries to disrupt cyber plots. The Times' Defence editor Larissa Brown has been speaking to their commander. Major General Mike Fay has told me about these operations which target hackers where they are based overseas. They're highly sensitive operations which often require approval by the Defence Secretary and they aim to stop cyberplots in their infancy before a large-scale attack.

1:44The Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force was established last year and has had its successes in that time. But Major General Fayez worries that some malware is already hidden on the military network, ready to be activated if war broke out. He says attacks like the one targeting blood banks in France last week are just the beginning of what is to come. Ministers are expected to cut electric vehicle targets this week. It follows pressure from the automotive industry and weaker-than-expected sales. The mandate requires that 33 % of new vehicles sold this year are fully electric. That rises to 80 % in 2030 when the sale of fully petrol and diesel cars will be banned.

2:26The Times understands the mandates could be cut by a quarter. The Tories' shadow business minister, Julia Lopez, says she would go further. There's not a significant enough charging network and consumers are not buying them in sufficient numbers to make these EV mandates a policy that's actually working. We think it's causing problems for our car manufacturers and we would want to see the ZEV mandate removed entirely. And the author Lee Child has criticised the British publishing industry for its failure to support Israeli writers. The thriller writer says Israeli critics of the Netanyahu government are being shut out and says those supporting a boycott should be asking themselves whether they are being anti-Semitic.

3:03He's told Times Radio a double standard is being applied. Let's say Ireland suddenly became fascist. the people in the cultural section in those countries would be astonished if we turned our back on them because they are the opposition. They would want to be talked to. They want to be heard. And the idea that we would boycott them, they would find that absolutely stunning. So I think there is a lot of hypocrisy there. You can follow the Times Radio news briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online. Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet, Behind every episode, there's research, email, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer.

3:44With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle slash workspace with Gemini. That's G-O-O dot G-L-E slash workspace with Gemini. This is the story of the one. As a shipping manager, he's running the dock, stocking supplies, and making sure every order goes out on time.

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