Afternoon briefing Thursday 10th 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. This is the Times afternoon briefing on Thursday the 10th of July. Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed Emmanuel Macron to Downing Street for a summit where they're expected to thrash out the details of a migrant returns deal.

0:45For us, it's about delivering the changes that the British people want to see. And we all agree the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is. So we're bringing new tactics into play and a new level of intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs. They're expected to announce a trial of a one-in-one-out scheme, which will see 800 people return to France by the end of the year, with the UK accepting asylum seekers with a family connection already in the country in return. That's 50 people a week, or the equivalent of one in 17 of those arriving on small boats.

1:23Critics say that is not big enough to have an effect. Parliament's Intelligence Committee says the threat of Iran attacking people in the UK has increased significantly in the last three years and is now comparable to Russia. Times Radio's Sinead Garvin has more. The Intelligence and Security Committee says Iran poses a persistent and unpredictable threat on UK soil. It believes the focus is physical threats towards dissidents and Jewish and Israeli interests in the UK. Its report says there's been 15 murder or kidnap attempts against British nationals or people living in the UK. and it says the government needs to beef up its response and make clear those assaults would be considered an attack on the UK.

2:06The health secretary has told resident doctors to abandon what he calls their unreasonable rush to strike, where Streeting says the NHS's recovery is fragile as waiting lists drop to a two-year low. Nigel Farage says plenty more former Conservatives want to join reform after the defection of Sir Jake Berry. The former Conservative Party chairman is the second former Cabinet minister to defect this week. His new leader spoke to Times Radio from a boat in the English Channel. Well, I'm obviously very pleased that Jake Berry has come. Competent bloke, been successful in life in many areas. There are plenty that want to come.

2:42We've got to decide which ones are good for us. The Conservatives say Sir Jake Berry is joining a high-spend, high-tax party. Royal Mail is being allowed to scrap Saturday deliveries of second-class posts and reduce weekday deliveries to every other day. The regulator Ofcom says it's needed to help Royal Mail with its costs as fewer people are sending letters. And in cricket, Joffre Archer is featuring in his first test in more than four years as England take on India. The 30-year-old's return has been eagerly anticipated but former England captain Mike Atherton told Times Radio it's not clear how he's going to fare.

3:17We need to dampen down expectations really because he hasn't played for such a long time. Even when he did play, he's an outstanding bowler. He's got some rare attributes, high pace and skilful. But, you know, his test average is 31. There were days when he was ineffectual as well. Jasprit Bumrah is also back for India. It's the third test with the series currently level. Don't forget to subscribe to The Times News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio online.

3:52This 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. So 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 experiment to scale. Discover more at pwc.co.uk Hello, I'm Monica Reinagle, host of the Nutrition Diva podcast.

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