Afternoon briefing Thursday 16th April

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 your Times Radio news briefing for the afternoon of Thursday the 16th of April. The business secretary has confirmed to Times Radio that the government is planning for scenarios such as some food shortages this summer as a result of the war in Iran.

0:48The Times understands that plans have been drawn up where they could ask factories to increase CO2 production as it's needed for preserving food, making beer and is used in hospitals to preserve vaccines and blood. Peter Kyle told us these worst-case scenario plans show a sensible government. People should be reassured that we are doing this kind of action behind the scenes to keep resilience into our economy so that when the full extent of what may or may not emerge, because this situation is still unfolding in the Middle East, you have a government that is acting with creativity and boldness.

1:22Waiting times at A &Es in England improved in February when compared with January, with 77 % of patients seen within four hours. Wes Streeting said the NHS is making progress despite strikes. The health secretary has said he does not know, though, whether he will be able to end strikes by resident doctors this year. An Israeli strike on Lebanon has severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, according to a senior Lebanese security official. They said it shattered the bridge and left no possibility of repairing it. Donald Trump had said leaders of Lebanon and Israel would speak together today about pausing the fighting, posting that he was trying to get a little breathing room between the countries.

2:02Jotam Konfino, Middle East correspondent in Tel Aviv, told Times Radio how significant this is. It is a big development, regardless of whether Netanyahu wants to do this or not. If he actually does speak to the Lebanese president, if there is a ceasefire with Hezbollah, and if the peace talks continue and eventually amount to something, that's a huge development. GDP is estimated to have increased by 0.5 % in the three months to February. Retail, publishing and car repairs contributed to the economy positively. Police in Surrey have warned that disorder won't be tolerated after protesters gathered in Epsom after an alleged rape in the town.

2:40A woman in her 20s was reportedly attacked outside a church on Saturday. Surrey police says it doesn't have enough information to release descriptions of the suspects, which is what protesters are asking for, and has urged people not to speculate. Daniel lives in the town and was at the gathering. I went to the protest last night in Epsom and there was a lot of people out on the streets. And the only, I mean, this particular rape is so awful. It's unbelievable, really, that it's happened here. And I think last night in Epsom, there was a sense of shock amongst the people. The Duchess of Sussex said she was bullied and attacked every day for 10 years on social media and was the most trolled person in the entire world.

3:21Megan was speaking to a classroom of young people about social media in Australia. At a separate event, Harry has spoken about grief, saying, There have been many times when I've felt overwhelmed, times when I've felt lost, betrayed or completely powerless. For a round-up of the news on demand, find The Times Radio News Briefing on the Times Radio app. 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. So how do you get beyond the hype and deliver AI that powers reinvention and growth across your business?

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