Afternoon briefing Thursday 19th February

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 19th February. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

0:45Police visited the Sandringham Estate about 8 this morning and are searching addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire. Andrew remains in police custody. Royal correspondent Sarah Hewson told Times Radio this was triggered by the release of millions of files relating to the paedophile financier Geoffrey Epstein. In those files, it appears, it is alleged, that Andrew had forwarded emails that were sent to him based on his work as a UK trade envoy. So emails that had been sent to him by government departments after his visits to Asia, for example. Emails and documents concerning investment opportunities in Helmand province.

1:25Poland has told its citizens to leave Iran immediately, with the president saying the possibility of a heated conflict is very, very real. Senior US national security officials have told President Trump that a military strike on Iran could happen as soon as Saturday. Donald Trump has ordered a major military build-up in the region. The two sides remain far apart on talks about the use of nuclear. The UK government has told Times Radio that the UK will continue to work with the US on the Chagos Islands deal, despite President Trump once again withdrawing his support. The UK wants to give the islands to Mauritius, but a group of four Chagossians have returned to the islands in protest at the plan, saying they want to remain under British sovereignty.

2:07Alex Davies Jones from the Ministry of Justice said the US government's response has been inconsistent. Conversations will be continuing to be had with Americans and other allies, but as I've said, it is our priority to secure that base and to secure national security. She also said that those protesting on the island and refusing to leave were being irresponsible and acting illegally. Dame Antonia Romeo has said it's a huge privilege to be asked to serve as the Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service. She'll be the first woman to do so, but her appointment was preempted with claims of her bullying people in a previous role.

2:40A former Cabinet Secretary said the government should not have rushed to appoint her. Dame Antonia's allies say the claims are fuelled by misogynistic jealousy. The Department for Education says any changes to provision for pupils with special educational needs will involve consultation with those in the sector and no changes will be made before 2030. The Times understands that those joining secondary school will have their needs reassessed and those with ADHD or autism may have help and provision removed. Send spending by councils has doubled to almost£13 billion since 2016, with some forecasts suggesting it will nearly double again by 2031.

3:18Bill Revan's Lib Dem leader of Somerset Council told Times Radio they're already facing financial difficulties. We're trying to fill a£25 million budget gap at the moment in our budget, so it's a significant pressure. We're going to see these centre reforms and we look forward to seeing what the government proposes. We're told we'll get them by the end of the month, but also we don't want them to ignore this impact of transport, which particularly affects rural councils. For more stories like this, listen throughout the day to Times Radio.

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