Afternoon Briefing Thursday 30th 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 Radio afternoon briefing for Thursday 30th July with me, James Kitchen. The Defence Secretary has told Times Radio supporting Britain's military is at the heart of the Prime Minister's agenda.

0:46Andy Burnham's announced an£8.4 billion investment in the UK's nuclear submarine programme, but the Conservatives have called it a re-announcement of funding previously confirmed. Speaking to Times Radio, West Streeting refused to commit to spending 3 % of GDP on defence by 2030, a point his predecessor John Healy resigned on. When we make spending commitments, it's really important we set out how they will be paid for. We've seen in the past, I'm afraid, under our Conservative predecessors, they're heavy-priced Britain plays when you look like you're playing fast and loose with the public finances and setting out reckless spending without saying how it'd be funding or setting out reckless tax cuts without saying how they would be funded.

1:28So that commitment to fiscal discipline is important. MPs have condemned the Ministry of Defence's handling of a data breach that exposed the personal details of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside British forces. The Defence Select Committee says the breach, which was first revealed by the Times, has damaged public trust and left many people still at risk from the Taliban. Its chair, Tandesi, warned Times Radio of a human cost and complete lack of accountability. About the lives that have been impacted, especially of those Afghans who bravely supported our courageous servicemen and women as they conducted their operations in Afghanistan.

2:07The then Prime Minister, on behalf of the UK, said that he would move heaven and earth to make sure that we complied with our commitment to our friends. Heatwaves in May and June caused the deaths of nearly 3 ,000 people in England. The UK Health Security Agency says 2 ,877 excess deaths were associated with the hot weather. It's almost double the 1 ,500 excess deaths observed last summer. It comes as authorities say there's no current risk to the Sizewell B nuclear plant in Suffolk despite a major wildfire burning just a few miles away. A holiday park has been evacuated as dozens of firefighters tackle the flames at Dunwich Heath.

2:54Meanwhile, half of England and parts of Wales are in drought. Speaking to Times Radio, Amy Fairman from River Action warned of a lack of resilience in the country's water system. Earlier this year we had floods and heavy rainfall and now we're experiencing drought and it shows us that we can't capture the water when we're in abundance and use it when we're in shortage. We haven't seen reservoirs built in this country, any new reservoirs built in this country for over 30 years. Reform UK has criticised Andy Burnham's refusal to rule out what the party's calling a death tax to pay for social care reforms.

3:31Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick called the potential levy cruel and punitive. He also warned the Prime Minister is leading the country into desperate trouble. Joe Root is to return as England Test Captain, replacing Ben Stokes. He'll work alongside New Zealand's Stephen Fleming, who's been named England Test Head Coach. In football, Eddie Howe has left Newcastle United after five years as head coach, he led them to a first domestic trophy in 70 years and two Champions League campaigns. Remember, you can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

4:24is 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. Hi, I'm Katie Prescott from the Times Tech Podcast, which is currently sponsored by IBM. IBM has worked with Wimbledon for more than 30 years, helping the championships use data and AI to create more engaging digital experiences for fans.

5:17That includes tools like Match Chat, which can answer questions during play, and Likelihood to Win, which uses live match data to offer near real-time predictions. It's a practical example of AI in action, helping fans follow the tournament more closely while showing how organizations can turn data into useful insight. To learn more about how IBM helps create smarter business, visit ibm.com.