Afternoon briefing Tuesday 5th August

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 Tuesday 5th August. The pilot scheme of the UK's one-in-one-out migrant returns deal with France has been ratified this morning.

0:44It'll see about 50 migrants a week return to France, about one in 17 of those crossing the English Channel at current rate. In return, the UK will take in asylum seekers with a family connection to the UK. But the Times' Home Affairs editor Matt Dathan says even people in government don't think it'll be ineffective enough to tear it. Home office officials believe they need to stop about 85 % of all attempted crossings in order for any deterrent or any measure to be effective in destroying the business model of the people smugglers. That is going to be very hard to achieve, given that 25 ,000 migrants have already arrived in the first seven months of this year, which is a 50 % rise on last year.

1:27Israel's threatening to expand the war in Gaza and even seize the entire territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's summoning his war cabinet to discuss the next steps of the war against Hamas. Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharon Haskell played down the plans when speaking to Times Radio. Look, there's not and definitely not in the way that you think or try and describe. Absolutely not. We are going to go with our military forces in order to conquer the rest of the area that is being held by Hamas. it's been through a lot of times where we've been trying to discuss with the international community on what's going to be the future of the territory in Gaza The TV presenter Jay Blades has appeared in court on a charge of controlling or coercive behaviour The repair shop host denies the charge which relates to his estranged wife He also has been charged with two counts of rape in a separate case for which he'll appear in court next week Tesla sales dropped nearly 60 % in July on the year before.

2:30They fell in several key European markets as well because of regulatory challenges, competition from Chinese companies and the backlash against Elon Musk's political activities. New car registrations fell 5 % overall in the UK. Brazil's Supreme Court has put former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, the 70-year-olds facing trial for allegedly leading a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election that includes a plot to kill his rival, President Lula. Donald Trump has called for an end to legal proceedings, branding them a witch hunt. And a Scottish space company has been granted a licence to launch its rockets.

3:08Skyrora can now launch rockets from the Shetland Islands. Colin McLeod is head of the UK space regulator at the Civil Aviation Authority. For Scotland in particular, it gives the opportunity for its fantastic satellite manufacturing base, which we already regulate and they produce many satellites to be able to launch on a UK rocket from the UK sovereign territory. So the start to end supply chain in the UK is complete. However, Skyroarer still doesn't have a pad to blast off from. Don't forget to subscribe to the Times News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio online.

3:49is 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. Do you keep hearing podcast ads, like this one, for example, but always wonder how you actually get involved with them for your own brand or organization?

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