Afternoon Briefing Tuesday 5th May

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 Tuesday 5th May with me, James Kitchen. Counter-terror police are investigating an arson attack at a former synagogue in East London.

0:43The Metropolitan Police says officers were called to reports of a fire in Tower Hamlets this morning. It comes as the Prime Minister holds a summit at Downing Street to discuss how to tackle rising anti-Semitism in the UK. Sir Keir Starmer's promised£1 million in extra funding for Jewish community groups, saying it's not enough to simply say we stand with them. Make no mistake, this crisis, it's a crisis for all of us. It is a test of our values, values that aren't guaranteed. They are earned every single day through our actions. The prime minister has asked the creative and education sectors, along with trade unions, to reflect on how anti-Semitism takes form in their industries and work to stamp it out.

1:32Sakhir Starmer ordered the Arts Council to withdraw funding from venues that promote anti-Semitic material. He also warned attempts by Iran to destabilize British society will not be tolerated. Meanwhile, the Iranian parliament's speaker has warned the US the regime is just getting started following attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump's called American proposals to guide vessels through the waterway Project Freedom. But Iranian officials have branded the operation Project Deadlock. Former Commander of UK Maritime Forces Vice Admiral Duncan Potts told Times Radio Britain had taken its eye off the ball in the region.

2:08What was called the Armilla Patrol was established in 1979 following the revolution in Iran. And the Royal Navy was out there 24-7, 365 from 1979 to 2024 when the last large frigate HMS Lancaster was decommissioned. My warfare vessels were brought back and so compared with the presence we have out there for most of my career and I served in, it's much diminished. Medics have boarded a cruise ship in the Atlantic to extract two people requiring urgent treatment for Hantavirus, including one passenger from Britain. Seven people have been confirmed to have had the infection, including the three who have died.

2:50Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology at Aberdeen University Hugh Pennington told Times Radio 1's strain of the virus is easily treatable, but the other is worse. The other one, and the most serious syndrome, which is I think the one we're talking about today, is the Hantavirus pneumonia syndrome, where the patient suddenly develops, well they get a lot of water on their lungs, and the lungs sort of fill up and in a sense they drown. on. Manchester Airport has been ranked the worst in the UK for flight delays, with bosses blaming disruption on industrial action and airspace restrictions. Passengers have been told it's difficult to book with any real confidence at the country's third busiest airport.

3:33Analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data revealed departures from Manchester were on average almost 20 minutes behind schedule last year. Remember, you can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

3:53This 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.

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5:14McDonald's at the FIFA World Cup 2026.