Afternoon briefing Wednesday 22nd 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 the Times Radio afternoon briefing on Wednesday the 22nd of April. Shipping authorities say three container ships have been shot at in the Strait of Hormuz this morning.

0:44UK maritime trade operations has confirmed Iranian armed forces were behind two of those, whilst the third has been reported by security sources. Tehran has threatened military action despite Donald Trump extending a ceasefire last night. Middle East analyst Suzanne Kyanpoh says the US will have to make difficult choices in negotiations if it's going to make sure Iran keeps the strait open. I mean, the Americans are going to have to give them something. So what are they going to give them? Are they going to accept keeping Hezbollah and Hamas? Are they going to accept them keeping their right to enrich?

1:15A senior cabinet minister has refused to say Zakhir Starmer acted fairly in sacking the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office. Sir Ollie Robbins lost his job over Peter Maddelson's vetting and yesterday he gave evidence to MPs. That's led some cabinet ministers to criticise Downing Street. The Work and Pension Secretary Pat McFadden was questioned by Kate McCann on Times Radio Breakfast and repeatedly refused to say whether that sacking was fair. Look, it's the Prime Minister's judgment. If you've lost the confidence, then it's difficult to continue. That's the third time I've asked you and you've not answered.

1:48Is it fair in your view that Ollie Robbins has been sacked over this? Look, of course, as a Cabinet member, I support the Prime Minister's decisions. The Prime Minister has accused Sir Ollie Robbins of covering up information about Lord Mandelson. Inflation jumped in March because of the war in Iran driving up oil prices. Prices were 3.3 % higher than they were the year before, whereas February's inflation figure was 3%. Stephen Millard is from the think tank the National Institute for Economic and Social Research. He says inflation will keep rising. We're currently expecting a peak in inflation of around about 4.1 % in January of next year.

2:25But of course all that assumes that the fragile ceasefire holds, that the Strait of Hormuz gradually gets back to normal. If it doesn't, then inflation can continue to remain high, if not go even further up, maybe to 5%. Rachel Reeves insists she'll protect people from rising prices. Pay negotiators say the head of the Doctors' Union shook hands on a pay deal with the government two days before announcing a six-day strike. They say Dr Jack Fletcher from the British Medical Association signed off on a multi-year offer for resident doctors, but Dr Fletcher told Times Radio that's nonsense. You know, when someone extends their hand to offer a handshake, and I would shake someone's hand, whether it's the Secretary of State or whether it's people that I meet on a day-to-day basis on hospital wards or out and about, I don't think that means that anyone's agreed anything.

3:14I don't think that means anyone has agreed to something, whether it's a pay deal. the whole thing is just totally for the birds. And a study suggests climate change means the hay fever season is now two weeks longer than it was in the 1990s. The Lancet Countdown says rising temperatures have shifted the flowering season earlier in the year. Charities estimate that almost half of the population of the UK experience some sort of symptoms which is among the highest rates in Europe. Don't forget you can subscribe to the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio online.

3:52This 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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