Daily Briefing Saturday 14th March

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 Daily Briefing for Saturday the 14th of March with me, James Kitchen. Iranian state media says oil infrastructure on Karg Island has not been affected by a series of US strikes overnight.

0:46Earlier, Donald Trump announced the military had carried out what he called one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East. In a post on Truth Social, the US president claimed the strikes totally obliterated every military target on the oil terminal. Washington is also moving more warships along with 5 ,000 marines to the region as Tehran steps up attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. It's believed an average of five ships a day are passing through the waterway compared to the usual 140. The security and defence expert Justin Crump told Times Radio Washington will be preparing for various scenarios.

1:21You can't sort of build up in Saudi Arabia and bring in cargo to ports and so on because the Gulf is closed. The Gulf is a very dangerous environment for the US. So building up ground forces is actually a bit of a challenge, especially when the US is also trying to leave its bases empty because lots of troops gathered on a base as a target as we've seen so the build-up is actually a bit challenging storming through the Gulf through Hormuz running up to Hug Island to occupy that is a bit of a long thin mission meanwhile the Treasury is drawing up plans to offer poorer households targeted support to protect against soaring energy bills Rachel Reeves told the Times officials are examining various options to help the most vulnerable when the price cap ends in June.

2:00The Chancellor raised concerns that a universal bailout would be unaffordable given Britain's debt levels. The former head of Energy UK, Angela Knight, told Times Radio the government could introduce a social tariff for those on benefits, but warned ministers have only so much control. I think we've got to be realistic that we are living in very much an unstable global political situation at the moment and things will happen. And there's no way that this government or any government can necessarily protect from that. So I think we as individuals, as residents, as citizens need to recognise that there's no such thing as protection from world events.

2:42It's been reported that an explosion overnight has damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam. The city's mayor says it was a targeted attack against the Jewish community in the city. No injuries are reported. Security at Jewish schools and institutions has been stepped up in recent days following attacks on synagogues in Rotterdam and also in Lienge in Belgium. A newly released photograph has emerged showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson sitting with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The undated image is believed to have been taken at Martha's Vineyard. It does not imply any wrongdoing.

3:17A new book claims Queen Camilla once told a friend that Meghan had brainwashed Prince Harry as relations soured with the royal family. Extracts published in the Times magazine also suggest the Duke of Sussex fears he and his wife could be stripped of their titles in the same fashion as the former Prince Andrew. The book's author, Tom Bauer, told Times Radio Meghan saw the royal family as a career move. I do believe that she sort of plotted everything so she could get back to America can resume her Hollywood career and a lot more. And I think that's where it came from. Camilla spotted that this wasn't a normal marriage made in heaven, but much more of Meghan plotting a career move by moving into the royal family and using the titles.

4:02And remember, you can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online. This 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.

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