Daily briefing Sunday 1st February

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 Times Radio's daily briefing on Sunday 1st February. Sakia Starmer says Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify before a US congressional committee about his relationship with the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

0:47His comments appear to reflect a significant increase in the pressure being applied by Number 10 after three million new files relating to Epstein's death and his criminal activities were released on Friday. Tom Bauer is a biographer of the former Duke of York's older brother, the King. Speaking to Times Radio, he said the Prime Minister's role is to defend the monarchy. I think sending Andrew to Washington would be hugely damaging to the royal family, hugely damaging to Britain. And it was very, very wrong of Keir Starmer to throw the prince, the ex-prince, to the wolves in front of American politicians who would be wanting to feast on Andrew.

1:27And interestingly, have not yet summoned a single American. A second woman has alleged that Epstein sent her to the UK to have a sexual encounter with the former Duke of York. The woman claims she spent the night with the former prince at Royal Lodge at Windsor in 2010 when she was in her 20s. It's the first time an Epstein accuser has alleged a sexual encounter at a royal residence. Brad Edwards of the American law firm Edwards Henderson told the BBC he was now considering filing a civil case on the woman's behalf. Israel is expected to open the key border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The Rafah crossing has been largely closed for almost two years after Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side.

2:11The opening will be limited at first, however, but it marks a major step in the US-brokered ceasefire, although at least 32 people are now known to have been killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Saturday. The parents of the serial baby killer Lucy Letby have condemned a documentary that contains police footage of her being arrested in her pyjamas at their home. Susan and John Letby say the release of the recording is a complete invasion of privacy and also claim the chief investigating officer in their daughter's case seemed to have a deep hatred of them. A trailer for the Netflix programme shows officers arriving at Letby's family home where she was staying with her parents in June 2019 and entering her bedroom.

2:52Speaking to Times Radio, Letby's legal representative, Mark McDonald. Speaking to Times Radio, Letby's legal representative, Mark MacDonald, said the nature of Letby's arrest was also a significant issue in her trial. Lucy Letby was cross-examined on the issue as to what she said she was wearing when she was arrested. And this was used as a credibility issue to undermine what the prosecution was saying was her honesty. And she said she was wearing her pyjamas. And they said, no, you were wearing a blue tracksuit. and they said that you were trying to garner sympathy from the jury by saying that you were in your pyjamas.

3:29And the government has announced funding worth£150 million to breathe new life into the nation's high streets. The money will be targeted at areas in England hardest hit by high street shop closures. Communities will be able to use the money to reopen vacant units and improve neglected shop fronts. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio. 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?

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