Evening briefing Friday 31st October 2025

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. Good evening. The brother of Virginia Jaffray says Andrew Mountbatten, Windsor, should be investigated by police.

0:39Mr Jaffray alleged the former prince had sex with her three times as a teenager. Andrew has always denied his late accuses allegations of sexual assault. He's been stripped of his royal titles and faces eviction from his home on the Windsor estate. Her brother, Sky Roberts, told Times Radio Virginia would be celebrating with her survivor sisters. It's a really surreal moment. I would say that she would be vindicated in so many ways. I remember a very famous interview where she said only one of us is telling the truth and that person is me and I think this would be a moment where she'd be reflecting on that and kind of saying, see, I told you, told you this entire time I was telling you the truth.

1:19A former sergeant major has been jailed for six months for sexually assaulting a teenage soldier who later took her own life. Michael Weber attacked Royal Artillery Gunner Jaisley Beck in 2021. An inquiry ruled that the army failed to take action and that contributed to her death five months later. Major General John Swift's promising lasting reforms. Change that will give service personnel the confidence they need to report sexual offences and inappropriate behaviours, knowing that they will be listened to. A double murderer who stabbed his pregnant girlfriend to death has been sentenced to at least 42 years in jail.

1:58Shane March, who's 47, attacked Alana Odysseus at her home in Walthamstow, north-east London, last year. A former leader of the Labour Party has told Times Radio that the Chancellor should consider a wealth tax in next month's budget. Lord Kinnock said raising asset taxation would help plug some of the fiscal holes. I would equalise the rate of capital gains tax, which is 24%, and income tax rates, 20%, 40%, 45%. And the result of that would be to bring in about£14 billion extra in revenues every year. And the revenues, of course, are crucial for the health service, the education service, the redevelopment of science, the improvement of productivity.

2:43There's been a rise in cases of meningitis with doctors urging children and young adults to get vaccinated. The UK Health Security Agency says there were 378 reports last year. That's up from 340 the year before. Infection can be deadly or cause life changing complications if it's not treated quickly. Dr Tom Nutt is the chief executive of Meningitis Now. It is a truly devastating disease. It can kill within 24 hours or less. This isn't something for people to be, if you like, complacent about. It's really important that people are aware, you know, treat it as a medical emergency because that's what it is.

3:19Hurricane Melissa is known to have claimed the lives of 49 people across the Caribbean. Recovery efforts are underway in Jamaica, with emergency relief flights landing at the island's main international airport. And three Just Stop Oil activists have been acquitted of causing criminal damage to Stonehenge following a protest which saw it sprayed with orange powder. All three defendants admitted taking part in the demo before last year's summer solstice but denied damaging an ancient protected monument. A jury found all three not guilty following a 10-day trial. For a news bulletin when you want it, search for The Times News Briefing on any podcast platform.

3:58This 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.