Evening briefing Thursday 29th October

0:00If you're looking for something predictable and low friction over the long term, public markets may be a suitable option. But the moment you want different investment characteristics, it may be time to consider the private markets. See how your wealth can work smarter at creativeplanning.com slash access. This is the Times Radio evening briefing on Thursday the 29th of October. Andy Burnham says the government is working flat out to reduce spending on benefits but won't say when cuts will come. It's after the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the Treasury could be facing a£28 billion hole at next year's spending review, which could lead to brutal cuts in public services.

0:41Trade Minister Anas Salwa told Times Radio Labour won't push the country into austerity. We have a choice. The choice can be a conservative and reform choice, where we just axe a brutal number and we don't care what it adds to the unemployment list, we don't care what it adds to poverty in this country, and we simply look at it as a fiscal measure. or we can take a reasonable, pragmatic and right approach for our country, which is how do we reduce poverty, how do we reduce unemployment, how do we reduce youth inactivity and get more young people into training, education or employment across the country and use the outcome as a way to reduce our welfare bill.

1:16The Met Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over its handling of allegations made against the Duchess of Sussex's father. It's over a letter they received in 2019 containing a number of claims about alleged offending that happened outside the UK. They passed it to Meghan and Harry, but not to other law enforcement agencies. Danny Shaw is a crime and policing commentator. The fact that it's now making those referrals to other agencies of court, I think sort of emphasises that fact it's doing that seven years later. Why could they do it at the time? So all in all, this isn't looking very good for Scotland Yard.

1:54I mean, obviously, it will be up to the watch, the IOPC to look into it, decide whether they should have taken different measures back in 2019. Police in the Philippines are to examine Thomas Markle's digital devices. It's after claims of child sex abuse images. He denies all the charges. Russell Brand's wife has told his sexual assault trial her husband is a kind and wonderful father. But Laura Brand also told the court he cheated when they first dated. The comedian denies multiple allegations of rape and assault. Police in Spain say they don't know how long it'll take to recover the bodies of all the victims of yesterday's train crash.

2:3374 people are now confirmed to have died in the disaster. Hundreds of emergency workers are still at the scene. Ukrainian officials say at least 14 people have been killed in a Russian drone strike on Dnipro station. At least five others are hurt after the blast hit a platform and two trains. President Zelensky described the attack as horrific. Poundland is preparing to file for administration, putting around 12 ,000 jobs at risk. Earlier this month, the firm's owners rejected a takeover bid and are trying to find a last-minute rescue deal for 600 stores. And FIFA plans to double women's World Cup prize money next year, but it won't deliver on Gianni Infantino's ambition to match the cash paid out at the men's tournament.

3:16You can follow The Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online. Because you didn't just say, how can I provide these investments? How do I holistically provide everything? How do I bring in the legal, the accounting, all this, and do it at a price point no one else is doing it? Learn more about how we approach wealth management at creativeplanning.com slash integrated.