Evening briefing Thursday 31st July

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 evening briefing for Thursday 31st July. A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of administering poison at a summer camp which led to eight children being taken to hospital.

0:48Leicestershire police received reports of children feeling unwell at a summer camp in Staffan on Sunday. The suspect was arrested at the camp and is still in custody. Meanwhile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct is now investigating the Leicestershire Constabulary's response to the incident. On that, Times Radio spoke to crime and police commentator Danny Shaw. It looks as though that's in relation to the way that these matters were handled and whether there was a failure to carry out duties and responsibilities that resulted in a delay in the police response. So it would appear that there is some concern that perhaps the police didn't respond quickly enough when complaints were made.

1:31England's nurses could soon vote on whether or not to strike. They've rejected a pay offer for next year of 3.6 % and say they feel deeply undervalued. The Times Whitehall editor and former health editor Chris Smythe was asked if the government is now facing a perfect storm of NHS strikes. Consultants are doing their own ballots at the moment. But that really would be a nightmare for ministers and really scupper any hopes of getting down a waiting list. So they will do their best to avoid that. And it is worth saying that with nurses, there is much more hope for a negotiated solution than there is with a junior or resident doctors who are much more dug in on their pay position.

2:11Donald Trump has paused putting higher tariffs on Mexico. Following a call with Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum, Donald Trump says there'll be a 90-day negotiating period and Mexico's current deal of 25 % import taxes will remain in place. A higher rate was due to come into effect tomorrow. Former U.S. Assistant Trade Representative Harry Broadman told Times Radio alienating neighboring economies will reverberate negatively for Trump. I think when people think about this as legislatures, as consumers and business investors, everybody's on tinderhooks. And that cannot be good domestically from the economic perspective, which will translate into political instability for him.

2:53Britain and 13 allies, including France and the US, have condemned what they call a surge in assassination, kidnapping and harassment plots by Iranian intelligence in Europe and North America. They say such actions are increasingly being carried out in collaboration with international criminal networks. Since early 2022, Britain says it's disrupted more than 20 Iran-linked plots to kidnap or kill individuals in the UK, including British nationals and others Tehran views as threats. And Jeremy Clarkson says he's devastated to discover bovine tuberculosis has been found at his diddly squat farm in Oxfordshire.

3:32The TB was found in a cow pregnant with two calves. Infected animals are often destroyed to stop the disease spreading. You can subscribe to the Times News Briefing on Spotify or listen to Times Radio online.

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