Evening briefing Tuesday 17th March

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0:35This is the Times Radio evening briefing for Tuesday the 17th of March. The Health Secretary has defended the government's response to the Kent meningitis outbreak, as he calls it, unprecedented. West Streeting says 15 cases have now been confirmed, including one in France. Eleanor Hayward, health editor of the Times, says two young people have died. If you're a student, you're living in quite cramped quarters often, you're going out clubbing, people sharing vapes, and that might be spreading meningitis. that lifestyle also means that meningitis is more like to spread through students. So there's kind of two age groups where people tend to get meningitis, and that's either really young babies, children, or teenagers, students.

1:14Donald Trump has again criticised allies, saying the US no longer needs or desires help from NATO countries to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. In the Oval Office, he said it was unfair that allies hadn't sent minesweepers, and he returned to personal criticism of Sir Keir Starmer, saying the prime minister had made a big mistake and damaged the bilateral relationship. The US president also reacted to the resignation of his counter-terrorism chief, Joe Kent, who said he can't support the Iran conflict. I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security. It's a good thing that he's out because he said that Iran was not a threat.

1:49Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it. Lord Ricketts, Peter Ricketts is a former UK national security advisor. He told Times Radio Trump is wrong to criticise allies. NATO is a defensive alliance with a very clear geographical laydown, which is Europe and North America. It was never part of a deal that NATO allies would be expected to follow America into whatever war they decide to go into. This is not about NATO. It's about an American national decision to go to war. And the allies are making their own decisions about whether it's in our interest to join them.

2:25The security service, MI5, has apologized and will pay compensation to a woman abused by a neo-Nazi informant. Director General Sir Ken McCallum says they've settled her legal action without admission of liability. The agency faced criticism from judges for misleading the courts after the agent was accused of coercive control and of attacking the woman with a machete. Gerry Adams has denied taking an oath of allegiance to the IRA. He's being sued by three bombing victims who claim he was a leading member of the terror group and are seeking one pound in damages. Mr Adams has always denied being part of the IRA.

2:59And Hartlepool Borough Council has blocked the installation of new memorial benches, saying the eyesore seats have become an obstruction. The council is suggesting residents plant trees instead, after complaints that the hundreds of benches on the town's seaside promenades can get in the way of pushchair and wheelchair users. Local MP Jonathan Brash is hopeful a solution will be found. There are plenty of areas of Hartlepool where we could do with some more benches for people who need them. Look, we've got plenty of green spaces, plenty of parks, plenty of open spaces. I think it's about respecting people's wishes, but doing it in a way that is supportive of the environment.

3:32And that's frankly what the council's policy aims to do. You can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio Online.

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