Evening briefing Tuesday 31st March

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

0:36This is the Times Radio evening briefing for Tuesday, the 31st of March. Iran's ambassador to London has told Times Radio Tehran is not ruling out strikes on British military assets. Saeed Ali Mousavi said Iran had welcomed the UK's decision not to join American and Israeli attacks on his country, but he warned Britain's role has now changed. The British Fairford military base has been serving for the B-2 and B-1 jets of the American side to use against the Iranian people. So are British bases and British military assets, in your view, than legitimate targets? This is a very important matter we are considering.

1:17This is a very important matter for our self-defence. Meanwhile, the defence secretary says more UK troops and air defence systems are being sent to the Middle East. On a visit to the Gulf, John Healy said Britain would help allies defend their skies from Iranian attacks, with nearly 1 ,000 service personnel due to be deployed. Earlier, Donald Trump criticized Sukiyostama for failing to join strikes on Iran. He said the UK should learn to fight for itself and go get your own oil from the Strait of Hormuz. The Secretary of War Pete Hegseth mocked the capability of the big bad Royal Navy. This Strait of Hormuz issue, which we've set the conditions, is not just a United States of America problem set.

1:54We've been willing to lead. President Trump's led the entire time, but it's not just us. So ultimately, I think other countries should pay attention when the president speaks. And he's pointing out, you might want to start learning how to fight for yourself. You can't just have a few ships. You have enough to affect change. Those things matter in a dangerous world. A charity has dropped, sacked BBC presenter Scott Mills as patron, as police confirm he's been questioned over historic child sex offences. The Metropolitan Police say the case over allegations involving a boy under the age of 16 was dropped for lack of evidence in 2019.

2:27Neuroblastoma UK say they cut ties after Mills' dismissal from Radio 2. Jonathan Code is a media lawyer and crisis PR specialist. There's statutes protecting you from unfair dismissal. And it may be that the BBC has taken a risk by just going straight to a summary dismissal and they may find they're going to have to pay Scott Mills some money or face a claim in the employment tribunal. A government commissioned inquiry has concluded that some children and young adults are being incentivized to seek diagnoses of ADHD and autism. The interim report, commissioned by the Health Secretary, found there can be institutional incentives towards medicalizing distress.

3:05It suggested nearly one in ten young adults self-identify as autistic. And a hedge fund manager has made the largest donation to a university in 600 years. Billionaire Chris Rocos is giving£190 million to fund a new school of government at Cambridge. The university says the gift will support teaching and research in public policy and leadership. You can follow The Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio Online.

3:34This 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. Every morning throughout the World Cup, the game football podcast from The Times and Sunday Times will bring you your essential daily briefing.

4:23We'll hear from our reporters inside the England and Scotland camps bringing you the big news first. We've got reporters covering the best of the rest and following all the biggest stories. From FIFA banning water to Donald Trump coming on as a sub against Paraguay. OK, maybe not the last bit, but who knows. So join the game for the biggest show on earth. Find the game wherever you get your podcasts.