Evening Briefing Tuesday 7th October

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. Hello, this is your Times Evening Briefing for Tuesday 7th October with me, James Kitchen. The British steel industry says it's facing the biggest crisis in its history, after the EU announced it had no choice but to impose 50 % tariffs.

0:47Brussels said it would fast-track plans to cut the amount of steel that can be imported tax-free into the bloc. At the same time, it will increase its tariff rate from 25 % to 50 % to protect the European steel industry. The Director-General of UK Steel, Gareth Stace, warned Times Radio the move would be devastating. The US has closed off its steel market to imports, And today what we've seen is the EU proposing to do the same. We're seeing a rapid rise of protectionist trade measures all over the world. And let me tell you, the last country to defend its steel industry will be the first country to de-industrialise.

1:28What we're talking about today is 78 % of our export market being effectively almost shut off to us. The Industry Minister Chris MacDonald says the government will always defend our critical steel industry, adding it's vital we protect trade flows between the UK and the EU. The Financial Conduct Authority says it's consulting on an£8.2 billion compensation scheme for drivers who bought cars on finance between 2007 and 2024. A review by the regulator found many firms didn't comply with the law when they sold loans. Customers should have been told about the amount of commission paid to dealers so they could make an informed decision.

2:09The FCA says claimants could receive around£700 each. Students have proceeded with protests against the war in Gaza at some UK universities, despite the Prime Minister calling the demos un-British. Sir Keir Starmer says they show little respect for others on the second anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks. Meanwhile, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at securing a deal to end the conflict have been continuing in Egypt. Speaking to Times Radio, the foreign affairs expert Tim Marshall warned there were immediate diplomatic obstacles to overcome, especially when it comes to Israeli troops withdrawing.

2:45If you look at a map that's in the 20-point plan, there's three lines in it in colour. The blue one is where the Israelis are at the moment. The yellow is the one that they will fall back to, the position they'll fall back to. So it's only about two miles from where they are now. Hamas are going to say, we can't gather the 48 hostages within the 72 hours with you so close to us. We want longer and we want you to move further back quicker. The EU is planning to clamp down on British second homeowners who overstay on the continent. Brussels has told members they should rigidly enforce the rules and issue fines and bans to offenders once new biometric checks come into force next week.

3:25Under the post-Brexit agreement, those without the right to work or reside in the EU can only spend 90 days in a rolling 180-day period in the bloc. And the Shadow Justice Secretary has been accused of making remarks capable of stirring division, after he complained of not seeing another white face on a visit to Birmingham earlier this year. Robert Jenrick has defended his comments and insists he won't shy away from speaking about integration. The Bishop of Birmingham says his comments about Hansworth are wrong. And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

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