Morning briefing Friday 25th 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

0:35Good morning, this is the Times Daily Briefing for Friday 25th July. The Prime Minister has pleaded with resident doctors not to join industrial action across England starting today and has warned that strikes would be a huge loss for the NHS and the country. Writing in the Times, Sir Keir Starmer criticised the Doctors' Union, the British Medical Association, for rushing into strikes. Speaking to Times Radio, the former Health Minister Steve Bryan said the BMA always wanted this fight. By giving them a 22 % pay rise last year, as they said, that'll do nicely as a starter for 10. You know, the more acrimonious that it gets, the more they will dig in.

1:14And what ministers are banking on is that the public who have appointments cancelled and their lives disrupted and employers who don't have people back at work will blame the BMA. Sir Keir Starmer's facing pressure to recognise the Palestinian state amid growing calls from MPs and a commitment from France. The Prime Minister has condemned what he called the unspeakable and indefensible humanitarian crisis in Gaza, ahead of an emergency call with the UK's closest European partners later. In talks with President Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, he will say a ceasefire should come first, but he will reiterate the case for a two-state solution.

1:54Alistair Byrd is a former Minister of State for the Middle East. Speaking to Times Radio, he said that would be a significant signal to send Tel Aviv. It is not a gift to terrorists in any way. If a state was recognised by a group of countries together, then that would be a powerful signal to Israel to say the long-term future of this is not a process of resettlement of Israelis into Gaza. It's going to be different. A council in Essex has voted unanimously to urge the government to close a hotel housing asylum seekers. One person was arrested outside the Bell Hotel in Epping last night for breaching an order that prevents anyone from wearing a face covering.

2:33At a public meeting, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, Chris Whitbread, said he was concerned that residents' peaceful protests were being infiltrated on the extremes of politics. President Trump will arrive in Scotland later for a five-day private visit. Trump is expected to play golf at the course he owns at Turnberry in South Ayrshire before travelling to the East Coast to open a new course dedicated to his Scottish mother. Widespread protests are expected and the Scottish Police Federation says it's concerned that the security operation could have an impact on everyday law enforcement.

3:10The former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats is Willie Rennie. The relationship has already been a bit tense before in his previous visit. There were thousands of protesters. I expect thousands to turn out again to show their displeasure at the President of the United States. And a guitar that was given away by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page as a competition prize more than 50 years ago could be sold for£50 ,000 when it comes up for auction. Page bought the guitar in 1972 for just£200. You can follow the Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

3:51This 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.

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