Morning briefing Friday 27th March

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0:36This is the Times Morning Briefing on Friday the 27th of March. Donald Trump says he's extended his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to the 6th of April, warning that Tehran had better get serious about talks to end the conflict. Ilan Goldenberg is director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security and spent years at the US Department of Defense. The American demands of 15 points that we saw out in the press earlier in the week included Iran basically giving up its nuclear program, all of its missiles, and any support for its regional proxies. And meanwhile, the Iranian response is for the U.S.

1:15to get out of the region and reimburse it for all the damage that has happened since the war started. These are not realistic demands on either side. As the war continues in the Middle East, the scale of the economic impacts in the U.K. is still uncertain. According to the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the conflict is threatening to put the UA economy on the cusp of a recession this year. It's the worst downgrade amongst member nations. Dr John Glenn is Chief Economist at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. We have to remember that we're talking fractions of percentages here.

1:51So whilst we grew very well in the last year, ahead of our OECD and G7 partners, we're only going to grow slightly behind them this year. Sarah Ferguson has been stripped of the freedom of the city of York over her friendship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Councillors in York voted unanimously to remove the title yesterday evening. Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores were back in court yesterday in New York on charges of narco-terrorism and weapons offences. The former Venezuelan president said his rights had been violated after the US government blocked the use of funds for his lawyers due to sanctions.

2:31Mary Trina Mena is a freelance journalist in Venezuela. Something that is in the back of the minds of many Venezuelans, they are currently focused on the new leadership and what is going on inside of Venezuela, especially in terms of economics. Parents will be advised to limit screen time for children under five to no more than an hour a day under new government guidance, as the Prime Minister vows that parents will not be left to battle screens alone. Sir Keir Starmer promised that the government would help families keep children safe and make sure that they build healthy habits with screens.

3:06In sport, Wales lost their World Cup semi-final at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina following a penalty shootout in Cardiff. Craig Bellamy's side conceded a late equaliser. Northern Ireland lost 2-0 in Italy. The Republic of Ireland also lost the Czech Republic on penalties. And there's more on these stories throughout the day here on Times Radio.

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