Morning briefing Thursday 23rd April

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. This is Times Radio's morning briefing on Thursday 23rd April. The US says no deadline has been set for Iran to agree a deal, despite extending the ceasefire with talks in Pakistan yet to begin.

0:46Washington insists its naval blockade is working, while saying Iran's seizure of ships in the Strait of Hormuz does not breach the ceasefire. But Tehran argues the blockade makes negotiations impossible, calling it a violation and a major obstacle to reopening the vital shipping route. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says the US is strangling Iran's economy and is waiting for a unified response from Iran to meet its demands for another round of talks. The president has not set a deadline himself. Ultimately, he will dictate the timetable. And again, he is satisfied with the naval blockade and he understands that Iran is in a very weak position and the cards are in President Trump's hands right now.

1:29Opposition parties are pushing for Zakir Starmer to face a parliamentary sleaze inquiry over claims he misled MPs in the row over the vetting of Peter Maddelson. The Prime Minister denies wrongdoing but is under growing pressure from within his own party ahead of the local elections. Senior figures have raised concerns about his handling of the crisis following the sacking of the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant, Sir Ollie Robbins. Former Private Secretary Caroline Slowcock told Times Radio she thinks Sir Ollie was unfairly made a scapegoat. What should have happened here was Keir Starmer should have looked more deeply into the situation, given Ollie Robbins a proper hearing.

2:08I think there should have been a proper investigation, the facts should have been established. And then if he decided to sack him, then fine. But actually at the moment, I just think there's been a very deep misunderstanding of what the situation was. Riot-trained police will be deployed to French beaches under a£662 million deal with the UK aimed at curbing small boat crossings. The three-year agreement with France will see at least 50 officers tackling people smugglers along the coasts. It will also include drones, helicopters and advanced surveillance to track migrant movements. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is travelling to Dunkirk later to sign the deal.

2:45New research suggests younger siblings may be at a disadvantage in later life, with studies showing they tend to earn slightly less and achieve lower exam results than firstborns. Data from Denmark indicates second-born children earn on average around 2 % less by the age of 30. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen say earlier exposure to illness, often passed on by older siblings, could play a role. Deputy News Editor at the Times, Cormac Connolly-Smith, explains the findings. The suggestion is that you've got an older sibling who is at nursery and they pick up all these horrible bugs. They then come home, they give those to their younger siblings who are either hospitalised or are seriously ill.

3:25That might cause them to miss days of school or nursery, which harms their own learning. But also, interestingly enough, it can actually cause damaging inflammation, which diverts energy from the development of the brain and the body. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio. This 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.

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