Morning briefing Tuesday 23rd February

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

0:35This is Times Radio's morning briefing on Tuesday 24th February.

0:45Peter Mandelson's been released from custody pending further investigation. The former ambassador to the US was detained by police yesterday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He's being investigated for passing sensitive government information to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, Legal expert Joshua Rosenberg told Times Radio cases like this can be complex. It is going to take time because there will be a lot of documents to uncover, some going back many years, really, nearly 20 years. This sort of thing does take time. Then the case has to go to the Crown Prosecution Service to advise whether there's enough evidence to bring a prosecution.

1:23Then he might be charged. And as you know, there is quite a delay in the courts at the moment and that's not going to be resolved any time soon. so yes, all this is going to take years. Lord Manderson denies any wrongdoing. Australia and New Zealand have backed plans to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession. The support from the Commonwealth nations comes amid growing calls for the former Duke to be barred from ever becoming king. Australia's Prime Minister has already written to Sakhir Starmer backing the move. Australian Royal Correspondent Bronte Coy told Times Radio it's being taken very seriously there.

1:59There has been an outcry. People have been demanding transparency and answers regarding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing, but it still remains that these details have come out of the Epstein files indicating the depth of their friendship, and that's something that people would like to see accountability for and answers, as I say. So this is really a situation that's been gathering momentum, especially, of course, since the arrest last Thursday. Mexico has deployed thousands of troops after a surge in violence following the death of the drug lord known as El Mencho.

2:33Unrest has spread across at least 20 states following the killing of the Jalisco New Generation cartel leader, one of the country's most wanted criminals. The country's security minister says at least 25 members of Mexico's National Guard have died since the violence erupted. It's four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the largest war in Europe since World War II. Despite heavy losses and widespread destruction, Ukraine remains defiant. President Zelensky insists his country won't concede territory for peace. We have different views regarding a third world war.

3:09I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him. Not because Russia must not win, but because Russia wants to impose on the world, a different way of life, and change the lives people have chosen for themselves. And a baby boy has become the first child in the UK to be born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Grace Bell gave birth to her son Hugo in December, something she never previously thought possible after being diagnosed with a rare condition aged 16. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

3:55This 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