Morning briefing Wednesday 13th May

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 Wednesday the 13th of May. West Streeting is expected to confront Sakhir Starmer over the turmoil engulfing the government after the Prime Minister defied calls to resign.

0:48The Health Secretary will meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street just hours before a King's speech that is expected to include more than 35 bills and draft bills that will focus on measures to improve the economy and strengthen national security. Streeting's allies have suggested he was weighing up whether to mount a leadership challenge after more than 90 Labour MPs, including four ministers, called for Starmer to step down. Speaking to Times Radio, Luke Akehurst confirmed he's one of more than 110 Labour MPs to have signed a statement saying this is no time for a leadership contest. Instead of thinking there's a magic wand that you can swap leaders and you'll suddenly be popular, we just have to knuckle down, realise that we're taking tough decisions, focus on delivery, focus on the things that voters are really talking about, particularly about cost of living and immigration, and sort those out.

1:41And then in two and a half years, we go back to the public and say, look, we did the things that you asked us to. But the former Labour advisor Matthew Laza says Starmer must resign. The prime minister seems to think he can cling on. You can't. I wanted the Starmer project to work, but it is absolutely clear it hasn't because we had a speech on Monday, and I think it was the speech on Monday which pushed a lot of people over the edge, where, first of all, he's using the phrase incremental change to grip the country after they'd just given him a kicking, as the top line out of his speech was extraordinary, and there was nothing in it.

2:11The chief Iranian negotiator says the United States must accept Iran's latest peace plan or face failure. Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohamed Bagheer-Ghalibaf, warned there is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people, as laid out in the 14-point proposal. Brett Bruin is a former White House Global Engagement Director under President Barack Obama. This is a regime that won't bend to his bluster, which poses a real perplexing problem for Trump, because, yes, Trump can drop more bombs, but that doesn't necessarily change the calculus in Tehran. A woman wanted for more than 20 years has been arrested during a six-month trial of live facial recognition in South London.

3:00In total, 173 suspects were arrested for crimes including kidnap, rape and serious sexual assault during the pilot in Croydon. And last night's Eurovision semifinal in Vienna was overshadowed by further protests against Israel's participation. The next finalist is... Israel!

3:28The four-time Eurovision winners qualified for Saturday's grand final, but chants of Stop the Genocide could be heard as the singer Noam Betam performed his song, Michelle. Broadcasters from five nations, including Spain and the Republic of Ireland, withdrew from the contest in opposition to Israel's inclusion. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

3:54This 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.

4:36Hey, Pablo Torre here. As a sports journalist, I've covered global sports for many years now. And there is one thing that I can promise you. nothing compares to the World Cup. And this time, it is even better thanks to McDonald's. You have the chance to take home one of nine legendary cups when you order the FIFA World Cup meal. The cups feature some of the biggest legends in football, like David Beckham, Terry Henry, and Ronaldinho, Christian Pulisic, Lamine Yamal, and Alphonso Davies. Right now, get one of nine legendary cups when you order the FIFA World Cup meal only at McDonald's. At participating McDonald's, only for a limited time, while supplies last, all rights reserved, Copyright 2026.

5:15McDonald's at the FIFA World Cup 2026.