Evening Briefing Monday 13th 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. Hello, this is your Times Radio Evening Briefing for Monday the 13th of July with me, James Kitchen. The Home Secretary has revealed the suspect arrested following the death of Anne Whittacombe was not known to the Prevent anti-terror scheme.

0:46Counter-terror police are now leading the investigation, saying new evidence has come to light four days after the former minister was found with serious injuries at a home on Dartmoor. Speaking in the Commons, Shabana Mahmood announced she would examine security guidance for ex-MPs. The Home Secretary has also offered the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to meet with the committee that manages politicians' protection. Addressing MPs she called today a dark day in our political life. Mr Speaker, I know this raises questions about the security of those in public life. I will not be the only one here, thinking also of two other beloved members of this House, Joe Cox and Sir David Amess.

1:26Politics is a calling for those of us here, but it should not be a dangerous one. And so it is incumbent on the House and the government to work together to protect those who choose to serve. Donald Trump has announced the US will reinstate its blockade of Iranian ports. The president also claims American guardians will impose a 20 % fee on cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for keeping the vital trade routes safe. Iran has called the Strait our territory, warning it wouldn't allow any country to continue its illegal interference in it. The UK, Ukraine and eight other European allies have agreed a deal to protect the continent from ballistic missiles.

2:05The French President's Office says they'll cooperate on technology and production to deter attacks. It comes ahead of a meeting in Paris of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, which is supporting Kiev in the conflict with Russia. The Home Secretary is expected to set out legal steps later to deport the ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang. Shabir Ahmed was jailed for multiple child sex offences and freed earlier this month. Shabana Mahmood will lay out changes to the 1971 Immigration Act which prevents Ahmed from being deported to Pakistan. But The Times' Home Affairs editor, Matt Dathan, says this is only one side of the coin.

2:40Shabana Mahmood can only change domestic law at the moment, but that is the first step to what they hope will lead to the start of proper negotiations with Pakistan about taking him back. I mean, Pakistan did say last week they'd take him back under no circumstances, but there are back channels in which they are discussing other ways in which three grooming gang leaders now could be deported to Pakistan. New security powers are being used to prescribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The government says its identified activity linked to the IRGC involving threats to life and intimidation on UK soil.

3:14It means it's now a criminal offence to support the network. Twelve people have been arrested after alleged threats towards an Islamic event in Suffolk forced it to finish early. Detectives say the targeting of the weekend's gathering was connected to extreme right-wing terrorism. The Prime Minister says he won't tolerate attacks on Britain's Muslim communities. A 20-year-old woman's been arrested on suspicion of starting a fire on Moorland in Greater Manchester. Flames first broke out in Dovestone near Oldham on Saturday evening. Police say strong winds have made it difficult to control the fire.

3:48Fire chiefs report crews are dealing with 19 active outbreaks during hot weather across the UK. Remember you can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify, and you can listen live to Times Radio Online. 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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