Morning briefing Friday 24th 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. This is Times Radio's Morning Briefing on Friday the 24th of July. Andy Burnham says he is ready to move quickly to scale up North Sea oil and gas production, with a decision on drilling at Britain's biggest undeveloped sites expected within weeks.

0:50The Times has learned from industry sources that the Prime Minister had wanted to ensure that new supplies, if approved, could help drive down the cost of living this winter. He's now considering whether to give the green light to drilling at two sites, including Rosebank, the largest undeveloped oil and gas field in the UK. Speaking to Times Radio, the former Conservative MP Julie Kirkbride said she fully supports the plan. These fields that have already been sanctioned, they're ready to go. The gas field could go in October when gas prices sadly are looking like they're going up because of what's happening in the Middle East.

1:26And so it's a dose of incredibly welcome common sense that Andy Burnham is intending to proceed with it. President Trump has renewed his trade war with 60 nations, including the UK, as his administration seeks to replace tariffs derailed by a US Supreme Court ruling. It's despite months of lobbying by the affected trading partners, the UK will be subject to a reduced 10 % levy because of its stricter rules against forced labour practices. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's considering retaliation. We are intensifying our negotiations with the United States. in pursuit of a comprehensive agreement that addresses all tariff-related sectors.

2:07Canada will do whatever it takes to build our strength at home. We're ready." Criminals convicted of serious offences are walking free because magistrates and judges have interpreted a new presumption that jail sentences of up to 12 months be suspended. The Times has been told by senior lawyers working in courts across England and Wales that the presumption was implemented this year as part of Labour's sentencing act. An 11-year-old girl who was going blind has become the first British patient to have innovative gene therapy for a rare condition that robs children of their sight. The treatment, which had only been performed on one other person in the world, involves injecting healthy copies of a gene directly into the eye.

2:52Catherine Lestrange from North Acton in London hopes it will allow her to continue her favourite pastime, reading books. And the King and Queen made a grand entrance at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by stepping out from the Doctor Who TARDIS at the city's hydro arena. Accompanied by the two-time Commonwealth champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, the King then delivered a message in which he spoke of a unique and extraordinary family of nations. I extend my warmest gratitude to the city of Glasgow and all those who have made this event possible. As we share our love of sport and our planet, let us build a harmonious and durable future for our families and each other.

3:42The Prime Minister Andy Burnham was also in attendance. There's more on all of these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

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