Morning briefing Friday 4th 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 the Times Morning Briefing for Friday the 4th of July. The health secretary says the NHS app will become a part of the nation's critical infrastructure, writing in the Times where Streeting said every patient in Britain will have a unified medical record on the app within three years.

0:52Speaking at the launch of the government's 10-year strategy for the health service, the Prime Minister said the app will be an indispensable part of life for everyone. Speaking to Times Radio, the former health minister Norman Lamb said he welcomed the government's aspiration, but he has concerns. I suppose my worry is, is the NHS capable of delivering it? The NHS as it's currently constructed is pretty bureaucratic. It's slow to act, it's slow to make decisions. It doesn't feel in any way dynamic. The Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota had been advised to avoid flying and was on his way to a ferry terminal in northern Spain when he was killed in a car crash on Thursday.

1:35Having recently had a minor lung operation, the Portugal international was planning to take a ferry to Plymouth, ahead of his return to Merseyside for pre-season training next week. Diogo Jota was driving to the port of Santander when the car he was travelling in careered off the road. His brother Andre Silva was also killed. Jonathan Northcroft is the chief football writer for the Sunday Times. He's been mentioned in the tributes from Liverpool Football Club and from players because Diogo always known as such a family guy and it's unimaginable what his parents are going through to lose both brothers, 126 and 128.

2:12Your heart has to go out to them. A wake for the brothers will take place later before their funeral in Porto tomorrow. The MP Zahra Sultana has announced her resignation from the Labour Party after 14 years to co-lead a new party with Jeremy Corbyn. She says she'll work with the former Labour leader and other independent MPs, campaigners and activists. The Times, however, has learned that Corbyn is furious and bewildered at the way it has been launched without any apparent consultation. President Trump's so-called Big Beautiful Bill has been passed by US Congress, just in time for today's Independence Day celebrations.

2:50The Republican-controlled House of Representatives, approved by just four votes, a package that would push millions of Americans off health insurance. It will fund Trump's immigration crackdown, make his 2017 tax cuts permanent and deliver new tax breaks that he promised during his election campaign. The Democratic representative for South Carolina is James Clyburn. We'll see what happens with inflation. We'll see what happens with home ownership, job starts. If cutting a trillion dollars out of Medicaid is what we call progress, I'd like to see what failure is. And Russia has become the first nation to recognise the Taliban government of Afghanistan.

3:35Russia's foreign ministry said Moscow saw good prospects to develop ties and would continue to support Kabul in security, counter-terrorism and the combating of drug crime. You can follow the Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

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. Hey, this is Farnoosh from the So Money Podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast, where a team of trusted journalists does the research so you don't have to sort through 12 conflicting opinions online.

4:50On the show, you get research-backed insights and clear pros and cons, whether you're planning a big purchase or you just want to grow your wealth. They explain the why behind everything from investing and home buying to smaller habits like sinking funds, the strategy to make surprise expenses stop feeling like surprises. Make your next financial move with confidence. Follow NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast app.