Morning briefing Thursday 11th September

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 Thursday 11th September. The right-wing political activist and ally of President Trump, Charlie Kirk, has died after he was fatally shot at a university campus in Utah.

0:48He was 31. Kirk was delivering a speech to around 2 ,000 students when he was hit by a single bullet. It's being reported he was answering a question about transgender gun ownership when he was shot. In an address from the Oval Office, President Trump said Kirk inspired millions of young people and described his assassination as a dark moment for America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom. And there's never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie Kirk traveled the nation, joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good faith debate.

1:28Kirk's close friend Bob McEwen is a former Republican for the state of Ohio. Speaking to Times Radio, he described Kirk's death as a seismic moment in the direction of US politics. He had wisdom beyond his years. He just really did. He would talk about truth on college campuses when people are searching, when they're sinking their roots as to which way they're going to go. And he had a winsomeness about him unlike... He would go down in history. A prominent American lawyer who represents more than 20 victims of Jeffrey Epstein is calling on Lord Mandelson to voluntarily sit for questioning by investigators.

2:08Speaking to Times Radio, Gloria Allred said that while Mandelson has denied seeing any crimes being committed, statements to newspapers such as The Sun were no substitute for evidence given under oath. What he could do is he could say to the FBI or Homeland Security or even more importantly, the congressional committees, which are now investigating, that he will be happy to sit for a deposition and answer any questions. The Education Secretary, Bridget Philipson, has cemented her status as the frontrunner in the race to become the deputy leader of the Labour Party. She's through to the next round of the contest after securing nominations from 116 Labour MPs.

2:52Nominations close later today. Speaking to Times Radio, the Labour MP Emily Darlington explained why she's supporting Lucy Powell. I feel that she's got a really good handle on what needs to be done in the party. You know, we're fighting sort of populism on the left and populism on the right. So for me, that's quite important because there is a lot of focus on reform. But in fact, Labour is losing a lot of votes to the Lib Dems and particularly to the Greens. And three quarters of GPs have reported caring for patients who required additional support after so-called surgical tourism in the last 12 months.

3:32A survey by the online platforms Pulse and Nursing and Practice reported that many of the GPs surveyed said their patients had travelled to Turkey for their procedures, including breast enhancements and liposuction. You can follow the Times News briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio Online.

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.