Morning briefing Thursday 9th 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 Radio Morning News Briefing on Thursday 9th July. The US military says strikes on Iran overnight were aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to traffic.

0:45Earlier, President Trump said the ceasefire was over following Tuesday's assault on three cargo ships. Elliott Abrams is a former special representative to Iran under President Trump. He's told Times Radio the Iranians brought it on themselves. There was a ceasefire. There was an agreement that innocent shipping could go through the strait. and the Iranians broke it and said, no, apparently you can't go through the Omani route, the southern route through the strait, and you've got to clear it with us and pay us off. That is not something that was ever agreed to. Andy Burnham says he wants investment in defence to go into regenerating and re-industrialising the whole of the UK.

1:24Writing in The Times, the Prime Minister in waiting said he wants to support British jobs and British workers instead of relying on equipment bought from other countries. Former Labour advisor Matthew Laz has told Times Radio Mr Burnham is pushing at an open goal. Defence manufacturing plants are pretty much all outside London. Many of them are outside the south-east. Look at BAE systems building planes in the north-west, for example, which would be big on his mind as a north-west MP. And so, in a sense, it's an achievable goal. Nominations for the Labour leadership race open today, but Al Carnes, the only MP thought to be a viable challenger to Mr Burnham, has confirmed he won't be running.

2:05We're told a review of disability benefits will suggest bold reforms when it's completed in the autumn. An interim report has found personal independence payments are no longer fit for purpose, with claimants finding the system dehumanising and degrading. New figures show drug driving has overtaken drink driving on Britain's Road for the first time. There were nearly 31 ,000 offences last year, up 7 ,000 in three years. The number of drink-driving offences in 2025 was nearly 30 ,000. British hopes of Wimbledon glory remain on track. Wild card Arthur Ferry beat Italian ninth-seed Flavio Caboli in straight sets to set up a semi-final with Alexander Sverev.

2:45Sports journalist Sally Jones has told Times Radio it'll be a big test for the 23-year-olds. Alexander Sverev is extremely tall, extremely powerful. or he's just won the French Open, so his confidence is high as a kite. He's just thrashed the beautiful American player Taylor Fritz, who people thought would put up quite a good fight against him. He made him look pretty much like an amateur. So certainly Ferry will have his work cut out, but he's one of those people who doesn't get overawed by the big occasion. He absolutely relishes it. And it's claimed sniffing chocolate beforehand could improve your performance in the gym.

3:19A small study in Malaysia has found people who did completed more reps on weight machines than those who didn't. They also felt less hungry afterwards. Don't forget you can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

3:36This 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. This week on The Business Podcast, George Arison, Chief Executive of the dating app Grindr.

4:24Our belief is that age verification should be done at the app store. UK politicians have gone the other way. Do you think that's a mistake? It's a tremendous mistake and I think it's a massive disservice to citizens of this country. Join me, Hannah Previtt. And me, Dominic O 'Connell, for weekly conversations from the world of business and entrepreneurship. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts or find our channel on YouTube by searching Times Business.