Morning briefing Wednesday 15th 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 Wednesday, the 15th of July, I'm Daryl Jackson. MPs have approved the long-delayed Hillsborough Law.

0:42The bill will impose a duty on public bodies and officials to tell the truth and fully cooperate with official investigations and enquiries. Tony Evans, former football editor at the Times, who was at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster, told Times Radio the bill was delayed by a row over how it applies to the intelligence services. The intelligence services wanted basically to opt out of it. There will be times when national security is so important that you cannot disclose intelligence. And that's fine. But, you know, the case was undermined by the fact that MI5 gave a statement about the Manchester bombings, which completely misrepresented the lead-up two events.

1:26The US says it's launched a fourth consecutive night of strikes against Iran overnight. Washington says the attacks are targeting Iranian capabilities used to strike commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command has also reimposed the naval blockade on Iranian ports. It's reported counter-terrorism police are investigating whether the suspect held over Anne Whittacombe's killing was motivated by left-wing extremism and planning further violence. Detectives confirmed her death was a targeted attack. They also said a line of investigation will be whether the suspect was targeting Reform UK figures.

2:00The 78-year-old former MP was found dead at her home in Haighton on Dartmoor on Thursday. The incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham says a serious review is needed into MPs' security following the killing of Anne Whittaker. John Slinger, Labour MP for Rugby, who was part of the Speaker's conference on the security of MPs, told Times Radio there is a real issue. I absolutely have faced threats and intimidatory behaviour towards me online and in the real world. I know for certain that I am by no means unique or unusual in this. And I also want to say that plenty of my colleagues, particularly women and people from minoritised backgrounds, have a far worse problem.

2:42But there is undoubtedly a problem that we face as a democracy. Millions more people face having to work until they're 68 before being able to claim their pension. The state pension age is due to gradually rise to 68 between April 2044 and April 2046. but the Times reports that Treasury officials have told the Office for Budget Responsibility that the current policy is to bring the increase in the retirement age forward by at least seven years. Policy editor for the Times is Oliver Wright. This would have quite a profound effect on people in their mid-40s and early 50s who currently think they're going to be able to retire age 67 but may find out in the next 12 months or so that actually that isn't going to happen after all and they won't be able to retire until they're 68.

3:28And Sir Keir Starmer's poised to announce a midnight curfew on social media for 16 and 17-year-olds as one of his final acts in No. 10. The Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, is expected to set out a limited package of measures today as Labour seeks to restrict social media for teenagers. Dame Rachel D'Souza, Children's Commissioner for England, told Times Radio that adults and tech firms have a role to play too. It's these massive tech companies who should know better, who should be protecting kids. Young people should be able to access the digital world and enjoy it without fear of seeing terrible pornography, violence, and to be caught in addictive spirals of algorithms.

4:06So that's what I want to see. I want to see Ofcom doing their job, holding these tech companies to account, and I want to see language that recognises that we do need to protect children. And you can hear more on all of these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

4:23This 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.