Morning Briefing Wednesday 30th 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. Hello, this is your Times Morning Briefing for Wednesday 30th July with me, James Kitchen. The Israeli Prime Minister has accused Britain of rewarding Hamas' monstrous terrorism and punishing its victims.

0:45Benjamin Netanyahu's intervention comes after Sakhir Starmer announced plans to recognise the state of Palestine. The Prime Minister said the UK will formalise the move in September unless Israel takes substantive steps to remedy the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The former Israeli diplomat Alon Pincus told Times Radio the British statement has little practical value. I'm absolutely certain that Prime Minister Starmer knows that a Palestinian state being established right now is not feasible. Yet there needs to be a silver lining. There needs to be a plan according to which there will be a Palestinian state.

1:20And Israel needs to acquiesce. Israel needs to be part of that negotiating process. And there needs to be a different government in Israel. And in that respect, I think that Mr. Starmer's statement is correct and proper. The Labour MP for Milton Keynes Central, Emily Darlington, was one of more than 220 MPs who signed a letter urging the government to change its stance on recognising Palestine. Speaking to Times Radio, she said there are three elements needed for peace. The first one is absolutely a ceasefire. Second one is the hostages need to be returned and humanitarian aid absolutely needs to get to all those people that need it.

1:58And then third is a two-state solution. You can't have a two-state solution without having a Palestine that has been recognised at the UN and by countries around the world. A powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake has struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula, causing a tsunami there. Officials say it was up to four metres high and has led to buildings being damaged and evacuation orders issued. Russia's TASS agency is reporting that several people have suffered minor injuries. Tsunami warnings have been issued for Japan, Hawaii and parts of Alaska in the US. MPs have found Britain is failing to protect foreign dissidents seeking sanctuary in the country from growing threats posed by China, Russia and Iran.

2:43A report by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights warns foreign governments are increasingly brazen in their efforts to intimidate and silence people on UK soil. In the past year, the number of state threat investigations run by MI5 has risen by 48%. It's included cases of coercion, online threats and physical violence. The government says it has no plans to overturn the Online Safety Act, despite more than 400 ,000 people signing a petition against it. Ofcom's new internet rules came into force last week, along with concerns they suppress free speech and don't meet aims of protecting children.

3:19Yesterday, the Technology Secretary, Peter Karl, accused the reform leader, Nigel Farage, of being on the side of predators like Jimmy Savile for criticising the laws. Rani Govinda from the NSPCC thinks the regulations are positive. There's a huge amount in this act that can make a real difference for children. In particular, we should really see a change from companies in how content is being moderated, making sure children aren't being served harmful material through algorithms, and that they're able to have safer and more private experiences. And the new study has found one in three baby food products in supermarkets are ultra-processed, with experts warning it's setting children up for a life of obesity.

3:57Researchers at the University of Leeds analysed more than 600 snacks, cereals and pouches of food targeted at babies and toddlers from brands including Heinz and Ella's Kitchen. They found the ready-made products were often laden with sugar, with some misleadingly marketed as healthy. And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

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