New figures suggest the state pension will rise by 3.9% to up to £13,000 a year. The increase is based on earning figures as dictated by the triple lock, the policy the government uses to guarantee pension growth.

The rise has reignited debates about the long-term affordability and generational fairness of state pensions which have seen costs balloon in recent years.

Alex and James are joined by economics editor Faisal Islam who’s also been speaking to Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark about calls for greater AI safeguarding.

Plus, the Thirlwall inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has delivered its findings, describing a “complete failure” to protect infants from harm. Michael Buchanan, social affairs correspondent, was at the inquiry and has been following the crisis in UK maternity care.

0:00 – Intro
1:10 – What is the triple lock?
3:26 – Is the triple lock affordable long-term?
4:22 – Is there a generational divide over pensions?
13:48 – Could the state pension become taxable?
15:59 – What are the recent AI warnings?
19:40 – Are AI firms talking up the risks?
22:54 – The Lucy Letby inquiry report
25:34 – How safeguarding failed at the hospital
29:00 – The hospital and government’s response
34:01 – Where Letby’s legal appeal stands

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On 11 September 2001, New York ferry captains became organisers of the USA’s largest ever maritime evacuation.

Over dozens of trips, they evacuated nearly 500,000 people by boat from southern Manhattan and took them to safety.

Boat captains Richard Naruszewicz, Greg Freitas and Sean Kennedy reflect on that day 20 years ago.

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#911 #September11 #NewYork #BBCNews

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The US central bank has raised interest rates for the first time in three years as inflation rises, driven by higher fuel and energy costs caused by the Iran War.

President Trump hit out at the decision by the US Federal Reserve, calling on it to “lower rates, and fast!”.

The Fed is seeking to curb rising prices, as the Iran War pushes up global oil and gas prices, hitting American business and consumers. Higher interest rates make borrowing more expensive for business as well as for people with loans, mortgages and credit cards.

Global oil prices have surged since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, driving up the price of car fuel as well as the cost of goods and services generally. Borrowing costs are rising around the world, with growing warnings of the economic impact on living standards.

Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Dharshini David, Sarah Smith and Chris Mason.

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Ed Sheeran has apologised to fans for making “mistakes” as he opened his first show since Macklemore was dropped from his tour for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.

The singer began his concert in Philadelphia by addressing the controversy that has since engulfed the tour and prompted all of his support acts to quit.

“I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” Sheeran said.

He described the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks as “horrific” and called the situation in Gaza “unjustifiable”.

The BBC was at the Philadelphia show, and also heard from concert goers and protesters for their thoughts on the controversy.

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#EdSheeran #Macklemore #BBCNews

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Police in South Africa have confirmed the discovery of a ninth woman’s body in just two months.

Concerns are growing over a string of unexplained deaths east of Johannesburg.

Several of the women were found partially clothed and with injuries, but police have stressed that they have not established whether all the deaths are connected or whether a serial killer is responsible.

In this video…

00:46 Ninth woman killed
02:25 Is there a serial killer?
03:44 Women living in fear
04:31 Reaction to the murders
05:51 How bad is gender-based violence in South Africa
07:07 How does South Africa compare globally

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#SouthAfrica #Femicide #Johannesburg #BBCNews

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