Afternoon Briefing Monday 22nd December

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 Afternoon Briefing on Monday the 22nd of December. Wes Streeting has openly defied Sir Keir Starmer by backing a UK return to a customs union with the EU despite the Prime Minister ruling it out It comes as polling shows strong support among Labour voters fuelling speculation about the Health Secretary's wider ambitions Graham Stringer told Times Radio he thinks Mr Streeting is setting out his stall for a future leadership bid The Labour MP, Mark Blackley, says it looks like he's positioning himself for what comes next It's just Wes being opportunistic, knowing that nearly 30 % of the Labour Party membership is in London, and most of those people seem to be in favour of rejoining the EU.

1:20So it's an early shot in what might be a leadership election after the May local election. A senior Russian general has been killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow, with investigators examining possible Ukrainian involvement. Lieutenant General Vanil Zavarov died after an explosive device detonated beneath his car. Sunday Times Europe editor Peter Konrady says the killing marks a significant escalation, striking at the heart of Russia's military establishment. Fire crews are battling a major incident in Whitchurch after a canal bank collapsed, sending torrents of water across the countryside. Three boats were trapped in a huge sinkhole, as firefighters rescued more than 10 people.

2:05Trail hunting is set to be banned in England and Wales as part of a new government animal welfare strategy. The practice sees an animal-based scent trail laid for dogs to follow rather than a real animal. A group of hunters follows the pack on horseback. It's remained legal since the 2004 hunting ban came into force because it doesn't explicitly involve the killing of animals. Campaigners say that it's used as a smokescreen for real hunting. Tim Bonner is the chief executive of Countryside Alliance. I can't tell you that every hunt is obeying the law any more than I can tell you that no one's going to have a drink and drive home from the pub tonight.

2:42The question is, does the law deal with that? And the answer is absolutely yes. The Ministry of Justice figures show that more people have been convicted under the Hunting Act than any other wildlife legislation since it came in 20 years ago. Meanwhile, electric shock collars for pets could also be banned as part of a raft of proposals to improve animal welfare. And just over half of us plan to cut back on presents this Christmas. The polls found rising costs are also leading people to invite fewer guests. And for a news bulletin when you want it, search for The Times News Briefing on any podcast platform.

3:26This 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 you've got social dialed in search is doing its thing so why do your marketing results look the same as six months ago that's because you're fishing in the same pond as everyone else.

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