Afternoon briefing Tuesday 6th January

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 Tuesday 6th January. The Prime Minister has signed a joint statement with a number of European countries insisting only Denmark and Greenland can decide Greenland's future.

0:45The UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark say allies must work collectively on Arctic security but insist Greenland belongs to its people. The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told Times Radio the government is unequivocal. We stand with Denmark. We support the people of Greenland in their right to self-determination. As part of the NATO alliance, they are playing their part. I'd say to President Trump, Greenland is already part of our team. They are already delivering with and for NATO and they are doing that very well as part of the Kingdom of Denmark. A senior Trump official has suggested no one would fight militarily to stop the US taking control of the territory.

1:24Venezuela's opposition leader and the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Corina Machado, has said she's not spoken to Donald Trump since October as Nicolas Maduro's deputy takes over as president. Delcy Rodriguez has suggested she will work with the US. Donald Trump says elections to replace her are not his priority. The AA has welcomed new proposed road safety laws which would make drivers over 70 get eye tests every three years in order to keep their licenses. The group's president, Edmund King, thinks it's the right way to go. If you look at the graph of road deaths, it's a U-shaped graph. Young drivers, 17 to 21.

1:59And then over the age of 70, it kind of peaks at 85, 86. And eyesight is a problem with that age group. So I think that certainly is a step in the right direction. Tougher drink drive limits and points for drivers if passengers don't wear seatbelts are also under review. Polling for The Times suggests Labour has fallen behind the Conservatives the first time since the general election. YouGov's poll puts the Conservatives on 19 percentage points, with Labour on 17. That's just one point ahead of the Lib Dems and two ahead of the Greens. Reform UK are on 26 points, down from record levels of support over the summer.

2:38The chief constable of West Midlands Police is facing questions from MPs again over the decision to ban Israeli football fans from an Aston Villa game in November. Craig Guilford has apologised after he was accused of wrongly suggesting Jewish leaders were consulted on the Maccabi-Teraviv ban. Conservative MP Nick Timothy wants him to resign. I think the Chief Constable's position is untenable. He's back before the Home Affairs Select Committee today. It is unprecedented. I've checked with the House of Commons Library. It is unprecedented for a Chief Constable to be recalled to a committee for a second time.

3:10And the reason they've done it is because at the first hearing, they didn't believe that he was telling them the truth. West Midlands Police insists peer reviews fully endorse its approach. Chelsea have named Liam Resenia as their new men's head coach. The Strasbourg manager has previously been in charge at Hull City and Derby County. And 129 not out from Steve Smith has helped Australia take a commanding lead in the fifth and final Ashes Test. In the first innings, they're 518 for seven, so lead England by 134 runs. Don't forget to subscribe to The Times News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio online.

3:53is 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. Are you really buying a car online on AutoTrader right now? Really? At a playground? Yeah, really.

4:37Look at these listings from dealers. Wow, your search can really get that specific. Really? And you just put in your info and boom, cars in your budget. Mom needs a second, honey. You can really have it delivered? Really, or I can pick it up at the dealership. Mom! One sec, sweetie. Mommy's buying a car. Mommy, look! Uh, I think your kid is walking up the slide. Kyle, again? Really? Auto Trader. Buy your car online. Really?