Daily briefing Friday 26th December

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0:36This is the Times News Briefing for Friday the 26th of December. Donald Trump says the U.S. military has launched airstrikes on Nigeria, targeting Islamic State militants. Video released by the U.S. Department of War appears to show a missile being launched from a warship. It's reported more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired at targets in Sokotu State in the northwest of the country. In a social media post, the U.S. president claimed to have hit groups responsible for viciously killing innocent Christians. The Times' Africa correspondent Jane Flanagan says Trump's recent focus is surprising.

1:09There's a number of parallel security crises in Nigeria. And this idea that Christians are being deliberately persecuted in Nigeria is an idea that the Nigerian government has resisted very, very firmly. And also it is not supported by the data. The lawlessness in Nigeria kills a lot of people every year and has done for very many years. but Muslims are as likely to be caught up in the violence as Christians. Tens of thousands of homeowners could be mistakenly dragged into the government's new mansion tax aimed at properties worth over£2 million. Industry experts say homes could be overvalued by as much as£30 ,000, potentially triggering a yearly council tax surcharge bill of thousands of pounds.

1:51It's down to a revaluation, the biggest in more than 30 years, that will be based on recent sales, aerial mapping and planning applications rather than large-scale physical checks. Police say two men remain missing off the Devon coast after Christmas morning swimmers got into difficulty at Budley Salterton. Emergency services were called to the beach. Relatives of the men in their 40s and 60s have been informed. The Coast Guard and RNLI stood down their searches last night. Police inquiries are continuing. Police in Wiltshire say a 63-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of murder was known to the victim and they aren't seeking anyone else over the case.

2:27A woman in her 80s died after the serious assault in devices yesterday morning. Traditional Boxing Day hunt events are taking place today, with campaigners saying the government must rebuild trust with rural communities. It comes as ministers are working on plans to ban trail hunting as part of new animal welfare strategy. Critics argue trail hunting can be used as a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting. The Countryside Alliance insists the activity is lawful and regulated. Robert McCarthy is the Huntsman for the Duke of Northumberland's Percy Hunt. He told Times Radio they'll be fighting the ban.

3:00Are there some people that behave badly in hunting? Yes, I think there are. That's every walk of life. There will be some people doing something that they shouldn't be doing or behaving badly. But I think to take that as some isolated instances and say, right, we're going to completely stop all of this altogether because of that, I don't think that stacks up. In sport, England's Cricketers suffered through a chaotic day one of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. After removing Australia for 152 runs, Ben Stokes' side were all out for 110, the first four batters making just eight runs between them.

3:35You can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio Online. This 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.

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