Daily Briefing Saturday 16th August

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 Daily Briefing for Saturday the 16th of August with me, James Kitchen. Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed he will travel to Washington DC on Monday to meet Donald Trump following last night's US-Russia summit in Alaska Posting on X, the Ukrainian president says Kiev is ready for constructive cooperation and supports a trilateral meeting Mr Trump has described yesterday's summit as productive and insisted progress was made but says there's still no deal to end the war in Ukraine Speaking after the meeting, the Russian president claimed Moscow is sincerely interested in peace, but added the issues he says are at the root of the conflict must be addressed.

1:14The situation in Ukraine has to do with the fundamental threats to our security. Moreover, we've always considered the Ukrainian nation, and I've said it multiple times, a brotherly nation. We have the same roots, and everything that's happening is a tragedy for us, and terrible wound. President Putin also warned European nations not to torpedo progress towards peace. Within hours, the Ukrainian Air Force reported Russia launched 85 attack drones and ballistic missiles overnight. The White House says the President held a call with NATO and European leaders from Air Force One after speaking to President Zelensky.

1:50Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense says British personnel are ready to head to Ukraine to uphold any potential peace deal. Speaking to Times Radio, the former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace thought that unlikely. What troops? With who? We're completely overstretched, we're completely hollowed out. The SDSR that was a big fanfare a few months ago came with no extra money at all, no real solid change to the British Armed Forces will happen towards the end of the decade. Yet we're still doing the usual Prime Minister strutting, volunteering our armies around the world without putting his money where his mouth is.

2:24Elsewhere, more than 3 ,500 Afghans who were moved to the UK in early 2024 have potentially been affected by another data breach. A subcontractor used by the MOD for the ground handling of flights has been hacked. Earlier this year, it emerged a massive data breach leaked the personal information of thousands of Afghan nationals, which successive governments tried to keep secret with a super injunction. The UK's trade envoy to Turkey has resigned after pressure was building on the Prime Minister to sack him. It follows an unauthorized trip Afzal Khan made to northern Cyprus. The British government doesn't recognize the territory, which declares itself a Turkish republic.

3:03The Metropolitan Police says a further 60 activists will be prosecuted for showing support for Palestine action. More than 700 people have now been arrested since the group was banned under anti-terror laws last month. The Home secretary prescribed the organisation after protesters broke into an RF base in Oxfordshire and damaged military planes. And the Prince and Princess of Wales are moving to a new home later this year. The royal couple will be taking their children to live in the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park. They also have homes at Amna Hall in Norfolk and an apartment at Kensington Palace in London.

3:38And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

3:47This 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.

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