Daily briefing Saturday 27th 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

0:35This is the Times News Briefing for Saturday, the 27th of December. The King and the Prince of Wales are preparing to make separate visits to the US in 2026 as a charm offensive directed at President Trump steps up. Advanced talks are underway and a source says it's highly likely Charles will travel in April. That would be the first state visit by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II's trip in 2007. Carla Sands, a former US ambassador to Denmark under Trump, told Times Radio a visit to mark the anniversary of American independence would be extraordinary. President Trump, we know, loves the pomp circumstance.

1:10He loves that and he loved being honoured with that second state visit by the king, King Charles. So it helped cement our special relationship between the UK and the US. But we really are having trouble with some of the things that are happening both in the EU and the UK. Ukraine has faced an overnight pounding in Russian drone and missile attacks. It comes ahead of a meeting tomorrow between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in Florida. Parts of Kiev are without heating or electricity, while Poland scrambled fighter jets and closed two airports after the sustained attacks. Here, the head of the Trades Union Congress is calling on the Prime Minister to be loud, proud and vocal about Labour's successes or risk giving ground to reform.

1:52Paul Novak urged a relentless focus on tackling the cost of living. He told Times Radio even people in decent jobs are struggling. Under the Conservatives, we had 14 years of stagnant wages. That meant declining living standards. And it really is now time for the government to go further and faster because ordinary working people out there, if they feel that mainstream politics isn't going to deliver for them, there's a real danger that they do turn to the likes of Nigel Farage. Now, I'm absolutely clear. I think reform would be an absolute disaster for working class people. A new survey has found Gen Z drivers are taking a more relaxed approach to drink driving than older generations.

2:3037 % said it was more socially acceptable to drive when marginally over the legal limit, compared with just 9 % of baby boomers. The survey of 2 ,000 people for direct line insurance also suggests younger motorists are about twice as likely to say alcohol doesn't impair their judgment. And the upcoming loan of the Bayou Tapestry from France will come with a potential bill of£800 million. The Treasury is backing an indemnity in case of any damage to the nearly 1 ,000-year-old artwork in what's expected to be the British Museum's biggest ever exhibition. In sport, England's cricketers finally have something to celebrate in the ashes after winning the fourth test in Melbourne.

3:06The first test victory in Australia in 15 years came after chasing a second innings target of 175. They bowled the home side out for 132 runs. Here's TalkSport's Steve Harmison. A low-quality encounter, truth be told, where really the pitch won out overall. It was a bowler's paradise on days one and two, But England have won the shootout. They've beaten Australia by four wickets. Follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio Online.

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4:58All rights reserved. Copyright 2026. McDonald's at the FIFA World Cup 2026.