Daily briefing Sunday 22nd February

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. Welcome to the Times Radio Daily Briefing on Sunday, the 22nd of February. Newly released emails suggest that two Royal Protection officers from Scotland Yard were instructed to stand at the door of Jeffrey Epstein's townhouse in Manhattan.

0:47They were told to do that by Epstein's staff. They were there to provide security for a celebrity dinner party in honour of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Those attending included the film director Woody Allen and US TV news anchor Katie Couric. The Sunday Times' royal editor Roya Nikar says there were long-standing concerns about Andrew. There was so much unease around Andrew way before all of this came out, way before the Newsnight interview, but he had this almost untouchable position at the palace and in the family because of the Queen's protection and love for him. And I think, unfortunately, as someone who was very close to the Queen says, her reputation will take a bit of a battering over this.

1:26Very difficult for the King and the future King to now be handling this fallout. Andrew, who was arrested and released under investigation on Thursday, denies all wrongdoing. Britain's top NATO officials are warning ministers the UK status as a leading member of the military alliance is in jeopardy because of uncertainty over defence spending. The MOD has been told the UK risks being relegated to the bottom tier of NATO league tables. The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told Times Radio the government is committed to raising defence spending. We know that this is absolutely essential in keeping our country safe, but also in the wider role that we play through NATO.

2:03We are a leading NATO member. We value and recognise the incredible contribution that NATO has made to peace and security since the Second World War. That's why it was the Labour government that founded NATO and why we'll continue to make sure that we are playing our full role in honouring our international responsibilities, but also protecting our people here at home too. MPs on the Home Affairs Committee have criticised West Midlands police over their decision to ban Maccabee Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa last November. The report suggests that late intervention from the government heightened tensions around the Europa League fixture.

2:36Conservative MP Dame Karen Bradley, who chairs the committee, has told Times Radio the use of artificial intelligence brought up an entirely fictitious match. It was stated that the Maccabee fans had attended a match against West Ham where they were violent. That match didn't happen. Nobody bothered to pick up the phone to the Metropolitan Police and check what their view was of the match because if they had picked up the phone, they'd have found out that the match was entirely fictitious. And Great Britain's wait for a first winter Olympics gold medal in curling in 102 years continues following a 9-6 defeat to Canada in the final in Italy.

3:12They had to settle for silver just like four years ago in Beijing when they lost by a single point to Sweden. Dave Leith, British curling's performance director, has told Times Radio the results was good, but not quite good enough. I think they're still very disappointed, and you could see what it kind of meant to them, you know, and I think that goes to the standard that they've been playing at for the last four years, and I suppose also the heartbreak of four years ago, where they also got the silver as well, but still a phenomenal achievement, and I think they'll reflect on it in time for sure.

3:42And you can follow the Times Radio 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.