Daily briefing Sunday 30th November

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 Daily Briefing for Sunday 30th November. A Ukrainian delegation is expected to meet American officials in Florida to continue talks on an agreement to end the war with Russia.

0:46It will be led by its senior security official Rustem Umarov after the resignation of President Zelensky's former lead negotiator Andrei Yermak. On the table will be a 28-point plan that is widely seen as being written in Moscow, but presented to Ukraine by the United States. Sir Tony Brenton is a former UK ambassador to Moscow. Speaking to Times Radio, he said there is still a significant gap between Ukraine and the demands of Russia's president Vladimir Putin. He's put down a set of demands for the permanent exclusion of Ukraine from NATO to take over a bit more Ukrainian territory than they've already got and to limit NATO presence, for example, if the Coalition of the Willing wants to put forces into Ukraine, that would be excluded.

1:31and they want the beginning of the lifting of sanctions. Now, that's not an easy menu for the Ukrainians to sign up to. Officials in Kiev say two oil tankers from Russia's so-called shadow fleet have been struck by Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea. The targeted tankers were identified by the Turkish authorities as being flagged to Gambia. The vessels are reportedly part of a fleet of tankers used by Moscow to bypass Western sanctions. The Prime Minister will intervene in the cost of living crisis this week in an attempt to support the Chancellor amid controversy over her portrayal of the economy.

2:07Rachel Reeves had claimed a downgrade to the UK's predicted economic productivity would make it hard for her to meet her fiscal rules. But the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility said that a forecast of higher wages, which she had not mentioned, would help her meet her targets. Major reforms to be announced by the Justice Secretary this week will put victims front and centre of the criminal justice system. It's amid reports that jury trials could be restricted to rape, murder and manslaughter cases, while other lesser offences will be heard by judges. David Lammy is expected to advance many of the recommendations made by Sir Brian Leveson in his review of the court system.

2:46The former MP Anna Soubry is a barrister. Speaking to Times Radio, she said scrapping jury trials would have little impact on reducing the backlog in Crown Courts. The right to jury trial in the majority of cases is under threat because the government says it will cut the backlog. There is no evidence to support that and it won't cut the backlog. You can be sure of that. You will still need to have a hearing. You will still need to test the evidence. The judge will then have to retire to decide his or her verdict. And the King has described Sir Tom Stoppard as a dear friend who wore his genius lightly following the death of the playwright at the age of 88.

3:26Charles said Sir Tom could turn his pen to any subject and had the ability to challenge, move and inspire his audiences. Sir Mick Jagger described him as a giant of English theatre and a friend whom he'll miss always. You can follow the Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

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