Evening briefing Monday 5th January

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0:35This is the Times evening briefing for Monday the 5th of January. The ousted Venezuelan president has told a court in New York he's not guilty of any of the charges leveled against him by the U.S. government. Nicolas Maduro insisted he was still president. His hearing came as an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting was underway, where the Secretary General warned that the U.S. intervention was deeply concerning for international law. Vasilina Berzenya is Russia's ambassador to the U.N. He called for Maduro's release. The assault against the leader of Venezuela, compounded by the deaths of dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban citizens, in the eyes of many, has become a harbinger of a turn back to the era of lawlessness and U.S.

1:20domination by force, chaos and lawlessness. Yes, Sir Keir Starmer has again refused to be drawn on whether the American operation broke international law. He's under pressure to condemn it from Labour MPs. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told Times Radio the PM needs to maintain good relations with the US. Keir Starmer is absolutely right to take the position that he is. I mean, I know there are people in the parliamentary Labour Party and beyond who would feel better if Keir Starmer stood up and condemned this. But then the question is, what exactly has that achieved? It certainly won't have achieved any kind of traction with the US administration, which is famously very sensitive to criticism, especially from allies.

2:00Elsewhere, the communications regulator has asked Elon Musk's social media site X to explain how its AI chatbot was able to produce sexualized images of children. Ofcom says it's aware of serious concerns over the feature and wants assurances the company is complying with its duty to protect users in the UK. A former history teacher who pretended to be a Navy admiral has pleaded guilty to wearing military uniform without permission. 64-year-old Jonathan Carley was charged after attending a remembrance ceremony in North Wales last November. He's been fined£500. The First Embassy of the State of Palestine in the UK has officially been opened in West London.

2:37It follows the recognition of statehood by the government last September, a move that was criticised by the US and Israel. Wassem Zomlat, the Palestinian ambassador, says it's a profound milestone for relations with Britain. This is a testament to your strength, your will, and the power of the global movement for Palestine. And most of all, it is a result of 100 years of relentless struggle by the Palestinian people. In the wake of the Balfour Declaration and its denial of our national rights on our own homeland. A think tank suggests the number of deaths could soon outnumber births in the UK.

3:14A Resolution Foundation says it's down to plummeting fertility and demographic change will prompt questions about how to fund public services. And Scotland could see an extra bank holiday to celebrate its first match at a Football World Cup since 1998. First Minister John Swinney has suggested it could come on Monday 15th June. You can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

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