Evening briefing on Tuesday 9th 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 This is your Times Evening Briefing on Tuesday 9th December. Britain's top spy in the IRA was pampered, protected and paid hundreds of thousands of pounds by MI5 agents, all while he was involved in abductions and murders during the Troubles.

0:49Those are the findings of a final report of Operation Canova, which has been published into the crimes of steak knife and the complicity of his handlers. He's widely been identified as Freddy Scabatici, although he denied that until his death two years ago. The Times' chief reporter Sean O 'Neill describes how he was treated. There was a dedicated army intelligence unit set up to look after him. MI5 agents were embedded in that unit. He had access to a 24-hour dedicated phone line, he could call at any time. And he was lavished with hundreds of thousands of pounds in the end. And it was felt by those handling him that he was invaluable.

1:24He was described as the golden egg of British intelligence. President Trump has called European nations decaying decaying and led by weak people who are failing to control immigration or end the war in Ukraine. He also launched a fresh attack on Sir Sadiq Khan, branding him a disgusting mayor who he claimed had been elected because so many people have come in. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has told the Cabinet the stakes remain high, but the UK is continuing to work with all of its partners to secure peace in Ukraine. The Home Secretary has told MPs no area will be able to resist a local investigation as she announced Baroness Longfield will chair the National Inquiry in two grooming gangs.

2:05Shabana Mahmood pledged to put more of these evil men behind bars as the government faces mounting pressure with waning confidence among victims and communities. A series of setbacks and the government's chaotic handling of the inquiry have delayed its start. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp outlined concerns ahead of the process. The identity of the majority of the perpetrators is something that should not be hidden. A 2020 study by academics at the universities of Southampton and Reading reviewed 498 grooming gang convictions. 83 % of the perpetrators were of Muslim background, mainly specifically of Pakistani heritage.

2:46The fact is these crimes were deliberately covered up by those in authority who were more interested in so-called community relations. Women in maternity units are being ignored, feeling blamed for failures in their care and are treated without empathy, according to the chair of a major review. Baroness Amos, who's investigating NHS services in England, says the situation is even worse than she expected. That's despite 750 recommendations over the last 10 years. Donna Ockenden has chaired past reviews and is currently looking into care at hospitals in Nottingham. I hear from mothers and fathers across the country that the big issue is women and families are simply not listened to.

3:29They're disregarded. You know, I spoke to a mother yesterday, and I would stress this is not Nottingham, who was shouted at and told to shut up when she was crying out in pain in Labour. Health Secretary Wes Streeting says the findings are deeply distressing. And NHS leaders are calling for people experiencing flu or cold symptoms to wear masks in public places. It comes as the UK faces a tidal wave of illness with a nasty strain of flu taking hold earlier in the year than normal. Downing Street has echoed the advice, while Conservative leader Kemmy Baden-Ock said common sense should prevail and the government shouldn't be mandating anything.

4:06You can follow the Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online. That's your Times Evening Briefing on Tuesday 9th December.

4:24This 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 so why do your marketing results look the same as six months ago that's because you're fishing in the same pond as everyone else.

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