Evening briefing Thursday 18th 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 The Times Evening Briefing on Thursday the 18th of December. Kemi Bade-Knox says the government should focus on immigrants rather than schoolboys in its strategy to combat violence against women and girls.

0:45The Conservative leader says Labour is blaming British boys for the problem, but she says the government plans for anti-misogyny lessons in school are a distraction, arguing the problem is instead with men arriving from cultures which she says do not respect women. The victim's minister, Alex Davies-Jones, gave Times Radio her reaction. Tell me you haven't read the strategy without telling me you haven't read the strategy. I wholly reject that claim. The strategy is the most comprehensive position and policy document on tackling violence against women and girls in a generation. And I take more lessons from the leader of the opposition who, when in government, was Women and Equalities Minister and failed to do anything to tackle violence against women and girls.

1:26The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 3.75%. The quarter percentage point cut was expected after figures yesterday revealed inflation in November fell by more than forecasts to 3.2%. The Prime Minister has appointed a career diplomat to be the next British ambassador to the United States. Current UN ambassador Christian Turner will replace Peter Mandelson. European leaders are locked in last-minute talks to use frozen Russian assets to give Ukraine a£78 billion loan. Analysts have suggested the Ukrainian government could run out of money in three or four months without a significant cash injection.

2:01But Belgium, which holds most of the assets, has resisted the move for fear of legal challenges. The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says a deal is getting closer. We have certainly had a breakthrough, and the breakthrough means that everybody agrees that this is worth trying and that the use of Russian assets for Ukraine would be justified and good for Europe. But some countries will fight until the end to maximise guarantees for themselves.

2:29The government might delay local elections for a second year running for millions of people. Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hampshire and West Sussex were meant to vote for their councils earlier this year in May, but now may not do so until 2027 because of Labour's shake-up of local government. Times Radio's Charlie Pritchard explains the reforms. Labour plans to abolish the two-tier system of county and district councils, instead creating several larger councils covered by a directly elected mayor with extra devolved powers. Ministers will ask Conservative-controlled county councils whether they want to suspend elections in their areas to give them more time to reorganise local government.

3:05The decisions come on top of the move to postpone inaugural mayoral elections in the same areas from 2026 to 2028. The move would be likely to spark a backlash from the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK. And the woman caught on Coldplay's kiss cam in a viral video says she's saddened no one from the band reached out to help her with the fallout. Kristen Cabo was filmed in an embrace with her married boss Andy Byron at a concert in July. Speaking to The Times in her first interview since, she says singer Chris Martin ruined her life and increased the public scrutiny by making a joke about the pair having an affair.

3:39Coldplay has declined to comment. Don't forget to subscribe to The Times News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio Online.

3:52This 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. Here's a tip for you. There's a podcast out there with fans waiting to be your next customer.

4:39They tune in every week. They trust the host, and that host wants to talk about brands like yours in their own words to their audience. The problem is, you just haven't been introduced yet. We're Acast, where that introduction happens. As the world's largest podcast marketplace, we let you browse shows, see who's listening, and book host-read sponsorships or run your own ads all from one platform. Transparent pricing, real-time data, complete control. Start advertising on podcasts by visiting a cast.com slash advertise.