Evening briefing Wednesday 21st January

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 Evening Briefing on Wednesday the 21st of January. Donald Trump says he wants to begin negotiations immediately about taking over Greenland.

0:43Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said the United States is the only country that can keep the territory secure. He says he wants to take it through diplomacy. We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. That's probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland. He also said that without the involvement of American troops during World War II, the people of Europe would now be speaking either German or Japanese.

1:23The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, also speaking in Davos today, has said Greenland would be safer if the US was in charge. On Greenland, I have no doubt that the world would be a better, more secure place if a strong America was in Greenland because of the geopolitics of the high north, because of the retreating ice caps, and because of the continued expansionism of Russian icebreakers, of Chinese investment. So, yes, would America owning Greenland be better for the world in terms of safety and stronger for NATO? It would. Here, Sir Keir Starmer has accused Donald Trump of bringing up the Chagos Islands simply to put pressure on the UK over Greenland.

2:06The US president says the UK's plan to hand an important military base to Mauritius and then lease it back as an act of great stupidity. But the prime minister says Trump is playing games. He deployed those words yesterday for the express purpose of putting pressure on me and Britain in relation to my values and principles on the future of Greenland. Mr Speaker, he wants me to yield on my position and I'm not going to do so. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says the PM should drop the Chagos deal and spend the money on defence. The Prime Minister is giving away territory we own and paying£35 billion for the privilege.

2:52Why doesn't he just scrap this terrible deal and put the money into our armed forces? Sir Kirshama will be hosting the Danish Prime Minister Met Frederiksen tomorrow. Staying with Trump and he's threatening to impose tariffs on countries including Britain if they block his desire to annex Greenland. But the Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the UK will not be intimidated. Well Britain is not here to be buffeted around. We've got an economic plan and it is the right one for our country. If other countries want to increase trade barriers that is their choice but we are determined to bring trade barriers down.

3:28And you can follow The Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen. 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 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.

4:23Podcast listeners are a different audience entirely, more engaged, harder to reach through traditional channels, and ready to act when someone they trust makes a recommendation. We're Acast, and we put them right in front of you. Browse thousands of the world's leading podcasts, book host reads or run your own ads, and track every conversion in real time. Same skills you already have, brand new results. Acast. Acast.com slash advertise.