Morning briefing Friday 5th 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 Morning Briefing for Friday 5th December. Ministers are prepared to hand over£8 billion of Russian assets frozen in Britain to support Ukraine's war effort and increase international pressure on Moscow.

0:47It's amid the government's warning that President Putin remains an active threat to the UK citizens' security and prosperity. Speaking to Times Radio, the former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps said he didn't believe that action by Europe would provoke a stronger Russian reaction. I heard this argument from the outset, and actually the United Kingdom has been foremost in putting that argument to bed. I mean, they said we mustn't train Ukrainian troops, and we have. We mustn't send in tanks, we did. We mustn't use our storm shadows, we did. And the list goes on and on and on. If you appease a tyrant, they will not stop.

1:25German broadcasters have joined the BBC in backing a decision to allow Israel to enter next year's Eurovision Song Contest. The ruling prompted four nations, including Ireland, to withdraw over their opposition to Israel's military operation in Gaza. The event's organiser, the European Broadcasting Union, decided against a vote, saying it had instead passed rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Katja Wildermut represents the German broadcasters ARD and ZDF. We are very happy that rules and values and impartiality of public service media has been stronger than emotional public debates of the day.

2:07And we're talking about the biggest song contest in the world. And it's a contest that stands for building bridges for tolerance. Austria, the host of next year's Eurovision, is also supporting Israel's participation. Health service bosses are reassuring the public that contingency measures are in place amid a threat that the UK could be facing the worst flu season for decades. Cases are the highest on record for this time of year, and the pressure on hospitals could be compounded by a proposed five-day strike by resident doctors, which starts on the 17th of December. England, Scotland and potentially Wales and Northern Ireland will find out later today who they'll play in the group stage of next year's World Cup.

2:49But it seems politics will play a greater part in the draw than ever before, with the venue, the Kennedy Centre in Washington, now under White House control. It's emerged this week that world football's governing body FIFA is paying$7 million to hire the venue. The chief sports reporter for The Times, Martin Ziegler, says FIFA's president, Gianni Infantino, appears to have gone to extremes to flatter President Trump. What we are almost certain is going to happen is that FIFA's inaugural peace prize is going to be awarded to Donald Trump right at the start of the draw ceremony. Johnny Pantino said previously he believes Trump should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize and that the whole ceremony actually set up to cater for the one-funts' taste.

3:34As one of the seeds England could face Scotland in the finals, Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to qualify but will feature in the draw ahead of their playoffs in March. You can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and 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.

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