Morning briefing Friday 9th 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.

0:35This is the Times Morning Briefing for Friday 9th January. The mayor of Portland, Oregon, has called on ICE to stop operating in the city after two people were shot and wounded by US federal agents. In a statement, police said a man and woman had been taken to hospital and their conditions were unknown. The Department of Homeland Security said the incident happened at around 20 past two in the afternoon, with the traffic stop of a Venezuelan gang member. According to them, he attempted to run over agents with his car. The state governor, though, has blamed it on the reckless agenda of the Trump administration.

1:09and the city mayor, Keith Wilson, has said the federal authorities' version of events can't automatically be trusted. We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past. That is why we are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full and independent investigation can take place. Our community deserves answers. Our community deserves accountability. and most of all, our community deserves peace. The incident came a day after an immigration official fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, triggering protests around the US against federal law enforcement operations in US cities.

1:52Officials claim mother of three, Renee Nicole Goode, was fired on as she tried to ram her car into federal agents. But witnesses have challenged that account and a video of the incident has been widely shared. The agent was identified by local media as 43-year-old Jonathan Ross. Renee Hickman is a Reuters journalist who's in the city where it happened. I think, you know, people will still be processing the news that we have an identity for the ICE agent that shot her. You know, and from the people I've been hearing from today, you know, They're not surprised by the narrative coming out of the Trump administration about the shooting.

2:33It really mirrors some of the narratives and statements they've put out about other fatal ice shootings. Britain's top officers say the Ministry of Defence faces a funding gap of£28 billion over the next four years, despite spending plans and rising pressure to prepare for war. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, told the Prime Minister about the shortfall in a meeting in Downing Street in December. It's believed it led Sakhir to order an overhaul of the Defence Investment Plan, which has been delayed after being first expected in the autumn. A government source said the UK is on track to fulfil the commitments outlined in the review.

3:11It comes as a top NATO official, James Apatari, told Times Radio we're living in a period where there's a real risk of war. We need to keep our foot on the gas. We do not have the capabilities we need and there is a real risk of war. We have heard that from our intelligence chiefs, from our political leaders across Europe and we need to be strong so that there isn't war. The best deterrent will be that we are capable. The Met Office is warning of dangerous travel conditions after Storm Goretti brought heavy snow, rain and strong winds to much of Britain and amber weather warnings in place across parts of Wales and central England, where there could be 30 centimetres of snow.

3:52And retailers suffered a disappointing December as rising bills and food costs kept shoppers at home. Total UK footfall was down 2.9 % over the month, year on year, according to data from the British Retail Consortium.

4:11This 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 Hi, it's Paige from Giggly Squad and this episode is sponsored by Experian Boost.

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