Afternoon Briefing Friday 20th June

0:00Hello, this is your Times Afternoon Briefing for Friday 20 June with me, James Kitchen. The Conservatives say there are serious questions to answer after pro-Palestinian activists damaged two military aircraft in a major security breach at RAF Bryce Norton. Footage shared by Palestine Action shows two protesters speeding across the tarmac on e-scooters and spraying red paint into turbine engines. The group says it targeted the Oxfordshire airfield because of its role in flights to the British military base in Cyprus, which they claim supports operations in Gaza. The Ministry of Defence has strongly condemned the vandalism of Royal Air Force assets and says it's working closely with police.

0:41Proceedings are underway in the House of Commons, which will see MPs vote on assisted dying and potentially move it a step closer to becoming law. It's the third reading of the bill in the chamber, with politicians either voting for it to progress to the House of Lords or rejecting it. Campaigners say the law change would give the terminally ill dignity in death, But the consultant psychiatrist Dr. Ashok Roy told Times Radio he has serious reservations. I think that this is a vulnerable population with a reduced mental capacity for decision making, whose lives are often devalued and who often feel that they are a burden on their families.

1:19And I think that opening up this option will inevitably lead to some unfortunate consequences. Even deciding if somebody is terminally ill is very difficult when you've got a mental disorder which can change unpredictably and often does. Iran's foreign minister has told state television there's no room for negotiations with the U.S. until the Israeli aggression stops. It comes as the foreign secretary, David Lamy, is set to meet Abbas Araqchi in Geneva, along with counterparts from France, Germany and the EU. Last night, the White House announced a decision on whether to join Israeli strikes on Iran will be made within the next two weeks.

2:00The Times' Middle East correspondent, Samir al-Trush, says Donald Trump understands the best type of victory is won without having to fight. The Israelis have already done the heavy lifting. I think he's happy to see how far they can take it. And if that compels the Iranians to come with their tails tucked between his legs, as he's more or less said he wants them, then he's happy to give talks a chance. So there is a momentum towards talks. Ministers are defending their welfare reforms, calling them principled and insisting they'll protect the most vulnerable. Yesterday, Vicky Foxcroft resigned as a government whip over plans to cut disability benefits.

2:36A tightening of eligibility for personal independence payments and cuts to universal credit aimed to shave£5 billion from the welfare budget. The Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Times Radio MPs should vote with her conscience, adding her colleague had done the honourable thing. I know that she really wrestled with the decision and there's no disagreement between us on the principle of wanting to help people who can work to get work and protecting those who can't ever work and making sure that we reform the system so that it works for everybody. No disagreement on the principle, but there is a disagreement on the practicalities and on the policy.

3:14And I think she's done the honourable thing. And the UK could have its warmest day of the year for the second day in a row, with temperatures of up to 33 degrees Celsius. The health security agencies issued an Amber Heat health alert for the whole of England, which is in force until 9 o 'clock on Monday morning. It warns health services will experience a rise in demand because of the high temperatures, particularly among the elderly. And remember, you can follow the Times News Briefing on Spotify, and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

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