Afternoon briefing Monday 4th May

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0:34This is Times Radio's afternoon briefing on Monday the 4th of May. Zakir Starmer's alluded to heightened tensions between Europe and the US, saying some alliances aren't in the place we'd want them to be. He's been meeting EU leaders in Armenia, where he'll discuss joining the bloc's loan scheme for Ukraine, which he says would create jobs in the UK. There are reports he's also been pushing for more access to the single market, something it's claimed would cost Britain up to a billion pounds a year. Times Radio's political editor Anna Mihailova says when it comes to the polls, closer alignment with the EU could work in the Prime Minister's favour.

1:10That is something he has been very passionate about in the past, leaning into these stories about paying in to Brussels again. Downing Street is happy to have that fight, and senior ministers and Kistelma personally are happy to have that fight with the opposition because they see it as a good dividing line for him. The Foreign Office says it stands ready to support any British people affected by a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. The British man's been treated in intensive care in Johannesburg in South Africa. A cancer jab described as blockbuster is being rolled out on the NHS in England.

1:41It tells the immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells. And until now, patients have needed to get a trip to get the drug into their system. Tens of thousands of people are expected to benefit. The Labour MP for Golders Green has called on the moderate majority to show more support for the Jewish community. Sarah Sackman claims there's been a lack of vocal solidarity from cultural and trade union leaders. Two men were stabbed in her constituency last week in the latest violence incident targeting Jewish people. Former Home Office advisor Danny Shores told Times Radio he agrees. There is a sense in which because of Israel's actions in the Middle East and because of the support for Palestine, it somehow sort of morphed into a general sort of antipathy or lack of sympathy for what Jewish people are going through in the UK.

2:30French police have been seen forcibly separating families trying to cross the English Channel on small boats. The Refugee Council has called it a disturbing development. It was witnessed by The Times' Emma Yeomans. You'll have multiple groups trying to board one or two boats and police will be chasing them and women and children tend to be towards the back of that group because everyone's running and they've maybe just got a little behind. So they become the ones grabbed by French police when police catch up to the group. Authorities in France are yet to comment. The King is said to be delighted after it was confirmed Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are expecting their third child due this summer.

3:10We're told August and Ernest are very excited at the prospect of a new brother or sister. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

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