Morning briefing Monday 1st June

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 Times Radio's morning briefing on Monday, the 1st of June. I'm Daryl Jackson. The Israeli military has captured the strategic sides of Buford Castle in southern Lebanon.

0:45Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described it as a decisive shift in its offensive against Hezbollah. It comes as ground troops move ever deeper into Lebanese territory. The UK, France and Germany criticised Israel's latest escalation as the Israeli Defence Forces warned more residents to evacuate from a larger swathe of southern Lebanon. Air Vice Marshal Sean Bell, military analyst and former RAF fighter pilot, told Times Radio why the castle is significant. The castle itself, I mean, it's a wreck, it's 900 years old, but it does sit, as a lot of castles do, on the high ground, and it's therefore strategically important because you have the high ground, but it's also very symbolic.

1:26The Israelis captured that 44 years ago, and that marked the start of a period between 1982 and 2000 where they basically have settled in a large section of southern Lebanon. The Times is reporting that new messages to be published later will show Lord Mandelson contacted some of Labour's new intake of male MPs to meet for dinner. A minister who has seen some of the messages to be released also says they are likely to make for very uncomfortable reading. They'll show that Mandelson asked ministers for the phone numbers of MPs who were elected in 2024. He subsequently messaged, inviting them out for dinner, and it's believed he'd chase them up when he received no response.

2:06It's claimed trade union members are now as likely to support Reform UK as Labour, according to new polling. Some unions say it shows a steep decline in Labour's support from unionised workers. The two parties are now tied at 28 % among union members, and Labour has suffered a 20-point drop since 2024, according to the study by JL Partners. Alan Jones, industrial correspondent for PA Media, told Times Radio he isn't so sure about the poll, though. We cover a lot of union conferences, and I've been to a couple of conferences in recent weeks where the argument from delegates has been that Labour isn't left-wing enough.

2:42I mean, there's no question Labour have lost support, are losing support. Keir Starmer in particular is losing support. That's why they did so badly at the local elections recently, why they lost power in Wales. But, you know, it's not because union members have become more right-wing. It's just not the case. Domestic abusers will face eviction from social homes without a victim having to leave first, under proposed changes to the law. Around 15 ,000 households in England last year faced being forced to find a new place to live because of domestic abuse. Ministers are proposing legal changes which would give victims greater rights.

3:16Under the current law, landlords can only evict a domestic abuser after the victim has already left the property. Experts say a daily pill that doubles life expectancy for pancreatic cancer patients may revolutionise treatment for millions of people. Researchers found the drug significantly extended the lives of patients by targeting a specific mutation. The pill is said to be the biggest breakthrough in decades for pancreatic cancer, which is notoriously difficult to treat. Dr Pat Price, oncologist and chair of Radiotherapy UK, told Times Radio it's hoped the pill could be available soon. The Americans are going to fast track it to have patients.

3:55Obviously, it will have to come through to England. NICE will have to do a review. And I'm sure they'll do it as fast as possible and then do the usual. Is it available? Whatever. And then hopefully it will be available soon. 11 ,000 patients a year of pancreatic cancer in the UK. It's the 10th most common cancer. And you can hear more on all of these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

4:22This 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.

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