Morning briefing Thursday 10th July

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0:35This is the Times Morning Briefing for Thursday 10th July. Sakhir Starmer and President Macron are expected to announce today a new returns deal that will allow up to 50 small boat migrants a week to be sent back to France from the UK. The one-in, one-out scheme is likely to start with a limited trial from the end of next month before it is scaled up. Speaking at a banquet held in his honour at the Guildhall in central London last night, President Macron stressed the importance of a healthy working relationship. We were the best rivals, we are the best friends. We know each other. But we have to work together.

1:15And not just working. We have to take our responsibilities together. We have clearly to decide to choose our future together. The third day of Macron's state visit will see France and the UK deepen nuclear ties and make a commitment towards the next phase of the project for Storm Shadow's successor. Storm Shadow is the long-range missile which has been supplied by both the British and the French to Ukraine, allowing Kiev to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. They'll also sign a declaration that their independent nuclear deterrence can be coordinated. Speaking to Times Radio, the former Defence Secretary Penny Mordent said the two allies mustn't detract from the importance of NATO.

2:01Britain and France have been major contributors to our collective defence. But I think you can't confuse that with structures and mechanisms which provide you with a credible deterrent. The former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry has defected to Reform UK. It's the latest move by a senior Tory to Nigel Farage's party. Speaking to the Sun newspaper, Sir Jake said his former party had lost its way and that old Westminster politics has failed. We know we can trust him. He doesn't change his views when the political weather changes. And because you know you can trust him, I can trust him too.

2:41And that's why I'm going to spend every day campaigning to ensure that Nigel Farage and reform form the next government of this great United Kingdom. Scientists at Sheffield Hallam University have developed a technique which they say is a powerful double weapon to prevent cancer patients losing their hair during chemotherapy. The method combines scalp cooling with a lotion comprising the same antioxidants found in red grapes. The study also pinpointed the optimal temperature for scalp cooling to be most effective for keeping hair. The equivalent of more than one pub a day is expected to close this year across Great Britain.

3:20The British Beer and Pub Association has estimated that 378 pubs will close in 2025, resulting in more than 5 ,500 direct job losses. The industry body has urged the government to reform business rates for the sector and says reducing the cumulative tax and regulatory burden would help more pubs stay open. You can follow the Times News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

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