Eurovision 2023: Decision to ban Volodymyr Zelenskyy from making address 'disappointing' So, very good morning to you, and I do want to talk about Eurovision in just a moment. But before we get on to that, a couple of stories around today that I want to ask you about. Firstly, comments by the former Conservative Home Secretary, Preeti Patel today, saying that Rishi Sunak needs to offer more hope and optimism for conservatism, or she says he risks presiding over a managed decline of the party and defeat of the next election. Is she right? So, you know, I have a marginal seat. I am reliant on the grassroots of the party to help me. They are determined, as I am, and I think most people within the party, to support the Prime Minister in the endeavours that he has to try and grow the economy and tackle the issues that are the people's priorities. So, I think what they want us t...

Summary: Scotland faces a demographic challenge , and Yousaf emphasizes the importance of a growing working-age population in the nation. Opponents of independence are accused of attempting to stifle the debate instead of presenting viable proposals for maintaining the union. Yousaf believes that the positive case for independence would secure a comprehensive victory in a referendum held today. The release of policy paper s is aimed at providing comprehensive information to empower the public in making informed decisions about independence . To achieve independence , Yousaf stresses the need for support to exceed 50%, nec...

Windsor Framework has received a 'cautious welcome' in Northern Ireland All right, let's get the view now of Michelle O'Neill, because this time last week all the talk was of the PM's deal with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol. This seemed to get a decent enough reaction from most parts, but of course the big question is what do the DUP do, the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland? They say they won't rejoin power sharing if they're not happy. Well, the largest party at Stormont is Shinfeng, and its leader there would have been First Minister. That's Michelle O'Neill. She joins us live now. Thank you very much for being on the programme this morning. Has Rishi Sineq negotiated a good deal for Northern Ireland? Well, I think we've all had the best part of a week now to reflect on the deal, and I think it's fair to say that the ...

Summary: Prince Harry is set to return to the UK on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II 's first death anniversary . His visit will include participation in memorial activities and is an opport unity for family reconciliation . The return holds public significance, reflecting unity and shared remembrance. ...

Summary: Spotify suffers a £34 million hit after cutting back its podcasting division, including terminating its deal with Meghan and Harry. Debates arise over whether the couple's popularity was worth the investment for Spotify. Some argue that Spotify's business decisions and overestimation of podcast returns contribute to the financial losses. Spotify has taken a £34 million hit after making heavy cutbacks in their podcasting division, including terminating their con...

UK Imposes Visa Requirements on Five Nations Citing 'Abuse' of the System Summary: The UK introduces new visa requirements for Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu. Home Secretary cites concerns over granting citizenship to risky individuals and increasing illegal work attempts as the reasons for the new visa rules. Namibia and Honduras are leading among non-visitor nationals in terms of asylum claims, straining front-line resources. Confirmed bookings from the five countries will be visa-exempt for a month before the new regulations take effect. The decision is solely focused on border security and migration management, ...

‘I’m ready to get the show on the road’: Eurovision ‘Big 6’ contestants ahead of final Do you know what? I'm feeling, I just feel very, very honoured to be here and you know, representing my country is. It's a huge, huge deal, but I feel like everything that could put pressure on me that I could kind of freak out about is actually really, really amazing. Like the fact that Sam Ryder did so well last year, the fact that we're hosting on behalf of Ukraine, the fact that you know, I'm going last in the show, you know, things that I could get a bit freaked out about, but when I really look at what they are, it's like they're all really beautiful, amazing experiences, so I'm going to look at it in a positive way and it's really, really exciting and I'm ready to get the show on the road. I'm not going to lie. Lovely. Thank you. I honestly, I don't...

Summary: The UK faces a record high backlog of 175,000 asylum applications , sparking concerns about the government's response. The migrant crisis intensifies as individuals exploit the system, and the cost of addressing the issue reaches £3.97 billion. Debates arise over the allocation of foreign aid funds for domestic crises like the migrant situation. Charities' ethics are scrutinized as allegations of inappropriate financial transactions and questionable behavior emerge. Amid ideological clashes, the focus remains on finding ethical solution...

Summary: Dan Wootton labels the march towards net zero a 'hellscape' with policies like low traffic neighborhoods, green levy taxes, heat pumps, and vehicle bans. Both Labour and Conservatives face pressure to develop schemes that consider the needs of towns and cities across the UK. Pollster Matt Goodwin warns of a significant loss of support for the Conservatives and growing disillusionment among their voters. The UK leads in carbon emission reductions, prompting questions about the need for further stringent measures. ...

Summary: Charlotte Owen, 30, becomes Britain's youngest ever peer. She was nominated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his resignation honours list. Controversy surrounds the process of granting peerages in the UK. Baroness Owen's appointment raises debates on transparency and merit-based honours. Her presence in the House of Lords is expected to make a significant impact. Charlotte Owen, Baroness Owen of Audley Edge, has been sworn into the House of Lords, be...

NHS Data: Government misses target of eliminating 18-month waits for routine treatment in England The government and NHS leaders have made it a top priority to cut elective care waiting times. But today's numbers paint a mixed picture. Despite prioritising the service, overall waiting lists have reached a new record of 7.33 million. That's up 110,000, the biggest month-on-month increase since August last year. A key NHS target was to eliminate 18-month waits by April. That has been missed, but they are getting close. In September 2021, there were almost 125,000 patients waiting a year and a half. That is now down to almost 10,000. Half of those remaining are at just 10 NHS trusts. The NHS says part of the reason for missing targets is the unprecedented industrial action seen over the past six months. We've had to reschedule around 500,000 appointments over the period of ...

Summary: The British husband who killed his seriously ill wife in Cyprus has been acquitted and expressed gratitude for the support received. The court's decisions were deemed just by the defense team, sparing David a life sentence in prison. David's feelings are difficult to describe after the emotional rollercoaster of the legal process . Differences in legal systems between the UK and Cyprus were brought to light during the case. The British husband who kil...

Summary: UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak suggests intelligence indicates Yevgeny Prigozhin 's likely presence on the plane. Collaborative efforts with allied intelligence agencies are underway to uncover further details. Prigozhin , a Russia n businessman tied to the Kremlin , has faced allegations of covert operations. Sunak calls for an end to Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine and expresses solidarity with Ukraine 's stance. ...

Roald Dahl would be 'APPALLED' at his books being rewritten | Jeffrey Archer Good luck to the Queen I say. I think it was no more than common sense was it? I had the privilege of knowing Roald Dahl. Indeed, three of my short stories were on his tales of the unexpected. So I worked with him as well and he would be appalled. He'd be absolutely shocked. He'd say, I can see here him saying go to hell. You published my books or you can not publish them. You can see from that picture. He was a comudingly old thing and not easy to deal with. Geoffrey, on what basis can a publishing house change a book that's been in circulation? I think I checked. This book was written Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, writing 1964. Can they, well, how are they allowed to change the words that he used? I presume they approached the family in my own case. My publishers approached me som...