Government Pledges £10m Towards Liverpool Song Contest – Eurovision 2023
The Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Liverpool in May, will get £10m from the UK government, it has been announced. It will be spent on operational costs like security and visas, as well as making sure the event “showcases Ukrainian culture”. Liverpool’s local government has already pledged £4m in funding. Around 3,000 tickets to... Read More
Brexit Deal Close As Talks Intensify – NI Protocol
Talks are intensifying this weekend between the UK and the EU over securing a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. There are signs that a deal is close with a No 10 source calling negotiations “positive”. King Charles had also been due to meet the president of the European Commission in the UK on Saturday,... Read More
2 Bed Flat For Sale – London
Features and description Leasehold A two-bedroom ground floor flat in this purpose-built development and located within a few hundred yards of Neasden (Jubilee Line) Tube station and local shops and bus services at Neasden. Two good-sized bedrooms. Vacant possession. Bathroom/WC. Gas central heating. Double glazed windows. Long lease on completion. Security entry phone system to... Read More
Councils Pay Offer: Workers On Lowest Salaries Offered 9% Rise
Council workers with the lowest pay have been offered a rise of over 9%. Around 1.5 million people in a range of roles would get an increase of at least £1,925 from April under the deal. Unions representing groups like bin collectors, traffic wardens, social workers, and school staff are now considering the offer. The... Read More
Move Faster To Help Ukraine, Rishi Sunak To Urge Allies
Rishi Sunak is to urge allies to “move faster” in arming Ukraine, during a G7 meeting to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion. During a video call on Friday, the prime minister will say giving Ukraine a “decisive” edge in the conflict “must be our priority now”. No 10 said he would make the case... Read More
Asylum Claims For 12,000 To Be Considered Without Face-To-Face Interview
Some 12,000 asylum seekers to the UK are to be considered for refugee status without face-to-face interviews. A 10-page Home Office questionnaire will decide the cases of people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Syria, and Yemen who applied before last July. The move aims to reduce the asylum backlog which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged... Read More
Robots To Do 39% Of Domestic Chores By 2033 – Experts
Within a decade, around 39% of the time spent on housework and caring for loved ones could be automated, experts say. Researchers from the UK and Japan asked 65 artificial intelligence (AI) experts to predict the amount of automation in common household tasks in 10 years. Experts predicted grocery shopping was likely to see the... Read More
Carbon-Absorbing Underwater Meadows Planted – Climate Change
Five million seagrass seeds will be planted off Wales’ coast to create climate change-fighting underwater meadows. On Wednesday, 50,000 were laid at Penychain off the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd. Seagrass Ocean Rescue wants 10 hectares (25 acres) of seagrass meadow by 2026. WWF Cymru’s Rory Francis said Wales had lost 92% of its seagrass over... Read More
Microsoft Defends $69bn Activision Deal
Microsoft has defended its proposal to buy Activision Blizzard – the maker of Call of Duty and Candy Crush – at the EU competition hearing. Microsoft says it believes the $68.7bn (£56.8bn) deal will bring more choice to more gamers. But rival Sony, which also attended the hearing, says the merger would give Microsoft too... Read More
Nurses To Suspend 48-Hour Strike As Talks With Government Start
Nurses in England have suspended next week’s 48-hour strike as they start talks with the government over pay. The Royal College of Nursing and the Department of Health and Social Care issued a joint statement saying they would begin “intensive” negotiations. Health Secretary Steve Barclay is due to meet union officials on Wednesday. The RCN... Read More