News – Page 85 – DukeBox Radio

Irelands strategy at Eurovision needs mixing up says former finalist

The last Irish act to qualify for the grand final of Eurovision has called for the country to follow in the footsteps of the UK in “mixing up” its strategy. Despite Ireland’s record seven wins at the contest, it has failed to qualify for the final since Ryan O’Shaughnessy entered with his song Together in 2018. On Tuesday night, Wild Youth became the latest act to see their hopes dashed at the semi-final stage. Addressing their failure on Twitter, O’Shaughnessy […]

May 11, 2023 24

News

UK donates long range cruise missiles to help defence of Ukraine

Ukrainians will have the “best chance to defend themselves” after the UK’s donation of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, the Defence Secretary has said. Ben Wallace confirmed that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had agreed to authorise the donation after continued Russian attacks on Ukraine. He told the House of Commons: “Today I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. “Storm Shadow is a long-range, conventional-only, precision-strike capability. It complements the long-range systems already gifted, […]

May 11, 2023 24

News

TikTok does not want to compete with BBC for Eurovision final viewers

TikTok does not want to compete with the BBC at Eurovision but instead “complement” and drive viewers towards its grand final coverage, a manager has said. The social media platform has partnered with contest organiser the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC for the event in Liverpool, with busker pop-ups around the city, special coverage and gigs. James Stafford, TikTok’s general manager of marketing and operations for the UK, Ireland and Nordics, told the PA news agency the firm was doing “a […]

May 11, 2023 22

News

Hit makers Duran Duran handed top Birmingham civic award

Multi-platinum hit-makers Duran Duran have added a top civic award from home city Birmingham to their vast collection of accolades, calling it “quite an honour”. The synth pop pioneers, who have just completed a UK tour, were handed a Lord Mayor’s Award ahead of their May 5 homecoming show at the city’s Utilita Arena. Councillor Maureen Cornish, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, was pictured back stage with current line-up, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor and John Taylor, handing over […]

May 10, 2023 42

News

John Lewis boss to face confidence vote over leadership

The boss of the John Lewis Partnership is set to face a confidence vote on her future after criticism of the leadership of the retail giant. It comes after Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the business which runs the department store chain and supermarket arm Waitrose, said the group is considering options for its future after reports that it could bring in outside investment. However, industry leaders such as Mary Portas criticised the potential move, which could stop the company […]

May 10, 2023 31

News

Archbishop of Canterbury criticises Governments small boats Bill in Lords

The Archbishop of Canterbury has made a rare intervention in the House of Lords, to criticise the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill as it faces its first test in the upper chamber. Justin Welby argued against the flagship legislation aimed at ensuring people who arrive in the UK in small boats would be detained and promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda. The intervention marked his second major rebuke of the Government’s treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. The archbishop, who crowned the King in […]

May 10, 2023 27

News

No enforcement action over release of Nicola Bulleys personal information

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will not be taking any enforcement action against Lancashire Police over its disclosure of missing mother Nicola Bulley’s personal information, the force has said. In an update issued on Tuesday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also said its investigation into an officer’s contact with Ms Bulley prior to her disappearance identified two areas of learning. The force came under heavy criticism after the 45-year-old’s body was pulled from the River Wyre in Lancashire […]

May 9, 2023 20

News

Energy bills to drop from July experts say

Energy bills are expected to drop significantly from the start of July, according to new analysis released on Tuesday. Energy industry consultancy Cornwall Insight said it thinks the price cap on energy bills will fall by more than £1,200 for the average household when it is next updated. However, because the Government bill support, which has artificially lowered bills, will fall away, households will only be around £437 better off per year on average. The analysts at Cornwall said they […]

May 9, 2023 17

News

Trump rape case jury to begin deliberations

A jury in New York City is set to begin its deliberations in a civil trial over advice columnist E Jean Carroll’s claims that Donald Trump raped her in a luxury Manhattan department store in 1996. US District Judge Lewis A Kaplan will read instructions on the law to the nine-person jury for about an hour before jurors begin discussing the civil claims of battery and defamation. If they believe Ms Carroll, jurors can award compensatory and punitive damages. Trump, […]

May 9, 2023 22