The United Kingdom has been asked to host The Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

The decision comes after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced "with deep regret" that it would not be possible to host the event in Ukraine, despite the nation winning this year's contest.

Ukraine won the event last month with rap group Kalush Orchestra and their track 'Stefania'.

The band earned a whopping 631 points - miles ahead of the United Kingdom's Sam Ryder, who came in second place with 466 points.

However, the EBU has now stated, per The Guardian: "The Eurovision song contest is one of the most complex TV productions in the world, with thousands working on, and attending, the event and 12 months of preparation time needed."

Following an investigation, the EBU said that certain requirements could not be guaranteed by Ukraine’s public broadcaster.

"As a result of this decision, in accordance with the rules and to ensure the continuity of the event, the EBU will now begin discussions with the BBC, as this year’s runner-up, to potentially host the 2023 Eurovision song contest in the United Kingdom," the statement added. "It is our full intention that Ukraine’s win will be reflected in next year’s shows.

"This will be a priority for us in our discussions with the eventual hosts."

A spokesperson for the BBC has responded, saying: "We have seen the announcement from the EBU. Clearly these aren’t a set of circumstances that anyone would want. After their decision, we will of course discuss the BBC hosting the Eurovision song contest."

The decision comes after Ukrainian President Zelensky said he had plans to rebuild the city in time for Eurovision.

"Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe! Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision!" he said on Telegram, per The Telegraph.

"We will do our best to one day host the participants and guests of Eurovision in Ukrainian Mariupol. Free, peaceful, rebuilt! I am sure our victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off," the president added.

The UK last hosted the event back in 1998.

Featured image credit: Abaca Press / Alamy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pledged that his country will do its best to host the Eurovision song contest in Mariupol next year.

Last night, Ukrainian rap group Kalush Orchestra took home the Eurovision trophy for their nation.

The victory means that next year, hosting duties will fall to Ukraine - which is currently under relentless military invasion from Russia.

Despite this, President Zelensky has remained optimistic and vowed to host the contest in the port city of Mariupol, which has come under heavy Russian bombardment over the past few months.

Talking on Telegram, Zelensky said he had plans to rebuild the city in time for Eurovision.

"Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe! Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision!" he said, per The Telegraph.

"We will do our best to one day host the participants and guests of Eurovision in Ukrainian Mariupol. Free, peaceful, rebuilt! I am sure our victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off," the president added.

Despite Zelensky's claims, it will be a huge task to host the song contest in Mariupol. According to the city's mayor, it has been over 90% destroyed by Russian bombardment.

Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision song contest with an eye-popping 631 points. The United Kingdom's Sam Ryder came in second place with 466 points, and third and fourth place went to Spain and Sweden respectively.

The group's frontman, Oleh Psiuk, made a heartfelt appeal to the audience on behalf of his besieged country. "I ask all of you, please help Ukraine, Mariupol. Help Azovstal, right now," he said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's official Twitter account tweeted its congratulations to the band, as well as expressing gratitude to everyone who had voted for them.

"You have melted our hearts, friends #Eurovision... and it matters the world to us during this time," the tweet read.

"We send all your love and support to our brave freedom defenders at Azovstal and along the frontline. Congrats, KALUSH Orchestra," it added.

If you would like to know how you can support the Ukrainian people at this time, click HERE to find a list of organizations and groups dedicated to helping those affected by this crisis.

Featured Image Credit: American Photo Archive / Alamy

Ukraine has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in a thrilling live final.

After the jury and viewers' votes were calculated, Ukraine's rap group Kalush Orchestra took the top spot with an eye-watering 631 points!

This score was miles ahead of the United Kingdom's Sam Ryder, who came in second place with 466 points. Third and forth place went to Spain and Sweden respectively.

Kalush Orchestra wowed audiences with their song 'Stefania'.

The song 'Stefania' was written as a tribute to the frontman’s mother, but the lyrics have been given a new meaning since the outbreak of war throughout the nation.

Part of the lyrics state: "I’ll always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed."

The all-male group were provided with special permission to leave Ukraine in order to compete in this year's competition. ABC News reports that one of the original members even remained in the country in order to fight. The rest of the band will return once the contest has concluded.

The group's frontman, Oleh Psiuk, told the crowd: "I ask all of you, please help Ukraine, Mariupol. Help Azovstal, right now," as well as dedicating the band's victory to the people of Ukraine.

A tweet from the official Ukraine Twitter account read: "you have melted our hearts, friends #Eurovision... and it matters the world to us during this time."

"We send all your love and support to our brave freedom defenders at Azovstal and along the frontline. Congrats, KALUSH Orchestra."

Per BBC News, Ukraine's President Zelensky also shared a message of congratulations for Kalush Orchestra, writing on Telegram: "Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe.

"We will do our best to one day host the participants and guests of Eurovision in Ukrainian Mariupol. Free, peaceful, rebuilt.

The final scoreboard for the live finals can be seen in the tweet below:

Fortunately, no country went home with zero points, but it was Germany's Malik Harris and his track 'Rockstars' that ended up in last place with just six points.

This year's Eurovision Song Contest was held in Turin, Italy, following Måneskin's victory in last year's competition.

Twenty-five countries competed in Saturday night's live final, which took place from the Pala Alpitour area.

Congratulations to Ukraine!

Featured image credit: Zuma Press / Alamy

Sweden has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

The winning nation was represented by Loreen, who beat out 25 other countries in the final with their track 'Tattoo' to secure victory at the 67th edition of the popular music event.

When all the jury and televoting results were in, Sweden topped the leaderboard with a whopping 583 points.

Second place went to Finland with a respectable 526 points.

Germany finished last in the final with just 18 points.

Relive Sweden's remarkable performance below:

This year's final emanated from the Liverpool Arena in (funnily enough) Liverpool in the United Kingdom. The honor was bestowed on the UK after last year's winning nation, Ukraine, was unable to host the competition due to the ongoing war.

Therefore, the responsibility fell to the runners-up, the United Kingdom, who won the 2022 content with Sam Ryder's 'SPACE MAN'.

Throughout the week, those visiting the EuroVillage in Liverpool have been able to get into the spirit of the contest and watch live acts like the Lightning Seeds and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

This year's theme for the contest was "United by Music".

And at the start of this evening's proceedings, hosts Julia Sanina, Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon, and Graham Norton revealed that Luxembourg has officially announced that it will be rejoining the competition for the first time since 1993. The nation is set to rejoin the contest in 2024.

The evening also saw a number of Eurovision legends come together to perform a series of hits by iconic Liverpool legends. Stars like Sonia, Cornelia, and Dadi wowed viewers and the live crowd with a stunning setlist that ended with an incredible rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

Amazingly, that wasn't the best part of the show... that would be this gem:

But for now, congratulations to Sweden! We'll see you next year!

Featured image credit: Eurovision/BBC

Nigeria's government has condemned reports of discriminatory treatment of Africans and other Black people at the Ukrainian border.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, there have been increasing reports of Africans being blocked from crossing the border into neighboring countries as refugees.

It's a heartbreaking situation amid an already horrific ordeal. So, before we give you an overview of the situation, we would like to share several links detailing how you can support Black individuals attempting to flee Ukraine.

Here's how you can support people fleeing Ukraine

Here is a list of links and resources dedicated to helping those affected by this terrible crisis - including Africans and Afro-Caribbeans.

Black Foreigners In Ukraine

"Dedicated to amplifying Black foreigners in Ukraine voices and helping get them get to safely." 

Support vulnerable Black people in Ukraine

"This fund is launched by a Coalition of African and Black organizations worldwide who are joining forces to support members of our community in collaboration with people on the ground in Ukraine."

Ukrainians in solidarity

Other ways to help those affected by the conflict

As well as donating to causes dedicated to helping those affected by the crisis in Ukraine, you can also join a protest in your local area, send humanitarian supplies, read the news from trusted sources, signs petitions and write to your local politicians calling for more to be done, and keep sharing information on your social media pages.

What is happening to Black people in Ukraine?

The situation in Ukraine has sparked a global outcry, with governments around the world imposing sanctions on Russia after President Vladimir Putin announced his "special military operation" on the country's Eastern European neighbor.

At the time of writing, it is believed that approximately 160,000 Ukrainian citizens have been displaced within their country, and over 500,000 have been forced to flee into neighboring countries such as Poland and Moldova.

Of this half a million seeking refuge in other countries, there are reportedly a number of Africans - mostly students - who have been prevented from leaving the war-torn Ukraine.

There have been a number of reports of Ukrainian security officials stopping Africans from getting on public transport on their way to the border, with videos circulating on social media appearing to show this.

As reported by the Guardian, a 22-year-old Nigerian software engineering student named Samuel George says he and his friends were stopped in their vehicle while in a queue of cars trying to flee the country.

Similar stories have been reported by a number of outlets including BBC News and the New York Times.

In a statement on Monday, February 28, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari responded to the allegations by saying:

“All who flee a conflict situation have the same right to safe passage under UN convention and the color of their passport or their skin should make no difference.

“From video evidence, first-hand reports, and from those in contact with ... Nigerian consular officials, there have been unfortunate reports of Ukrainian police and security personnel refusing to allow Nigerians to board buses and trains heading towards Ukraine-Poland border.”

Buhari also cited footage widely circulated on social media that appeared to show a Nigerian woman carrying a baby being made to give up her seat to another person.

He continued: “One group of Nigerian students having been repeatedly refused entry into Poland have concluded they have no choice but to travel again across Ukraine and attempt to exit the country via the border with Hungary.

“While efforts to begin talks between Russia and Ukraine are underway, paramount on our minds is the safety and human rights of some four thousand Nigerian citizens and many others from friendly African nations today stranded in Ukraine.”

Sharing these same concerns, Nigeria's foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama took to Twitter to share that he had spoken on the phone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.

As part of a series of tweets, Onyeama explained that Kuleba had told him Ukrainian border guards had been instructed to allow all foreigners to leave. Kuleba did, however, promise to investigate the situation.

Onyeama concluded: “I am personally coordinating with our missions in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Romania, and Hungary to ensure we get our citizens out of Ukraine and bring back to Nigeria those ready to return while supporting those who are remaining in Ukraine.”

Featured image credit: Milan Sommer / Alamy

In recent weeks, the world has seen establishments such as movie theaters, restaurants, and retailers close down due to fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. It has also seen popular and highly anticipated events such as the Glastonbury music festival being canceled in a bid to slow the spread of the deadly disease.

However, one particular sporting event, set to be the biggest international event of the year, has notably not been canceled. The 2020 Summer Olympics are set to go ahead in Tokyo this summer, despite much of the world taking measures to prevent or even ban any sort of large-scale gatherings or crowds.

Over the weekend, Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, confirmed the decision, per the BBC, while adding that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would have the final say.

In the wake of the decision, some Olympic athletes are openly accusing the organizers of putting them in "danger".

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/KatStefanidi/status/1239924265803284480]]

Greece's Katerina Stefanidi took to Twitter to share her thoughts, writing: "This is not about how things will be in 4 months. This is about how things are now. The IOC wants us to keep risking our health, our family’s health and public health to train every day? You are putting us in danger right now, today, not in 4 months."

Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the world heptathlon champion, cast doubt over whether asking athletes to "continue to prepare for the Olympic Games as best they can" was the right thing considering the circumstances.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/JohnsonThompson/status/1239982355697319937]]

"The information of the IOC and the local governments are at odds with one another," she wrote, "I feel under pressure to train and keep the same routine which is impossible. It's difficult [to] approach the season when everything has changed in the lead-up apart from the ultimate deadline."

Meanwhile, Olympic qualifying tournaments have either been canceled or postponed, with only 57 percent of athletes having booked their places thus far, the Daily Mail reports.

Vanessa Hudgens has come under fire for her 'insensitive' comments about coronavirus:

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/G9R8EWZT-dkXnENEs.mp4||G9R8EWZT]]

And yesterday, it emerged that the Deputy Chief of Tokyo Olympics himself had tested positive for coronavirus.

Nevertheless, the IOC insists, per the Daily Mail, that "there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage' adding that "any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive".