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Speaker 1: That's right, and we say a very good morning to

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Speaker 1: Gavin Gray from the UK for weekend Breakfast as UK

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Speaker 1: correspondent giving us the lowdown on all the headlines making

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Speaker 1: the news in the UK and in Europe.

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Speaker 2: A good morning your mind there, Saskia.

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Speaker 3: How are you doing.

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Speaker 1: I'm good, thank you. You sound really happy.

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Speaker 2: Well, the sun is even threatening to poke its head

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Speaker 2: through the cloud disguise, and we are getting to springtime.

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Speaker 2: And as I talking to you, I've got a couple

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Speaker 2: of birds trying to nest outside my window. So all

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Speaker 2: is going well.

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Speaker 1: Ah, there is good. There is good in the world.

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Speaker 1: So if we can start with a very very sad story,

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Speaker 1: I do believe that twenty two migrants have died off

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Speaker 1: the Greek coast after spending six days in a dinghy

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Speaker 1: bound for Europe. The Greek Coast Guard has said that

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Speaker 1: there were twenty six survivors. Tell us a little bit

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Speaker 1: about that.

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Speaker 2: Yes, well, it appears this boat left Tobrook in eastern

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Speaker 2: Libya just about a week ago. Now poor weather, there

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Speaker 2: was a lack of food on board, lack of water,

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Speaker 2: contributing to the deaths of these people trying to get

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Speaker 2: basically into Europe. And Saskia. There have been a lot

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Speaker 2: of crossings. At least forty one thousand, seven hundred arrived

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Speaker 2: in Greece by sea in the calendar year of twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty five. More than four thousand have arrived so far

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Speaker 2: this year. It's people desperate to leave. There often wart

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Speaker 2: on homes in North Africa to try and get to

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Speaker 2: the UK. But rather interestingly, two men have been arrested.

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Speaker 2: They're both from Sudan, South Sudan, aged nineteen and twenty two,

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Speaker 2: arrested on suspicion of people trafficking and they are under investigation.

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Speaker 2: Twenty one survivors. Now I say this is people desperate

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Speaker 2: to leave North Africa, but of the survivors, four were

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Speaker 2: from South Sudan, but twenty one were from Bangladesh and

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Speaker 2: another from Chad. So it is a major route as

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Speaker 2: it were for people smugglers to try and get those

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Speaker 2: desperate to reach Europe. But obviously the conditions on board

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Speaker 2: this vessel were absolutely terrible and yeah it's been blighted

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Speaker 2: by bad weather as well as the conditions on board,

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Speaker 2: and the authorities now questioning this nineteen year old and

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Speaker 2: twenty two year old and at least one hundred and

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Speaker 2: three people were dead or missing trying to do the

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Speaker 2: crossing last year. And I'm afraid it looks as though,

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Speaker 2: despite the best efforts of Europe to make their own

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Speaker 2: areas more attractive to stay in, but also to increase

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Speaker 2: the penalties for people smugglers and those trying to get in,

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Speaker 2: I'm afraid the draw is as strong as ever.

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Speaker 1: Well it does seem to be, because the world is

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Speaker 1: in turmoil. I believe the UK is facing the biggest

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Speaker 1: hit to growth and this is from the Iran war

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Speaker 1: out of the G twenty major economies, and that's according

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Speaker 1: to an influential global policy group.

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Speaker 2: Talk to us about it, Yes, well, it's the OECD,

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Speaker 2: the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, so a well

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Speaker 2: respected influential policy group, and they have forked forecast that

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Speaker 2: growth in the UK this year would be one point

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Speaker 2: two percent. However, in their latest assessment, which comes of

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Speaker 2: course as the war in Iran really begins to take effect,

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Speaker 2: they've slashed that to zero point seven percent, so almost

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Speaker 2: halved it.

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Speaker 3: And of all the G.

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Speaker 2: Twenty nations, the so called twenty economic powerhouses of the world,

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Speaker 2: the biggest economies, that is the biggest drop and the

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Speaker 2: lowest four. So it really is suggesting that the UK

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Speaker 2: is going to be hit significantly harder. Why well, because

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Speaker 2: of course the rises in oil and gas prices that

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Speaker 2: we're all suffering from are then going to push up inflation.

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Speaker 2: Inflation will keep interest rates high, and that will also

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Speaker 2: mean that we are a country in debt, are going

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Speaker 2: to be paying more back in.

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Speaker 3: Interest on our debt.

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Speaker 2: And so consequently, the Iran War and America's actions in

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Speaker 2: Iran are going to cost this country, well all countries

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Speaker 2: potentially economically. I think all governments are looking over their

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Speaker 2: shoulder thinking how big a hit is this going to

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Speaker 2: have on our economy? But this contraction forecast by the

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Speaker 2: OECD for the UK is quite startling, along with looking

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Speaker 2: at inflation suggesting now that forecast for inflation here in

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Speaker 2: the UK will be four percent this year. That's up

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Speaker 2: from the previous s to them at two and a

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Speaker 2: half percent. These might seem quite good figures for you,

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Speaker 2: but here the economy is seen in a very fragile

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Speaker 2: price Saskia and these sorts of warnings make planning and

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Speaker 2: the government's forecasts really seem to be pie in the sky.

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Speaker 1: Having said that, though it does seem as if got

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Speaker 1: to move fast and things are changing, and so we

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Speaker 1: changed plans. And there was a something that was mothballed

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Speaker 1: just six months ago in September, but has now started

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Speaker 1: up again. And I'm talking about the UK government of

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Speaker 1: green to invest one hundred million pounds to reopen a

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Speaker 1: carbon dioxide plant in a contingency plan again supply disruption

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Speaker 1: caused by the war.

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Speaker 2: Yes, so a massive sum of money. And this is

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Speaker 2: to produce carbon dioxide. Why well, because it's used in

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Speaker 2: packaging for food to keep food fresh, so it basically

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Speaker 2: stops the bugs from reproducing and destroying and decaying our

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Speaker 2: vegetables and fruit. It's also used in fizzy drinks. It's

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Speaker 2: also used to stun livestock during slaughter, and it's also

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Speaker 2: used in the healthcare sector as well for certain operations,

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Speaker 2: and it's needed for certain things there. So not having

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Speaker 2: carbon dioxide would be a major problem. Now, back in September,

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Speaker 2: the government agreed to deal with America and America was

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Speaker 2: going to supply all of the UK's carbon dioxide needs. However,

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Speaker 2: of course things have got slightly sticky Zaskia with that,

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Speaker 2: and so consequently now the UK is thinking hmm. Actually

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Speaker 2: we rather regret mothballing that factory and so it's going

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Speaker 2: to be brought out again of that mothballing. State money

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Speaker 2: reinvested a substantial summer money reinvested one hundred million pounds

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Speaker 2: what's that going to be? Two point three billion South

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Speaker 2: African round roughly and the site employs roughly one hundred

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Speaker 2: people three thousand people in supply chain though as well,

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Speaker 2: and I think this is all making us think about

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Speaker 2: things that we supply ourselves and things that we don't

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Speaker 2: rely on other countries. For another big debate here is

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Speaker 2: about steel. Our steel industry has been absolutely gutted as

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Speaker 2: it were, by cheaper imports and we've lost a lot

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Speaker 2: of it. But imagine now if we can't get that steel,

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Speaker 2: then what happens to building be.

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Speaker 3: Infrastructure projects and new builds etc.

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Speaker 2: So that's what the government is looking at here, and

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Speaker 2: it's tough decisions to make when money is so tight.

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Speaker 1: Now at last British forces are now really to act

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Speaker 1: to board and detain ships in Russia's so called shadow

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Speaker 1: fleet in UK waters. Share a little bit more about this, please,

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Speaker 1: Gavin well SASKI.

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Speaker 2: So the rises in oil prices haven't pleased many people,

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Speaker 2: but one people, and one person that it has pleased

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Speaker 2: very considerably is Vladimir putin In and that is because

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Speaker 2: he exports so much oil and has so much ile.

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Speaker 2: Now much of the world is refusing to buy that

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Speaker 2: oil and place sanctions on the ships exporting it, saying right,

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Speaker 2: we're going to ban these ships from waters, and this

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Speaker 2: has been agreed pretty much internationally.

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Speaker 3: Now some countries are still buying Russian oil.

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Speaker 2: One thinks predominantly of China and India, but there are

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Speaker 2: other countries too, and featuring in the news. We know

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Speaker 2: that South Africa hasn't implemented some of these sanctions.

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Speaker 3: That the rest of the rest of the Europe, for instance, has.

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Speaker 2: But in this particular instance, the increasing amount of money

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Speaker 2: generated by oil for Vladimir Putin has basically enabled him

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Speaker 2: to fire up his war against Ukraine. So we're all

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Speaker 2: talking about Iran, but Ukraine is feeling rather left and lost,

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Speaker 2: with the focus that had been on it and on

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Speaker 2: Russia's invasion of it, rather now put on the back burner,

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Speaker 2: which is difficult and painful, and well, with more money

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Speaker 2: going into the Russian war machine could be very very

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Speaker 2: painful and fatal for Ukrainian soldiers and so the so

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Speaker 2: called Shadow Fleet, these vessels that move Russian oil around

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Speaker 2: the various waters, the so called shadow Fleet, they turn

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Speaker 2: off their transponders, so international shipping doesn't know where they

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Speaker 2: are but where they are spotted. The UK has long

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Speaker 2: sought permission to be able to arrest the captains and

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Speaker 2: board the vessel. Well, after months and months and months

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Speaker 2: of prevaricating, they finally think that they found a legal

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Speaker 2: mechanism by which they can do it.

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Speaker 3: There are accusations.

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Speaker 2: SASKI that our Prime Minister here himself a barrister, a

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Speaker 2: legal eagle, is far too concerned about making sure that

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Speaker 2: everything is legally correct and not acting quickly. It is

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Speaker 2: a big criticism against him. But finally, after these weeks

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Speaker 2: and months of indecision, ministers say they've got a legal

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Speaker 2: basis that will allow British forces to board sanctioned vessels.

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Speaker 2: But approval for the military measure was not given until

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Speaker 2: just a day or so ago, and some have said

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Speaker 2: this is far too late. The Prime Minister needs to

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Speaker 2: act a lot faster. And incidentally, also on this score,

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Speaker 2: it would appear that Vladimir Putin's still very much in

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Speaker 2: the minds of people, but that whole war in Ukraine

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Speaker 2: very much taking a back seat after the war in Iran.

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Speaker 1: Now the boss of government backed bank National Savings and

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Speaker 1: Investments has been replaced following a scandal over lost fund.

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Speaker 1: Some thirty seven thousand, five hundred people have been affected,

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Speaker 1: with bereaved families facing delays of accessing their relative's premium

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Speaker 1: bonds of the total value of four and seventy six

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Speaker 1: million pounds. What a scandal. What's going on in US?

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Speaker 3: Yes?

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Speaker 2: Yes, indeed so. The National Savings and Investments is the

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Speaker 2: closest thing we have in the UK to a British bank.

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Speaker 2: We don't really have one, but this is government backed

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Speaker 2: and lots of people go in for something called the

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Speaker 2: premium bonds, where you buy a bit like lottery tickets,

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Speaker 2: but all run by the government, and then you can

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Speaker 2: win a tax free prize at the end of it.

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Speaker 2: If you don't win, however, your investment carries on and

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Speaker 2: you're put into the next month's draw as well, and

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Speaker 2: so on and so on. By many it is seen

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Speaker 2: as a very safe bet because your your premium bonds

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Speaker 2: don't gain in interest, although of course you could win

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Speaker 2: a prize, but equally they don't lose in interest either,

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Speaker 2: so it's it's seen as a safe bet as opposed

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Speaker 2: to putting it in stock markets or shares or whatever. Now,

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Speaker 2: the problem is, when your loved one dies and you

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Speaker 2: get a death certificate here in the UK, you want

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Speaker 2: to be able to access the funds of your loved

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Speaker 2: one quickly, and yet it would appear some people who

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Speaker 2: have tried to do that with National Savings and Investments

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Speaker 2: here in the UK have been told they could have

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Speaker 2: to wait many months because of a shortage of staff.

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Speaker 3: In some instances.

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Speaker 2: They've also claimed not to be able to find the

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Speaker 2: account of the person that you're trying to get the

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Speaker 2: money off, the late person, as it were, the person

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Speaker 2: who's died. And so yes, thirty seven and a half

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Speaker 2: thousand people are waiting on some eleven twelve billion South

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Speaker 2: African roundsworth of funds. Some of the been waiting several months.

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Speaker 2: Six seven months is supposed to be some of the

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Speaker 2: wait times, and it is said to be an absolutely

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Speaker 2: chaotic decision. So it's interesting now that we see the

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Speaker 2: boss has resigned the Chief executive and the government has

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Speaker 2: brought in what I can only describe as a troubleshooter

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Speaker 2: to sort it all out. And I think one of

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Speaker 2: the big things about this has been getting the money

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Speaker 2: back out again, which is supposed to be an instant

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Speaker 2: thing to get the money back out again once you

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Speaker 2: put it in there. If your loved one or family

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Speaker 2: member dies and you have permission to use that account, we're.

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Speaker 1: Talking to you, Gavin Gray with the UK Report. Now,

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Speaker 1: this is one that I've been watching and things are

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Speaker 1: heating up for Sarah Ferguson. A US lawmaker has now

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Speaker 1: made a direct plead to her to testify about her

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Speaker 1: close personal and business ties to convicted child trafficer Jeffrey Epstein.

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Speaker 1: The congressman urged her to provide information to the US

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Speaker 1: Congressional committee investigating the late sex offender. It's also asked

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Speaker 1: for any knowledge that she's had of her ex husband,

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Speaker 1: Andrew mount Batten Windsor's involvement in Epstein's operations. It's really heating.

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Speaker 3: Up, it is very much so.

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Speaker 2: As though it couldn't get much hotter for the former

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Speaker 2: Prince Andrew Andrew mount Batten Windsor, it's certainly getting hot

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Speaker 2: for his ex wife. Now why I mean she is

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Speaker 2: his ex wife with the answers because she had a

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Speaker 2: very close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. She described him as

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Speaker 2: a legend, and that was after his conviction for soliciting

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Speaker 2: prostitution from a minor, and in another letter in two

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Speaker 2: thousand and eight, she said, I'm at your service, Just

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Speaker 2: marry me. She was constantly asking him for money. She

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Speaker 2: constantly called him my best friend and the brother I

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Speaker 2: wish I'd had, etc.

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Speaker 3: Etc.

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Speaker 2: Well, of course, we now know a lot more about

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Speaker 2: Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison, and the authorities in

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Speaker 2: America want to know more about Sarah Ferguson's friendship with

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Speaker 2: Jeffrey Epstein because they believe that she may have information

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Speaker 2: about others involved in that scandal. And they also want

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Speaker 2: to know what she knows about what Prince Andrew as

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Speaker 2: he was then got up to when he was staying

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Speaker 2: with Jeffrey Epstein. Now, Sarah Ferguson, unlike Andrew Matt Backen Windsor,

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Speaker 2: we know where Andrew maunt Baten Windsor is. He's keeping

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Speaker 2: as you would imagine, a very low profile. Sarah Ferguson

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Speaker 2: has completely disappeared. There's all sorts of rumors about where

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Speaker 2: she is and what she's going to be doing next.

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Speaker 2: She's been telling friends she hasn't any money at all.

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Speaker 2: But we're going to wait to see exactly how she

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Speaker 2: can resurrect either her career as an author of children's

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Speaker 2: books or something. But she's yeah, she's going to be

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Speaker 2: very difficult. I would think for some pr person to

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Speaker 2: sell on as being a person of the sort of

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Speaker 2: reputation that you want. With her connections to Epstein, Now

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Speaker 2: we learn that a congressman in America, Sue has Supermannion,

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Speaker 2: has urged her via a letter to provide information to

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Speaker 2: the American Congressional Committee investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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Speaker 2: And in letter they clearly say not just what you know,

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Speaker 2: but also what you have been told by your ex husband,

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Speaker 2: Prince Andrew about his time with Jeffrey Epstein. And they're

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Speaker 2: really pressing on this. But here is the big butt, saskit.

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Speaker 2: They cannot force her to give any witness statements, so

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Speaker 2: this is a request they're trying to put pressure on

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Speaker 2: her to do so. It's obvious that the emails suggests

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Speaker 2: they were very good friends. Sarah Ferguson's representatives have been

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Speaker 2: approached for comment. Nothing has come forward yet on that

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Speaker 2: Andrew mount mackam windsor denies any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

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Speaker 2: But this is a cloud that continues to hang over

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Speaker 2: that pair. But it also hangs over the royal family

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Speaker 2: where I'm afraid as they attend various events, people are

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Speaker 2: often shouting, now, what do you know? What did you

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Speaker 2: know about Andrew's activities?

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Speaker 3: So very very difficult.

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Speaker 1: Situation, and Gavin, that's where we've got to leave it

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Speaker 1: for today, Thank you so much. The UK Report with

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Speaker 1: the Gavin Gray, of course, happens every single weekend right

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Speaker 1: here on Weekend Breakfast with Sarah Jane mcquali King