Across the UK, online, on DAB and on your smart speaker, the Independent Republic of Mike Graham, on Talk Radio.

Good morning and welcome to the Independent Republic of Mike Graham right here on Talk Radio.

We've reached the middle of yet another tumultuous week and here is the news so far.

Pritchie Patel is still in her job despite a massive campaign to smear her by the civil service.

The Italians have banned kissing in an effort to block the further spread of coronavirus.

We've been told to put our lives on hold for three months to prepare

for the worst. That news coming out of Downing Street. And we're all going to be driving around in

cars pretty soon fueled by crops. Marvelous, isn't it? We'll be bringing you up to date with all the

latest news from Downing Street after their pandemic plan was revealed yesterday. Some of the news

this morning is like something out of a science fiction movie. There's talk about facial scanning.

There's talk about temperatures being taken by robots. There's talk of shutting things down.

Even Parliament, very possibly, might succumb. I was talking to some MPs last night at a function

I was at, and some of them are thinking that Parliament itself may cease to function in the normal

way that it does at the moment.

First up though, we're talking British troops and a new deployment.

As if they haven't got enough going on, it turns out we are now sending 250 soldiers to Mali,

one of the world's Islamic extremist trouble spots, which is described as extremely messy and complex.

Now, according to the Ministry of Defence, if we don't send these

soldiers out there, it may well mean that there's a bunch of refugees heading our way, and

we've all seen what's happening on the border between Greece and Turkey, and I guess we don't

want any of that. But we'll be talking to Rear Admiral Dr. Chris Parry to take his view on

all of it. Coming up later on, we'll be discussing why the housing business can't seem to work out what to do next. And we'll be bringing you Prime Minister's

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