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5.21PM, Mon Jun 6 2005
ITV http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_938243.html

More than 1.5 million people have already texted to be entered into the lottery for Live 8 concert tickets.

Radio and television stations and websites across the country earlier released a special phone number to text along with a multiple choice question.

The question is: The forthcoming G8 summit is being held near which city this July? A) Berlin, B) Moscow, C) Edinburgh. Anyone wanting to have a go has to text A, B or C to the telephone number 84599 before midnight on June 12.

There is no limit to the number of times people can enter but texts cost £1.50 - plus standard network charge - and competitors must be 16-years-old or older.

There are just 150,000 tickets are available for the concert where winners will get the chance to see the likes of Madonna, Robbie Williams and Sir Paul McCartney.

A computer will randomly select lucky winners who will each be given two tickets for the gig in Hyde Park on July 2. For those who miss out it will also be shown on big screens in seven cities across the UK.

Politicians are doing their bit too with Prime Minister Tony Blair flying to Washington for talks with President George W Bush on third world debt relief.