Beacon Radio, Independent Local Radio Limited, Enterprise Centre, David Lane, Basford, Nottingham (2025)

20/08/2025

NES: Hundreds of Kneecap supporters waving flags and holding banners have greeted one of the rap trio’s members as he arrived at court for allegedly supporting a proscribed terror organisation.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.

Demonstrations in support of the rapper were organised outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London where he arrived on Wednesday, as well as in Dublin.

The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court can take place, saying they are needed to “prevent serious disruption”.

O hAnnaidh, who arrived at court alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, was swamped by photographers outside, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building.

Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh sat at the back of the courtroom with three others as O hAnnaidh confirmed his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing.

Hundreds of supporters greeted the Kneecap rapper with cheers as he made his way from a silver people-carrier to the building.

Fans held signs which read “Free Mo Chara” while others waved Palestine and Irish flags before the rapper’s arrival at court.

Chants of “free, free, Mo Chara” could also be heard over a megaphone, which was repeated by the crowd.

In response to the Met imposing conditions on the protest, Kneecap described this move as a “calculated political decision” that was “designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome”, and “asked supporters to go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful”.

O hAnnaidh received a rockstar welcome when he appeared at the same court in June, supported by Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh.

He was greeted by a festival-like atmosphere for his first court appearance, with dozens of fans waving flags, playing drums and one supporter setting off a smoke canister.

The court previously heard the 27-year-old defendant is “well within his rights” to voice his opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, was a “wholly different thing”.

O hAnnaidh is yet to enter a plea to the charge.

Radio NewsHub

20/08/2025

NEWS: Children who v**e are more likely to go on to be smokers, be diagnosed with asthma and have poor mental health, a new analysis suggests.

The largest global review on va**ng in young people found “consistent evidence” that children who v**e are three times more likely to go on to become smokers.

The study also pointed to links between va**ng and increased odds of respiratory illness and substance abuse including drinking and ma*****na use.

Experts from the University of York and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analysed all available reviews on youth va**ng – also known as an umbrella review.

This including 56 reviews on 384 studies.

Some 21 of these looked at use of e-cigarettes among young people and later cigarette smoking.

Not only were v**ers more likely to smoke in later life, they were also more likely to smoke more frequently and intensely, experts said.

Researchers also tracked breathing problems linked to youth va**ng.

The data suggested an increased risk among young people who v**e of developing asthma or asthma exacerbation.

Other harmful outcomes linked to youth va**ng included pneumonia, bronchitis, lower total s***m counts, dizziness, headaches and migraines.

There was also a link identified between depression and suicidal thoughts among young v**ers.

Writing in the journal To***co Control, the authors said the data available “consistently indicated a significant association between e-cigarette use and later cigarette smoking in young people”.

Radio NewsHub

20/08/2025

NEWS: Nearly three in five young graduates wrongly believe they must start repaying their student loans as soon as they get any job, a report has suggested.

A study, by the Policy Institute at King’s College London (KCL), and the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, reveals a number of misunderstandings about universities – including tuition fees and student debt.

The survey, of more than 2,000 adults in the UK in June, suggests that the public believes around 40% of graduates would not go to university if they could choose again.

But the actual proportion who say this is only 8% – as measured in a survey last year, the report said.

Many also misunderstand how student debt works, particularly young graduates themselves, it found.

More than a third (35%) of the public wrongly think university graduates must start paying back their student loan as soon as they get any paid job, which rises to 58% among graduates aged 18 to 34.

The report also suggests that the public underestimates higher education’s contribution to the economy.

Only 6% correctly ranked the University of Oxford as having the highest revenue out of a list of seven organisations – even though its income was more than £1 billion higher than Greggs (the second on the list).

The study also found that 13% of the public believe that remaining in the UK to seek asylum is the most common outcome among overseas students who entered the country three years prior.

But only 0.5% of international students do this, the report suggested.

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the policy institute at KCL, said the standout finding for him was the “overestimation” of the sense of regret about going to university.

“This will be driven by vivid, individual stories of graduate regret and the generally negative background noise about the declining value of a degree,” he said.

Prof Duffy: “It’s extremely difficult to first get public attention, and then cut through the noise of individual negative stories that are much more likely to stick in our minds.”

Nick Hillman, director of the Hepi, said: “Universities are bigger in terms of income and employment and more successful in terms of student outcomes than the public often recognise.

“However, it would be absurd to blame the voters for this major misunderstanding.

“Those of us who work in the higher education sector have not done a good enough job of telling people the true role of universities in modern Britain today.

“We should start correcting that record by inviting more people onto more campuses more often.”

Radio NewsHub

20/08/2025

Good Morning! It's Wednesday 20 August 2025, birthdays for Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant (77), comedian Joe Pasquale (64), Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst (55), comedian David Walliams (54), singer Jamie Cullum (46) & snooker player Judd Trump (36).

Andy Lloyd's Morning Show is live every weekday from 09:00 with three hours of music, news & sport with The Retro Chart, Old Shaw's Almanac, The Bradshaws, a featured birthday artist & Nuts at Nine.

Brits are opting for a new style of send-off and putting the fun in funeral with songs ranging from Frank Sinatra to football theme tunes. Gill Stewart of Co-Op Funeralcare is joining us at 10:30 to discuss the move away from more traditional hymns for that final curtain call.

Support the programme: coff.ee/andylloyd, paypal.me/andrewlloyd or buy a cool morning show mug www.radiomugs.com

20/08/2025

NEWS: Tommy Fury has admitted he was downing “20 shots a night” and drinking to get “blackout drunk” ahead of his split with Molly-Mae Hague.
The boxer, 26, met Hague on ITV dating show Love Island in 2019 and the pair have a daughter, Bambi.

The news of their split in August 2024, just more than a year after their engagement, sparked shock and speculation he had been unfaithful.

Fury, the half-brother of boxer Tyson, denies the rumours in his new BBC Three docu-series Tommy: The Good, The Bad, The Fury, saying he started drinking heavily after injuring his hand.

He said: “The reason for our ending the relationship was alcohol.”

He added: “I couldn’t train, box, lift weights, that was all gone.

“My right hand was messed up, I was in dire pain, it’s just what happens over years of impact on the hand.

“I had lost my entire identity, lost my life.”

In the first episode of the show, Fury’s father John says he urged Hague to leave his son, saying: “I knew from dealing with Tyson, when the drinking started to come into play I thought ‘Not again’.

“I did say to Molly, because she came to me, what you’re best off doing with him, Molly, is walking away, because if he’s not going to change himself, he doesn’t think that much of you.”

Revealing how much he was drinking at the time, Fury said: “I hold my hands up, drink got hold of me – 20 shots a night, 20 beers.

“Every day I would have a drink and I would drink to get blackout drunk, and that is what led to me not being the right partner to Molly.”

Radio NewsHub

20/08/2025

NEWS: The Government has agreed a new deal with Iraq to return illegal migrants as part of wider moves to limit small boat crossings.

The deal, signed by Home Office minister Dan Jarvis, will set up a formal process to return Iraqis who have arrived in the UK with no right to stay in the country.

It comes after an £800,000 deal last year with Baghdad to help the country crack down on smuggling networks and organised crime.

Earlier this year Sir Keir Starmer and Iraq’s prime minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani agreed to strengthen co-operation on migration.

Mr Jarvis signed the agreement during a visit to the UK by Iraq’s deputy foreign minister Faud Hussein. The Home Office said the accord would allow the “swift” return of illegal migrants.

Home Office statistics said since previous deals, the number of Iraqis arriving in the UK by small boat has fallen to 1,900 in the year to March 2025, down from 2,600 in the previous year.

Mr Jarvis said: “By working together on security, development and migration challenges, we are building stronger relationships that benefit both our countries whilst tackling shared challenges like organised crime and irregular migration.”

The returns deal is the latest as part of the Home Office’s policies to stop small boats crossing the channel.

Similar agreements have already been made with Albania and Vietnam since Labour came into power.

Radio NewsHub

20/08/2025

NEWS: Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has told the UK boss of car manufacturer Stellantis she has “serious concerns” about the impact on drivers from its recall of cars.

The company announced an immediate and rare “stop-drive” order for certain models on June 20 because of a potentially fatal airbag safety fault.

In the UK this is affecting owners of its Citroen and DS Automobiles-branded cars, with many facing several weeks off the road because of difficulties having the issue rectified.

In a letter seen by the PA news agency, Ms Alexander wrote to Eurig Druce, UK group managing director of Stellantis, calling for “immediate steps” to improve the recall process.

This included ensuring all affected owners are “provided with viable alternatives” – whether through courtesy cars, financial compensation or at-home repairs – as existing arrangements are “not meeting expectations”.

She wrote: “I am writing to you to express serious concerns about the customer impact of the stop-drive recall currently affecting Citroen and DS Automobiles cars in the United Kingdom.

“While I acknowledge and commend the pace at which Stellantis has initiated and progressed the recall programme, I must make clear that the level of disruption experienced by UK motorists – particularly the most vulnerable – is unacceptable.

“I have received numerous reports from Members of Parliament and their constituents detailing distressing experiences, lack of clear guidance, and inadequate support for alternative transport arrangements.”

The Cabinet minister added that the recall has “exposed significant gaps in customer support and transparency”, and while Stellantis has conveyed its intentions to minimise the burden on consumers, this has “not been the experience for many of those affected”.

Models equipped with Takata airbags are being recalled because chemicals in the inflators may deteriorate over time, which could cause the bag to rupture.

No incidents have been reported in the UK, but Stellantis issued the “stop-drive” order across Europe after a woman in France was killed when her airbag exploded.

Radio NewsHub

19/08/2025

NEWS: A Virgin Atlantic flight attendant reported for duty four times over the alcohol limit after crashing her car on the way to the airport, a court has heard.

Kathryn Scott, 44, had to be removed from a plane at Heathrow after drinking wine the night before.

The cabin crew member crashed her black Hyundai at a roundabout and had to be driven to work by a member of the public after leaving her car at the scene, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court was told.

Scott appeared at court on Tuesday wearing a black jacket and trousers, where she denied a single charge of performing an aviation function when over the alcohol limit on June 12.

After her crash was reported to the police, she was removed from the plane until officers arrived, the court heard.

Scott admitted to being in an accident and said she had two glasses of wine eight hours before the flight.

A test showed she had 91 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, more than four times the 20 milligram legal limit for flight attendants in the UK.

Magistrates were told she has been diagnosed with a liver condition, which means she may not be able to break down alcohol in the usual way.

She also blames the crash on a fault with her car’s steering, the court heard.

Scott, of Ottershaw, Surrey, was bailed to appear at the same court for trial on December 11.

Radio NewsHub

19/08/2025

NEWS: Sir Keir Starmer has hailed a “breakthrough” in efforts to end the war in Ukraine as Donald Trump said he would broker a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents and that the US would back European security guarantees.

The Prime Minister was one of several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, who travelled to Washington on Monday as Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with the US President.

Sir Keir said work with the US on what the security guarantees would entail could start as soon as Tuesday.

“The two outcomes were a real significant breakthrough when it comes to security guarantees, because we’re now going to be working with the US on those security guarantees,” he told the BBC.

“We’ve tasked our teams, some of them are even arriving tomorrow, to start the detailed work on that.”

The Prime Minister will co-chair a call on Tuesday morning of the so-called “coalition of the willing”, a group of nations looking to help Ukraine that he has been leading with Mr Macron.

Mr Trump said he had spoken directly with Vladimir Putin to begin planning a meeting between the Russian leader and Mr Zelensky, which will then be followed by a three-way meeting involving himself.

The US president said Moscow will “accept” multinational efforts to guarantee Ukraine’s security.

Mr Zelensky, meanwhile, said he was “ready” for bilateral and trilateral meetings.

But he told reporters following the White House meeting that if Russia does “not demonstrate a will to meet, then we will ask the United States to act accordingly”.

Radio NewsHub

19/08/2025

NEWS: The proportion of children saying they have seen po*******hy online has risen in the past two years, according to a report which also found most are likely to have stumbled upon it accidentally.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said her research is evidence that harmful content is being presented to children through dangerous algorithms, rather than them seeking it out.

She described the content young people are seeing as “violent, extreme and degrading” and often illegal, and said her office’s findings must be seen as a “snapshot of what rock bottom looks like”.

More than half (58%) of respondents to the survey said that, as children, they had seen po*******hy involving strangulation, while 44% reported seeing a depiction of r**e – specifically someone who was asleep.

Made up of responses from 1,020 people aged between 16 and 21 years old, the report also found that while children were on average aged 13 when they first saw po*******hy, more than a quarter (27%) said they were 11, and some reported being aged “six or younger”.

The research suggested four in 10 respondents felt girls can be “persuaded” to have s*x even if they say no at first, and that young people who had watched po*******hy were more likely to think this way.

The report, a follow-on from research by the Children’s Commissioner’s office in 2023, found a higher proportion (70%) of people saying they had seen online po*******hy before turning 18, up from 64% of respondents two years ago.

Boys (73%) were more likely than girls (65%) to report seeing online po*******hy.

A majority (59%) of children and young people said they had seen po*******hy online by accident – a rise from 38% in 2023.

The X platform, formerly Twitter, remained the most common source of po*******hy for children, with 45% saying they had seen it there compared with 35% seeing it on dedicated po*******hy sites – a gap which has widened in the past two years.

Radio NewsHub

19/08/2025

NEWS: Children and teenagers are being bombarded with videos and pictures of unhealthy food online, polling suggests, with youngsters more likely to engage with content about junk food if it is shared by influencers.

Cancer Research UK said that ministers must do more to protect young people from “harmful marketing that could increase their risk of obesity and cancer in the future”.

New laws, which come into force next year, will end paid-for advertising, including online, of specific foods which are high in fat, sugar and salt.

The charity said that it is important for the implementation of the legislation to go ahead as planned after repeated delays.

And it warned that not all exposure to junk food will end when the new laws come into place as there will still be online advertising loopholes.

Some children reported that seeing content about food high in fat, salt and sugar made them feel tempted or hungry.

“A giant cookie bowl keeps showing up, when I see it, I feel like ordering a dessert and I feel really hungry,” an 11 year-old told the charity.

A 15-year-old said: “I’d say at least every two minutes that I’m on Instagram I’d see at least one food-related post.”

Liv Cheek, prevention policy manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Being overweight or obese is the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK after smoking, and rates among young people are rising.

“Our survey shows more than half of young people regularly see unhealthy food and drink content online, often promoted by influencers.

“Advertising can shape what children eat, so the UK Government must help create an online environment that empowers, rather than undermines, healthy changes".

Radio NewsHub

19/08/2025

Good Morning! It's Tuesday 19 August 2025, birthdays for singer Billy J Kramer (82), Deep Purple's Ian Gillan (80), BBC journalist Jennie Bond (75), Queen's John Deacon (74), Europe singer Joey Tempest (62) & Inbetweeners actor Simon Bird (41).

Andy Lloyd's Morning Show is live every weekday from 09:00 with three hours of music, news & sport with The Retro Chart, Old Shaw's Almanac, The Bradshaws, a featured birthday artist & Nuts at Nine.

At 10:30 home security expert Karl Wooley is joining us to discuss the biggest mistakes new homeowners make after getting the keys to their new homes.

Support the programme: coff.ee/andylloyd, paypal.me/andrewlloyd or buy a cool morning show mug www.radiomugs.com

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