County Sound, Nottingham (2025)

26/09/2025

NEWS: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told fellow world leaders at the United Nations that his country “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza, giving a defiant speech despite growing international isolation over his refusal to end the devastating war in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu was speaking after dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall en masse on Friday.

“Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure,” he said. “And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won’t.”

Responding to countries’ recent decisions to recognise Palestinian statehood, Mr Netanyahu said: “Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere.”

As the Israeli leader spoke, unintelligible shouts echoed around the hall. The US delegation, which has backed Mr Netanyahu in his campaign against Hamas, stayed put.

The few world powers in attendance, the US and the UK, did not send their most senior officials or even their UN ambassador to their section. Instead, it was filled out with more junior, low-level diplomats.

“Antisemitism dies hard. In fact, it doesn’t die at all,” Mr Netanyahu said. The Israeli prime minister routinely accuses his critics of antisemitism.

Mr Netanyahu faces international isolation, accusations of war crimes and growing pressure to end a conflict he has continued to escalate. Friday’s speech was his chance to push back on the international community’s biggest platform.

As he has often in the past, Mr Netanyahu held up a visual aid — a map of the region titled “The Curse”.

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26/09/2025

Good Morning! It's Friday 26 September 2025, birthdays for actor Ricky Tomlinson (86), The Weakest Link's Anne Robinson (81), singer Bryan Ferry (80), Terminator actress Linda Hamilton (69), Everything But The Girl's Tracey Thorn (63) & ex-tennis player Serena Williams (44).

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.

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

26/09/2025

NEWS: Former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw has said Strictly Come Dancing is “completely” out of his “comfort zone”.

The former rugby player, 39, who retired in 2022, has been paired with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova for the 23rd series of the hit BBC One programme.

Speaking ahead of the first live show this Saturday, Robshaw opened up about the challenges of retiring as a sportsperson and his decision to compete on Strictly.

He told the PA news agency: “I think a lot of sports people really struggle when they retire and it’s about that … adrenaline you miss.

“Stepping into the arena, performing, all that kind of stuff. You can’t really get that intensity.

“So, for me, doing something like this, which is completely out of my comfort zone, on a Saturday night, big crowds, it’s going to be nervy.

“But I think nerves are good as well.

“It focuses the mind, focuses the body and also, how often do you get the opportunity in life to learn a new skill with a top, world-class professional – world champion five times? I mean how often does that happen?

“We often get stuck in our ways, whatever that be, family, work, whatever it is, but to actually retrain – not saying I am suddenly becoming a professional dancer, just putting that out there, but never say never.”

The new series kicked off on Saturday night with its 15 celebrity contestants, including Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston and former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, taking the stage for the first time.

Robshaw’s feelings were echoed by Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis, who is partnered with professional dancer and fellow Australian, Dianne Buswell, who won the series last year with comedian Chris McCausland.

Speaking about stepping into the Strictly world, Dennis said: “I am overwhelmed.

“This is so far removed from what I am used to – I am talking about within a television studio.

“But this, to enter a television studio and be part of this type of glamour and build-up and phenomenon is really weird. I mean really weird.

“I feel uncomfortable for the first time in my life in a television studio, I feel uncomfortable.”

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25/09/2025

NEWS: Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha has signed his first professional contract a month after turning 17 and a year after arriving from Chelsea.

The winger, whose match-winning goal at Newcastle in August made him the club’s youngest goal-scorer aged 16 years and 361 days, has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks and has been rewarded with a three-year deal.

Ngumoha, who has made five senior appearances, made his debut in the FA Cup third-round tie at home to Accrington in January and after impressing in pre-season was made a permanent member of head coach Arne Slot’s first-team squad.

His Premier League debut saw him score the winner at St James’ Park in the 10th minute of added time and his appearance off the bench in last week’s Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid made him the club’s youngest player in European competition.

Chelsea were unhappy with Liverpool’s capture of a player who had been with them since the age of eight and for a while it is understood the club’s scouts were banned from watching matches at the Blues’ academy.

It is believed the Newham-born youngster chose to leave as he believed the pathway on offer was better at Liverpool and that decision appears to have already been vindicated.

Off the pitch the club have announced they issued a record 1,114 lifetime bans for ticket touting, with almost half of those imposed following the discovery of mass manipulation of software last season.

Investigators for the club also shut down 162 social media groups, with a combined membership of more than one million users, involved in selling fake tickets or reselling real tickets and closed 45,000 fake ticketing accounts.

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25/09/2025

NEWS: Barack Obama was presented with the Freedom of the City of Dublin at a clandestine ceremony in the Irish capital.

The former US president said in a statement that he accepted the honour with “deep humility”.

The Irish capital’s highest civic honour is for people who have made “an outstanding contribution to the world” and whose values “reflect those cherished” by Dubliners.

“These are, undoubtedly, times of great challenge and great change,” he said.

“But it is in moments like these that we are reminded of who we truly are.

“We are people, the Irish and Americans, who never stop imagining a brighter future for us all.

“That defiant, enduring hope has always been an unshakeable bond that connects our two countries, and so many others around the world.

“May we continue to strengthen those ties, and keep working to make our world a little more just, more equal, more prosperous, and more free.”

His wife Michelle Obama was also awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin in 2017.

Mr Obama signed the Roll of Honour during the short ceremony and was presented with a gift of a first edition of Ulysses, a bottle of Dublin Whiskey by Teelings and a commemorative scroll with calligraphy by Aoife Lyons.

Crowds had gathered outside the Shelbourne Hotel in the hope of catching a glimpse of the former US president as he arrived after 3.30pm on Thursday.

Some wore American football jerseys while other carried helium balloons depicting US President Donald Trump as a baby.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam said it was a “great honour” to confer the Freedom of the City on Mr Obama on behalf of the citizens of Dublin.

“This award recognises not only his remarkable achievements as president of the United States, but also his steadfast commitment to democracy, equality, and the power of community.

“President Obama has inspired millions around the world with his leadership and his vision for a fairer, more compassionate society.

“It is fitting that Dublin now welcomes him as a freeman of our city.”

Only 88 people have ever received the Freedom of the City since it was first awarded in 1876, including John F Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev.

The Government was represented at the ceremony by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe; former taoiseach Brian Cowen was also in attendance.

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25/09/2025

NEWS: Andy Burnham has said MPs are privately urging him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership in an intervention likely to fuel speculation he could be seeking a return to Westminster.

The Manchester Mayor accused Downing Street of creating a “climate of fear” and said “wholesale change” was required to see off an “existential” threat to the ruling party.

And he set out his vision for how to “turn the country around”, including higher council tax on some homes in southern England and a 50p top rate of income tax, in an interview with the Telegraph.

Mr Burnham said there was a “huge underpayment of tax that should now be corrected” in London and the South East because the rates were based on property valuations from 1991.

The Prime Minister has had a bruising few weeks in which two high-profile Government departures and sustained lag behind Reform UK in the polls sparked questions about his leadership.

Mr Burnham, a former New Labour minister and ex-MP for Leigh, insisted he is not plotting an immediate return to the Commons or wanting to step on the Government’s toes as it seeks a reset at the Labour Party conference.

But in another interview on Wednesday, the senior Labour politician told the New Statesman that the gathering in Liverpool starting on Sunday must answer the question “where is our plan to turn the country around?”

“I’m going to put the question back to people at Labour conference: are we up for that wholesale change?

He said returning to “the old way of doing things in Westminster with minimal change” was an unattractive prospect, but that he was ready to “work with anybody who wants to… put in place a plan to turn the country around.”

“I’m happy to play any role. I am ready to play any role in that. Yes. Because the threat we’re facing is increasingly an existential one.”

Mr Burnham detailed his politics of “aspirational socialism” in comments likely to be seen as a pitch for a future leadership bid amid speculation he could be seeking a return to Westminster.

He called for more public control of housing, energy, water and rail, and to “get back to speaking to working-class ambition”.

He signalled a willingness to work with the Liberal Democrats and Jeremy Corbyn and told the Telegraph he believed Britain should introduce proportional representation to encourage co-operation within the “progressive majority”.

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25/09/2025

Good Morning! It's Thursday 25 September 2025, birthdays for actor Michael Douglas (81), The Good Life's Felicity Kendall (79), Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (74), actor/singer Will Smith (57), actress Catherine Zeta-Jones (56), TV presenter Declan Donnelly (50) & ex-model Jodie Kidd (47).

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.

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

25/09/2025

NEWS: Ukrainians have been cautious in their response to a surprise pivot in US President Donald Trump’s views on their prospects for defeating Russia’s invasion, after he said they could win the three-year war and retake land captured by Russia.

Russian officials, meanwhile, said developments on the battlefield showed Ukraine is unable to reclaim the occupied territory and dismissed Mr Trump’s description of Russia as a “paper tiger”.

“Russia isn’t a tiger, it’s more associated with a bear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“There are no paper bears. Russia is a real bear.”

Some Ukrainians expressed hope that Mr Trump’s words would be backed up by concrete support for Ukraine in Washington, while others were wary about the American president’s unpredictability.

“We need such support from America, from Donald Trump, and we hope that this will continue in the future – the same rhetoric, the same attitude toward us, toward Ukraine, and toward the war in Ukraine,” Olha Voronina, a 66-year-old Kyiv resident, said.

Volodymyr Cheslavskyi, a 48-year-old soldier recovering from a war wound, said he considered Mr Trump to be more interested in making money than helping Ukraine, and kept people guessing about his true intentions with contradictory statements.

“He can say different things each time – he supports Ukraine, or he does not support Ukraine,” Mr Cheslavskyi told The Associated Press (AP) in St Michael’s Square in the Ukrainian capital.

Anna Khudimova, 43, said she believed her country’s armed forces could prevail on the battlefield against Russia’s bigger army.

“But we cannot do it without the help of Nato, without the support of Europe,” she said.

“If Trump influences the situation, then perhaps this can be realistic.”

Russia has occupied around 20% of Ukraine since it annexed Crimea in 2014.

The all-out invasion began in February 2022.

Radio NewsHub

25/09/2025

NEWS: A guitar which belonged to Noel Gallagher and was damaged on the night Oasis broke up is going up for auction, and could sell for half a million pounds.

The band, which are more than halfway through their reunion world tour, split in 2009 after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris, during which Liam Gallagher damaged his brother’s 1960s red Gibson ES-355 guitar.

The guitar will now go under the hammer this October at Propstore’s music memorabilia live auction, with a pre-sale estimate ranging between £250-500,000.

It is among the 150 items from the band that will feature in the auction, along with Noel Gallagher’s Takamine FP460SC acoustic guitar – which was used to record Oasis’ Wonderwall and estimated between £200-400,000.

Zak Starkey, former Drummer for Oasis, said: “I’m extremely proud of my work with Oasis and being able to give fans the opportunity to purchase genuine memorabilia in Propstore’s music auction is a way of them being able to share the journey.”

The auction will feature more than 550 lots from some of the world’s most celebrated artists, with a combined estimated value of more than £3 million.

Other items include John Lennon’s Lost Weekend tinted glasses, which are estimated between £150-300,000, and Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal white fedora – which has been estimated at £40-80,000.

A Kimono owned by Queen’s Freddie Mercury will also go under the hammer, along with a pair of Elvis Presley’s ‘grand prix’ sunglasses, which are both estimated between £8-16,000, and Jimi Hendrix’s handwritten lyrics for his hit song, Straight Ahead – with an estimated sale of £40-£80,000.

Mark Hochman, music specialist at Propstore, said: “Propstore’s auction is a celebration of music history, with guitars that shaped the sound of a generation, handwritten lyrics that capture the first spark of legendary songs, and personal items that offer a glimpse into the lives of the world’s greatest music artists.

“From John Lennon’s unmistakable glasses to Noel Gallagher’s iconic guitars, these are not just collectables; they’re cultural touchstones that have inspired millions.

“The Oasis online auction is a particular highlight, perfectly timed with the band’s return to the stage, and offering fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a tangible piece of their enduring story.”

Propstore’s two-day music memorabilia auction will take place from October 23-24, and begin at 3pm BST on each day.

Radio NewsHub

25/09/2025

NEWS: The Co-operative Group has revealed it slumped to a half-year loss after taking an earnings hit of around £80 million from a “malicious” cyber attack in April.

The retailer said it tumbled to a £75 million underlying pre-tax loss for the six months to July 5, down from profits of £3 million a year ago as the hack took its toll.

It said the attack impacted sales by about £206 million, which left it with an £80 million blow to earnings, although this also included £20 million of non-underlying one-off costs.

Shoppers were faced with empty shelves and issues with payments during the fallout from the cyber incident in April, as a raft of retailers were hit.

Co-op said it fell to a £32 million underlying operating loss, from earnings of £47 million a year earlier.

The group added it expects a further, but reduced, impact in the second half of its financial year.

Debbie White, chairwoman of the Co-op, said: “The first half of 2025 brought significant challenges, most notably from a malicious cyber attack.

“Our balance sheet strength and the magnificent response of our 53,000 colleagues enabled us to maintain vital services for our members and their communities.”

The Co-op said the hacking attempt was “sophisticated” but that it acted “quickly and decisively to temporarily shut down a number of systems to contain the threat”.

The group shut off parts of its IT systems after the attack, in which hackers accessed and extracted members’ personal data.

It confirmed in July that all 6.5 million members of the Co-op had their data stolen in the incident.

The group said previously that the hackers created a copy of one of the firm’s files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install planned ransomware.

It said efforts following the incident included moves to keep essential services running, such as its funerals business, while prioritising stock to rural “lifeline” stores.

It also said it supported independent co-op societies and franchise partners to minimise disruption to them, while it offered its members a £10 discount off a £40 shop as a thank you for their support throughout the disruption.

Chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said: “The cyber attack highlighted many of our strengths.

“But more importantly, it also highlighted areas we need to focus on – particularly in our food business.

“We’ve already started on this journey, refining our member and customer proposition, making structural changes to our business, and setting our Co-op up for long-term success.”

Radio NewsHub

25/09/2025

NEWS: A scholarship for young athletes who are also in university has been launched by Sir Chris Hoy to help them develop their “exceptional talent” in sport and academia.

The six-time Olympic champion launched the Sir Chris Hoy Sports Scholarship Fund alongside the University of Edinburgh.

The funding will support students at the university who are training and competing while studying for their degree.

Twenty students are receiving the funding this year in a bid to help them overcome financial challenges posed by intensive training and competing.

This year’s scholars include Alyson Bell and Phoebe Gill, who are training in athletics, cyclist Amelia Tyler, diver Noah Penman, swimmer Ciara Schlosshan, and mountain biker Emily Carrick-Anderson.

They receive financial support similar to a bursary, as well as access to the sporting facilities, training, nutrition support and physio.

Sir Chris studied applied sports sciences in 1999 at the University of Edinburgh and went on to gain 11 world championship titles and seven Olympic medals, including six golds.

Mr Penman said: “Sir Chris Hoy was a hero of mine growing up and I feel honoured to be awarded this support.

“The scholarship is a gamechanger for me, and will let me free up time to train, invest in new kit, and help me to continue to compete internationally at the highest standard.”

Sir Chris said: “I hope the scholarship will give young students the opportunity to give their all in pursuing their dreams in sport and education.”The financial support and practical support they receive at the university is important to make their sporting dreams a reality.

“For any athlete, your sporting career will end at some point, so gaining an education at the same time is such an important thing to do.

“I am excited to see what amazing things this first cohort of scholars will go on to do.”

Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: “Sir Chris is an inspiration to all of us at the university and we are proud that he is part of our alumni community.

“This investment in our athletes ensures that the university can continue to nurture their exceptional talent.”

Radio NewsHub

25/09/2025

NEWS: Ukrainians have been cautious in their response to a surprise pivot in US President Donald Trump’s views on their prospects for defeating Russia’s invasion, after he said they could win the three-year war and retake land captured by Russia.

Russian officials, meanwhile, said developments on the battlefield showed Ukraine is unable to reclaim the occupied territory and dismissed Mr Trump’s description of Russia as a “paper tiger”.

“Russia isn’t a tiger, it’s more associated with a bear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“There are no paper bears. Russia is a real bear.”

Some Ukrainians expressed hope that Mr Trump’s words would be backed up by concrete support for Ukraine in Washington, while others were wary about the American president’s unpredictability.

“We need such support from America, from Donald Trump, and we hope that this will continue in the future – the same rhetoric, the same attitude toward us, toward Ukraine, and toward the war in Ukraine,” Olha Voronina, a 66-year-old Kyiv resident, said.

Volodymyr Cheslavskyi, a 48-year-old soldier recovering from a war wound, said he considered Mr Trump to be more interested in making money than helping Ukraine, and kept people guessing about his true intentions with contradictory statements.

“He can say different things each time – he supports Ukraine, or he does not support Ukraine,” Mr Cheslavskyi told The Associated Press in St Michael’s Square in the Ukrainian capital.

Anna Khudimova, 43, said she believed her country’s armed forces could prevail on the battlefield against Russia’s bigger army.

“But we cannot do it without the help of NATO, without the support of Europe,” she said.

“If Trump influences the situation, then perhaps this can be realistic.”

Russia has occupied around 20% of Ukraine since it annexed Crimea in 2014.

The all-out invasion began in February 2022.

In comments on Tuesday at the United Nations and on social media, Mr Trump took a swipe at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s leadership, made cutting remarks about Russia’s military prowess and derided the Russian economy’s performance.

He also said NATO countries should shoot down Russian warplanes entering their airspace.

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