Derwent Sound (2025)

21/08/2025

NEWS: Teenagers who moved from primary to secondary school in the middle of the pandemic are waking up to their GCSE results, with more than one in five entries expected to score the top grades.

Pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving GCSE and level 2 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) grades to help them progress on to sixth form, college or training.

Teenagers could face more competition for sixth form places this summer, it has been suggested.

Last year, more than a fifth (21.8%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 or an A grade, down from 22.0% in 2023.

But it remained higher than in 2019 – the year before the Covid-19 pandemic – when 20.8% of UK GCSE entries scored the top grades.

In England, Ofqual brought GCSE grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland returned to pre-pandemic grading last year.

The move came after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, has suggested that the proportion of GCSE entries scoring the top grades this summer could be similar to last year but remain higher than in 2019.

Last week, the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades surpassed pre-pandemic highs.

This summer, more than 95,000 pupils in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will receive their results using an app as part of a Government pilot.

The Education Record, which will bring pupils’ GCSE exam results and certificates into one app, aims to help young people when applying to further education, apprenticeships or employment.

Many of the pupils who are receiving their GCSE results this summer were in Year 6 when schools closed because of the pandemic.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

NEWS: A majority of people back the idea of new housing or developments where they live, new data has indicated.

The poll of 2,005 people conducted by Public First in July found that 55% of respondents would “generally support new buildings or developments or buildings being built in my local area”.

The research found that Labour backers (72%) and young people aged 25-34 (67%) were most likely to be “Yimby” (yes in my backyard).

Reform backers (44%) and people in the East of England (44%) were the most likely groups to say that they generally oppose development in their locality, the poll found.

Overall, 33% of people said that they would generally oppose development.

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to put “builders not blockers first” and “overhaul the broken planning system”.

In December, the Prime Minister announced new mandatory targets for councils when it comes to housebuilding.

He said at the time: “Our plan for change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets.”

In its report, The Quiet Yes, released on Thursday, Public First argued that a “more representative planning system” is needed.

The policy research organisation recommended that councils bring in changes to surveys and research on public opinion on building plans and questions about how residents would want councils to spend certain money earmarked for development.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

Good Morning! It's Thursday 21 August 2025, birthdays for actress Kim Cattrall (69), actress Carrie-Anne Moss (58), singer Dina Carroll (57), The Prodigy's Liam Howlett (54), Olympian Usain Bolt (39) & Lioness Millie Bright (32).

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.

Teacher Bobby Seagull is joining us at 10:30 to discuss today's GCSE results and the electrifying problem of high fuel bills - and what we can do to help reduce them.

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

21/08/2025

NEWS: Paul Weller - the former frontman with The Jam & The Style Council is suing his former accountants after they stopped working with the singer after public statements alleging Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, according to a legal letter.

The former frontman of The Jam has filed a discrimination claim against Harris and Trotter after the firm ended their professional relationship after more than 30 years.

In a pre-action letter, lawyers for Weller say the singer-songwriter was told in March that the accountants and tax advisers would no longer work with the 67-year-old or his companies.

According to the letter, a WhatsApp message from a partner at the firm included: “It’s well known what your political views are in relation to Israel, the Palestinians and Gaza, but we as a firm are offended at the assertions that Israel is committing any type of genocide.

“Everyone is entitled to their own views, but you are alleging such anti-Israel views that we as a firm with Jewish roots and many Jewish partners are not prepared to work with someone who holds these views.”

Lawyers for Weller claim that by ending their services, the firm unlawfully discriminated against the singer’s protected philosophical beliefs including that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that Palestine should be recognised as a nation state.

Weller said: “I’ve always spoken out against injustice, whether it’s apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or genocide. What’s happening to the Palestinian people in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe.

“I believe they have the right to self-determination, dignity, and protection under international law, and I believe Israel is committing genocide against them. That must be called out.

“Silencing those who speak this truth is not just censorship – it’s complicity.

“I’m taking legal action not just for myself, but to help ensure that others are not similarly punished for expressing their beliefs about the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Weller will donate any damages he receives to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, the legal letter also states.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

NEWS: Belief among young adults that use of force against a child is unacceptable has grown stronger in recent years according to new polling which has prompted campaigners to make a fresh call for a change in the law.

Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland introduced a similar ban in November 2020.

But it is not completely outlawed in England and Northern Ireland.

According to the Children Act 2004, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is “reasonable punishment”, and this is judged on a case-by-case basis.

New polling for the NSPCC, carried out by YouGov, suggests around eight in 10 people (82%) aged between 18 and 24 believe it is unacceptable for a parent to use force, however slight, against a child.

This is an increase from 64% of young adults who thought it was unacceptable when polled in 2023.

Among parents specifically, the figures have remained high in recent years, with the latest polling showing 81% felt this way, up slightly from 80% last year and from 76% in 2022.

YouGov surveyed 3,800 adults across England in July, of which 749 were parents with a child under 18 and 198 were aged 18 to 24 years old.

Of all adults surveyed, 71% said they believe physical punishment against a child is unacceptable, up from 67% in 2023.

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21/08/2025

NEWS: A member of rap trio Kneecap faces a month-long wait to find out whether his terrorism charge will be thrown out.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was once again greeted by hundreds of fans as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for a three-hour hearing.

Prosecutors allege the 27-year-old displayed a flag in support of proscribed terror organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year.

During Wednesday’s hearing, his defence team argued the case should be thrown out, citing a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought.

Brenda Campbell KC told the court the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21.

She said consent was given the following day, but that meant the charge falls outside of the six-month time frame in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought.

Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said permission was not required until the defendant’s first court appearance and that permission did not need to be sought in order to bring a criminal charge.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will rule on whether he has the jurisdiction to try the case.

Hundreds of Kneecap supporters waving flags and holding banners greeted O hAnnaidh as he arrived at court alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh.

Demonstrations in support of the rapper were organised outside the court building in London, as well as in Dublin.

Radio NewsHub

21/08/2025

NEWS: UK inflation rose by more than expected in July as demand for summer travel pushed up air fares and food prices continued to climb, according to official figures.

Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation increased to 3.8% in July, from 3.6% in June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

It means the headline rate remained at the highest level since January 2024, when it hit 4%.

The ONS said transport was the biggest factor driving up overall inflation last month, particularly due to a spike in flight prices as families booked trips during the school summer holidays.

Air fares soared by 30.2% between June and July, the biggest jump since the collection of monthly data began in 2001.

The average price of petrol rose by 2p per litre between June and July, and the average diesel price by 2.9p per litre over the period, the data showed.

Prices across UK restaurants and hotels also increased last month, largely driven by a jump in overnight hotel stays booked the night before.

Most economists had been forecasting inflation to rise to 3.7%.

Food and drink inflation rose to 4.9% in July, from 4.5% in June.

This marked the fourth month in a row that the annual rate had increased and remained at the highest level since February 2024.

Radio NewsHub

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.”

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