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01/10/2025

NEWS: Secondary pupils who say they are struggling academically at school are more likely to report having more negative experiences on their phones, a study has found.

Students were particularly likely to have encountered content involving eating disorders, self-harm and su***de, and upsetting messages in online chat groups with other pupils if they said they were struggling compared with if they said they were thriving or “coasting” at school, the research by UWE Bristol academics found.

The study, which surveyed 3,721 secondary pupils at six schools in and around Bristol, asked students whether they were “thriving”, “coasting, or “struggling” at school.

Pupils were most likely to report themselves as coasting (52%). Only 10% said they were struggling at school.

Senior lecturer at UWE Bristol’s School of Education and Childhood and study author Dr Ben Knight said young people who are struggling are likely to be experiencing several forms of struggle.

“It may not be a surprise, therefore, that they report higher degrees of challenge associated with their smartphone and social media use. In this context, we see this cohort as being particularly vulnerable to the most troubling dimensions of smartphone use,” he added.

Researchers also found a disconnect between the concerns parents had over their children’s phone use, and the negative experiences students actually reported.

The 1,595 parents that were also surveyed as part of the study overestimated problems their children were experiencing around being ignored or left out, receiving nasty messages, having sleep problems, or having drama with friends, researchers said.

However, parents underestimated the extent to which their children reported seeing disturbing and illegal content, su***de and self harm content, eating disorder content, and being contacted by strangers.

Dr Paul Redford, study co-author and associate professor, said: “The overall picture is that there are much more serious negative things going on with young people and their smartphones than parents are aware of.”

Dr Knight said the disconnect is likely a result of what children are and are not sharing with parents.

“There’s a great deal more at stake for the young people than there is for the parents. They could be thinking ‘If my parents or teachers were aware of the extent to which I’m seeing certain content, then maybe they take my phone away’,” he said.

Students reported they were most likely to have negative experiences on their phones through group chats, followed by on social media.

The study also surveyed 352 secondary school teachers across the schools, and found more than 70% reported having seen pupils tired thanks to phone use.

Seven in 10 also said they had witnessed conflict in school that started outside school because of phones, and 65% said they had witnessed bullying because of phone use.

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01/10/2025

NEWS: Sir Keir Starmer said the Government will revisit how international law is interpreted as it addresses the challenge of mass migration.

The Prime Minister said the way UK courts interpret international laws such as the European Convention on Human Rights needs to be re-examined.

“We need to look again at the interpretation of some of these provisions, not tear them down,” he told the BBC.

The remarks were made in the wake of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s speech at the Labour Party conference, during which she detailed plans to tighten the rules for migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain, a status allowing legal migrants to settle in the UK without visa renewal.

Under the proposed changes, migrants would need to demonstrate they are contributing to society, including speaking English to a high standard and maintaining a clean criminal record in order to qualify for permanent residency in the UK.

Sir Keir told Radio 4’s Today programme that countries were experiencing “mass migration in a way that we have not seen in previous years”.

He added: “I believe that those genuinely fleeing persecution should be afforded asylum, and that is a compassionate act.”

The comments follow the Prime Minister’s claim that Nigel Farage and his supporters are not racist, even as he labelled the Reform Party’s immigration policy “racist” and “immoral”.

Sir Keir and his colleagues stepped up their attacks on Mr Farage’s party, repeatedly branding Reform’s policy to remove the right to remain from some migrants legally living in Britain as “racist” and “immoral”.

The PM also declined to say US President Donald Trump’s claims that London wants to “go to Sharia Law” were “racist”, but described them as “nonsense”.

Speaking with Sky’s Beth Rigby, as part of a series of interviews following the embattled PM’s keynote speech at this year’s Labour Party conference, Sir Keir said he did not believe Mr Farage was racist.

He said: “No, nor do I think Reform voters are racist.

“They’re concerned about things like our borders, they’re frustrated about the pace of change.

“I’m not for a moment suggesting that they are racist.”

He insisted he had been talking about a “particular policy”, claiming Reform’s plans would see migrants who live in the UK lawfully deported, saying “that to me would tear our country apart”.

The Labour leader, who described Mr Farage as a “formidable politician”, declined to say whether he believed his opponent was courting racists with the policy, but said minorities in the UK felt a “shiver down their throat”.

Labour’s conference will conclude on Wednesday with speeches from Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

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01/10/2025

NEWS: The mayor of London has hailed the success of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) as new Government data revealed that the capital has met legal limits for toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution for the first time.

Sir Sadiq Khan said he is “thrilled” that London has achieved the “historic milestone”.

In 2019, experts at Kings College London estimated that without further action it would take 193 years for London to meet legal limits, but City Hall said Sir Sadiq has achieved this aim in nine years.

The figures, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on Tuesday, revealed that London met the air quality standards regulations for the first time in 2024, while Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool exceeded those limits.

Sir Sadiq extended the controversial scheme from everywhere within the North and South Circular roads to cover all London boroughs on August 29 2023, creating the world’s biggest pollution charging zone.

He said: “This is incredible news. I’m thrilled that London has achieved this historic milestone of meeting the legal limits for nitrogen dioxide for the first time. I remember being told that it would take 193 years to reach legal limits. I decided that this was unacceptable and thanks to the bold policies we put in place, we’ve managed to do it in just nine years – 184 years early.

“This means that almost 10 million people are now breathing cleaner air, fewer children are growing up with stunted lungs and fewer people will have to suffer from asthma, dementia and heart disease, which means big savings for the NHS.

“It wasn’t always easy. When we first introduced the ULEZ and then expanded it London-wide, we faced huge pressure from different quarters who wanted to obstruct and slow us down. But pressing on was the right thing to do. It’s made an even bigger difference that we predicted. I’ll continue to work with the Government, London boroughs and partners to continue building a healthier, greener, fairer London for everyone.”

Professor Frank Kelly, of the environmental research group at Imperial College London said: “London’s compliance with the UK’s annual mean NO2 limit value in 2024 marks a truly remarkable turnaround for the city’s air quality.

“Just five years ago, research we undertook estimated it could take nearly two centuries to reach this milestone without decisive action.”

Since the mayor took office in 2016, levels of NO2 at roadsides has nearly halved, according to City Hall, and he has pledged to continue to tackle air pollution in the capital with plans to electrify all of London’s bus fleet and introduce more charging points for electric vehicles.

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01/10/2025

NEWS: Business confidence slumped to its lowest level on record last month amid concerns over soaring costs, according to a new survey of company bosses.

Data from the Institute of Directors showed that firms said higher labour costs has been the biggest contributor to growing pessimism about the economy.

The industry group’s monthly economic confidence index, which measures business leader optimism about the prospects of the UK economy, posted a minus 74 reading for September.

It marked a significant decline from minus 61 and struck the lowest level since the index was launched more than nine years ago.

The previous record low was a reading of minus 72 recorded in July this year in the face of worries over trade tensions.

In the fresh research, business bosses also saw cost expectations increase to reading of plus 89 amid an uptick in inflation.

Around 83% of surveyed leaders linked the worsening outlook to higher labour costs, while supply chain inflation and energy costs were also highlighted as significant factors.

Labour costs jumped for many firms from April after the Government increased the national minimum wage and National Insurance Contributions for businesses.

Anna Leach, chief economist at the IoD, said: “Business confidence has plumbed new depths in September, following a fleeting improvement at the tag-end of summer.

“Conditions worsened across the board, with cost expectations hitting a record high, driven notably by employment costs. Investment expectations declined again, although remained somewhat above the most recent low in November 2024.

“Meanwhile headcount expectations continue to seesaw as the effects of the April rises in employment taxes and the living wage, alongside future concerns over employment regulations, continue to reverberate across companies.”

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: “Business confidence has been shattered, not by global uncertainty, but by deliberate choices made by the Labour government.”

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01/10/2025

NEWS: Sir Keir Starmer said the UK stands at a “fork in the road” as he sought to unite Labour and the country behind him against Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

The Prime Minister told Labour’s party conference in Liverpool the country faced a “defining choice” for its future.

There was a “fight for the soul of our country” which was as big a challenge as rebuilding the UK from the rubble after the Second World War.

He said: “We can all see our country faces a choice, a defining choice.

“Britain stands at a fork in the road.

“We can choose decency or we can choose division.”

The Prime Minister, who went into the party conference trailing Reform in the polls and with his leadership facing questions, said Mr Farage “doesn’t believe in Britain” and wants to create “a competition of victims”.

Sir Keir said Mr Farage “doesn’t like Britain” and “doesn’t believe in Britain”.

“We can all see these snake oil merchants, on the right, on the left, but be in no doubt, conference, none of them have any interest in national renewal, because decline is good for their business,” he said.

“When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage say anything positive about Britain’s future?

“He can’t. He doesn’t like Britain, doesn’t believe in Britain, wants you to doubt it as much as he does.

“And so he resorts to grievance. They all do it. They want to turn this country, this proud, self-reliant country, into a competition of victims.”

Radio NewsHub

01/10/2025

NEWS: Fires from e-bikes and e-scooters are on course to reach an all-time high in London this year, new analysis shows.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it has recorded 165 fires involving the vehicles in 2025 up to September 28.

That is an average of about 18 per month.

If the trend continues until the end of December, London will surpass 200 incidents in a single year for the first time.

Eden Abera Siem, 30, died in hospital after being rescued by firefighters when a blaze – which investigators found was probably caused by the failure of a charging e-bike battery – broke out at her home on Lordship Lane, Wood Green on June 21.

That was the fourth fatal e-bike fire recorded in the capital.

In all four cases, the victim did not own or use the e-bike involved.

Pamela Oparaocha, LFB assistant commissioner for prevention and protection, said: “We continue to see the devastating consequences of e-bike and e-scooter fires in London.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Eden as well as all those who have been impacted by fires in recent years.

“Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are worryingly common in London.

“Since the beginning of 2023, we have attended a fire, on average, every other day, and some of these fires have destroyed homes and claimed lives.”

Fires involving lithium batteries – which are used for e-bikes and e-scooters – can spread rapidly and produce a toxic vapour.

Products such as batteries, chargers and e-bike conversion kits bought from online marketplaces are at greater risk of malfunctioning because they have not been subjected to the same level of regulation as high street shops, LFB said.

The LFB said gig economy companies should do more to raise awareness about fire risks from e-bikes.

It will be writing to delivery companies Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo this week to ask them to share safety advice with their riders.

In October last year, the Department for Business and Trade launched a campaign calling on people to buy only safe electrical products from reputable sellers.

Lesley Rudd, chief executive of charity Electrical Safety First, said: “We urge the Government to be brave and bold when considering what regulations they will introduce to tackle these fires, and continue to advocate for the introduction of third-party certification for e-bike batteries to ensure they are safe before they can be sold on the UK market.

“Strict new safety standards for conversion kits that turn push bikes into e-bikes must also be urgently introduced, alongside tough new laws to clamp down on online marketplace giants whose platforms commonly host the sale of substandard goods.”

Radio NewsHub

01/10/2025

Good Morning! It's Wednesday 01 October 2025, birthdays for actress/singer Julie Andrews (90), Shalamar's Howard Hewett (70), ex-Prime Minister Theresa May (69), comedian Harry Hill (61), TV presenter Mark Durden-Smith (57) & Boyzone's Keith Duffy (51).

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

30/09/2025

Good Morning! It's Tuesday 30 September 2025, birthdays for Corrie actress Barbara Knox (92), TV gladiator Michael 'Wolf' van Wijk (73), comedian Omid Djalili (60), ex-tennis player Martina Hingis (44) & racing driver Max Verstappen (28).

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

30/09/2025

NEWS: US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they have agreed to a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it is unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms.

Mr Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war and establishing a post-war governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory.

Mr Trump’s plan would establish a temporary governing board that would be headed by Mr Trump and include former British prime minister Tony Blair.

The plan does not require people to leave Gaza and calls for the war to end immediately if both sides accept it.

It also calls for all remaining hostages to be released within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan.

Mr Trump said Israel would have the “full backing” of the US to take steps to defeat Hamas if it does not accept the proposed peace deal.

“I think we are beyond very close,” Mr Trump said at the start of a news conference with Mr Netanyahu where he detailed the plan. “We’re not quite finished. We have to get Hamas.”

“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr President, or if they supposedly accept it and then do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Mr Netanyahu said. “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”

The president went on to urge Palestinian people to take responsibility “for their destiny” and embrace his peace proposal.

Mr Netanyahu earlier extended a formal apology to his Qatari counterpart for a recent military strike targeting Hamas officials in the Gulf emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare criticism by the US of Israel.

Mr Netanyahu made the call to Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as he met with Mr Trump, according to the White House.

Mr Trump described the exchange between the Israeli and Qatari leader as a “heart-to-heart” call.

“As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” the White House said in a statement. “He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future.”

The White House talks, and apology from Mr Netanyahu, come at a tenuous moment.

Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies.

At home, Mr Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Mr Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Mr Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: Rachel Reeves has said she is facing “harsh global headwinds” as she hinted at further tax rises to come in the Budget.

The Chancellor used her Labour Party conference speech to insist that she would keep control of the public finances and would “not take risks with the trust placed in us by the British people”.

But she acknowledged that her choices had been made “harder” by international events and the “long-term damage” done to the economy.

Ahead of her keynote speech in Liverpool Ms Reeves had warned that “the world has changed” since she promised business chiefs she would not repeat the tax raid of her first budget.

“I think everyone can see in the last year that the world has changed, and we’re not immune to that change,” the Chancellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Whether it is wars in Europe and the Middle East, whether it is increased barriers to trade because of tariffs coming from the United States, whether it is the global cost of borrowing, we’re not immune to any of those things.

“It’s very important that we maintain those commitments to economic stability because we rely on people to buy Government debt to be able to finance the things that we’re doing as a country.

“I wish it wasn’t so, but I am Chancellor in the world as it is, not the world that I might wish it to be.”

She told the conference: “In the months ahead we will face further tests, with the choices to come made all the harder by harsh global headwinds and the long-term damage done to our economy, which is becoming ever clearer.”

Experts have said Ms Reeves will have to increase taxes or cut spending to fill a black hole in her budget, which the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has estimated could be as much as £50 billion.

Ms Reeves said she would “not take risks with Britain’s economic stability”, adding: “I will make my choices at that budget.

“They will be choices to take our country forward.

“And whatever tests come our way, whatever tests come my way, I make this commitment to you: I will take no risks with the trust placed in us by the British people.”

Speaking to Sky News after the speech, senior Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones failed to rule out whether Labour would stick by its manifesto commitment to not raise VAT, income tax or national insurance for working people.

“I am not ruling anything out, or anything in. All I’m saying is today the manifesto stands.

“We’ve got a budget process to go through, and any decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way,” the PM’s Chief Secretary said.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has said it will restart some manufacturing production in the “coming days” as it continues to deal with the fallout from a major cyber attack.

The group said some sections of its production operations will resume amid a “controlled, phased restart of our operations”, having paused all manufacturing since the start of the month after being targeted by hackers.

It said while there is “much more to do”, work to ensure its recovery is “firmly under way”.

A Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) spokesperson said: “As the controlled, phased restart of our operations continues, we are taking further steps towards our recovery and the return to manufacture of our world-class vehicles.

“Today we are informing colleagues, retailers and suppliers that some sections of our manufacturing operations will resume in the coming days.”

“We know there is much more to do but the foundational work of our recovery is firmly under way, and we will continue to provide updates as we progress,” they added.

JLR had recently extended the production pause until at least October 1 after its systems were hacked, impacting its factories in Halewood, on Merseyside, and Solihull in the West Midlands, and its engine manufacturing site in Wolverhampton.

Experts have warned the production shutdown could hit the group’s bottom line by around £120 million, with the firm thought to usually build about 1,000 cars a day.

The pause has also left its suppliers in limbo leading to calls for urgent financial support, with the Government announcing over the weekend it would underwrite a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to JLR to give suppliers some certainty over payments.

The loan, from a commercial bank, will help to bolster JLR’s cash reserves as it pays back companies in its supply chain, who have been majorly impacted by the shutdown.

Unions and politicians have raised fears that small suppliers producing parts for the car giant could collapse without financial support.

JLR has the largest supply chain in the UK automotive sector, which employs around 120,000 people and is largely made up of small and medium-sized businesses.

In the aftermath of the attack on August 31, ministers have been in contact daily with JLR and cyber experts, as the company attempts to restart production.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: Long-term unemployed youths will be guaranteed paid work and could face being stripped of benefits if they refuse to take it up, Rachel Reeves will announce.

The Chancellor will make the case for a society founded on “contribution” as she unveils plans for a “youth guarantee” aimed at driving down unemployment.

In a Labour conference speech two months before a Budget which is expected to involve tough decisions on tax and spending, Ms Reeves will also set out plans to fund libraries in all English primary schools and pledge measures to support British steelmaking and shipbuilding.

And she will promise a “hit squad” of investigators will target Covid fraudsters to hit them with fines of up to 100% of the value of the money they swindled from the taxpayer.

The Chancellor is expected to use her speech in Liverpool to say that British society must be built on the principles of doing “our duty for each other” and “hard work matched by fair reward”.

Under plans to be announced on Monday, every young person who has received universal credit benefits for 18 months without “earning or learning” will be guaranteed an offer of a paid work placement.

Claimants will face sanctions such as losing their benefits if they refuse to take up jobs under the scheme without a reasonable excuse, the PA news agency understands.

One in eight 16 to 24-year-olds are currently not in education, work, or training.

Ms Reeves is expected to say: “We won’t leave a generation of young people to languish without prospects – denied the dignity, the security and the ladders of opportunity that good work provides.”

The guarantee, which will be overseen by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, forms part of a pledge of “nothing less than the abolition of long-term youth unemployment”.

The Chancellor is expected to say: “Every young person will be guaranteed either a place in a college, for those who want to continue their studies, or an apprenticeship, to help them learn a trade vital to our plans to rebuild the country, or one-to-one support to find a job.

“But more than that, our guarantee will ensure that any young person out of work for 18 months will be given a paid work placement. Real work, practical experience, and new skills.”

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: “Rachel Reeves says she wants to abolish youth unemployment – yet in her very first budget she introduced a £25 billion jobs tax that made it more expensive for businesses to hire, especially young people.”

Other measures in Ms Reeves’s speech will include funding for a library to the 1,700 English primary schools currently without one.

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