Southern Sound (2025)

16/08/2025

NEWS: The Premier League has said it will launch a full investigation after Liverpool’s curtain-raiser against Bournemouth at Anfield was halted when visiting forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by a spectator.

Match referee Anthony Taylor stopped play in the 29th minute and spoke with managers Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola before respective captains Virgil van Dijk and Adam Smith were called over to the dug-outs.

PA Sport understands police officers went into the referee’s room at half-time, while an anti-discrimination message was read out to the Anfield crowd.

A Premier League statement read: “Tonight’s match between Liverpool Football Club and AFC Bournemouth was temporarily paused during the first half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

“This is in line with the Premier League’s on-field anti-discrimination protocol.

“The incident at Anfield will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs.

“Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”

Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville said: “It overshadows what should be an amazing night. First game of the Premier League season, a beautiful day, 62,000 fans in the stadium and that boy (Semenyo) basically has been racially abused and has had to go over to a referee to complain about it.

“I can’t even begin to think what would be going through someone’s mind, however it’s happened and it’ll keep on happening and it’s a sorry state.”

Fellow co-commentator Jamie Carragher added: “A shocking incident rightly reported to the referee.”

The incident comes two days after Tottenham’s Mathys Tel received racist abuse online after missing a penalty in his side’s UEFA Super Cup win against Paris St Germain.

Radio NewsHub

16/08/2025

NEWS: The Prince and Princess of Wales are to move into an to eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, with their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The Wales family will move house later this year.”

According to The Sun, the royal couple are paying for the property and renovations themselves, avoiding any extra cost to the taxpayer.

The paper reported that work has already started on minor renovation at the Grade II-listed property.

Redacted planning applications lodged with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead show permission for minor internal and external alterations was granted earlier this month.

The council’s decision notice refers to the removal of a window and works to a fireplace.

In 2001, Forest Lodge underwent £1.5 million restoration works and was put on the rental market for £15,000 a month.

Images inside the home taken at the time showed the property boasted original stonework, elaborate plaster cornices and ceiling decoration ,and a half-barrel vaulted hallway ceiling.

The Waleses’ move will be a short one from their current main home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, and the children attend nearby Lambrook School.

They also have homes at Anmer Hall in Norfolk and Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace in London.

As heir to the throne, William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate, a portfolio of land, property and investments valued at more than £1 billion, when his father became King.

According to The Sun, Forest Lodge would be worth about £16 million on the open market. The freehold is owned by the King.

Radio NewsHub

16/08/2025

NEWS: Sir Keir Starmer has spoken with Donald Trump after the US president’s summit with Vladimir Putin ended without a deal to stop the war in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister joined a call with Mr Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as other European leaders, after the US-Russia ceasefire talks, Downing Street said.

Mr Trump did not secure a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine after nearly three hours of talks with his Russian counterpart at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska.

After the negotiations, which took place alongside senior officials, the two presidents refused to answer questions from reporters.

However, both made statements, with Mr Trump saying “some great progress” was made with “many points” agreed and “very few” remaining.

After the summit, Mr Trump suggested there were only a few major stumbling blocks holding up the prospect of a peace deal.

Speaking to Fox News, he said it was now up to Mr Zelensky to “make a deal” to end the war.

In a call after the summit, Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky spoke with the US president alongside leaders from Italy, France, Finland, Germany and Poland, as well as Nato’s Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission.

Sir Keir is due to speak again with European leaders this morning.

Mr Zelensky said the call began as a one-on-one between him and the US president, before European Nato leaders joined them.

The Ukrainian leader also suggested he would travel to Washington DC at the start of next week to continue talks.

Writing on social media, the Ukrainian president said: “We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasises that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.

“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington DC, to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation.”

Radio NewsHub

16/08/2025

NEWS: Consumer confidence in the future UK economy has plummeted over the last year, figures suggest.

Confidence has tumbled by 31 points over the last year, from an average of minus nine between May and July 2024 to an average of minus 40 between May and July this year, Which?’s Consumer Insight Tracker shows.

On average between this May and July, 56% of people thought the economy would get worse and just 16% thought it would get better.

Which? said the figures showed a “significant fall” to some of the lowest levels seen since early 2023, when the cost-of-living crisis was in the headlines and inflation was in double figures.

Confidence in the future economy declined sharply last autumn and was particularly low between February to May, when global events such as the US tariff policy contributed to the pessimism.

Confidence had recovered a little since, but remained considerably lower than 12 months ago.

Pensioners have been the most pessimistic group, with their confidence in the future UK economy falling dramatically from an average of minus five between May and July last year to a current average of minus 63.

Pensioners’ confidence dropped dramatically in autumn last year – shortly after the Government’s first announcement of scrapping the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners – and has remained low since, in spite of the Government U-turn on fuel payments.

Which?’s figures suggest that financial difficulties from the height of the cost-of-living crisis are yet to return to the pre-crisis levels.

In the month to July 18, an estimated 2.1 million households missed at least one essential payment such as rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, credit card or loan payments.

An estimated 13.9 million households (49%) also made at least one adjustment to cover essential spending such as utility bills, housing costs, groceries, school supplies and medicines in the last month – such as cutting back on essentials, dipping into savings, selling possessions or borrowing.

Radio NewsHub

16/08/2025

NEWS: The price of five electric cars has been cut as the Government widens a scheme to encourage people to switch.

The decision means 22 cars are eligible for the electric car grant, with prices reduced by up to £1,500.

Models from Volkswagen, Peugeot and Cupra have been added to the list.

It is part of a £650 million investment by ministers to get people to move away from petrol or diesel cars.

The new cars subject to the £1,500 discount are the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3, Peugeot e-208, Peugeot e-2008 and Peugeot e-Rifter.

The cost represents a 4% discount on the Cupra. The carmaker’s website is advertising the car for £37,460.

The Volkswagen is being advertised for £30,860, and the Peugeot models range from £20,245 to about £35,000.

The number of electric cars registered in the first quarter of 2025 was 43% higher than the same period last year, according to figures published this week.

DVLA data showed more than 120,000 zero-emissions cars were registered between January and March this year.

Electric cars made up a fifth of registrations, up by 3% compared with the year before.

The Government said it is also investing in electric car charging infrastructure in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions.

Radio NewsHub

16/08/2025

NEWS: Funding to support Gaelic culture in island communities has been announced by John Swinney.

The First Minister arrived in Lewis on Thursday evening before undertaking engagements on Friday, and is due to travel to North and South Uist on Saturday.

He says the North Uist Historical Society’s renovation of Carinish Old School will receive £360,000 from the Scottish Government.

The funding will create two exhibition spaces and the extension of the collections resource centre.

The nearby heritage centre will then offer the chance to see artefact collections, research facilities, and offer Gaelic learning.

An additional £200,000 will help deliver the second phase of work at Cnoc Soilleir, a centre for traditional culture and arts in South Uist.

The First Minister said: “Safeguarding the Gaelic language, preserving local heritage and giving culture the chance to flourish are all central to the future success of Scotland’s remarkable islands.

“Our investments in Carinish Old School and Cnoc Soilleir underline the Scottish Government’s commitment to Gaelic and the communities to which it gives life.

“Projects like North Uist Historical Society’s renovation of Carinish Old School are key not only to the language’s revitalisation, but to the growth of rural island economies.

“We see this happening across the islands, local people coming together to preserve historical assets and bring them back into use – we need to do what we can to support their efforts.

“I am greatly looking forward to returning to Cnoc Soilleir to see the progress since my last visit.

“It is one of the recognised Gaelic success stories of recent times, providing in South Uist a guiding light for traditional culture and arts.

“It draws in people from the local community, but also visitors from elsewhere, perfectly illustrating the close connection between Gaelic revival and economic growth.”

Radio NewsHub

16/08/2025

NEWS: The “chronic” under-performance of boys at GCSE should be treated as a “major issue”, it has been suggested.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said the talents of boys are not being developed as “fully” as they could be, which could lead to a “decline in the nation’s economic competitiveness”.

The education expert predicted “girls will continue to be ahead” of boys at GCSE level.

His comments come before pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive their GCSE results on Thursday.

Prof Smithers said: “The apparent under-performance of boys at this stage of education should be a matter of national concern.

“But because boys are habitually seen as privileged, it does not receive the attention it deserves.”

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 pandemic – when 20.8% of GCSE entries scored the top grades.

The proportion of total female entries awarded grade 7/A or above was 24.7% last year – 5.7 percentage points higher than total male entries (19.0%).

Prof Smithers said: “The chronic under-performance of boys in education should be treated as a major issue.

“It appears that we are not developing the talents of half the population as fully as we could.

“This can only lead to a decline in the nation’s economic competitiveness and ultimately loss of its standing in the world.”

Radio NewsHub

15/08/2025

NEWS: A Labour councillor who called for far-right activists’ throats to be cut at an anti-racism rally in the wake of the Southport murders has been found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder.

Ricky Jones, 58, faced trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court accused of the offence after he described demonstrators as “disgusting N**i fascists”.

A video showing Jones addressing crowds on Hoe Street in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 last year went viral on social media after the protest, which had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau.

The now-suspended councillor, wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, said: “They are disgusting N**i fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.” He also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the crowd.

Jurors deliberated for just over half an hour and found him not guilty on Friday. Jones, who wore a navy blue suit with a white shirt and pale pink tie in the dock, was seen mouthing “thank you” at the jurors. Family and supporters hugged each other before Jones, who declined to comment on the verdict, was driven out of the court grounds in a car.

Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court Jones, a father of four and grandfather, used “inflammatory, rabble-rousing language in the throng of a crowd described as a tinderbox”.

He told jurors Jones’s speech was amplified through a microphone and speakers and took place “in a setting where violence could readily have been anticipated”.

Giving evidence in his trial, Jones said his comment did not refer to far-right protesters involved in the riots at the time, but to those who had reportedly left National Front stickers on a train with razor blades hidden behind them.

Radio NewsHub

15/08/2025

NEWS: A new photograph of the Princess Royal has been released to mark her 75th birthday.

Anne, who celebrates her three-quarters-of-a-century milestone on Friday, is pictured with an amused smile as she stands near a window outside her Gatcombe Park home.

The King’s sister, often hailed as the hardest-working member of the royal family, has eschewed any major public commemorations for her big day, preferring to host a special forum for her charities in June instead.

She is said to be spending the day sailing around the Western Isles of Scotland with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and marking her birthday privately.

The official portrait, taken by celebrated photographer John Swannell last month, shows Anne wearing a clean-lined colour-blocked royal blue dress with a contrasting bright white high collar, matching cuffs and white buttoned central trim.

Anne, who is known for re-wearing her outfits even decades later, was pictured in the same dress at The King’s Foundation Awards at St James’s Palace in June.

The image captures a relaxed-looking Anne, with her hair self-styled in her signature bouffant, resting her hand on a stone windowsill at Gatcombe.

It was from the princess’s Gloucestershire estate just over a year ago that Anne was taken to hospital after she was believed to have been struck by a horse.

She was treated in intensive care for concussion and minor head injuries, spending five nights at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

The princess, who was back on royal duties less than three weeks later, has said she has no memory of the incident but now views every day as a “bonus”.

Last month the Royal Mint unveiled the first official UK coin to honour Anne, created in celebration of her birthday and lifetime of service.

Radio NewsHub

15/08/2025

NEWS: A 99-year-old veteran who served in the Second World War and helped evacuate prisoners of war after VJ Day has said the horrors of war “should never be forgotten”, on the 80th anniversary of the Japanese surrender.

Albert Lamond took part in D-Day in 1944 as an 18-year-old seaman, a year after joining the Royal Navy, and also served in the Pacific in the lead up to VJ Day on August 15, 1945 when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces.

Mr Lamond was involved in D-Day as a signalman on HMS Rowley, part of the 3rd Es**rt Group, when it was deployed to rendezvous with battleship HMS Warspite as it travelled to Normandy to shell German troops.

HMS Rowley’s role was to act as a first line of defence by circling HMS Warspite and it was expected that the sailors would sacrifice their lives.

Mr Lamond survived and a year later, on VJ Day, his role was to evacuate Allied prisoners of war from remote islands and transport them to Australia.

Mr Lamond, who was 19 at the time, described the PoWs as “living skeletons” but said they were still able to smile when they were rescued.

He had a career on the railways after leaving the Navy, and now lives in McKellar House at Erskine Veterans Village in Renfrewshire.

Mr Lamond said: “Sometimes it feels like yesterday. I can still see it so clearly – from D-Day to the long months that followed in the Pacific in the run-up to VJ Day. Those memories never leave you.

Radio NewsHub

15/08/2025

NEWS: The Government will use social media influencers to highlight the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures such as hair transplants and dental work under new plans.

Ministers hope the new campaign with TikTok will help people make “more informed choices before they go under the knife”.

As part of the initiative, the Government will work with medical influencers, such as Midwife Marley and Doc Tally, to create videos showing the risks of cosmetic surgery abroad.

The content will urge patients to speak to a UK doctor first and avoid package holidays that include procedures.

It will also include a checklist for patients to consider before they book a procedure, which includes checking the credentials of surgeons, the clinic’s regulations, and understanding the aftercare.

The initiative is part of a wider Government drive to tackle so-called medical tourism and ensure the NHS is not left to foot the bill when complications arise.

Health minister Karin Smyth said: “Too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards.

“Often drawn in by deals too good to be true and promoted by influencers – some of whom have never been to the practice in question.

“By partnering with TikTok, we’re helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife – wherever that may be.”

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said: “Our aim is to explain the risks and help British people understand the actions they can take to keep themselves safe when abroad.

“If you choose to travel abroad for medical treatment, it is vital you do your research and are fully aware of the risks involved.

“We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice, relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies, and research foreign providers thoroughly to ensure they meet the highest standard of care.

“Informed choices today can help avoid serious complications tomorrow.”

The initiative comes after ministers outlined plans to cut down on “cowboy” cosmetic procedures by introducing new restrictions.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Social Care unveiled proposals which include only allowing “suitably qualified” and Care Quality Commission-regulated health workers to deliver high-risk procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts.

Elsewhere, clinics offering Botox and fillers will need licences, and age restrictions will be introduced to prevent children from trying to follow “dangerous beauty trends on social media”.

Those who break the rules will face sanctions, including financial penalties, officials said.

Radio NewsHub

15/08/2025

Good Morning! It's Friday 15 August 2025, birthdays for Carry On actor Jim Dale (90), actor/TV presenter Tony Robinson (79), Princess Anne, The Princess Royal (75), actress Debra Messing (57), ex-Boyzone singer Mikey Graham (53), actor Ben Affleck (53) & actress Jennifer Lawrence (35).

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

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