The Journal
Blow as AI giant pauses major project
ONE of the world’s largest AI companies has paused plans for a multibillion-pound investment expected to help bring thousands of jobs to the North East. ChatGPT developer OpenAI said energy costs and regulation in the UK were holding back...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mayor’s bid to cut firms’ energy bills
NORTH East mayor Kim McGuinness is poised to launch a new project aimed at slashing energy bills for hundreds of small businesses. A £2.8m programme to help small and medium-sized enterprises cut their energy costs is expected to launch later this...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Next phase of vision revealed
NEW plans have been unveiled for a residential neighbourhood on a major Newcastle city centre regeneration site. Designs for 78 homes at the Stephenson Quarter, next to Central Station, have been published by developers. Homes planned under a new...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Davey pleads for region to reject ‘divisive’ politics
ED Davey has urged North East voters to reject “nasty, divisive politics” at next month’s local elections. The Liberal Democrat leader was in Newcastle yesterday and said he believes his party can make a “real breakthrough” at May’s polls. Lib Dems...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Phillipson: We’re making progress, but must do more
CABINET Minister and North East MP Bridget Phillipson has admitted the Government has to do more to help people in the region feel better off, as Labour faces huge losses in the local elections. The Education Secretary was speaking at an event in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
STORM BRINGS EASTER CHAOS
> This felled tree at a petrol station on Benton Park Road, Newcastle, was among many brought down across the region by Storm Dave on Saturday night.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hoteliers in plea to revive plan for conference centre
HOTELIERS have pleaded with the North East mayor to revive plans for a huge conference centre on Tyneside. An international grade conference facility had long been a key element of the vision for the Gateshead Quays, sitting alongside a “world class”...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
> GRATE EXPECTATIONS?
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch applies the finishing touches to a dish as she visits Vito’s Italian restaurant in Sheepfolds, Sunderland, during a local election campaign swing across the North East yesterday
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Water company told to improve 138 times in year
NORTHUMBRIAN Water has been told to make almost 140 improvements in the past year following Environment Agency inspections to sites such as sewage treatment works and storm tanks. This comes following 742 inspections by industry regulators, after...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Delays in cancer diagnosis tackled
HOSPITAL bosses in Newcastle are working with nearby NHS trusts and health service commissioners to tackle delays in skin cancer diagnosis. Health chiefs at the city’s hospitals said that the issue had a “disproportionate” impact on meeting key...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Deal could create ‘city within a city’ near Metrocentre
LEADING North East shopping and leisure destination Metrocentre has struck a deal to create a major new development with thousands of new homes, described as a “city within a city”. The landmark agreement has been signed between the Metrocentre and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reform will put thousands of jobs at risk – mayor
THE North East mayor has warned Reform UK’s anti-netzero message is “dangerous” for our region, as leader Nigel Farage claimed there is “no chance” of a huge expansion of wind farms delivering a promised jobs bonanza. Plans from the Crown Estate to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City on shortlist for TV festival
NEWCASTLE is in the running to take over the hosting of the UK’s most prestigious TV conference. The organisers of the Edinburgh TV Festival have issued a three-city shortlist to host the event from 2027, with the possibility of keeping it in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Upgrade agreed for key junction
PLANS to upgrade Moor Farm roundabout in Northumberland will go ahead after the scheme was included in the latest round of projects set to be delivered by the Government. It comes after years of campaigning to improve capacity on the notorious...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Huge expansion of offshore wind farms to be announced
AHUGE expansion of wind farms off the North East coast is set to be announced today, just as £60m work gets under way on a mammoth green energy project on Tyneside. The Crown Estate is expected to announce its plans to lease new seabed sites in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reform vote surge forecast for region
REFORM UK could be on course to seize control of four more North East councils in May. New polling predictions put Labour on course for a dramatic collapse across Tyne and Wear at the upcoming local elections. The AI-driven modelling suggests that...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WELL HOWE ABOUT THAT!
EDDIE Howe paid tribute to the “special” Geordie public as the Newcastle United boss accepted the city’s highest civic honour. Twelve months on from the club’s historic Carabao Cup final triumph, the NUFC manager has now been presented with the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Inquiry report to stay under wraps until after election
THE findings of an independent inquiry into the running of Newcastle City Council will not be published until after crunch local elections. Councillors agreed to commission a review into the governance of the local authority in December 2024, in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Vibrant’ urban village vision for city’s valley area
ANEW vision for the next phase of regeneration in one of the country’s trendiest neighbourhoods has been unveiled. Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley has undergone an enormous transformation over the past few decades, turning it from a former industrial...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Royal Mail is now failing its duty to deliver, say MPs
AHEALTH condition that became life-threatening, an application to join the Navy that was lost, and Christmas cards arriving in March were all examples given by MPs about the shocking state of mail deliveries around the UK in recent weeks. In a debate...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Killed by a man they should have been able to trust
A DRUGGED and “crazy dangerous” driver who killed his nephew and brother in a horror smash has been jailed for over 13 years. Michael Webb, 35, was twice the limit for cocaine and doing almost double the speed limit when he smashed into a lamppost and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ambitious county plan for 11k jobs
LEADING councillors in Northumberland have signed off on a decade-long economic plan they say could create up to 11,000 jobs by 2035. The county council’s new strategy provides a blueprint for growth in traditional and emerging sectors. The plan...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LAST-GASP HEARTBREAK
LAMINE YAMAL’S FINAL-KICK PENALTY ROBS UNITED OF FAMOUS VICTORY:
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mayor’s cash bid to boost projects
THE North East mayor has unveiled a £104m cash injection mostly aimed at salvaging two of the region’s most prominent stalled developments. Plans to build a world-class arena on the Gateshead Quayside and new film and TV studios on the banks of the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Sapling from felled Sycamore Gap tree makes a journey to the end of the Wall
THE grounds of Wallsend’s Segedunum Roman Fort has now officially become the home of a Sycamore Gap sapling. Shortly before 1pm on Friday, a Sycamore Gap sapling was planted at North Tyneside’s UNESCO World Heritage Site with the help of Mayor Karen...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
University boss wants £25m cuts by end of 2026
ANORTH East university in the midst of a lecturers’ strike has unveiled plans to make £25m worth of cuts. Staff at Northumbria University, in Newcastle, have been warned that it will be enacting substantial cost-cutting measures by the end of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hope at last for massive scheme
FRESH hopes have been raised that a major North East city centre development can soon be completed after new owners took over the site. The £120m Milburngate scheme in Durham has been in limbo for more than three years. Now new developers have bought...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘It is not a war, it is a rescue operation’
AN Iranian woman living in Newcastle is scared for her family and friends in her home country – but says that the crisis in the Middle East is “not a war, it is a rescue operation”. Samira Dehghanazad fled Iran in 2022, fearing for her safety at the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hundreds of jobs at risk in North East plant closure
HUNDREDS of redundancies could be made at a North East caravan manufacturer which is set to cease production. Elddis – part of the Erwin Hymer Group – has been manufacturing RVs for around 60 years at Consett in County Durham. But there has been a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Anger as bus deal scrapped on route to coast
BUS users have slammed the collapse of a ticket agreement between rival companies on one of Tyneside’s busiest routes. At present, passengers using services on the Coast Road between Newcastle and North Tyneside are able to travel on any of Arriva’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Scramble to pull Britons out of danger
THE UK has mounted an unprecedented operation to support hundreds of thousands of British nationals in the Gulf as Iranian missile strikes continue to rock the region. Officials at the Foreign Office are understood to be working on plans for potential...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Merger revealed at private schools
TWO of the North East’s best known private schools are to come together at what has been described as a “challenging” time for independent education. Westfield School in Gosforth is to join the newly-formed RGS Newcastle Group of Schools and will...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Utterly focused on North East’
KEIR Starmer wants to see exam results in the North East “dramatically” improved under a new bid to improve standards. The Prime Minister was at a school in Newcastle yesterday after the announcement of the Mission North East project earlier this...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Region ranks at the bottom for low pay
THE North East has become the low pay capital of the UK, new research suggests, with one in five jobs paying lower than the real living wage. Analysis of official data by the Living Wage Foundation – which campaigns for people to be paid higher than...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Farm ordered to dismantle cover of new play area
ANORTHUMBERLAND farm popular with families from all over the North East has been served with an enforcement notice which it says “threatens the core of its mission” to provide an inclusive environment for all. Whitehouse Farm, near Morpeth, has been...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
No retrial for terror charge teenager
ATEENAGER from Northumberland will not face a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on whether he was planning a terror attack. The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on February 5...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HUGE CROWD FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
APACKED crowd witnessed stunning Chinese New Year celebrations in Newcastle city centre yesterday. The Year of the Horse was welcomed as huge crowds gathered to be a part of the colourful and entertaining festivities. The Lunar New Year celebrations...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LAMB-TASTIC!
> Two-year-old Milo Hewison-Mathews with Skye Hogarth from Whitehouse Farm, Northumberland and one of the new arrivals as the lambing season begins.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘LAW MUST TAKE ITS COURSE,’ SAYS KING AFTER ANDREW’S ARREST
> The then Prince Andrew pictured in Sunderland in 2017 as part of his pitch@palace initiative. He was yesterday arrested at his home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SPRING’S JUST AROUND THE CORNER – HONEST!
AHISTORIC hall on the Northumberland coast has reopened its gates as its gardens are covered in a carpet of snowdrops. Howick Hall is the ancestral home of Earl Grey, the former Prime Minister whose statue stands at the top of Newcastle’s famous...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Serious failings’ in county’s social housing – report
THE social housing system in Northumberland requires “fundamental change” after an inspection identified a number of “very serious failings”. The Regulator of Social Housing published a highly critical report yesterday, with bosses branding the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fashion store is closed after raid
A JESMOND shop whose bosses say it has been the victim of a ram raid will be closed until further notice. Police and forensics officers have been on Osborne Road after a vehicle crashed into fashion store Jules B in the early hours of yesterday. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Starmer urged to deliver for the regions
THE head of the trade union movement has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to deliver for regions such as the North East if he wants to survive the Peter Mandelson scandal. The PM is fighting for his survival after criticism of his decision to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
North in bid to host Olympics
NORTHERN leaders led by North East mayor Kim McGuinness want the North to host the Olympics. A group of 12 mayors and council leaders – from all four main political parties – have written to the Government setting out how the Olympics could be staged...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Men conned out of thousands in romance fraud
A WOMAN from Northumberland who conned men into spending thousands of pounds to fund her lavish lifestyle now faces the prospect of jail. Model Gemma Kingsley, 50, has pleaded guilty to over a dozen counts of theft and fraud, after she created a web...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Please use some common sense’
ASAFETY warning has been issued after a person was spotted venturing out on a Northumberland pier despite rough weather conditions. Pictures taken from the Port of Berwick Facebook page – captioned, “When the weather is bad, please act responsibly...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Campaigners hail benefit cap move
NORTH East campaigners have welcomed the “beginning of the end of one of the worst policies imposed on children in modern times”, after a move to scrap the two-child benefit cap cleared its first hurdle in Parliament. MPs voted on Tuesday in support...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Backlash throws car park charge plan into reverse
PROPOSALS to introduce some new parking charges in Whitley Bay have been scrapped, local councillors say. Whitley Bay’s Labour councillors have said via social media platform Facebook that local authority proposals to charge for the Playhouse car park...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CLOSED: RESTAURANT THAT HAD ONE OF THE BEST VIEWS IN BRITAIN
THE North East’s dining scene is mourning a huge loss after an award-winning restaurant announced its closure. SIX Restaurant, the top-floor eatery at Baltic centre for contemporary art, has closed its doors for good after serving up top-class food...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘It’s not enough money’
COUNCIL tax payers in Northumberland can expect their bills to rise while more than £18.5m will be cut from service areas. Bosses at the Conservative-controlled administration have said the Government’s financial settlement was even lower than its...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Centrepiece for key site could be built next year
DETAILS of a landmark office block in Newcastle city centre are to be made public next week with hopes that work on the scheme will start next year. Developers Igloo will be holding a consultation on plans for the 10-storey One Founders Place scheme...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Water bills set to rise by 6%
NORTHUMBRIAN Water customers are set to see bills rise by around 6% – but the company has announced major improvements. It revealed its biggest package of upgrades in its history, aiming to protect the environment and strengthen water and sewerage...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hotel and restaurant owners furious over Reeves’ support snub
NORTH East restaurants, hotels and cafes are at risk of becoming “unsustainable” after being excluded from financial support from the Government, local industry leaders fear. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that pubs and live music venues will...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Rain, snow and blow as storm strikes
ANEW weather warning has been issued for the North East after Storm Chandra struck the region yesterday. Heavy rain, snow and strong winds caused problems across the North East, and the Environment Agency issued a series of flood alerts. Coastal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CANDLES ARE LIT FOR A SPECIAL DAY
> The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Coun Henry Gallagher, lights a candle at an event at the Civic Centre ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day today.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BLACK OR WHITE ... OR MAYBE PINK?
Entrepreneur Jake Rusby quit his career in public relations to sell coffee from a “pink pod” stationed outside a
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Worries grow as jobless total hits a four-year high
UNEMPLOYMENT has risen sharply in the North East to reach its highest level in more than four years, new figures show. The figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the joblessness rate in the North East rose sharply to stand at 6.2%,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DRESSED FOR DINNER?
> Young entrepreneurs Scott Whitehead and Will Grigg have adapted a Japanese concept for shops that mix food and fashion. They have opened a store in Jesmond,
Read Full Story (Page 1)
UNITED PLAY’S AWAY WIN
> From left, Erin Mullen, Becky Clayburn, Dean Logan, Jack Robertson, Chelsea Halfpenny and Bill Fellows bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of “Gerry & Sewell” at The Aldwych Theatre on Thursday.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
We can get there first, says Mayor
NORTH East mayor Kim McGuinness wants the region to be the first to feel the benefits of a major Government pledge to improve rail services in the North. Ms McGuinness joined mayors and council leaders from around the North in Leeds yesterday as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)