Latest news with #NorthEast
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
City venue prepares to host Proms for first time
A city venue is preparing to host the BBC Proms for the first time. The Fire Station in Sunderland will host the jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch later. He will be presenting a special edition of his Radio 3 show Round Midnight, which celebrates jazz from all eras and around the globe. "There's such a breadth and diversity of expression within what we call jazz," said Kinch. Other guests expected at the Fire Station include jazz trumpeter Theo Croker, the band Joe Webb Trio and Newcastle-based musician Rivkala. On Friday pop star Jade, who found fame as part of Little Mix, will be at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music. The South Shields-born singer will be performing songs from her upcoming solo album, alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia with the concert broadcast live on BBC radio. She previously said: "The Proms is such a huge part of British music culture, and to be performing with a full orchestra - in this iconic venue, with my hometown crowd - is a dream." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. More on this topic North East Brit success for Sam Fender and Jade Sage Gateshead new name to avoid confusion revealed Related internet links The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Tyne Bridge funding rubberstamped to aid centenary restoration
The restoration of the Tyne Bridge will be completed in time for the structure's centenary year, officials say, after significant funding was North East Combined Authority (Neca) has green-lit more than £6m to finish the work in time for the crossing's centenary in October funding was initially announced in June as part of a £1.85bn investment in the region's transport from central now says it has "brought forward" the money, with agreement from the Chancellor and the Department for Transport (DfT), in light of the pressing timescale. Restoration of the bridge began in April 2024. Regional 'landmark' An initial £35.2m was provided by the DfT, but then Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also pledged to provide another £6.2m that would cover the full costs of upgrading the Grade II* listed crossing and the Central placed the award of the additional money under review after the general election last year, leading to fears among local leaders the funding would be in June, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed Neca was planning to use a portion of the investment into the region's transport to restore the at a cabinet meeting in Dunston this week, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: "We are allocating some of the £18.6bn that will transform the region's transport."That includes £6.3m to restore the iconic Tyne Bridge in time for the centenary."I'm so pleased that we have now secured that funding. There was no way that anybody around this table was ever giving up until we did."It would be completely unacceptable to not have the bridge up to standard when we are celebrating that landmark for our region."Deputy leader of Newcastle City Council, councillor Alex Hay, added: "It would be remiss of me as the representative from Newcastle not to mention how overjoyed we are to receive the additional funding needed to restore the Tyne Bridge in time for its centenary in 2028." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Why Liverpool have bought £79m Hugo Ekitike: The 'next Thierry Henry', a natural goalscorer and big-game player - but with one catch
When Hugo Ekitike looked for all the world like he had joined Newcastle from Stade Reims three years ago, all the chatter among those in the North East was that they were signing the 'next Thierry Henry '. Football is famously reticent to overhype raw, unproven talents, but here was another premature comparison at least framed by what the eye could see.
Zawya
a day ago
- Politics
- Zawya
European Union Commits €1.5m for Victims of Yelwata Crises and Other IDPs in Benue State and Supports Nigeria in Addressing the Nutrition Emergnecy Situation Particularly in the North-West and North-East
The European Union (EU) has committed 1.5 million Euros (€1.5m) to support victims of the recent Benue State conflict. The envelope is composed by the rapid humanitarian response from EU Humanitarian Office ECHO (€0.5m) and a repurposing of EU funded SIDPIN project for durable solutions (€1m). IOM, UNHCR UNICEF, and UN-HABITAT as other international NGOs are among the agencies dealing with the response. The European Union (EU) has committed 1.5 million Euros (€1.5m) to support victims of the recent Benue State conflict. The envelope is composed by the rapid humanitarian response from EU Humanitarian Office ECHO (€0.5m) and a repurposing of EU funded SIDPIN project for durable solutions (€1m). IOM, UNHCR UNICEF, and UN-HABITAT as other international NGOs are among the agencies dealing with the response. This was disclosed by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Gautier Mignot during a meeting between the EU delegation with the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Honourable Minister of State Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, Permanent Secretary Dr Yakubu Adam Kofarmata and Directors of the Ministry, held in the Minister's Office in Abuja on 14th July 2025. The delegation was in the Ministry to follow up on the visit to Benue State (24-25 June 2025) and explore ways of support to the victims in the IDP camps in the State as well as discuss on high level of severe malnutrition and food crisis affecting the North East and North West and other emerging hot spots in the country in particular during the ongoing lean season. Through ECHO, the EU has already brought 35 M€ of humanitarian assistance to Nigeria, mainly focused on nutrition, in 2025 and a possible top-up is being considered, in addition to the assistance also provided by several EU Member States. The Minister, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's appreciation of the continuous support of the International Community for vulnerable persons in the country. He said he recently visited Borno and Benue States and the communities are in dare need of humanitarian support 'We are in acute need of nutrition for children under five years and lactating mothers' he said. He acknowledged EU contributions and Presidential commitment to leaving no one behind and confirmed ongoing food support mobilization and validated needs assessments, especially in Benue state. He stated plans to establish a pooled funding mechanism with Federal, State and donor contributions, advocacy engagement with the Nigerian Governors Forum and commitment to declare malnutrition an emergency. The two parties agreed to establish a task force to define roles and accelerate interventions in relation to the current nutrition emergency situation in the northern regions and collaborate on joint food security assessment, streamline supply chain processes and convene a collaborative platform with partners to coordinate humanitarian response to address the high level of malnutrition and food insecurity. Finally, on 19-20 July, Minister Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and Ambassador Gautier Mignot went for a joint visit to Sokoto State together with humanitarian partners (UNICEF, ACF, MSF). They paid a courtesy call to the Executive Governor of Sokoto H.E Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto and visited nutrition stabilization centers for children under 5 operated by ACF and MSF and with the support of UNICEF, to get a first-hand knowledge of the situation and discuss urgent next steps to face the crisis. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Map shows the 'sky-high' cost of renting near you - and where it's getting worse
The monthly cost of renting a home in the UK is 21% higher than it was three years ago, according to online property platform Zoopla. Analysis by the company shows the average monthly rent this spring was £1,283 across the UK, marking a £221 increase from 2022. While the rate of rent increases has slowed this year, one housing market expert told Yahoo News that this "isn't necessarily positive" as "it owes a great deal to how unaffordable rents have become". She warned rental costs across the UK are now "sky high". Here, Yahoo News has put together a map showing the most expensive places to rent in the UK, and details how the cost of rent has risen over time. How much does rent cost? The average rent in the UK is now £1,344 a month, according to the Office for National Statistics figures, which is slightly higher than Zoopla's estimate. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, told Yahoo News: "The averages disguise huge variations across the UK, which have put renters in some areas under particular pressure. "Those in the North East are wrestling with rises close to 10% over the past year, while those in London have seen smaller rises, but are paying an eye-watering £2,252 a month on average." As you might expect, London is the most expensive place in the country to rent, followed by £1,384 per month in the South East and £1,240 in the East of England. Despite suffering the highest annual rise, the North East is still the cheapest area of the UK to rent with a monthly average of £734, followed by £804 in Wales, and £822 in Yorkshire and the Humber. How much has rent gone up over time? Figures from the ONS show a steep increase in rent across England, rising from £1,124 per month in June 2022 to £1,399 in the same month this year. Scotland saw rent increase from £802 to £999 during the same period, compared to a jump from £631 to £804 in Wales. Figures for Northern Ireland were only available up to April this year, where average rent stood at £852, compared to £665 in April 2022. Coles said that while the cost of renting "varies dramatically" across the UK, "nobody has escaped the sky-high rent rises of recent years". While she notes the average rent rise fell to 6.7% in the 12 months to June, "runaway hikes of recent years have really added up". "The fact that rent rises have slowed isn't necessarily positive, because it owes a great deal to how unaffordable rents have become," she added. "The fact rents have been rocketing for four years – well ahead of wages – has pushed more renters out of the market. "Fewer are able to leave the family home, more are returning to it, and some are stretching to a house purchase to get out of the rental cycle." Which areas have seen the steepest increases? Figures from Zoolpa provide a more detailed picture of areas that have seen the most significant rent hikes over the past three years. Oldham in Greater Manchester is the worst affected, with a 35% increase between 2022 and 2025 bringing average monthly rent to £876 as of March this year. Falkirk, in Scotland's Central Lowlands, saw a 31% rise during this period, with average rent standing at £881 in March. What is the government doing about rental costs? The government's flagship Renters' Rights Bill passed is third reading in the House of Lords on Monday, bringing it one step closer to becoming law. The bill aims to provide greater security to tenants, including the abolishment of fixed-term tenancies; the end of controversial "no fault" Section 21 evictions; and a decent homes standard for private accommodation. While this will provide some relief to tenants - particularly those with more exploitative landlords - Coles said the "fundamental issue" of high rental costs is a "shortage of housing". "That's not a problem that can be solved overnight," she added. "Changes to planning rules and a commitment to building more homes will eventually help boost the properties available, which should make homes more affordable to both rent and buy." In her spring statement, chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledged that the government will no longer be able to meet its manifesto pledge of building 1.5 million homes in England by the end of this parliament. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasted 1.3 million new homes added to the UK's housing stock between 2025 and 2029, with around 170,000 resulting from Labour's changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. However, FullFact said it is unclear how many of these homes will be built in England, as the OBR does not provide a nation-by-nation breakdown of its forecasts. Beyond increasing supply, Tom Darling, director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, has called on the government to bring in a cap on rent increases "so rent can't rise faster than inflation or wage growth". "A rent cap would give renters real security in their homes, allowing us to plan for the future and put down roots in an area, reduce homelessness and poverty, and mean people have more money to spend in their communities instead of lining their landlords' pockets." Read more UK property bodies form build to rent alliance: 'Planning reform is not enough' (CityAM) Voices: Could Angela Rayner's squeeze on landlords hurt the very people it's supposed to help? (The Independent) Buying more expensive than renting for first time in 13 years (The Telegraph)
