THERE are few things people love more than their four-legged companions. Humanity has, from time immemorial, strode beside them and they have given us so much to cherish. In the dark times we find ourselves in now, the greatest gift they have given us has become ever more apparent; support. […]
‘Trolling’ – the abuse of people online – is actively encouraged by the social media giants which dominate our world. For Facebook and Twitter, the more heated, angry and abusive the debate gets on their platform the happier they are, because bigger arguments mean bigger audience numbers – and bigger […]
WITH entertainment venues having to remain closed due to Covid-19, theatre company Theatre Space North East have come up with the idea of hosting socially-distanced shows in mobile tents at locations across the North East. AFTER receiving help from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund, the Sunderland-based theatre company Theatre […]
A STUDY which shines a light on racial and gender stereotypes in the billion-dollar gaming industry has led to a graduation prize for a Sunderland Masters student. Kirsty Evers wanted to better understand the attitudes of players towards the protagonists within character-focused video games, who are commonly white, straight and […]
DRINK and drug drivers will be handed a one-way ticket to the dock as police step up enforcement on the roads during the festive period. Northumbria Police are joining forces across the country in backing a National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) road safety campaign launched on Tuesday 1 December. The […]
A POLICE wildlife officer is making it a Christmas to remember for animals across the North East. In his spare time, PC Peter Baker has launched Operation Santa Paws in a bid to support the RSPCA and other animal charities during the festive period. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the […]
‘Substantial meal’ rule is no yolk … or is it? There was confusion today over what legally constitutes a ‘substantial meal’ for the purposes of coronavirus restrictions, as Michael Gove described a Scotch egg as, first, a starter then as a “substantial meal”, in two media interviews. The definition is […]
WITH less than a month until Christmas Day, most of us are dreaming of stuffing our turkey, opening presents, and seeing loved ones (up to three households!) – but spare a thought for those less fortunate than ourselves. With such a large percentage of North Easterners unemployed or furloughed […]
By BARBARA LONGO-FLINT ASK any child which animal they would love to meet in their garden and the answer will always be the same: a hedgehog. But how many of those kids are going to see one? Unless we change our habits, not only today’s children, but also their kids […]
WHAT do Margaret Atwood, Dame Emma Thompson and Lily Cole all have in common? They are all set to take part in a global literary event organised by a University of Sunderland academic. Dr Alex Lockwood has helped organise the get-together as part of Lost Species Day, to bring global […]