Spark News

Campaigners are urging Sunderland City Council to “take back full control” of the National Glass Centre, after it was confirmed it would close on Sundays.  Earlier this week, the University of Sunderland, owner of the riverside site, announced that the centre and its cafe would be shut on Sundays from March 16th. However, Jo Howell […]

The United Kingdom is facing a serious issue with knife crime. In 2024, nearly 50,000 knife-related offences were recorded. Over the past five years, Northumbria has seen a 46.02% increase in such crimes (Licensed, 2024). Cleveland recorded the highest rate of knife-related assaults, with 8.61 incidents per 10,000 people. These attacks are often carried out […]

  Shoplifting is the third highest crime reported by Northumbria Police in the year ending November 2024, statistics show. Data from Northumbria Police shows that there were 802 cases of shoplifting in the year from December 2023 to November 2024. In November alone, there were 52 cases, accounting for 9.5% of all crime in Sunderland […]

Valentine’s Day is one of the most profitable times of the year for florists. I spoke with Neil Dawson of Flowers by Jennifer, located on Blandford Street in Sunderland, about the intense build-up and what it takes to prepare for the big day as a retailer. With decades of experience in business and the floral […]

Newcastle United will reach Wembley once again after winning 2-0 against Arsenal. The Magpies have the potential to win the Carabao Cup on Sunday March 16 against Liverpool after the reds won the other semi-final second leg last Thursday (Jan 30). The last time Newcastle had this opportunity was 2023 when they suffered a 2-0 […]

The government has announced new measures to loosen planning regulations in order to allow more nuclear reactors to be built around the UK. The announcement came as part of the governments plans to modernise “archaic” planning regulations and boost economic growth, one of Keir Starmer’s biggest promises. The move has been controversial with environmental groups, […]

The Assisted Dying Bill is currently in the committee stage at parliament and North East MPs are voicing their opinions on the bill. Assisted dying is legal in many countries, with Switzerland being the first country to legalise it in 1942 and now it may be coming to the UK. The bill would allow people […]

Students at Sunderland University are celebrating the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Snake – later this week. Jiarui Liang reports.


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