South Tyneside Council has placed the units at South Shields seafront as part of its ongoing programme to improve EV infrastructure.

The chargers are part of a wider programme with Connected Kerb and the North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.

Councillor Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “We are committed to making it easier for people to choose cleaner and greener ways to travel.

“Through our work with Connected Kerb and the Combined Authority, we are bringing more modern, reliable charging options to communities right across South Tyneside.

“This investment is part of a wider regional programme to expand the network and ensure residents and visitors have access to the right infrastructure as demand continues to grow.”

Five of the new rapid chargers are being installed at South Shields seafront, with two more at Jarrow Focus.

The new chargers are currently awaiting grid connection and are expected to be operational in the coming weeks.

Once live, they will offer a rapid charge of around 30 minutes.

The installation is part of Mayor McGuinness’ plan to deliver 92 new charging points across the North East to support the transition to electric vehicles, including in rural areas.

South Tyneside currently has 68 public charging points.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, lead member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: “These chargers will make a real difference to people who rely on electric vehicles for day-to-day travel or who are visiting the foreshore.

“Quick and convenient charging helps give people confidence that they can make the switch to cleaner transport.

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“We will keep working with partners to bring more charging points online and make sure the network is reliable and easy to use.”

The council is also working with Connected Kerb on a long-term partnership to deliver up to 2,000 additional charging points over the next 20 years.

More information about electric vehicle charging in South Tyneside can be found on South Tyneside Council’s website.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The war in Iran is exposing the world’s reliance on fragile fossil fuel routes, lending urgency to calls for hastening the shift to renewable energy.

Fighting has all but halted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The disruption has jolted energy markets, pushing up prices and straining import-dependent economies.

Asia, where most of the oil was headed, has been hit hardest, but the disruptions also are a strain for Europe, where policymakers are looking for ways to cut energy demand, and for Africa, which is bracing for rising fuel costs and inflation.

Unlike during previous oil shocks, renewable power is now competitive with fossil fuels in many places. More than 90% of new renewable power projects worldwide in 2024 were cheaper than fossil-fuel alternatives, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Oil is used in many industries beyond generating electricity, such as fertilizer and plastics production. So most countries are feeling the impact, while those with more renewable power are more insulated since renewables rely on domestic resources like sun and wind, not imported fuels.

“These crises regularly occur,” said James Bowen of the Australia-based consultancy, ReMap Research. “They are a feature, not a bug, of a fossil fuel-based energy system.”

China and India built renewable buffers, but China’s is larger

China and India, the world’s two most populous countries, face the same challenge of generating enough electricity to power growth for over a billion people. Both have expanded renewable energy, but China did so on a far larger scale despite its continued reliance on coal-fired power.

Today China leads the world in renewables. About one in 10 cars in China are electric, found the International Energy Agency. It’s still the world’s largest importer of crude oil and the biggest buyer of Iranian oil. But electrifying parts of its economy with renewables has reduced its reliance on imports.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India prioritized energy security by buying discounted Russian oil and boosting coal production. It also ramped up solar and wind, helping to cushion supply disruptions but not avoid them entirely, said Duttatreya Das of the think tank Ember.

“Everyone cannot be China,” Das said.

India is now facing a shortage of cooking gas. That’s driving a rush to buy induction cooktops and raising fears of restaurant shutdowns. Fertilizers and ceramics industries may also be hit.

Europe’s excess spending on fossil fuels since the Russia-Ukraine War amounted to about 40% of the investment needed to transition its power system to clean energy, according to a 2023 study.

“In Europe, we learned the wrong lesson,” Heinrichs said.

The Iran war led the agenda during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ‘s meeting this week with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, who has long urged Japan to buy more American LNG, recently called on allied nations like Japan to “step up” in assisting secure The Strait of Hormuz.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said the crisis could be “a good opportunity” to shift faster to renewable energy.

Poor countries are the most exposed

Poorer nations in Asia and Africa are competing with wealthy European and Asian countries and big buyers like India and China for limited gas supplies, pushing up prices.

Import-dependent economies — such as Benin and Zambia in Africa and Bangladesh and Thailand in Asia — could face some of the biggest shocks. Costly fuel makes transport and food more expensive, and many countries have limited foreign-exchange reserves, restricting their ability to pay for imports if prices stay high.

Africa may be especially exposed because many countries rely on imported oil to run their transport and supply chains.

It makes strategic sense for African countries to build their long-term energy security by investing in cleaner energy, said Kennedy Mbeva, a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge.

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But not all are opting for renewables: South Africa is considering building an LNG import terminal and new gas-fired power plants.

Others, like Ethiopia which banned gasoline and diesel fueled cars in 2024 to promote electric vehicles, are doubling down on renewables.

The real challenge is not just to withstand the next shock, but to ensure it doesn’t “derail the country’s development trajectory,” said Hanan Hassen, an analyst at Ethiopia’s government-linked think tank, the Institute of Foreign Affairs.

Renewables provide a cushion for some

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The family of a sixth form student killed by the Kent menB outbreak have spoken about her last moments trying to fight the infection.

Juliette Kenny, 18, was the second victim of the outbreak which began to spread in Kent last week after a University of Kent student died of the infection linked to the same strain of meningococcal  B.

Juliette, a Year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, died on Saturday, March 14, just one day after her first symptoms appeared.

Her dad, Michael Kenny, said she was ‘fit, healthy and strong’ before her death.

She had even completed a practical assessment for her PE A-level on Thursday, March 12.

Mr Kenny said: ‘In the morning on Friday, she was taken, by us, to our local emergency drop-in as a discolouration appeared on her cheeks.’

The teen was not showing any symptoms at the time, but she was given antibiotics and taken to an A&E in an ambulance.

But her condition worsened quickly, which is typical for meningitis as it can progress from mild to life-threatening within hours.

‘Juliette fought bravely for hours, but despite the fantastic NHS hospital staff fighting alongside her, meningitis took her from us less than 12 hours later,’ her dad said.

‘We were with her at the end, and the last sounds that she heard were the voices of those who loved her telling her how very much loved and cherished she is.’

He said the ‘devastation’ of her death is ‘immeasurable’ and something ‘no family should experience.’

‘Sharing stories of the empathy, warmth and fun that she created is helping her family and friends through at this time. Her energy continues to make the people who love her find a way.

‘The illness took her from us so quickly.’

Mr Kenny said his daughter had ‘beautifully positive energy,’ and he wanted her legacy to be ‘lasting change.’

Juliette’s grandmother, Linda Kenny, told the Daily Mail said she struggles to talk about the tragedy or ‘otherwise I will cry.’

‘We are all on antibiotics because we were with Juliette in hospital when she passed away,’ she added.

Vaccination sites and pharmacies have reported dwindling supply, with some places in Kent having to close lines early after medicines ran out yesterday.

In Kent alone, more than 8,500 antibiotics and 1,600 jabs have been given out to eligible people.

Juliette’s family have joined the Meningitis Research Foundation in calling for the government to improve access to menB vaccinations for teens and young people.

The majority of young people born before 2015 are not protected against menB infection unless they have had the vaccination privately. A private vaccination can cost up to £240 for the full two doses.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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“Higher oil and gas prices would lift North Sea revenues, and stronger inflation could boost receipts from VAT and frozen tax allowances, but those gains would likely be outweighed by the damage to tax revenues from weaker growth and higher public spending on welfare, debt interest costs, and pressure for fiscal support for households and energy-intensive businesses.”

It’s the second year in a row that Morpeth, situated near the coastal areas of Ashington and Bedlington, was crowned among the UK’s top spots in the publishers’ widely recognised guide, which saw Skipton in North Yorkshire claim the winning title.

The area, known as a “place of pilgrimage” for those coming to pay their respects to suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, has also recently been hailed one of England’s most underrated county towns by The Telegraph.

You can read more about that in our previous article.

Morpeth’s ‘community-spirited residents have plenty to shout about’

But why has Morpeth been named among the best places to live in the region for 2025 and 2026?

Commenting on this year’s findings, The Sunday Times judges shared: “Morpeth’s community-spirited residents have plenty to shout about: a new £21 million leisure centre, easy access to Newcastle and Northumberland’s best beaches and some excellent schools.

“The town’s choir groups and book festival are thriving and there are also crafting groups, dance and basketball clubs, a bouldering centre and a panto society.”

This follows last year’s praise from the publisher, which hailed Morpeth as “Britain’s friendliest market town”.

It said: “Every shopkeeper treats you like a long-lost friend, and the tails of the dogs (there are lots of them) are constantly wagging.

“Tranquil, yes. Backwater-ish, no. Even on a Monday morning in February, there is a purposeful bustle in the air and a lunchtime queue has already built up outside the Italian restaurant Lollo Rosso.”

The Telegraph also revealed that the most popular houses were to the north, on streets such as De Merley Road, Kings Avenue and Dacre Street.

Recent Rightmove data for house prices in Morpeth shows the market town had an overall average of £292,492 over the last year.

The property experts added: “The majority of properties sold in Morpeth during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £258,071.

This North East market town has made The Sunday Times’ annual property guide in 2025 and 2026 (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“Detached properties sold for an average of £398,376, with terraced properties fetching £223,422.

“Overall, the historical sold prices in Morpeth over the last year were similar to the previous year and similar to the 2023 peak of £289,725.”

Best places to live in the North and North East of England for 2026

Here are all the best places to live in the North and North East of England for 2026, as revealed by The Sunday Times:

• Skipton, North Yorkshire 
• Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
• Leeds city centre
• Morpeth, Northumberland
• Newcastle: Gosforth
• Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire 
• Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
• York

In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the best of Britain, with Norwich, Norfolk named the overall national winner.

You can see the full Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 guide online now.

The Sunday Times’s expert judges visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to amenities, as well as access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.

There are more new entries than ever before in this year’s guide.

As always, the judges looked for thriving locations with a strong sense of community rather than famous names with high house prices. 

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, commented: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.

“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community. 

“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live.

“These judges have traveled the length and breadth of the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, selecting the top towns and villages, suburbs and cities for the 2026 guide.

“One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”  

The guide is published online today (March 20), with an abridged version appearing as a magazine supplement on Sunday (March 22).

Have you visited Morpeth recently or do you live there now? Let us know in the comments below.

Linlithgow has emerged as the top choice in the 2026 Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

A historic West Lothian town has been named as Scotland’s best place to live.

Linlithgow has emerged as the top choice in the 2026 Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

The town is perhaps best known for the ruins of Linlithgow Palace, where Mary, Queen of Scots was born. Judges praised it as a “family-friendly hotspot that’s the perfect spot for commuters to Edinburgh or Glasgow who want clean air and a village mentality”.

Describing it as a “central belter”, the Sunday Times said residents “can’t get enough of the medieval high street, outstanding schools and the great outdoors”.

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The judges added: “It’s the kind of town where the lollipop men know everyone’s names and have treats for the dogs, and competition is fierce in the famous annual cardboard boat race down the pretty Union Canal.

“Non-commuters have all the more time to enjoy the 180 shared interest groups, community-owned ski slope, theatre productions and jazz concerts or get involved in the community development trust.”

Linlithgow was one of seven Scottish places to make the Sunday Times list.

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain. It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.

READ MORE: People living with glaucoma in West Lothian can access support within community

“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live.

“These judges have travelled the length and breadth of the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, selecting the top towns and villages, suburbs and cities for the 2026 guide.

“One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”

READ MORE: Permission granted for construction of new Craigshill Primary in Livingston

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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday ordered the release of 250 political prisoners as part of a deal with Washington that lifted some U.S. sanctions, the latest step in the isolated leader’s effort to improve ties with the West.

Lukashenko pardoned the prisoners after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, in the Belarus capital of Minsk. Coale hailed the release as a “significant humanitarian milestone” and a testament to Trump’s “commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy.” It marked the largest one-time release of political prisoners in the country.

Coale told reporters that the U.S. will lift sanctions from two Belarusian state banks and the country’s Finance Ministry, and that the top Belarusian potash producers have been removed from a sanctions list.

Belarus’ opposition leader-in-exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, hailed the prisoners’ release as “a moment of great relief and hope.”

“After years of isolation, people are now free and can finally embrace their loved ones,” Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press. “There is nothing more powerful than seeing someone who endured unjust imprisonment reunited with their family.”

She thanked Trump and his officials for their “tireless efforts to secure the release of political prisoners,” adding that “these humanitarian efforts are saving lives.”

The last time U.S. officials met with Lukashenko, in December, Washington announced the easing of sanctions on Belarus’ potash sector, a key source of export revenue, and 123 prisoners were released and sent to Ukraine and Lithuania.

A close ally of Russia, Minsk has faced isolation for years. Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been sanctioned repeatedly by Western countries — both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Lukashenko’s rule was challenged after a 2020 presidential election, when tens of thousands poured into the streets to protest a vote they viewed as rigged. They were the largest demonstrations since Belarus became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

In an ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures either fled the country or were imprisoned.

Five years after the mass demonstrations, Lukashenko won a seventh term last year in an election that the opposition called a farce.

More recently, Belarus has freed some political prisoners to try to win favor with the West. Since Trump returned to the White House last year, Lukashenko has released dozens of prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and key dissident figures Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka and Maria Kolesnikova.

Trump spoke to Lukashenko by phone in August 2025 after one such release and even suggested a face-to-face meeting in what would be a big victory for the Belarusian leader, who has been dubbed “Europe’s Last Dictator.”

Dzianis Kuchynski, an adviser to Tsikhanouskaya, said that 15 of the 250 prisoners arrived in Lithuania following their release.

They included Valiantsin Stefanovich and Marfa Rabkova of the prominent Belarus human rights group Viasna. Stefanovich was serving a nine-year sentence on charges of smuggling money to finance activities violating the public order after his arrest in 2023. Rabkova was sentenced to 14 years and nine months following her 2020 arrest and conviction on charges of organizing riots and inciting hatred, accusations widely seen as a punishment for documenting human rights abuses.

Nasta Loika, 37, an activist with the international rights group Human Constanta, was also released. She was sentenced to seven years in prison after her arrest in 2022 on charges of organizing mass unrest and inciting hatred – charges widely seen as retaliation for her activism.

Also freed was Katsiaryna Bakhvalava, 32, who also goes by the last name of Andreyeva, a journalist of the Polish-funded Belsat TV channel who was arrested in 2020 while covering mass anti-government protests in Minsk. She was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on convictions for violating public order and treason.

Eduard Palchys, a 35-year-old opposition blogger, was also among those pardoned by Lukashenko. He was convicted of causing harm to Belarus’ national security and organizing mass unrest over his role in coordinating the demonstrations in 2020. and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Like previously released prisoners, they were all sent to Lithuania without passports or other identity papers. Kuchynski denounced it as a “mockery” by Belarusian authorities seeking to make the lives of the released prisoners more abroad more difficult.

Just before the latest announcement of releases, the Viasna group had estimated that there were more than 1,100 political prisoners in the country.

Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that “many people are still behind bars” and “our goal remains unchanged — to free them all and to put a final end to repression, so that every Belarusian can live freely in their own country.”

Red Nose Day returns to BBC One on Friday, March 20 with Davina McCall, Joel Dommett and Catherine Tate presenting Comic Relief: Funny for Money from 7pm – here’s everything you need to know about the telethon

Red Nose Day is making a comeback this week with Comic Relief: Funny For Money.

The annual charity spectacle will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from MediaCityUK in Salford, promising a night filled with humour and entertainment to raise funds for providing food, shelter, and safety.

The telethon is set to feature live performances, fantastic prizes, surprise guest appearances, and must-watch sketches. In a first for Comic Relief, the show will also be live-streamed on the official BBC YouTube channel.

This year’s special guests include Idris Elba, reprising his role as DCI John Luther, joining Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary in the hilariously suspenseful sketch The Bank Job.

Catherine Tate will co-host the show alongside regular presenter Davina McCall, appearing as Nan from The Catherine Tate Show. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the renowned telethon, reports the Mirror.

Comic Relief start and finish time

Comic Relief: Funny for Money will air live on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Friday, March 20, and for the first time ever, it will be simultaneously live-streamed on the official BBC YouTube channel.

Viewers can tune in at 7pm to watch the spectacle unfold, with co-host Joel Dommett promising one of the “best openings to Comic Relief ever.”

The telethon will run for three hours on BBC One, then at 10pm, the Red Nose Day fun will move over to BBC Two where Romesh Ranganathan will host a special episode of Comic Relief Does The Weakest Link.

Comic Relief presenters

Returning to present once more is Davina McCall, who will anchor the entire evening’s entertainment.

She will be accompanied in hosting responsibilities by Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Joel Dommett, and Catherine Tate (as Nan from The Catherine Tate Show).

Discussing the presenting lineup, Davina remarked: “What’s so nice is that I’m hosting with Joel Dommett, and Joel’s actually one of my best friends! So, it’s so nice to be presenting with him. Knowing that I’m with him whilst also presenting with Nan (Catherine Tate) is very reassuring, because actually, I am mildly terrified of Nan if I’m honest!”.

“How I’m going to stop her from swearing, I just don’t know! Obviously ‘please do not swear’ was my catchphrase – so I’m going to have to stay on my toes. Katherine Ryan, I love. I mean, Nick Mohammed, I was obsessed with Ted Lasso so I’m so excited about working with him. It’s going to be an amazing, amazing night.”

Comic Relief sketches and cameos

The BBC has pledged “some very special cameo guests” and comedy segments. Thus far, the broadcaster has announced sketches featuring several of its most popular programmes, including The Traitors, and Amandaland, alongside The Bank Job, starring Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.

The sketch will feature the duo devising a plan to generate enormous sums of money in an incredibly swift, absurd manner by robbing a bank. They’ll be accompanied on the robbery by Chris McCausland, Stephen Mulhern, Shona McGarty, Niko Omilana, Gladiator’s Sabre, and Natalie Cassidy.

The BBC stated: “Who will stay on the right side of the law? Who will put their (questionable! ) intelligence, strategic prowess and artful deftness to the test in a bid to become 2026’s most-wanted bank robber? And how will they fare now that DCI John Luther is on the case?”.

The programme will also showcase the remarkable challenges undertaken by celebrities in the run-up to Red Nose Day, including Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who is presently tackling a 1,000km tandem bicycle journey across the UK to raise funds.

On how to get involved in Red Nose Day, you can visit the Red Nose Day website.

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