GORDON Brown will snub the North East as he goes on a nationwide tour to see what help the Government can offer regions hit by the economic downturn.

Top Royal Navy officers will face a public inquiry in Wearside over a nuclear submarine accident.

Road safety campaigners are angry that a Newcastle player is allowed to drive after he was caught at 106mph.

Planning permission is granted for a£22m facility to replace ageing buildings at a Teesside College.

www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk

Too many school leavers turn up at work looking scruffy,"grunting"and unable to write or add up properly, business leaders warned today.

This week sees a pick-up in UK corporate results with housebuilder Persimmon kicking-off the majors.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas studied a proposal by Egypt for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday that won immediate backing from the United States and Europe, hours after Israeli shells killed 42 Palestinians at a U.N. school.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roland Burris proclaimed himself the new junior senator from Illinois -- but it appeared only one fellow Democrat in the U.S. Senate chamber publicly agreed with him.

Marks and Spencer will announce on Wednesday that it is cutting 1,000 jobs from its workforce of 70,000, the BBC confirms.

UK car sales figures for the past year are expected to be more than 10% lower than sales in 2007.

A NEW invasion of the North is under way, according to online estate agent SmartNewHomes.com.

FRENCH-STYLE cuisine has arrived at Hexham Farmers? Market with Bernicia Foods? new stall.