• News Priti Patel to send asylum seekers abroad for processing
    Home Secretary Priti Patel is to introduce laws next week that will allow the government to send asylum seekers abroad for processing. An asylum seeker is an individual who has been forced to leave their home country but their application to live in another country has not yet been concluded. People often seek asylum due […]
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  • News Why governments are taking UFOs seriously
    United States intelligence bodies are expected to deliver a report within the week where all the U.S. government knows of “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAP) – commonly known as UFO – will be made public. UFOs have dominated debate and media once again after former President Donald Trump signed a 2020 Coronavirus bill, setting into motion […]
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  • News Boris Johnson to strip Electoral Commission of powers as he is investigated
    Just weeks after the Electoral Commision launched an investigation into Boris Johnson and the Downing Street flat refurbishment, he is planning to strip the body of its power to prosecute breaches of law. In May, the Prime Minister found himself at the heart of controversy as details of his expensive flat refurbishment were found to […]
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  • News Dumb as a Dog? Study shows canine intelligence equal to toddlers’
    Research shows “Walkies!” isn’t the limit of a dog’s understanding of language, people and intonation. A dog is instead born with the intellectual potential of a two-year-old toddler, recognising gestures and phrases from as young as eight weeks old.  In a recent report from The Independent, a neighbour’s security camera captures a very good Ottawa […]
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  • News Companies reject GB News advertising
    The new GB News platform has stirred up plenty of criticism in its early days. While much of this criticism was contained to public opinion of the show, recent events have led to companies distancing themselves from the show. As the current situation surrounding advertising on the platform continues to develop, it’s useful to understand […]
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  • health Overvaluation of services from NHS Test and Trace provider Serco
    NHS Test and Trace provides a system that aims to minimise the spread of Coronavirus. While on paper this system is extremely useful for stopping the spread, there have been numerous reports of underlying issues within the system. The most recent headline that Test and Trace has been caught up involves the government’s supplier, Serco, […]
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  • News Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is heading to space
    Fast cars, big mansions and fancy planes. These are the things you come to expect from billionaires. Nowadays, though, travelling to space is becoming a more common showcase of wealth – but why is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos launching himself out of the atmosphere? While you might typically expect there to be a motive for […]
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  • Environment Crisis for Sri Lanka as cargo ship is ablaze?
    While often devastating to the marine environment, cargo ship disasters remain a common issue. The most recent of the disasters, which could yet cause significant harm to the ocean, is the X-Press Pearl off the coast of Sri Lanka. What happened? On the 20th May 2021, the Singaporean cargo ship set fire while on the […]
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  • Education The School Funding Backlash Explained
    The resignation of Education Recovery Commissioner Sir Kevan Collins paints quite the picture. Only four months into his post, Sir Collins has quit in protest against the £1.4bn school funding pandemic catch-up budget for the next three years. It’s a decision that Labour has called “totally insufficient” and headteachers have labelled a “damp squib”. According […]
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  • News 26 of 30 towns awarded government funding have Tory MPs
    The government’s Towns Fund is no stranger to controversy – but the revelation that 26 of the 30 towns awarded the shared £725 million budget have Conservative MPs adds fuel to the fire. In March, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was forced to deny favouritism after the previous list of 45 towns receiving a chunk of the […]
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  • News Your medical records are on the market
    On today’s episode of “how quick can the UK spiral in to totalitarianism?”, your medical records are being prepared for sale. Advised by Matt Hancock, NHS Digital has recently announced that a patients GP medical records may be shared from July the 1st. The following data will be made available about any patient who does […]
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  • News French 18-year-olds given €300 culture pass
    French 18-year-olds are to be given €300 to spend at cinemas, theatres, museums, or on books. Should the move – dubbed as a ‘culture pass’ – be replicated in Britain? Given that cinemas and museums have been among many industries shut down in both countries, the potential boost in income from young people could be […]
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  • News Long working hours killing 745,000 a year, report finds
    A World Health Organisation (WHO) study has found that long working hours are killing 745,000 people per year. In the first global study of this kind, the WHO found that in 2016, hundreds of thousands died from strokes and heart disease due to the length of their working hours. The report also found that those […]
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  • News AstraZeneca scientist: vaccinating kids before world’s poorest is wrong
    Professor Andrew Pollard, who helped develop the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, has said that it is “morally wrong” to offer the jab to children in wealthy countries before adults in poorer nations. Professor Pollard is the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and told a group of MPs that global vaccine inequality is “plain to […]
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  • News Radio One Big Weekend 2021
    Live music has become a distant memory. Standing alongside other music lovers singing lyrics back to your favourite artist word for word, in a baking hot arena or club a thing of the past. But Radio One may be about to change that. Hopefully, by June 21st, the curtain will once again be up on […]
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  • News NHS warns of ‘dangerous’ Instagram weight-gain drug
    NHS England has written to Instagram urging the platform to clamp down on sales of a “dangerous” weight-gain drug. The drug, Apetamin, is unlicensed but is sold and promoted on Instagram as a way of achieving the currently popular hour-glass figure. Recommended Reading: A message to Kim Kardashian about young women NHS England said in […]
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  • News Hugging could be allowed this month
    In our good news reporting trend this week, the news that hugging could be allowed on 17th May certainly fits the bill. According to The Times, ministers are expected to plough ahead with the third step of the ‘unlocking’ roadmap set out by the government. This includes approval for people to make physical contact with […]
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  • News Just 490 North East youth jobs from government scheme
    The government’s Kickstart scheme – intended to create 250,000 jobs for young people following the devastating impact of the pandemic – has led to just 490 jobs in the North East, according to figures from the Observer. The North East entered lockdown with the highest unemployment rate of any region in England and a recent […]
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  • Books From Child Hunger to Child Literacy
    Never one to see a person sit on the bench for long, Marcus Rashford is now ready to take on literacy after tackling child hunger last year. Teaming up with powerhouse publisher, Macmillan, the England footballer is launching a book club that will provide books to disadvantaged children in 850 primary schools across England and […]
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  • News Monet Water Lilies painting under the hammer
    Claude Monet is renowned the world over for his Water Lilies painting series, captivating minds for many years. Now one of his “monumental” paintings from that series is set to be auctioned in New York for around £29 million. Le Bassin aux Nympheas, a 40 inch x 79 inch work was painted from 1917 to 1919 […]
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  • News Labour opposes vaccine passports
    Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has said that vaccine passports are essentially “a digital ID card” and that Labour cannot support them in their current form. Boris Johnson announced yesterday that vaccine passports – or ‘Covid status certificates’ – will be trialled this month at upcoming events, including the FA Cup final and a range […]
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  • News George Floyd murder trial so far
    Many need little reminder about the death of George Floyd last May. It sparked a worldwide anti-racism movement when police officer Derek Chauvin was videoed by onlookers kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes as he pleaded with the officer, telling him, “I can’t breathe”. Now the man accused of George Floyd’s murder, […]
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  • health The reality of young people’s mental healthcare today
    Roughly three children in every classroom have a diagnosable mental health condition. In 2017, suicide was the most common cause of death for young people, both male and female, aged between five and 19. But what is it like for young people who are trying to access support from the NHS? The picture, tragically, is […]
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  • News North East domestic abuse reports rise in lockdown
    Domestic abuse reports in the Northumbria Police region have risen by over 1,000 (5%) in lockdown, according to a Freedom of Information request filed to the force by Beep. 33,118 reports of domestic abuse were made during the period of 30th March 2020 to 30th January 2021, compared to 31,524 during the same period in […]
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  • News Myanmar: seven-year-old Khin Myo Chit shot dead
    On Tuesday in Myanmar’s second-largest city Mandalay, seven-year-old Khin Myo Chit was shot and killed by the military, who staged a coup to overthrow the country’s elected government in February. Khin’s family told Sky News how the military junta broke down the doors to their house and began shooting inside. U Maung Ko Hashin Bai, […]
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  • News Selena Gomez felt ‘violated’ by paparazzi as a teen
    Selena Gomez, an American singer and former child actress, has recently spoken about her experience with the paparazzi as a teen, explaining how she felt “violated” by the men who took photographs of her in a bikini on the beach when she was only 15 years old. Speaking to Vogue, Gomez talked about how she […]
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  • News Disadvantage gap: poorer students three grades behind
    Poorer A-level students in England are up to three grades behind their more affluent peers, research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has found. In some areas, including the North, the “disadvantage gap” meant poorer students were up to five grades behind. The research specifically found that lower GCSE grades, then fewer and lower level […]
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  • News Vaccine bus launched in Newcastle
    Go North East has converted one of its buses into a new mobile Covid-19 vaccine unit. The bus will travel around Newcastle, visiting communities who are unable to get to a vaccination centre, or where uptake has proven low. For its first few rounds, the bus will visit hostels in Newcastle to vaccinate the homeless, […]
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  • News At least 10 killed by police in Myanmar protests
    Police at Myanmar protests have killed at least 10 demonstrators, medics have said, making Sunday 28 Februrary the deadliest day of rallies since the military removed the nation’s elected government. The killings occurred as social media footage showed protesters running away from police charging at them, using live bullets, rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear […]
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  • News Uber drivers recognised as workers, Supreme Court rules
    A Supreme Court ruling on February 19th has stated that Uber drivers must now be treated as workers – but what does this mean in terms of Uber’s success, which has been steadily growing since its launch in 2009? Well, this means that Uber drivers must now be treated like all British workers, instead of […]
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  • News Gavin Williamson reveals exam changes
    On the 24th of February 2021, the government finally revealed their plans on how GCSE and A Level students will be graded this year. This announcement came a whole seven weeks after the initial reveal that no formal examinations would take place this summer. Many students remain outraged at how long they have had to […]
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  • Environment Six million at risk of air pollution lung damage
    A recent study conducted by the British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK has found that six million over-65s are at risk of developing lung damage and asthma attacks due to polluted air. The report found that British life expectancy is cut short by six months, on average, due to the effects of toxic air on […]
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  • News Dealing with Lockdown: Nicholas’s Story
    Over the coming weeks here at Beep, we are running a number of stories about the impact of lockdown on our young people. Kicking off our series is new writer Nicholas. My name is Nicholas Cornwell, I am 21 years old and lockdown has had a drastic impact on the way I live my life. […]
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  • News Matt Hancock broke law over Covid contracts
    A high court judge has found that Health Secretary Matt Hancock acted unlawfully by failing to reveal details of contracts his department has signed during the course of the pandemic. Public contract details, once signed, should be published within 30 days. The judge said that Mr Hancock had “breached his legal obligation” to government transparency. […]
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  • News Keir Starmer announces roadmap for Labour government
    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced his roadmap to government today in a speech clearly delivered to re-brand the Party. Speaking on a Facebook live stream this morning, Sir Keir drew strong ties with the post-WW2 appetite for change in politics and the post-pandemic (whenever that may be) “mood in the air” for a different […]
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  • News 400,000 children could die in Yemen
    400,000 children under the age of five in Yemen could die from severe acute malnutrition, according to a report released this month. The Food and Agriculture Organization, Unicef, and the World Food Programme also found in the report that almost 2.5 million children under the age of five in war-torn Yemen will suffer from acute […]
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  • News Harry and Meghan expecting second baby
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – or Harry and Meghan as they like to be called these days – have announced that they are expecting their second baby. In a heart warming Valentine’s Day announcement, a spokesperson for the royals said: “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. “The […]
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  • News Trump acquitted in impeachment trial
    Former president Donald Trump has been found not guilty of incitement of insurrection by the US Senate tonight as the short but historic impeachment trial comes to a close. Following the Capitol Hill riots earlier this year, Democrats in Congress moved quickly to try and impeach Mr Trump before he left office. Their efforts were […]
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  • News Pope makes first female appointment
    Pope Francis has appointed Sister Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops. Becquart is the first woman to be appointed to the position and the first to hold voting rights in a synod.
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  • News Trans discrimination in politics needs to be stamped out, immediately
    In the USA, Representative Greg Steube has recently introduced new, anti-trans legislation. It is unlikely that a vote will even happen on the bill however the concept threatens not only young trans women but all young women In Idaho, a similar law already exists. According to the law in Idaho, the state or the school […]
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  • News Study finds North East has lost out due to Brexit
    BY FLAMINIA LUCK A report published by the University of Warwick, has calculated which areas of the country have won or lost out economically as a result of the Brexit vote. The report, titled Measuring the Regional Economic Cost of Brexit, has used data and statistics from 2018 to construct a predictive modelling which estimates […]
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  • News Where was the national guard?
    On January the 6th Trump supporters stormed the capitol building in Washington, incited by President Trump himself. He told his supporters at a rally in DC on the morning of the event: “you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.’’ This speech was extremely […]
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  • News Taken… But Real Life
    ‘I will find you, and I will kill you’ is one of the most iconic film lines ever, spoken chillingly by Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills in Taken. Well, it seems that the character actually came to life in the form of a Mexican mother who hunted down ten of her daughter’s kidnappers until they were […]
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  • News How Much Sugar is in your Festive Coffee?
    We all over-indulge a little at Christmas – but do you know how much sugar is in your over-indulgent festive coffee? You’ll be shocked to say the least as some coffees contain as much sugar as seven doughnuts. Cafe Nero’s mint hot chocolate is the main culprit, containing 59.9 grams of sugar, which is the […]
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  • News Sam Fender Launches Petition to Help Homeless
    Local music hero Sam Fender has launched a campaign and petition to provide free helplines for the homeless and vulnerable. The petition – which you can sign here (and we urge you to) – comes after Fender’s work with local homeless charities, including North East Homeless. They have found that of seven councils in the […]
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  • Editorials Bullying: Are we stamping it out?
    It is a common misconception that bullying exists only in the schoolyard. It is easy to stereotype bullies as the wedgie-giving big kid stealing your lunch money. Or perhaps the malicious ‘mean girl’ spreading rumours behind your back. However, the circumstances are often much more complex. For us to fully appreciate the concept of it, […]
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  • News Joe Biden, 46th President
    After what has been an incredibly tense, unsettling and suspenseful few days in America, the next president has finally revealed himself. Democrat Joe Biden is projected by most media sources to have won the US election and the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to eclipse Donald Trump, making him President-elect and number 46. Despite lawsuits […]
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  • News US Election: What’s going on?
    As promised, we’d be right back with you once we had a clearer picture of what’s actually going on in the US. As for that ‘clearer picture’ – well, there isn’t one, to be honest. All that is clear is exactly what I said in my last article: this election could go on for days […]
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