In case you missed it yesterday, you can catch up with Sunday Politics in the North East and Cumbria on the iPlayer.

The Chronicle
Newspaper

Small businesses in the North East face going to the wall when the National Living Wage comes into force, former Business Secretary Vince Cable has said., external

Image source, Chronicle

A clutch of hens has taken up residence in a Hartlepool care home to help the residents combat loneliness.

Queen's Meadow has adopted six of the birds as part of the HenPower, external project.

Image source, HenPower project

The national scheme has proven to help reduce agitation among residents, particularly dementia residents, and therefore reduce the use of medication. 

Work has started to replace about half a mile of old metal gas mains in South Shields.

Northern Gas Networks is spending more than £46,000 on the 700m (2,296ft) stretch of Sunderland Road. The work will take three weeks.

Temporary traffic lights will be in use while more durable plastic pipes are installed.

The first major UK exhibition of the work of French designer Yves Saint Laurent has proved so popular that it is going to run for an additional fortnight. 

Style is Eternal, which showcases key items from his 50-year career,, external has been running at the Bowes Museum in County Durham since July. 

Image source, Andy Barnham

It has been the most popular exhibition in the museum's history, attracting three times the usual visitor numbers. 

The initial closing date of 25 October has now been extended to 8 November.

A footballer who was struck down with a brain tumour has died aged 14, her team has announced. 

Clubs including Newcastle and Rangers, stars like Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne, as well as junior sides up and down the country posed for pictures making a heart-shaped hand gesture for Rhya Story.

Image source, Family handout/PA wire

The schoolgirl from Greenhead, Northumberland, fell ill a fortnight ago and was taken to hospital in Newcastle where an inoperable brain tumour was diagnosed. 

Her team, Haltwhistle United, said: "It is with heavy hearts we must say goodbye to our team mate Rhya who lost her battle and has left us and joined angels united."   

Ian Reeve
BBC Look North

Newcastle's Monument Mall is up for sale for £82m, according to Property Week, external. 

Owner Hammerson bought it from Kuwaiti company St Martins for £28m in 2011.  

Labour's leader in the House of Lords has ticked off the Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman for a tweet about the Health Secretary Jenermy Hunt's Chinese wife.

Mr Hunt had said the UK had to become as hard working as Asia. 

Ms Goodman had tweeted: "If China is so great, why did @Jeremy_Hunt's wife come to England?" She has since deleted it and said she wants to "totally apologise"

The Labour leader in the Lords Lady Smith said the tweet was bizarre:""There's a lesson for all here, our partners and families are not in the public domain to be criticised or commented on."

Here's today's front page and a link to the top story, external:

Image source, Hartlepool Mail

Sunderland striker Steven FLetcher hit a hat-trick as Scotland ended their failed Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a comfortable win over the part-timers of Gibraltar.

Gordon Strachan's side were utterly dominant and rewarded the loyalty of a large travelling support with an emphatic if meaningless win.

A Chris Martin header and Shaun Maloney's curling shot had Scotland two up at half-time.

Fletcher's second-half treble and Steven Naismith's late finish gave the Tartan Army more to cheer.

Image source, SNS

BBC Sport

Cricketing all-rounder Ben Stokes defends what some see as his uncompromising approach.

Speaking ahead of England's three-match Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, the Durham star also talks about following in his father's footsteps, and how parenthood has made him a calmer man. 

Sunderland Echo
Newspaper

A supermarket shopper was assaulted in the aisles by a pensioner in a row over carrots., external

Image source, Sunderland Echo

BBC Newcastle
www.bbc.co.uk/BBCNewcastle

The father of one of the North East victims of the MH17 disaster is heading to the Netherlands today ahead of the publication of a report into the causes of the tragedy tomorrow.

Liam Sweeney, along with fellow fan John Alder, were among the 298 people killed when their plane came down over Eastern Ukraine. 

The pair were travelling to New Zealand to watch Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly. 

Liam's dad Barry, from Killingworth in North Tyneside, will receive a private briefing along with other family members before the report by the Dutch Safety Board is released.

We'll have full coverage on BBC Newcastle and online.

BBC Sport

In the Gossip Column this morning:

Sam Allardyce, 60, who became Sunderland's latest manager last week, says he would still like to manage England.(Sun - subscription required) , external

Image source, The Sun

Allardyce is planning a return to one of his former clubs to sign West Ham centre-back James Tomkins, 26. (Daily Star) , external

Southend say they have had no contact with Sunderland regarding their manager Phil Brown, despite reports that Allardyce would like a reunion with his former assistant on Wearside. (Newcastle Chronicle) , external

Work has started on the new Wear Crossing project.

It will create a new road network and bridge across the River Wear from Castletown to Pallion in Sunderland.

Image source, Sunderland City Council

The work will however mean disruption and delays for drivers using the A1231 Wessington Way.

A stretch of westbound carriageway will be down to one lane from today -- then from next January it's down to one lane in both directions, and that will last for 12 months.

Hartlepool has the highest percentage of jobs paying below the living wage in the North East, new figures show.

The Office for National Statistics says almost six million employee jobs in the UK are estimated to be paid less than the Living Wage.

Image source, ONS

Figures from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) show that in 2014 an estimated 5.9 million jobs were paid below the Living Wage.

The Living Wage, as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation and the Mayor of London, is a voluntary pay standard which covers the basic cost of living.  

Try the interactive map to see what it's like where you live, external.

The Northern Echo
Newspaper

Police have been called out to deal with a wild boar on the loose in the North York Moors., external

Image source, The Northern Echo

Constance Leathart, a flying pioneer from the North East, was one of the first women to get a pilot's licence and flew Spitfires in World War Two.  

After the war she worked with the United Nations on relief missions around the Mediterranean.

Despite her achievements, Leathart never spoke of her flying career.

On tonight's Inside Out in the North East, pilot Tracey Curtis Taylor uncovers her untold story.

Image source, British Pathe

Also on Inside Out tonight at 19:30 on BBC One, reporter Chris Jackson asks whether new takeaways should be banned to reduce obesity, and whether Cumbria gets enough benefits from looking after the nation's nuclear waste.

If you miss it you can catch up on the iPlayer afterwards.