Egypt’s Morsi deserves to be honoured, not prosecuted, over Ittihadeya Palace clashes

Every now and then, I laugh hysterically when I read news stories on old or new trials for defendants accused of killing protesters while the “murder machine” still continues unabated, claiming lives of tens of protesters daily or weekly without holding anyone accountable.

Every day witnesses the killing of protesters, sometimes in large numbers, similar to what happened last Friday, January 25, when more than 60 protesters were shot dead with live ammunition.

It has become absurd and comical when we speak about the prosecution of those who killed protesters. These prosecutions are focused on the pre-June 30 events. After June 30 don’t dare ask who killed protesters. There are no lawsuits, no accusations and there’s no sympathy, not even hypocritical sympathy, with the thousands of young men, women and children killed during protests following the coup.

We are prosecuting the former president Mohamed Morsi on charges of killing two protesters in front of Ittihadeya Palace while in office. Comparing what is happening now with what used to happen during Morsi’s presidency, Morsi deserves to be honoured.

Thousands of opposition protesters besieged his palace and threw firebombs and rocks, setting fire to it and breaking its gate. We watched these scenes on satellite channels which broadcast the footage. Despite all that, Morsi did not order guards to shoot at protesters or kill anyone.

The two deaths Morsi is on trial for took place two days later; neither had been shot at by police or the army. They were killed amidst clashes between supporters and opponents of the president. If scores of protesters stormed the palace, set it ablaze and none were killed, then the president deserves an award for managing this crisis with self-restraint and for preventing bloodshed.

Should similar angry mobs who oppose Al Sisi or Adly Mansour attempt to besiege the palace now and set its corners on fire, the news the following day would be of hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths.

A protest outside the social club of the Presidential Guards ended up with the killing 100 protesters with live bullets; a sit-in in Nasser City ended with the death of 4,000 protesters; 80 were killed in one protest in Ramses Square; and the count goes on.

A fair comparison with the events at the Ittihadeya requires granting the ousted Morsi a medal of honour for his patriotic sense and for respecting the blood of his fellow countrymen when his palace was blockaded and his life was endangered. I am saying that regardless of any political disagreement over any of his policies. We may agree or disagree on his policies and we often criticized him.

In Ittihadeya, the death toll was 10 protesters. Yet, the court is only reviewing the killing of two. I only hope the prosecution adds the names of the eight others who were killed in these clashes, because, unsurprisingly, they were all supporters of Morsi. In other words, in this battle, the fatalities on the side of Morsi supporters exceeded those of his opponents. May they all rest in peace. Supporters or opponents, they all sacrificed their lives for what they thought was a patriotic end. At that time, we did not hear the minister of interior threatening to use live ammunition.

Morsi made many mistakes and we expressed our opposition to him and his group (the Muslim Brotherhood) while they were in power. However, in this specific incident and in the official attitude towards protests, a fair observer can only attest that Morsi was the most concerned about preserving the blood of Egyptians.

The media castigated a Muslim Brotherhood protester who slapped a female protester during Morsi’s rule. This was definitely an unethical act however; it is regrettable today that we don’t deplore the mass killing of female protesters and their being shot in police headquarters with live bullets. Such news stories are passing unnoticed.

For these reasons I laugh when I listen to news of the killers of protesters being prosecuted. In Egypt now we are going through the most absurd and farcical moments in our modern history.

This article was first published by almesryoon.com

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Tuesday 4 February, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

Israeli settlers uproot 1,500 olive trees in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers have uprooted about 1,500 olive trees owned by Palestinians in two separate neighbourhoods in the occupied West Bank.

The chief of the settlement dossier in northern West Bank, Ghassan Daglass, told local Palestinian media that settlers uprooted 425 old olive trees from a farm owned by Mohamed abu-Awwad from the Al-Zahrat region in the village of Tarms’ya.

The second attack was by settlers from the Shilo Settlement near Nablus, who uprooted more than 1,000 olive trees in the village of Sanjal, which is located between Nablus and Ramallah. The olive trees were planted as part of a support project funded by the International Red Cross.

Daglass called upon all international organisations interested in protecting human rights to urgently intervene to stop settlers’ attacks against Palestinian farms and other properties. He said that settlers’ attacks occur on daily basis.

In January, the United Nations announced that the annual rate of settler attacks against Palestinians had almost quadrupled in the past eight years.

Algerian Islamist leader denied candidacy in presidential election

The former deputy leader of Algeria’s Islamic Salvation Front, Shaikh Ali Binhaj, has accused the authorities of denying him the opportunity to stand as a candidate for the presidential election. He had announced his intention to stand for president but claims to have been locked out of the building when he went to the Ministry of the Interior to collect a candidature form.

“I submitted the request to the Interior Ministry and was told to wait in the hall,” Shaikh Binhaj told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency. “I waited for a long time but got nowhere. I left the building for something and when I went to go back in I was denied access.”

The FIS official said that he had decided to stand in the election after hearing that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika plans to stand for a fourth term. “A fourth term threatens the country’s security,” he claimed. “The people do not want to live in a police state. Those who back Bouteflika’s candidacy fear he might throw them in prison… The Algerian people are victims of the country’s squabbling factions.”

Shaikh Binhaj insists that the law on national reconciliation in Article VI of the constitution allows him, as an Algerian citizen, to stand in the election whether President Bouteflika decides to stand for office again or not. He assured voters that, if elected, he will work to change some of the Islamic Salvation Front programmes and principles that could benefit the Algerian people in line with modern society.

“I am confident that I can collect two million signatures and not just the 60,000 signatures required to approve my candidacy application,” he said. “I will run my campaign according to the law and will not use mosques and other places where assembly is prohibited during a campaign.” Binhaj urged the Algerian people to register themselves on the electoral lists and decide whether they are going to participate, support someone or boycott the election

Man who died following accident on A19 at Stokesley named as Alan George Cowie from Eaglescliffe

3 Feb 2014 16:29

Police have renewed their witness appeal after Alan Cowie's car left the road on the A172 off-slip to Stokesley and overturned

The road was closed while collision investigators examined the scene

Police have named a 55-year-old man who died following a serious road accident on the A19 as Alan George Cowie from Eaglescliffe .

Dr Cowie was the sole occupant of an Audi which left the road on the A172 off-slip to Stokesley and overturned .

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest into Dr Cowie’s death was opened and adjourned on Friday 31 January 2014.

Police have renewed their witness appeal and with assistance form the Highways Agency, will use matrix boards to display an appeal to drivers travelling the same route one week on from the collision (Tuesday 4 February 2014).

Anyone with any information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the Major Collision Investigation Team, or email MCIT@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk .

The road was closed while collision investigators examined the scene and to allow for recovery of the vehicle.

It reopened at around 2.30am.

Man who died following accident on A19 at Stokesley named as Allan George Cowie from Eaglescliffe

3 Feb 2014 16:29

Police have renewed their witness appeal after Allan Cowie's car left the road on the A172 off-slip to Stokesley and overturned

The road was closed while collision investigators examined the scene

Police have named a 55-year-old man who died following a serious road accident on the A19 as Allan George Cowie from Eaglescliffe .

Mr Cowie was the sole occupant of an Audi which left the road on the A172 off-slip to Stokesley and overturned .

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest into Mr Cowie’s death was opened and adjourned on Friday 31 January 2014.

Police have renewed their witness appeal and with assistance form the Highways Agency, will use matrix boards to display an appeal to drivers travelling the same route one week on from the collision (Tuesday 4 February 2014).

Anyone with any information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the Major Collision Investigation Team, or email MCIT@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk .

The road was closed while collision investigators examined the scene and to allow for recovery of the vehicle.

It reopened at around 2.30am.

The day's news in pictures: February 3 2014

3 Feb 2014 15:21

The day’s biggest stories from the UK and around the world in pictures.

The NHS is a “demoralised, degraded and confused” health service two years into a Government re-organisation, shadow health minister Andy Burnham has claimed. In a speech to union members in Birmingham today, Mr Burnham said the Government was “guilty of gross mismanagement of the NHS” which had left patients and staff “unsure who is responsible for what”. He also claimed one symptom of what he branded the “human price of this Government’s cost of living crisis” had been an increase of 145,000 more elderly admissions to hospitals for treatment of winter-linked conditions, since the last Labour government. In a key-note address, Mr Burnham said A&E as the barometer of the health service was in “seemingly permanent crisis”, with 633,000 more attendances nationally since the coalition came to power. In a speech entitled State Of The NHS, he claimed the problems afflicting emergency departments up and down the country had been caused by a top-down re-organisation which had left the NHS demoralised, while the Government’s failure to tackle the issue of the cost of living and a campaign of cuts which meant that social care was “on the verge of collapse”.

The NHS is a “demoralised, degraded and confused” health service two years into a Government re-organisation, shadow health minister Andy Burnham has claimed.

One of the Chuckle Brothers has told a court it was “a complete surprise” to hear claims veteran DJ Dave Lee Travis indecently assaulted a stage hand at a pantomime they were starring in.

Hollywood stars have paid tribute to Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead in his apartment with what officials said was a needle in his arm.

For the latest on these stories and more, click through into the picture gallery below.

View gallery

The day's news in pictures: February 3 2014

View gallery

Independent traders flocking to Stockton town centre as £38m regeneration work continues

3 Feb 2014 15:00

In 2013, more than 50 new shops and businesses opened, relocated or expanded in Stockton town centre

The latest plan for the town centre

By Mike Brown

Independent traders are flocking to Stockton town centre as £38m regeneration work continues .

In 2013, more than 50 new shops and businesses opened, relocated or expanded in the town centre - while the regeneration programme has also seen new paving, road improvements, bus shelters and street lighting and a host of other building work on the High Street.

And 2014 is set to be a year shoppers can enjoy visiting a range of businesses selling goods ranging from gourmet food to specialist clothing or handmade wooden toys.

In the Castlegate Centre’s Spencer Market Hall, Earls of Ashwood Ltd are an independent cheesemonger and delicatessen retail outlet owned by Geoff and Carole Earl.

Carole Earl said: “We came to trade in Stockton for two purposes. One was to bring local residents the opportunity to purchase fine foods. Having lived, studied and worked in Stockton in the past, we are also keen to advocate the town’s renaissance and fully support the plans for the growth of the independent trader and the rebirth of Stockton’s famous High Street.”

View gallery

Independent traders in Stockton

View gallery

Specialist fishmongers Catch of the Day, also in the Spencer Market Hall, Ray’s Deli, Andrea’s Pantry, and butchers including Fawcett’s, Harry Meynell and Kitson’s all add to the food businesses on offer.

Stockton is also home to speciality toy shops selling hand-crafted toys and gifts – Toy Sorts, and Jack and Jill’s Toys.

Shirley Wardle of Jack and Jill’s, said: “We’re very excited about how great Stockton High Street is going to look when the last phase of the regeneration work is finished and we’re delighted that more people are returning to shop in Stockton. Hopefully, following all of the positive comments we’ve had from our customers, we’ll continue to pleasantly surprise on the High Street.”

New clothing boutiques in Stockton include A Stitch in No Time on Ramsgate, The Dress Boudoir on Finkle Street, Liberty Fashion in the Castlegate Centre, Look Good Feel Good in Regency Mall and Andrea’s Boutique on Dovecot Street.

Made by Marianne specialises in hand crafted bespoke jewellery made from genuine pearls and gemstones. Business owner Marianne Robson traded successfully in Stockton Council’s Enterprise Arcade before moving into her own unit at 24 High Street.

She said: “New independent businesses keep popping up in town, all with individual goods and services you won’t find elsewhere. There are a lot of hidden gems in Stockton - not just in my corner.”

Chair of Stockton Town Team, Joanna Wake, said: “Lots of people are indeed ‘rediscovering Stockton’ and with Stockton changing at such a pace, we would urge others to come and take a look. Spend a day wandering around, delve into the side streets, shop independently and really enjoy a unique experience, with goods and fresh produce to match.”

Meanwhile, the next phase of physical regeneration works are getting under way in the High Street which will see the central area north of the Town Hall, and the remainder of the northern area of the town centre, improved with new paving, seating, lighting and landscaping and will create a dedicated space for specialist markets and events.

In September, work began on the northern end of the high street, from Lindsay House to The Globe, and will see paving and street lights replaced, pedestrian crossings upgraded and road resurfacements.

The work will also create a new taxi rank, car park and a dedicated events and specialist market place. The site of the new Stockton “Automaton” - a piece of public art based on Stephenson’s Locomotion engine - will also be allocated ready for it to be put into place.

During the works, access to shops will be maintained and noise and disruption will “be kept to a minimum, where possible”, say Stockton Council.

Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Councillor Mike Smith, said: “In the last year we really have seen the town centre start to transform. Not only is the physical redevelopment continuing at pace, but independent businesses are showing their confidence in the new town centre by choosing to set up shop here.

“Stockton is very much open for business and has so much to offer. We’d like to ask people to be patient with any disruption the works may cause and encourage shoppers and visitors to rediscover Stockton because the town is offering something quite different. The multitude of independent shops means you can buy items here that you can’t get at other town centres.”

Gary Havelock gives thanks to speedway fans for huge support

3 Feb 2014 13:20

Gary Havelock thanks fans for huge level of support over the clash of dates between his farewell meeting and the Elite Riders’ Championship

View gallery

Gallery: Gary Havelock

View gallery

Former world champion Gary Havelock has thanked fans for the huge level of support he’s received over the clash of dates between his farewell meeting and the Elite Riders’ Championship.

The Eaglescliffe-born former Redcar Bears skipper was left “numb” after the ERC was switched to Friday, March 21 so it could be shown live on TV - the same date as his big night at Poole.

But fans have taken to the social media in their droves to back Havvy, 45.

“I’ve never experienced such a Richter Scale of emotions as I have over the last few days,” said the former England captain.

“I felt like I’d had my soul ripped out when I was first told about the clash of dates. But the support I’ve received has been abolutely fantastic.

“I’d like to thank everybody who has got behind me.”

Governing body the BSPA has issued a statement saying Sky Sports is not to blame for the clash.

The statement went on: “We would also add that the Association will be working with the Poole promotion and Gary early next week with the offer of a suitable date for this well deserved meeting.”

Among those who have Tweeted their support is Poole manager and former Team GB boss Neil Middleditch who wrote: “Can’t believe what has happened @GaryHavelock. Never a prouder man to ride for his country to be treated like this. Hang your heads, disgraceful.”

Ecco Finishing Bears team manager Jitendra Duffill added: “A total insult to Gary and shows a complete lack of respect. I’m so angry, he doesn’t deserve this!”

Former GB skipper Scott Nicholls Tweeted: “Nice to see so much support for Havvy, but such a shame that major lack of communication has put dark cloud over great news of new Sky deal.”

Things to do in Teesside tonight: Monday January 3

3 Feb 2014 12:42

Whether you want to go to a film, a gig, or the theatre, we've got you covered!

1. 100 Beats of the Clock by Charles Twist @ Heritage Gallery

Photographer Charles Twist

In 2011, Middlesbrough Council awarded Charles Twist a project to produce 100 photographs of the Transporter Bridge as part of the centenary celebrations. The results go on show for two weeks at the Heritage Gallery at Cargo Fleet.

2. Last Vegas @ Cineworld Middlesbrough

Noel Rouston, of the Star pub, Middlesbrough took this picture of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas during a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon

Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman star in a riotous sixtysomething bachelor party comedy! Billy (Michael Douglas) has always been happily single. But now he's in his sixties, he finally feels it's time to settle down and get married. After all, his intended bride is getting on a bit too. She's nearly 32. So Billy calls childhood friends Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline) with a plan. They're going back to Las Vegas together to party like it's 1959!

3. Killswitch Engage / Trivium @ O2 Academy Newcastle

ACADEMY 1 SET: Killswitch Engage

Metal overlords and Roadrunner labelmates Killswitch Engage and Trivium embark on a string of co-headline UK shows in February. Trivium's brand new album Vengeance Falls was released in October and Killswitch Engage's latest record Disarm The Descent landed the band their highest ever UK chart position upon its release in April this year.

4. Dallas Buyers Club @ Cineworld Middlesbrough

Focus Features

Matthew McConaughey stars in the incredible true story of a man who takes on the medical establishment after being given 30 days to live. Texan electrician and rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) certainly grabs life by the horns. But in 1985, this hedonistic (and homophobic) hellraiser is abruptly stopped in his tracks. Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) delivers an HIV positive diagnosis that gives him just a month to live. Macho Ron refuses to accept his death sentence and embarks on an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey.

Assad barrel bomb kills 83 in Aleppo

BEIRUT: Syrian military helicopters dropped more improvised “barrel bombs” on the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, a monitoring group said, bringing the death toll to at least 83 people in the latest episode of a campaign many consider a war crime.

Most of the victims killed since Friday have been civilians from the city’s eastern districts, including women and children, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a broad network of sources across Syria. The use of barrel bombs — oil drums or cylinders packed with explosives and metal fragments — has drawn international condemnation, including from Syria’s opposition delegation and their Western backers at recent peace talks in Switzerland.

The first round of negotiations wound up on Friday without making progress toward ending Syria’s three-year civil war or reducing its violence, which regularly kills more than 100 people every day. Western powers proposed a UN Security Council resolution in December to express outrage at the use of barrel bombs, which they say indiscriminately target innocent civilians. The weapons have killed well over 700 people in Syria in the past six weeks.

But Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar Assad, has repeatedly blocked such plans in the Security Council.

Syrian authorities say they are battling rebels controlling large portions of Aleppo, once Syria’s business hub and largest city, which is now split between government and rebel forces.

The Observatory said there was “heavy congestion” at a checkpoint in a southwestern neighborhood after the government closed it to traffic, preventing residents from fleeing the bombardment and related clashes further east.

The military also used barrel bombs in the suburbs of the capital Damascus over the weekend and carried out traditional shelling and air strikes in several other cities and villages around the country, the Observatory and other activists said.

Their reports could not be independently confirmed. To the north of Aleppo, militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized control of a border area with Turkey called Al-Raa’i, the Observatory said. ISIL freed more than 400 people from a prison in the area who had been held by the rival Liwa Al-Tawhid unit, and clashes between the two groups continued nearby, according to the monitoring group

Redcar Leisure and Community Heart beating spending target and set for spring opening

3 Feb 2014 11:30

Scores of workers and millions of pounds in materials for £31m Redcar and Cleveland Council project already sourced within the region

View gallery

Gallery: Inside the £31m Redcar Leisure and Community Heart

View gallery

The multi-million pound Redcar Leisure and Community Heart has beaten its targets for spending and employing locally - and remains on target to open in the spring.

Scores of workers and millions of pounds in materials for the £31m Redcar and Cleveland Council project have already been sourced within the region.

In addition, more than 50% of the workforce lives, and 40% of the £28m on-site spend has been allocated, within 20 miles of the Redcar development.

Councillor Mark Hannon, the council’s Cabinet member for economic development, said: “The vast majority of the budget for this project has been re-invested in the local and regional economy.

"This scheme has already created new jobs and safeguarded existing ones in construction and is set to boost the borough’s economy even further once it opens.”

The Heart will include swimming pools - which have recently been getting the tiles attached - a wave simulator, a cafe, a register office, fitness suites and conference facilities.

Council chambers, the mayor’s parlour and small and medium sized business facilities will also be located at the Ridley Street site.

It was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and, once completed, will create and safeguard 260 jobs in day-to-day operation. Construction-labour and spending targets are set by Scape, a local authority-owned but independent company aimed at streamlining procurement.

About 60 firms have been contracted to work on the development and several have taken on extra staff, including Shanco Construction, which has offices in Durham and Leeds.

Nathan Graham, 20, of Bankfields, Eston, joined the firm as an apprentice ground worker in October 2012, about six months after work started.

The former Eston Park School pupil said: “This is the first major project I’ve worked on for Shanco and it’s practically on my doorstep. I can’t wait until it’s finished and I can say to myself, ‘I helped build that.’”

Martin Miles, contract manager for centre operator Everyone Active, said: “The exterior of the centre has looked stunning for some time now, but now the interior is starting to catch up. The beach pool is really taking shape and will provide the perfect environment in which to develop water confidence. And the centrepiece to the pool area, the FlowRider, has had its pump installed.”

Darlington hit back in five star show at Kendal

3 Feb 2014 11:20

Darlington hit back in style to seal a 5-1 win and remain fourth in the First Division North of the Evostik League

Darlington piled the pressure on the teams above them with a 5-1 win at Kendal - but they had to come from behind.

Warren Beattie put the home side ahead with a first half penalty, but Quakers, in heavy rain and a strong wind, hit back in style.

Amar Purewal equalised before half time and second half goals from Stephen Thompson, Jordan Robinson and Dale Hopson (two), gave Martin Gray’s men a tenth win in 11 games.

They remain fourth in the First Division North of the Evostik League, but two of the teams above them dropped points. Curzon Ashton, who Darlington entertain next Saturday, lost at home.

QUAKERS: Bell, Harrison (Davis 77), White, Hunter, Galbraith, Robinson, Tait (Hopson 65), Ramshaw, Thompson, Purewal, Dowson (Fisher 78). Subs (not used): Jameson, Lovegreen.

Hartlepool draw blank against Scunthorpe after £500,000 cash bonanza

3 Feb 2014 11:15

Pools kept a clean sheet without centre back Jack Baldwin, but remain closer to the bottom than the top of League Two

Jack Baldwin with Nialle Rodney

Hartlepool drew 0-0 with high flying Scunthorpe at Victoria Park, but had a profitable weekend, as they sold defender Jack Baldwin to Peterborough for £500,000 on transfer deadline day.

Pools kept a clean sheet without the centre back, but remain closer to the bottom than the top of League Two.

Pools manager Colin Cooper said: “It’s a decent point. We defended well and looked a threat.

“Their keeper has made good saves, ours hasn’t had any to make.”

The manager said of Baldwin’s move: “We got him for nothing and have been paid handsomely. I wish him well.”

POOLS: Flinders, Austin (Sweeney 78), Collins, Burgess, Holden, Walker, Walton, Monkhouse (Harewood 81), Williams, Barmby (Compton 81), James. Subs: Rafferty, Poole, Rodney, Hawkins.

Cleveland Police operation recovers £1.5m haul of drugs in Liverpool

3 Feb 2014 10:53

Detectives believe the drugs, which were located in a house in the city's Croxeth area on Friday, were destined for the streets of Teesside

A £1.5m haul of drugs has been recovered in a Cleveland Police operation.

Officers found 80kg of amphetamine in a property in Liverpool.

Cleveland Police detectives believe the drugs, which were located in a house on Colwell Road in the city's Croxeth area on Friday, were destined for the streets of Teesside.

Four men from Liverpool and one from Hartlepool have been charged with drug offences and were due to appear at Teesside Magistrates Court today.

Two other men have been arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and have been released on bail pending further investigations.

SABIC UK in bid to ramp up competitiveness

3 Feb 2014 10:45

SABIC UK - which announced 100 Teesside job losses last year - wants to cut costs and improve competitiveness in Europe

Sabic UK

Ian Cooper

A petrochemicals company has announced plans that could boost its competitiveness and “create a more sustainable economic future” on Teesside.

SABIC UK Petrochemicals, which has operations on Teesside including the Olefins Cracker and LDPE (low density polyethylene) plant at Wilton, wants to build a large storage tank at its North Tees site for new feedstocks.

It’s hoped the development will help increase the company’s competitiveness.

Now permission for the tank, to store hydrocarbons, has been sought from Stockton Council.

Last year SABIC announced more than 100 Teesside jobs were to go as part of a restructure, due to a global drop in demand for its products.

But bosses said at the time that the company, which employs around 600 on Teesside, was “absolutely committed to making a success of the Teesside operation”.

The North Tees site houses SABIC’S major feedstock and product logistics equipment and its Aromatics complex.

SABIC, which supplies markets across Europe with materials for products from drinks bottles, car interiors and tyres to medicine, says it is too early to talk about the plans in any detail.

But a spokesperson said: “We are continuously reviewing the competitiveness of our assets worldwide including in Europe and on Teesside.

“As such, we are in the process of assessing the impact of new and alternative feedstocks on our businesses.

“It’s too early in the process to say more, but it has to do with alternative feedstocks and improving our competitiveness by becoming more efficient and lowering costs.”

They added the restructure on Teesside was also part of the plan to increase competitiveness.

“Both fall under the same umbrella,” the firm added.

Jacobs, a consultancy acting on SABIC’S behalf, said the plans will “create a more sustainable economic future for Teesside operations” and make the site more efficient.

A report to planners says: “Alternative feedstock arrangements are currently available that would improve the sustainability of the business on Teesside, and to take advantage of this opportunity, SABIC must increase their feedstock storage flexibility.”

The company has looked at alternatives, including re-use of existing “cavities” underneath Wilton and North Tees sites and the mining of a new cavity to increase storage capacity.

Both options were thought to be “unfeasible” due to high costs and technical issues.

Underground storage could also result in saline saturated waste water, which would require disposal, Jacobs’ report added.

Meanwhile SABIC bosses on Teesside have confirmed the restructuring process, announced in May, is still ongoing.

Speaking last year, SABIC UK manufacturing director Mike Ducker said several European competitors had already made jobs cuts.

“Demand for our products is shrinking and we need to find ways to reinvent ourselves,” he said.

'I'm a better player and I'm hoping to show fans that as soon as possible': Danny Graham delighted to be back at Boro

3 Feb 2014 10:20

Deadline-day loan signing Danny Graham wants to show the Boro fans that he is a different player to the one that left in 2007

Danny Graham in action for Boro

Prodigal poacher Danny Graham was touched by a warm welcome from fans as he made his second debut for Boro.

Graham, on loan from Sunderland, was serenaded as “one of our own” by the 4,000 fans at the 0-0 draw at Doncaster.

“It was a fantastic welcome,” he said. “The fans were brilliant and gave me a great reception. It was just disappointing we didn’t send them back up the road with the win they deserved.”

View gallery

Danny Graham

View gallery

Despite a tense deadline day wait Graham, who left Boro for Carlisle in 2007, never feared for the deal.

“I always knew it would happen,” he said. “Everyone was working very hard to get the deal done. It was just a question of whether it would happen in time for me to play at Doncaster.

“I’m delighted to be back at Boro and hope to show fans that I’m a different player now.

“I was a young boy when I left and it was right for me at the time as there were some big, big players ahead of me.

“I went and learned my trade in League Two, League, One, the Championship and the Premier League.

“I’m a better player now and I’m hoping to show Boro fans that as soon as possible.”

New lease of life for The Tuns at Sadberge

3 Feb 2014 10:00

Ross Serino has opened The Tuns at Sadberge with his mother, Barbara Serino and his partner, Rebecca Osbaldeston, from Yarm

Ross Serino outside The Tuns at Sadberge

The son of a Teesside restaurateur has launched his own venture, re-opening a village pub.

Ross Serino, whose family have run the popular Santoro’s in Yarm since the 1970s, has opened The Tuns at Sadberge - formerly the Three Tuns- with his mother, Barbara Serino and his partner, Rebecca Osbaldeston, from Yarm.

The couple have invested more than £250,000 in the new business and aim to offer people living in Sadberge and the surrounding areas informal dining, home-cooked food and a relaxing bar to enjoy.

The Tuns has created five new jobs for people living in the village including a head chef, Helen Todd from Darlington, and bar and waiting staff.

Before the couple bought The Tuns, the pub had been closed for several months with fears that it might not re-open.

The pub itself is housed in a grade II-listed building, which Ross and Rebecca spent 2013 carefully renovating and restoring to its former glory, and is thought to date back to the 18th century.

Ross has many years’ experience working in catering and hospitality having worked with his father in Yarm.

He said: “For years I’ve wanted to run my own place.

“The Tuns at Sadberge was an ideal opportunity.

“In the past it has been a really popular village pub but, like so many, had been forced to shut and fallen into disrepair.

“From the moment we started work on the pub, the support and enthusiasm from people living in the village has been just fantastic.

“Our aim is to offer home-cooked food in relaxing surroundings and be a traditional village pub for locals and visitors alike.”

Ross added: “We opened just before Christmas to gauge the market and the response has been so encouraging.

“We really didn’t expect to be as busy so quickly.

“We’re really excited about 2014 and hope we can really breathe life back into a village pub.”

The Tuns - http://ift.tt/1nHrjeg - serves home-cooked food daily and weekly Sunday lunches.

Union to hold rally in Middlesbrough to protest against £6m cuts to Cleveland Fire Brigade

3 Feb 2014 09:45

Fire Brigades Union is holding the rally on Saturday at 1.30pm by the Bottle of Notes sculpture in Centre Square

Cleveland's chief fire officer Ian Hayton, outside the Marine fire station

A rally will be held against plans for "dangerous" £6m cuts to Cleveland Fire Brigade.

The Fire Brigades Union is holding the rally on Saturday at 1.30pm by the Bottle of Notes sculpture in Centre Square, Middlesbrough.

Speakers will include FBU president Alan McLean, MP for Middlesbrough Andy McDonald and MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Tom Blenkinsop.

The multi-million budget cuts, if implemented, will lead to 130 job losses and the closure of Marine Fire Station on Ferry Road in Middlesbrough.

Fire chiefs say fewer firefighters will be staffing fewer fire engines, and accept response times could be hit - but say they “have no other choice”.

In total 130 front-line posts will be lost from a brigade that is already down to between 370-400 full time firefighters. Instead they will be replaced with 72 on-call (retained or part time) firefighters.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has pledged to fight the cuts saying it would “put public safety at risk” and has not ruled out strike action.

Labour councillor Robbie Payne, chairman of Cleveland Fire Authority, said at the time the cuts were announced: “It is always difficult to make decisions that are borne out of budget constraints.

“But as a forward thinking fire service, Cleveland is once again leading the way and showing that it is making sound business decisions that will ensure the service is efficient, effective and robust. The reality of the situation is that we will have fewer firefighters staffing fewer fire engines and we may even have to close a fire station.

At the time Chief Fire Officer Ian Hayton said: “The Community Plan sets out the authority’s approach to managing risk; what we are doing to protect people, buildings and the natural environment from fire and other emergencies; how we will continue to deliver our excellent services effectively and efficiently; and how we will achieve the appropriate balance between risk and the shrinking resources available to us.”

Cleveland Fire Authority - which has a budget of £29.9m for the current financial year - launched an extensive six week public consultation on its Community Integrated Risk Management Plan 2014-18 last month.

Peter Woodhead, FBU branch secretary for Middlesbrough, said: “We want the public to know what’s going on and the reasons why.”

Linthorpe man spared jail after fight on packed Whitby to Middlesbrough train

3 Feb 2014 09:20

Christopher Mothersill, 23, was seen kicking and punched a man in front of horrified passengers when a fight broke out

Christopher Mothersill was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court

A drunk who kicked and punched a man on a busy train has been spared jail.

Christopher Mothersill was on a packed train travelling from Whitby to Middlesbrough when he got involved in an altercation.

The 23-year-old was seen kicking and punched a man in front of horrified passengers.

The incident led to the train being delayed by 96 minutes and cost the train company £900.

Mothersill, of Megarth Road, Middlesbrough, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on Friday after previously admitting a charge of affray.

He was given a suspended prison sentence. However Recorder Mark McKone said he had come “very close” to being sent straight to prison.

The court heard that on April 20 last year, Mothersill had been in Whitby with a group of friends and got into an altercation with another man on the platform.

When on the train the victim was sitting in a front carriage and Mothersill was in the second carriage.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds said the victim went into Mothersill’s carriage gesticulating and saying “away then, away then”.

He returned to his carriage but Mothersill’s group went into the front carriage.

A fight occurred and, Mr Dodds said, people were falling into tables and knocking into other passengers. The victim was on the floor and was being kicked and punched.

The train driver told police that the person responsible had a braid in his hair - which helped police identify Mothersill.

The victim received bruising and grazing.

Mitigating, Graham Silvester, said the incident was “out of character for Mothersill.

Sentencing Mothersill, Recorder McKone said: “The combination of a busy train and kicking someone on the floor means that a prison sentence must be imposed but I have had to reason with is whether I can suspend it. It has been a very close thing, but Mr Silvester and the references, and the fact you have been offered some work, have persuaded me to suspend it.”

Mothersill was given a 58-week sentence, suspended for two years. He was ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work, was given a three month curfew and ordered to pay £750 costs.

'I have what I wanted at the beginning of the window': Aitor Karanka insists Boro squad is stronger now than on New Year's Day

3 Feb 2014 09:10

Assessing his January business, Karanka said: "I am happy because I have a better squad than the one I started the transfer window with"

Danny Graham comes off the bench for Boro at Doncaster

Aitor Karanka has declared himself satisfied with his transfer window business and insists the squad is stronger now than it was on New Year’s Day.

On deadline day, Boro signed Sunderland stiker Danny Graham and Peterborough forward Lee Tomlin on loan until the end of the season.

Last month, the club also signed Kenneth Omeruo and Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea for the remainder of the campaign while Lukas Jutkiewicz and Marvin Emnes moved to Bolton and Swansea respectively on loan.

Unfortunately, Boro were unable to extend Shay Given’s loan and the Aston Villa keeper will return to his parent club at the end of this month.

At the start of January, Karanka said he wanted to thin out his squad and as a result Frazer Richardson (Ipswich), Luke Williams (Hartlepool), Andy Halliday (Blackpool), Adam Reach (Bradford), Charlie Wyke (Wimbledon) and Richard Smallwood (Rotherham) all left on loan deals while Faris Haroun had his contract cancelled by mutual consent and has moved on to Blackpool.

View gallery

Boro January transfer business: Ins and Outs

View gallery

Assessing his January business, Karanka said: “I am happy because I have a better squad than the one I started the transfer window with.

“It’s not that the players who went out are worse than the ones I have now, it’s better because the players outside the squad will now be playing and I think for Juke it will help to have a change of scene and Marvin has gone to the Premier League, which will be good for him.

“The young players will get confidence from playing for other teams so it’s better for them and it’s better for me because I have a squad of 21, 22 players, which is ideal for my training sessions.

“I have what I wanted at the beginning of the transfer window, a squad of 21, 22 players plus the keepers.

“I think it’s good for everybody that the window is closed because everybody has been a little bit distracted.”

Karanka believes Graham and Tomlin can make a big impact over the remainder of the season.

“Danny is a very good player who was here in the Academy when he was younger,” added the Boro boss.

“He was one of my first choices when the transfer window was opened and I am happy that we have got him here.

“Lee is a No10 player who has scored a lot of goals.

“His best position is behind the striker but he can play in all the positions behind the striker, left or right.”

Tomlin, 24, arrived at Boro serving a suspension and won’t be available to make his debut until the Leeds game on February 22 at the earliest.

Arrest made after man is found with serious head injury in Normanby

3 Feb 2014 08:33

Police attended the Tiger Pub area just before 11pm yesterday and a 38-year-old man was taken by ambulance to hospital

Police tape

A man was found with a serious head injury in Normanby, Middlesbrough .

Police attended the Tiger Pub area just before 11pm yesterday.

The 38 year old man was taken by ambulance to James Cook University Hospital where he remains receiving treatment today.

A 33 year old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and inquiries are ongoing.

Cleveland Police are asking anyone with information or who was in the area at the time to contact the Middlesbrough Major Crime Team on 101.

Alternatively please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Muslim cleric, pastor gunned down in N Nigeria

Suspected members of the militant group Boko Haram have shot dead a Muslim cleric and a Christian priest in separate attacks in northern and northeastern Nigeria.

The first attack happened in the northern city of Zaria where unidentified gunmen shot at Muslim cleric Adam Albani’s car at about 10:30 p.m. local time (2130 GMT) on Saturday, AFP reported.

Gunmen apparently dragged the cleric from the car and shot him at close range, according to witnesses.

In the second incident, gunmen killed a pastor in an attack on a church in the Madagali area of the northeastern state of Adamawa late on Friday.

The attacks are the latest wave of violence to hit the restive northern and northeastern regions of the country.

On January 26, militants, armed with explosives and guns, attacked Kawuri village in Borno state as a busy market was packing up.

A state security official said that 52 people died and the entire village was burned down, including 300 homes.

On the same day, militants stormed a church service in Wada Chakawa village in Adamawa state. They set off bombs and fired into the congregation, killing dozens of people, before burning houses and taking residents hostage during a five-hour siege, according to witnesses.

Local Chairman Maina Ularamu said officials recovered 45 bodies, including two police officers.

In May 2013, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. UN figures suggest more than 1,200 people have been killed in violence in the country since the state of emergency was imposed.

Boko Haram — whose name means “Western education is forbidden” — says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government.

The group has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly gun and bomb attacks in various parts of Nigeria since 2009.

MN/MAM/AS

Your Daily Muslim: Musab Mohamed Masmari (Daily Triple 3 of 3)

Let’s be honest here – he looks like a gay bear.

Lebanese Muslim Musab Mohamed Masmari moved to the left-wing hellhole known as Seattle, Washington to start a new life… and to get his jihad on. He was appointed to be a 9/11 Arab Cultural Ambassador, working for the 9/11 Media Arts Center to help visiting Iraqi journalists. What his employer, which has ties to the State Department, didn’t know was that Masmari was planning something sinister.

Masmari maintained a relatively low profile at work and in his personal life. He even started to speak positively of America on Facebook, though he had implied that America was a “terrorist” in earlier posts. No one suspected he would spill fluids all over the inside of a gay bar on New Year’s… though obviously not the kind of fluids most men spill. He poured gasoline on a staircase inside the packed Neighbours gay bar/club, which had approximately 750 patrons at the time. Soon, Masmari began his independent pyrotechnics show. The staircase was engulfed in flames, and the patrons panicked. Masmari fled in the confusion, as 750 people tried to escape all at once.

People poured out of the club, Masmari included, many of whom were experiencing the symptoms of smoke inhalation. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the short-lived blaze. Security footage captured Masmari in the act, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force helped Seattle PD identify and capture Masmari as he was on his way to the airport. News reports did not mention whether or not he was trying to flee the country. He will most likely have his first hearing sometime this week.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related