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Espionage malware may be state-sponsored: Kaspersky Lab researchers

WASHINGTON: Security researchers said Monday they discovered cyber-espionage malware which has hit governments and companies in 31 countries and is likely state-sponsored. Kaspersky Lab researchers said the Spanish-language malware known as “The Mask” or “Careto” has been used since at least 2007 and is unusually complex, with versions that may infect mobile phones and tablets, including those running Apple or Google operating systems.

The researchers said the authors who appear to be Spanish speakers may use the virus to steal sensitive documents as well as encryption keys. The main targets appear to be government and diplomatic offices, energy companies, research organizations, private equity firms and political activists, according to a white paper from Kaspersky.

“For the victims, an infection with Careto can be disastrous,” the security firm said in a statement.

“Careto intercepts all communication channels and collects the most vital information from the victim’s machine. Detection is extremely difficult because of stealth rootkit capabilities, built-in functionalities and additional cyber-espionage modules.”

Once a device is infected, the malware authors can intercept network traffic, keystrokes, Skype conversations and steal information from devices connected to the networks. The researchers said in their report they detected “traces of Linux versions, and possibly versions for iPad/iPhone and Android, however we have not been able to retrieve the samples.”

The malware was active from 2007 until last month, when the command servers were shut down during Kaspersky’s investigation, the researchers said. “Several reasons make us believe this could be a nation-state sponsored campaign,” Kaspersky researcher Costin Raiu said. Raiu said the authors showed a high degree of technical sophistication and have been able to hide their activities so far.

“This level of operational security is not normal for cyber-criminal groups,” he said. “The fact that the Careto attackers appear to be speaking the Spanish language is perhaps the most unusual feature,” the research paper said.

“While most of the known attacks nowadays are filled with Chinese comments, languages such as German, French or Spanish appear very rarely in APT (advanced persistent threat) attacks.”

The investigation found 380 victims in 31 countries, the most infected of which were Morocco, Brazil, Britain, Spain, France, Switzerland, Libya, the United States, Iran and Venezuela.

rl/bfm

South African Parliamentary Conference backs boycott of Israel

South Africa’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee held a “Solidarity Conference in Support of the Peoples of Palestine, Western Sahara and Cuba” on Thursday, 6th February. The session was opened by an icon of the anti-apartheid struggle, Ahmed Kathrada. He was followed to the podium by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations, Marius Fransman; the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations, Mr Tisetso Magama, MP; and the Ambassadors of Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara.

The Palestine solidarity human rights organisation, BDS South Africa, welcomed the resolutions and recommendations of the conference. In particular, the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign group was pleased to see the recommendation to forward the 2009 Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) report, which found Israel guilty of Apartheid, to international bodies including the International Parliamentary Union, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations and the African Union.

The parliamentary conference was attended by MPs as well as a wide range of civil society organisations including representatives from South Africa’s largest trade union, COSATU; the South African Communist Party (SACP); the African National Congress (ANC); the African National Congress Youth League (ANC Youth League); the Congress of the People (COPE); the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF); the Coalition for a Free Palestine (CFP); the Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS); the Western Sahara Solidarity Forum; Kairos Southern Africa; the Media Review Network (MRN); African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP); BDS South Africa and some members of the South African Jewish community who identify with the struggles of Palestine, Cuba and Western Sahara.

“The solidarity conference is a first of its kind in parliament,” explained Mr Magama. “It is a culmination of extensive work carried out… in response to the call by President Zuma in his successive State of the Nation addresses since 2010, with a message that solidarity should feature as a strong element of South Africa’s internationalism… The primary focus of the conference is to make the people of South Africa aware of the common challenges facing the peoples of Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara relating to the denial of human rights.”

The full list of recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary conference on the issue of Palestine follows below.

SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENT’S INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CONFERENCE

RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON PALESTINE

06 February 2014

1. South Africa has a legal obligation under the Rome Statute to set up a special court to deal with war crimes, this needs to be urgently setup. South Africa must expeditiously deal with the “Gaza Docket” and deal with South Africans serving in the Israeli Defence Force;

2. The 2009 Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) report that found Israel guilty of Apartheid should be adopted by South Africa’s Parliament and by the South African government. The HSRC report must also be referred to international bodies including the International Parliamentary Union, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations and the African Union.

3. South Africa has a legal obligation and must stop all financial transactions with Israeli settlement companies as well as banks and companies involved in the Israeli settlements. This would be in line with developments in Europe and other countries.

4. On the global arena South Africa must lobby for the financial and other support of the Palestinians for socioeconomic development after the end of the illegal Israeli occupation.

5. The South African government must support Palestinian students, as a concrete act of solidarity, similar to how India, Cuba and other countries supported South Africa during the 1980s.

6. Entrance into South Africa for Palestinians must be made easier.

7. The Palestinian health system must be supported beyond people capacity. Infrastructure in Gaza, West Bank and refugee camps must be supported.

8. Conference supports the Robben Island Declaration for the freedom of Marwan Barghouti and all Palestinian Political prisoners.

9. Conference supports the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) issued by the majority of Palestinians. Complete military, financial and political sanctions must be applied against Israel until it complies with all applicable UN resolutions and international law and ends its occupation.

10. All South African political parties must clearly communicate their stance on the plight of the Palestinian people and make it timeously known in the build-up to 2014 elections.

11. Witness and solidarity visits to Palestine should be encouraged, for example, through the World Council of Churches EAPPI programme.

12. South Africa should build and strengthen an international diplomatic block in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

13. The South African government and parliament must campaign for Israel to be suspended from the SWIFT banking network.

14. Palestinian reconciliation efforts must be encouraged and supported.

15. Our government and parliament must table the above at the AU, UN and IPU

Stopping ‘Al-Jazeera’ and the : By Dr Abdul Wahab Al-Effendi

Over the past few days, Cairo has launched sudden attacks in various directions, starting with a summons for Qatar’s chargé d’affaires in protest at alleged intervention in Egyptian affairs and demanding the extradition of wanted Egyptian individuals. In addition, we have seen the interim government making threats to Ethiopia and demanding the suspension of the construction of the Al-Nahda Dam which, claims Egypt, poses a threat to its water security, as well as the announcement of the prosecution of Israeli Mossad agents (which, fortunately for Netanyahu, have not been arrested yet).

All of these attacks have occurred around the time that we learnt of Field Marshall Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s nomination for the Egyptian presidency. Of course, the term nomination isn’t quite accurate because the people “ordered” him and gave him a “mandate” to stand. I find it appropriate to quote Adel Imam’s famous saying, “Are they going to fight?” Or, perhaps it is the opposite, maybe Al-Sisi “ordered” and “mandated” Interim President Adly Mansour to pick a fight with the world in order for him to ride to the rescue and bring about peace and reconciliation.

Whatever the case, the two “Brotherhood presidents”, Obama and Morsi, are no doubt sighing with relief today because the Egyptian authorities will be too preoccupied for the time being and won’t be able to accuse them of conspiring against Cairo. Moreover, the alert level in the US will go down to orange, after the US secured Egypt’s intercontinental television missiles. As for Addis Ababa, Doha and Tel Aviv, they must get ready and put up their guard. Furthermore, those working for Al-Jadidah must wear protective gear and put sand bags around their headquarters in anticipation of Lamis El-Hadidy missiles. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is being eliminated and Ethiopia and the rest of the Nile Basin countries will be in limbo.

There is what seems to be a historical inevitability telling us that the state of popular hysteria in Egypt nowadays will reap destructive foreign wars. We have seen this before in Nazi Germany, Serbia and Rwanda, and we are currently witnessing it in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. It all starts with an internal rabidity targeting specific communities in the society, then it escalates because the fire of hatred is not satisfied with only consuming itself, and it is never satisfied until it consumes everything around it, or it is extinguished by pouring the cold water of reality on its flames, but usually too late.

Of course, we understand Egypt’s concern over the threat to its water security, but the bold policies exercised by the Egyptian regime, such as attempts to stifle society, will not accomplish much, especially since it is sleeping in the lap of dictatorship and has neglected, for a long time, interaction with the Nile Basin countries, while the world continued to change around it. The Egyptian regime’s recent actions do not suggest that it is waking from its comatose state.

What is not understandable is its obsession with Al-Jazeera, which only devotes a very small proportion of its daily output to Egyptian affairs, compared to what pro-coup media outlets and allies in the Gulf pump out to the world. Is this an explicit admission of failure by the government and its media outlets in the political and moral battle, just as its policy of repression and foreign policy failed?

There is no doubt that the reputation and position of Al-Jazeera has declined somewhat with the divisions and polarisations that hit the Arab societies. However, this did not change anything in the equation that made Al-Jazeera always on the right side of history and logic of the media. What distinguishes Al-Jazeera from its competitors, including rival Western media (as in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan), is that it excels by providing information, while its competitors want to win by hiding information. Needless to say, the ostrich strategy pursued by some regimes and political movements is useless in the information era. Moreover, the policy pursued by Egypt of overlooking the facts about the developments in the Nile Basin caused it to find a new world, different to the one that existed before it buried its head in the sand.

In any case, if Al-Jazeera adheres to what some people want to impose on it, then it would die as a phenomenon and, instead, become like the hundreds of other channels that no one pays attention to. I remember last year, when I was sitting with a group of prominent intellectuals in an Arab capital, and some of them, especially those who support the Gulf regimes, would attack Al-Jazeera and its coverage continuously every time we stopped for a break during our meeting. At one point, I got fed up and asked, “Who is forcing you to watch Al-Jazeera? There are many other channels that provide you with the material you are craving, and I personally stopped watching Al-Jazeera months ago, and the only thing I feel I am missing is my high blood pressure. However, you and everyone else cannot keep yourselves away from Al-Jazeera, and that is enough proof that it is going down the right path.”

The Egyptian case in particular and the Arab condition in general is chronically ill. I am working on a book at the moment about the causes and manifestations of this illness. Perhaps one of the most prominent symptoms of the disease is sinking deep into self-deception, as in the case of Al-Sisi, who “ordered” the “people” to “order” him to do this or that, then he along with his supporters emerge and tell the people that “the people” are the ones who “ordered” him to do this or that, forgetting that they told us live on the air who is actually giving the orders. As such, some paid thugs take to the streets to protest, while the real people are prohibited from demonstrating or even speaking out, and then a statement is made saying that the “people” want him to do this or that.

Such delusions in the world of self-deception would be considered a travesty and an entertaining comedy, if it weren’t for the disastrous consequences. This obsession is contagious and deadly, and will end, almost inevitably, in disaster for Egypt and its neighbours, as well as the Gulf States, which still haven’t learned any lessons from their previous ventures. These countries have funded Gulf wars with Iraq and against it, and all the signs are that the most recent Egyptian venture will end with the most serious disaster for everyone.

This is a translation of the Arabic text published in Al Quds Al Arabi on 6 February, 2014

Source: MEMO

http://ift.tt/1bHkoJZ

Campaigners condemns UK, US use of drones

British campaigners have censured the UK and US militaries for carrying out non-transparent drone attacks in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

The condemnation came after the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) revealed for the first time that UK military pilots have been launching missile in “conflict zones” using unmanned US aircraft.

The revelation was made last week, nine months after Drone Wars UK, a website monitoring and inspecting the British use of unmanned technologies, submitted a freedom of information request to the MoD.

It received figures showing British pilots have launched at least 39 missile strikes against suspected militants from US military drones based in Afghanistan.

This came as the MoD had been insisting that British drone pilots always operate under UK rules of engagement.

According to figures, US Reaper and Predator drones have been operated by British pilots in Afghanistan on 2,150 occasions between 2006 and 2012 – an average of almost once a day. The figures do not include the thousands of missions British troops have flown with their own fleet of 10 Reaper aircraft.

Latest figures show 94 Hellfire missiles have been fired by Royal Air Force (RAF) drones in Afghanistan in 2013. This brings to 457 the total number of munitions and bombs fired by British unmanned systems since 2008.

“This latest revelation once again demonstrates the secrecy surrounding the use of armed drones and once again underlines the need for increased scrutiny and greater transparency about their use,” said the website’s creator, Chris Cole.

“The nature of drone technology means they are being used with little or no public accountability. Unless we act now to curb this new weaponry it seems inevitable that drones will increasingly be used to launch secret and unaccountable military attacks leading to global instability and increased insecurity,” Cole added.

Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch added, “One of the problems with drone programs from the beginning has been a near-total lack of transparency about the scale of the programs, where they were operating, what their goals are, and who they are targeting and how. If it is now not even possible to know which country has its finger on the button, that adds yet another layer of confusion which will make accountability even more elusive.”

Washington uses assassination drones in several countries — including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen — to target what it calls militants. According to witnesses, however, the attacks have mostly led to civilian casualties.

In October last year, a joint report by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said US officials could be found guilty of war crimes for the secret CIA drone attacks which have killed hundreds of people.

MOL/MAM/AS

MPs vote to ban smoking in cars with children

10 Feb 2014 20:00

Commons backs move to ban smoking in cars with children after campaign by Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham

Hundreds of thousands of children could be saved from being exposed to second-hand smoke in cars after MPs paved the way for legislation which could see an end to the practice.

Leading medical charities have said they are “delighted” that MPs voted in favour of outlawing smoking in vehicles carrying children.

The vote came after a long-running campaign by Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham.

After the vote was passed, Mr Cunningham tweeted: “376-107 to ban smoking in cars with children present, majority 169. Hurrah. Thanks, it will make a difference to 500,000 children.”

The Commons have given the health secretary the power to impose a ban despite the opposition of some MPs, including members of the Cabinet.

Ministers were granted a free vote on the measure - successfully introduced by Labour in a House of Lords amendment to the Children and Families Bill - meaning they are not tied to a party line.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “Having campaigned on this issue for many years, we’re absolutely delighted that MPs have backed the ban on smoking in cars carrying children.

“This could prove a great leap forward for the health of our nation’s children.

“The introduction of a law that would help prevent hundreds of thousands of children from being exposed to second-hand smoke in the car is now within reach.

“With both Houses of Parliament having made their support for the ban clear, the onus is now on the Government to act accordingly and make this crucial child protection measure law at the earliest opportunity.”

The charity estimates that in England more than 430,000 children aged 11 to 15 are exposed to second-hand smoke in cars every week.

Research published by the organisation last year concluded that 185,000 children of the same age are exposed to smoke while in the family car on “most days”, if not every day.

Prime Minister David Cameron missed the vote while visiting flood-stricken areas in the south west.

Mr Cameron’s official spokesman declined to say which way the Prime Minister would have voted had he been able to attend Parliament.

But he told a regular Westminster media briefing: “While he understands the concerns that some have expressed, his view is that the time for this kind of approach has come.”

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was in favour of the move while Justice Secretary Chris Grayling was in the “no” camp of those who said it is unenforceable.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has spoken out against attempts to “sub-contract responsible parenting to the state” and pro-smoking groups have branded it an “unnecessary intrusion”.

Movie Review: Mr Peabody and Sherman 3D (U)

10 Feb 2014 18:47

Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, and his mischievous boy Sherman, use their time machine - The WABAC - to go on the most outrageous adventures known to man or dog.

Mr Peabody And Sherman

Dreamworks delivers two characters from a 1960s’ TV series and thrusts them into the 21st century digital spotlight.

And what’s not to like for children... when the world’s most accomplished dog in a bow-tie has legally adopted a boy?

Ty Burrell voices Mr Peabody, a bespectacled Nobel prize-winning scientist, world-renowned explorer and double Olympic gold medal winning athlete.

Ten-year-old Max Charles, who played the young Peter Parker in The Amazing Spiderman, is his young charge, Sherman.

With Mr Peabody able to drop Sherman off at school in a cute, red scooter and sidecar, all is well until their ‘way back’ time machine is used for a joyride to impress Sherman’s friend Penny (Ariel Winter).

As well as trying to make sure that a hole they’ve torn in the universe doesn’t threaten the course of world history, ancient and modern, Mr Peabody’s most difficult challenge is learning to be a parent at the same time.

And that won’t be easy when son Sherman has been shamefully accused of biting a classmate.

Director Rob Minkoff launched his career by co-directing The Lion King. He then made Stuart Little, but has struggled to recapture that early form.

This film is inventive, fascinating and endearing but also sketch-lite, a trifle dull in colour-muting 3D and emotionally detached – what boy would keep referring to his ‘dad’ as a ‘mister’?

Moreover, Burrrell’s voice work as Mr Peabody could never be as appealing as Tom Hanks’ Woody in Toy Story and Free Birds has already taken us time travelling this winter.

Mr Peabody & Sherman originated as supporting features in the 1959-64 US TV series which in turn became the more disappointing film The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle in 2000.

The score is by Edward Scissorhands’ Danny Elfman with a new Peter Andre song ‘Kid’ seeing the credits out.

Egypt, a republic of fear: Ex-pres. candidate

A former candidate in Egypt’s 2012 presidential election has accused the interim government authorities of having turned the country into a “republic of fear” after taking power in a military coup last July.

On Sunday, Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh said that contrary to the army-backed government’s claims, Egypt was not on a path to democracy.

“Our conscience does not let us participate in an operation to deceive the Egyptian people and act like there are elections when there are not,” Abol Fotouh said.

“This is a republic of fear,” said the 62-year-old politician, who came fourth in Egypt’s 2012 presidential election.

He noted there are currently 21,000 activists in the country’s prisons, adding that “there is no democratic path in Egypt.”

“Any Egyptian who wants to express his opinion is afraid that he will be harmed, detained, that his house will be stormed, or a case against him will be fabricated, or it will be said that ‘you are insulting the judiciary’,” he said.

Activists from Abol Fotouh’s Strong Egypt party were arrested for opposing a new constitution that was approved in a referendum last month.

“Egyptians will not live in this republic of fear after January 25,” he said, referring to the 2011 popular revolt that led to the downfall of Egypt’s longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.

“The nations that have broken the fear barrier will not again surrender (to it),” he pointed out.

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since July 3 when the army ousted the country’s first democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the parliament. It also appointed the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court Adly Mahmoud Mansour as the new interim president.

On December 25, the military-appointed government listed the Muslim Brotherhood as a “terrorist” organization over alleged involvement in a deadly bombing, without investigating or providing any evidence.

Thousands of members of the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters have been arrested and accused of inciting unrest in the North African country.

Amnesty International has criticized Egyptian authorities for using an “unprecedented scale” of violence against protesters and dealing “a series of damaging blows to human rights.”

According to the UK-based rights group, 1,400 people have been killed in the political violence since Morsi’s ouster, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”

MN/MAM/AS

US military sex crimes rising in Japan

The number of sexual assaults by US military personnel in Japan is on the rise, as many offending soldiers receive either no or very light punishments.

According to documents obtained by the Associated Press, American military personnel were involved in more than 1000 sex crimes between 2005 and 2013 in Japan.

“Hundreds of records detailing sex-crime investigations involving US military personnel stationed in Japan show most offenders were not incarcerated, suspects received light punishments after being accused of serious violations, and victims increasingly were wary of cooperating with investigators,” the report says.

It added that the number of sex crimes by US forces is remarkably high on the island of Okinawa, where around half of the 50,000 US forces in Japan are stationed.

Sex crimes against Okinawans have provoked protests against the US military presence there.

The report also shows that the judicial process involving these crime cases is very inconsistent.

The cases are usually reduced to lesser charges and, in nearly two thirds of the cases, the convicts have not been incarcerated. Instead, they have been demoted or received a letter of reprimand.

“Documents show that out of 473 Marines and sailors accused of sex offenses, 179 were given some punishment, and 68 went to prison,” the report says.

DB/HJL/HRB

The day's news in pictures: February 10 2014

10 Feb 2014 17:33

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

Royal Marines help out with the flood effort

Hundreds more homes face flooding as the latest wave of winter storms lash Britain over coming days - and travellers can expect misery for months to come.

The grim predictions came as David Cameron sought to quell squabbling between ministers and the Environment Agency, ordering them to “get on with their jobs” rather than criticising each other.

Katie Summerhayes will have the chance to double Great Britain’s medal tally at the Winter Olympics on Tuesday, but admits the field in her ski slopestyle event is wide open.

The jury in the trial of disc jockey Dave Lee Travis for a series of alleged sexual offences have now retired to consider their verdict.

The centuries Magna Carta is being prepared for display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the United States where it will be based for six months.

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The day's news in pictures: February 10 2014

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Operation Sacristy: Nine arrested in connection with probe have bail dates extended

10 Feb 2014 15:11

Crown Prosecution Service has asked for bail to be extended until March while it considers evidence submitted by investigators

Former Cleveland Police chief constable Sean Price

People arrested in connection with allegations of corruption in connection with Cleveland Police have had their bail dates extended.

The nine, including former chief constable Sean Price and former chairman of Cleveland Police Authority Dave McLuckie, were due to be on bail until this month.

But the Crown Prosecution Service has now asked for bail to be extended until March while they consider the evidence submitted by Operation Sacristy.

The probe into alleged corruption at Cleveland Police is “ considered complete ”, with prosecutors now weighing up whether to take action.

Warwickshire Police, which has run Operation Sacristy since May 2011, previously said it is now up to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide “whether any criminal charges should be put before the courts.”

The inquiries which led to Sacristy began in August 2010 when Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) began investigating Cleveland Police Authority at the request of the force itself.

In April 2011, HMIC asked Warwickshire Chief Constable Keith Bristow - now director of the National Crime Agency - to take over the investigation.

The following month, Warwickshire Police confirmed it was carrying out a criminal probe into CPA - Operation Sacristy - and was investigating “people with current or past associations” with the authority.

An advice file was first submitted to the CPS last March.

Since then, further submissions have followed, with the last made to the CPS in December.

The overall bill for the corruption probe is believed to stand at up to £4m.

As part of the Sacristy probe, the Cleveland force’s former chief constable, Sean Price, and deputy chief constable, Derek Bonnard, were arrested in August 2011, with both denying any wrongdoing.

Mr Price was later sacked on an unrelated matter and Mr Bonnard, who was released from Sacristy bail, was also sacked after a disciplinary hearing.

A Warwickshire Police statement said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has asked for bail to be extended until Thursday , March 6 or Friday, March 7 while they consider the evidence submitted by Operation Sacristy.”

Middlesbrough burglar caught raiding flat protested to police that he had been 'battered'

10 Feb 2014 14:55

Andrew O'Donnell has been jailed for his 52nd raid after being caught emerging from a woman's flat by her boyfriend and a pal

Andrew O'Donnell pleaded guilty to burglary at Teesside Crown Court

A burglar who was jailed for his 52nd raid on homes protested to police that he had been battered by a have-a-go hero.

Prison veteran Andrew O’Donnell, 37, from Middlesbrough, was caught raiding a woman’s flat because he made such a noise.

His victim’s boyfriend was in another flat watching TV with a pal when they were alerted by the banging, Teesside Crown Court was told.

The men dashed into the corridor where they saw O’Donnell emerging from the flat and they challenged him.

Prosecutor David Crook said that the boyfriend feared that O’Donnell might have a knife and that he was going to be attacked.

Mr Crook said: “He punched him twice causing injuries.

“The two men pinned him down and searched him, and they found nothing. O’Donnell fled from the property and police found him close by.”

One officer spotted his injured eye and asked him if he had been punched during the burglary at Camsell Court, Middlesbrough.

Mr Crook added: “O’Donnell replied ‘Punched me, he battered me.”

O’Donnell had searched the woman’s handbag scattering the contents over the floor but he did not take anything.

The judge was told that he had 51 previous convictions for house burglary, seven for attempted burglary and one for robbery since 1991.

He was jailed for four years in 2008, released in 2010 and he had been jailed again twice since then.

Andrew Teate, defending, said that O’Donnell had stayed out of trouble for six months until Christmas when his relationship broke up with his girlfriend who had been a steadying influence on him.

Judge Guy Whitburn QC told O’Donnell that he had an absolutely appalling record.

O’Donnell, of Marton Road, was jailed for two and a half years after he pleaded guilty to the January 20 burglary.

Israel drones hit Gaza Strip, two injured

At least two Palestinians have been wounded in an airstrike carried out by Israeli drones on the Gaza Strip.

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman, Ashraf al-Kidra, said on Sunday that one of the wounded is in critical condition.

The Israeli military confirmed the Sunday attack, claiming it targeted Abdallah Kharti, a member of the Popular Resistance Committees.

The resistance group, however, did not comment on the wounded man’s affiliation.

The Israeli military often targets Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which remains literally cut off from the outside world by a crippling Israeli blockade.

The siege has turned the densely-populated coastal Palestinian sliver, home to some 1.7 million people, into the largest open-air prison in the world.

According to the Palestinian rights groups, over a dozen Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the first half of 2013 and nearly 1,800 Palestinians, including women and children, were seized during the same period.

Gaza has been under the crippling blockade imposed by the Tel Aviv regime since 2007.

DB/HSN/SS

Cleveland Police find two cannabis farms in terrace properties in Thornaby

10 Feb 2014 14:34

Officers are now gathering evidence after making the discovery of 200 plants today

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Gallery: Cannabis farm found in Peel Street in Thornaby

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Cleveland Police say 200 plants have been found at homes in Thornaby.

Officers have found two cannabis farms have been found in Peel Street.

They are currently examining the terrace properties as they gather evidence.

The Gazette reported recently how police, in a separate incident, had found 187 cannabis plants at a house in Teesdale Terrace, Thornaby.

More to follow

Is US trying to install a Ukrainian government?

The US State Department’s top diplomat for Europe Victoria Nuland made headlines when an audio recording of her phone conversation with the US Ambassador with Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt was released. Rumors are swirling that the Russians were surveilling the US diplomats and released the audio recording to embarrass the United States.

What was so embarrassing about it? Nuland, frustrated that the European Union wasn’t acting more forcefully on the Ukraine issue, said “F… the EU.”

While the expletive is what caught all the media attention, much less was paid to the substance of the discussion, which involved Nuland and Pyatt talking about the Ukrainian opposition and some kind of transition, as if it’s any of their business.

Here’s an excerpt from the State Department Press Briefing with reporters asking about the extensive US meddling in Ukraine’s affairs that was made evident by the audio recording:

QUESTION: – now, once we get into it. Quite apart from the colorful language that is used in reference to the European Union, the conversation appears to – well, doesn’t appear to suggest, it does – the conversation shows that the United States certainly has – or at least officials within the US Government have certain opinions about certain Ukrainian opposition leaders and others. And I’m wondering how that squares with your repeated insistence that every – all of this is up to the Ukrainians to decide themselves.

[State Dept. Spokeswoman] MS. PSAKI: It’s not inconsistent in the least bit. It is no secret that Ambassador Pyatt and Assistant Secretary Nuland have been working with the Government of Ukraine, with the opposition, with business and civil society leaders to support their efforts, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that at any point, there have been discussions about recent events and offers and what is happening on the ground. And as you know, Assistant Secretary Nuland is on the ground right now continuing our efforts in that regard.

It remains the case that it is up to the Ukrainian people themselves to decide their future. It is up to them to determine their path forward, and that’s a consistent message that we’re conveying publicly and privately.

QUESTION: Because they’re – look, the Russians have repeatedly accused the United States Government of interfering in Ukraine’s politics.

MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: The US Government has, to some degree, made reciprocal claims about Russia. Does not the fact that US diplomats purportedly are discussing who should and should not be in a Ukrainian government hint at some possibility of US interference here?

MS. PSAKI: Absolutely not. There – it should be no surprise that US officials talk about issues around the world. Of course we do. That’s what you do, that’s what diplomats do, and discuss especially issues where we’ve been closely engaged. The Secretary met with the opposition this weekend. He stopped by a meeting with the foreign minister. It’s up to the people of Ukraine, including officials from both sides, to determine the path forward. But it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are discussions about events on the ground.

QUESTION: This was more than discussions, though. This was two top US officials that are on the ground discussing a plan that they have to broker a future government, and bringing officials from the UN to kind of seal the deal. This is more than the US trying to make suggestions. This is the US midwifing the process.

MS. PSAKI: Well, Elise, you’re talking about a private diplomatic conversation. Those happen all the time. Of course as part of private diplomatic conversations, there are discussions about what involvement the UN can have, what involvement or engagement should happen on the ground. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Of course, these things are being discussed. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s up to the people on the ground, it is up to the people of Ukraine to determine what the path forward is.

QUESTION: But you’re clearly trying to influence what they decide. I mean, one of the quotes is – and this is attributed to Ambassador Pyatt: “I think you reaching out to him” – Klitschko –“helps with the personality management among the three, and it gives you also a chance to move fast and all this stuff and put us behind it before they all sit down.” And he explains why he doesn’t like it. That’s not – that’s not oh, let them figure this out. That’s gee, let’s try to do this so that he won’t decide he doesn’t like this plan.

MS. PSAKI: Well, Arshad, it’s not a secret that we’re engaged with what’s happening on the ground…

Ms. Psaki is caught in a contradiction and she can’t seem to wiggle out of it despite considerable effort. The questioner is right: the US is doing more than “making suggestions” or helping the Ukrainians along a path they’ve chosen for themselves. The conversation, Jacob Heilbrunn writes, “reveals the extent to which the Obama administration is determined not simply to bring the crisis to an end, but also to install a government that it regards as appropriate.”

AT/HRJ

Northern League: Manager's half time blast helps Norton to victory

10 Feb 2014 14:00

Norton trailed 3-1 at the break but came away 5-3 winners following a half time blast from manager Andy Campbell

Yvonne Barker

Luke Bythway punches the air after scoring for Guisborough at Durham City

Norton and Stokesley enjoyed come-from-behind victories but Guisborough lost to a late penalty as the wet weather took another heavy toll on Teesside’s non-league programme.

The Northern League Division One derby between Marske and Billingham Synthonia was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, as was Thornaby’s trip to Whickham.

Standing water also put paid to the Wearside League derby between Redcar Athletic and Stockton Town and Wolviston’s home game against Sunderland West End.

But the testing conditions failed to deter Norton and Stokesley as they returned from Tow Law and Willington with three Northern League second division points.

Norton trailed 3-1 at the break but came away 5-3 winners following a half time blast from manager Andy Campbell.

“I probably shouted for five or six minutes,” said the former Boro and Cardiff striker.

“It was justified, but by the time I finished I felt half dead! We seemed to think we were going to stroll it after going a goal up. We went 3-4-3 at half time and brought on Rob Moncur and Jack Proctor, and we got there in the end.

“It should have been more than the five we scored.”

Central defender Dale Mulligan marked his return to the Norton side with a third minute opener, his speculative shot going in at the near post.

But Dan Wilson equalised with a cool finish past fit-again former Boro keeper David Knight, and two Dean Thexton goals left Norton with it all to do.

Tow Law missed two further chances to increase their lead early in the second half, but Norton never looked back once Marcus Laing reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute.

Nicky Martin equalised with a poacher’s effort, defensive midfielder John Seaton blasted the Ancients in front and substitute Christian Selby scored a last minute fifth following a defensive mix-up.

Gary Mitchell could have scored his 150th Northern League goal but hit the crossbar. Norton are now fifth.

Stokesley dug deep in the mud to grind out their first win since mid-December, 2-1 at no-nonsense Willington.

Willington took the lead despite going down to 10 men when one of their players lost his rag following a Matthew Robinson challenge in front of the dugouts.

But Stokesley dominated after the break and Greg Upton cracked in the equaliser from the edge of the box with the aid of a slight deflection.

Robinson headed the winner from Stuart Browne’s pinpoint cross to the far post. And Willington had another man sent off in the 89th minute for a thundering tackle on Robinson.

“It was a very welcome win,” said Stokesley boss Monty Alexander, whose side are now a point behind Thornaby in 17th.

“The conditions were tough and Willington are a battling team, but if we had scored five or six I don’t think it would have flattered us.

“Connor Hood and Ged Richardson both played for us after their county game was called off and made a difference.

“Reece Kelly hit the post, Greg Peel could have a had a hat-trick and Connor had a couple of great efforts.”

Following a goalless first half, Guisborough were on course for a top flight point on Durham City’s all weather pitch when Luke Bythway cancelled out Josh Gray’s opening goal.

But they were left empty-handed when Scott Fenwick put away a 91st minute penalty.

Billingham RC skipper Joe Evans to appeal after seeing red in defeat

10 Feb 2014 13:55

Experienced fly-half was sent off for allegedly throwing a punch in his side’s 36-7 home defeat to high flying Stockport in National Three North

Billingham (green and white) in action against high-flying Stockport at Greenwood Road

Not guilty - that’s the claim of Billingham skipper Joe Evans who will appeal against the first red card of his career.

The experienced fly-half, who has a good disciplinary record, was sent off for allegedly throwing a punch in his side’s 36-7 home defeat to high flying Stockport in National Three North.

Evans reacted when one of his teammates, lying off the pitch - was pinned down by an opponent.

The skipper said: “My role as a senior player is to look after the lads. I tried to get the Stockport player off our lad. The referee said I threw a punch, but I didn’t. I would admit it if I had.

“I will appeal straight away. It’s my first ever red and I hope my last.”

Stockport received a yellow for the incident, and got the breaks for much of the match, as Billingham had three players sin-binned, while a string of contentious penalty decisions went against them.

Billingham were penalised time and again for not retreating, when Stockport appeared to escape unpunished for similar offences.

But even more frustrating for the home side was the number of times they had penalties awarded against them when trying to contain a strong Stockport scrum.

Evans explained: “We felt Stockport were stepping across and wheeling the scrum. The ref said we were turning it which is why he kept giving penalties against us.

“It was hard for us to attack. And when we got the ball we couldn’t do anything with it. Stockport are well drilled, know their strengths and played to them.”

While Stockport deserved to win, nothing went for the hosts, and Evans was proud of their resilience and spirit, Stockport getting away only in the later stages.

“We stuck at it and the scoreline was tough on us. We didn’t drop our heads and played to the end, even with 14 men.

“We are trying to consolidate in this division and still need a couple of wins.

“Next week’s game at Waterloo is massive.”

Unless Billingham can get a hearing this week and clear the skipper, he will have to sit that one out.

Billingham briefly led Saturday’s game, Dan Finney scoring a try converted by Peter Evans after Stockport had gone ahead with an unconverted try.

But Stockport, second in the league, were awarded two penalty tries, and took advantage of penalties and an interception to score their other tries.

Middlesbrough were a happier side, with a more satisfied skipper, after their 20-18 win at Northern in North One East, captain Rob Bellerby scoring a late winner to boost hopes of Boro beating the drop.

Northern, playing with the wind, led 13-0 at the break. Boro hit back to level, though in Northern’s only foray into the Boro 22 metre line in the second half they scored to lead 18-13.

But Bellerby’s second try of the game, set up by wily Peter Wright and converted by Jack Bircham, gave Boro the double over Northern. Bircham scored Middlesbrough’s other try and also kicked a penalty.

Guisborough’s automatic promotion hopes are over after their 38-24 defeat at Durham and North One leaders Horden.

Horden’s pack was too strong for the visitors, who will target the play-offs, but they stayed in the game until late on.

They got a point for scoring four tries, Zac McCluskey, Tom Rose, Ryan Connors and Gareth Lodge went over, while skipper James Clark converted twice.

In Division Three Yarm lost 11-0 at Sedgefield. Danny Ashton kicked two penalties as a spirited Acklam lost 29-6 in Yorkshire One at Wath upon Dearne.

Stockton sprinter Richard Kilty faces anxious World Championship selection wait

10 Feb 2014 13:45

Richard Kilty faces an anxious wait to discover if he has made the Great Britain team for next month’s World Indoor Championships

Richard Kilty

Stockton sprinter Richard Kilty faces an anxious wait to discover if he has made the Great Britain team for next month’s World Indoor Championships, despite running the fastest race of his athletics career.

The Gateshead Harrier won his 60m semi-final at the British Indoor Championships and World Championship Trials in a new lifetime best of 6.58 seconds, putting him joint second in the UK rankings and ninth on the UK all-time list.

The 24-year-old went on to finish third in the final behind fastest man in the world over 60m this year James Dasaolu and UK 60 metre record holder Dwain Chambers.

Kilty and Chambers both clocked 6.53 seconds at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport, but a photo finish declared that the Teessider would have to settle for bronze.

The World Indoor Championships take place in Sopot, Poland from March 7-9 but only two athletes will be named for each event when the GB team is announced on February 18.

Croydon’s Dasaolu is guaranteed a seat on the plane after winning at the trials, so the selectors must decide whether they want to opt for Kilty’s youth and promise or the seasoning of Belgrave veteran Chambers, 35, to go alongside him.

Dasaolu suggested in the build-up to the championships that Chambers’ time as a force in British sprinting has been and gone.

The UK Athletics selection policy, Round 3 states: “Athletes will only be selected in this round if the Selection Panel believe they have realistic potential to:

“Win a medal in Sopot, or finish in the top eight in Sopot and go on to win a medal at future senior indoor or outdoor championships; Athletes will be selected based a number of factors, including, (but not limited to): current form; Future individual medal potential at indoor or outdoor major events.”

NSA helps CIA assassination program with ‘unreliable’ tactic

The National Security Agency is using an “unreliable” method to locate targets for the US assassination program, resulting in the deaths of innocent or unidentified people, according to a report.

The NSA utilizes analysis of electronic surveillance, rather than human intelligence, to pinpoint the location of possible targets for drone attacks, said a former drone operator for the military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), cited in a revealing report in The First Look authored by Jeremy Scahill and Glenn Greenwald.

The surveillance agency locates the potential targets using controversial metadata analysis and cell-phone tracking technologies, the drone operate and NSA employee noted.

One of the tactics is for the NSA to “geolocate” the SIM card or handset of a suspected target’s phone, enabling the CIA and/or the US military to conduct raids and drone strikes.

In other words, the CIA or the US military orders an attack based on the location of the individual’s cellphone rather than confirming their identity through operatives or informants stationed on the ground, he stated.

Documents previously revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and another former drone sensor operator with the US Air Force, also bolstered the operator’s account.

The former operator said that while the tactic helped the US target militants, innocent people have “absolutely” been killed due to the NSA’s increasing reliance on the surveillance technology.

He added that another problem with the technique is that militants already know the NSA’s tactic and that they have tried to thwart it.

Many of them possess many different SIM cards, which are associated with their identity within the “High Value Target system”, while others, who are unaware of such technique, lend their cellphones to friends, children, spouses and family members, the report said.

US drone strikes in Pakistan and Afghanistan have left thousands of civilians dead, though CIA officials claim their attacks target militant hideouts only.

AT/HJ

Jurors in Dave Lee Travis trial retire to consider verdicts

10 Feb 2014 11:51

Former Top Of The Pops presenter charged with series of sexual offences

Dave Lee Travis

Jurors in the trial of veteran DJ Dave Lee Travis have retired to consider their verdicts.

The former Top Of The Pops presenter is charged with indecently assaulting 10 women and sexually assaulting another in alleged incidents dating back to 1976 and the height of his fame.

The trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court has heard that Travis, now 68, is alleged to have been an “opportunist” who assaulted “vulnerable” young woman while working as a disc jockey, acting in pantomimes and even at the opening of a hospital radio station.

Travis is accused of groping a teenager in his Radio 1 studio in Broadcasting House as he presented a show and of subjecting a 15-year-old girl to a “sustained sexual attack” at a Showaddywaddy concert in 1978.

Travis known as DLT, is also alleged to have assaulted a teenage music fan during an episode of Top Of The Pops.

The woman, who was 17 at the time, said Travis “had a fumble” up her skirt as he presented a segment at the BBC studios in Shepherd’s Bush in 1978.

He is also alleged to have assaulted a British Airways worker on two occasions when he hosted corporate events for the airline in the 1990s.

The woman, who was 23 at the time, said Travis singled her out on the dancefloor and made her dance the lambada with him. She said he became aroused as he pressed against her.

She told the jury of eight women and four men she was horrified when he appeared at the company’s Christmas party a month later, where he made her sit on his knee and put his hand inside her knickers.

More recent allegations include that he groped female colleagues when he worked at Classic Gold radio in the early 2000s, while the sexual assault count relates to him allegedly grabbing the breasts of a journalist who interviewed him at his home in 2008.

Giving his own evidence, Travis - on trial under his birth name David Griffin - told jurors that he was not a “sexual predator” and the claims against him were “nonsensical”.

“I do not have a predatory nature with women, I have a cuddly nature. Maybe that’s what this is all about, but I am not predatory,” he said.

Travis also said he would have reported Jimmy Savile to police if he had known the television star was a paedophile, but denied the two had ever been close.

The defendant was also supported by a host of defence witnesses, including Chuckle Brothers Barry and Paul Elliott, Patricia “Dee Dee” Wilde of Top Of The Pops dance troupe Pan’s People, and former colleagues at the BBC and elsewhere.

Travis, from Buckinghamshire, is charged with 13 counts of indecent assault dating between 1976 and 2002, and one count of sexual assault in 2008.

He was arrested under Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree, which was prompted by abuse allegations involving the late Savile.