Argentineans slam US meddling in Venezuela

Argentinean people have staged a protest rally in the capital, Buenos Aires, to condemn the United States’ interference in Venezuela’s domestic affairs.

The demonstrators gathered outside the US Embassy in the Argentinean capital, criticizing Washington for plotting a coup d’état against the Venezuelan government.

The protesters also demanded an end to US meddling in the Latin American country’s internal affairs.

Venezuela has been the scene of violent pro- and anti-government protests since mid-February, which have left at least 34 people dead and hundreds more injured.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says the recent street clashes have inflicted some ten billion dollars in damage on the economy.

The opposition blames the Maduro administration for rampant crime, soaring inflation and shortage of essential goods.

The president, however, says the opposition seeks to stage a coup in the South American country with the backing of Washington.

The US Embassy in Venezuela announced on Sunday that it is suspending the issuance of new tourist visas due to what it said was a lack of personnel.

This came a month after Caracas ordered the expulsion of three US consular officials, for meeting with student protest leaders “under the guise of offering them visas to destabilize the country.”

In response, Washington also declared three Venezuelan consular officials as personae non gratae and told them to leave the US.

SSM/HMV/SS

US initiated aggressive cyber warfare: Analyst

A political analyst says that the United States has initiated the real aggressive cyber warfare, urging other countries to gear up and defend themselves.

“Cyber warfare was really initiated on large-scale by the Americans and they pretty much had an idea, a supremacist idea, that because people in the US were smarter than everybody else, if they got into it earlier, they would be the leader in the game and nobody would ever catch up. But obviously they forgot that India has a billion people, China has got a billion people …, and have a lot of smart folks,” Jim Dean, managing editor of the Veterans Today, told Press TV.

He said China first became involved in industrial espionage because it enabled it to advance technology quickly while saving five to 10 years in time.

Beijing “found that they could just steal research and development through cyber warfare as it was being built and which gave them the ability to catch up very quicker,” the commentator pointed out.

He, however, said that Israel’s espionage in the US dwarfs whatever China has carried out and “Israel is the only [entity] that we know of who is an espionage wholesaler.”

Dean further said that Americans are worried about the influence of their country’s espionage “because it is all in the eye of the beholder.”

He added that the Americans do not have very much security because of so much outsourcing of the intelligence collection.

“You have 2,000 companies that are contracted, intelligence defense contractors and you have 500,000 people with top security clearances and if anybody thinks that that is not a sieve for having no security whatsoever, they must be smoking dope,” the analyst said.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, demanded a clear explanation from Washington over reports of espionage by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on Chinese institutions.

He said Beijing is gravely concerned about the claims and demands that any such spying be stopped, adding, “China has already lodged many complaints with the United States about reports of its espionage activities.”

The spying revelations were reported by the German weekly Der Spiegel and the US daily The New York Times, which said the NSA began targeting Chinese telecoms giant, Huawei, in early 2009.

SF/HGH

Defence council boycotts trial of Muslim Brotherhood leader and 682 defendants

The defence team of Tuesday’s trial of 682 defendants, including the General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, has boycotted the session in protest against the “farcical trials” of coup opponents.

The Judge hearing the Edwa case is the same judge who handed down 529 death sentences on Monday, which triggered international uproar.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s General Guide Mohamed Badie, as well as the President of the Freedom and Justice Party Saad Al-Katatny and 682 others are charged with burning the Edwa police station in Minya governorate last summer.

The Anti-Coup Alliance and the Muslim Brotherhood condemn the trials as farcical and politically motivated. Rights groups slammed Monday’s verdict as “grotesque” and a “miscarriage of justice.”

US House of Representatives panel approves Russia sanctions bill

A US House of Representatives panel has approved aid to Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia over its involvement in developments in Crimea.


The bill, approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, backs a $1 billion loan guarantee for Kiev and calls for punitive measures against those involved in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea’s integration into Russia.

However, the bill leaves out pending International Monetary Fund reforms that were part of the Ukraine aid bill sought by the White House and backed by Senate Democrats.

In the wake of Crimea’s secession from Ukraine, the US imposed sanctions on Russian officials. The House bill would expand those sanctions, and enhance security cooperation with Ukraine.

“The United States and our allies must take immediate action to strengthen Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence” and target Russian officials involved in the “aggression” in Crimea, said Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier, in which nearly 97 percent of the participants voted in favor of the move.

On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of the Russian territory. He said the move was carried out based on the international law.

Speaking in The Hague on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama said Washington does not recognize Crimea’s reunion with Russia, adding that the republic remains a part of Ukraine.

Obama called on Russia to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine or face the consequences of more sanctions if it moves deeper into the country, warning Putin that that would be “a bad choice”.

“We’re not recognizing what is happening in Crimea,” Obama said, adding that the US rejected the “notion that a referendum sloppily organized over the course of two weeks” would “be a valid process”.

Obama, who was talking to journalists after a 53-nation nuclear-security summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, said he didn’t think international recognition of Crimea as part of Russia is “a done deal.”

GJH/GJH

Egypt’s mass death penalty breaches international law: UN

The United Nations (UN) has strongly condemned Egypt’s military-installed government for handing down mass death sentences to the supporters of country’s ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

The UN human rights office said on Tuesday that the Egyptian court’s decision to sentence more than 500 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to death contravened international law.

A spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights called the mass death penalty astounding in recent history.

Rupert Colville also criticized the fairness of the trial of Morsi’s alleged supporters over widespread irregularities.

“The mass imposition of the death penalty after a trial rife with procedural irregularities is in breach of international human rights law,” Colville said at a news briefing in Geneva, adding, “A mass trial of 529 people conducted over just two days cannot possibly have met even the most basic requirements for a fair trial.”

Amnesty International has already denounced the ruling as a grotesque example of the shortcomings of Egypt’s justice system.

Just a day after the mass death penalty ruling, nearly 700 more Morsi supporters are to stand trial in the city of Minya.

Figures show Egypt’s military-backed government has jailed nearly 16,000 people since July 2013, when Morsi was ousted.

The UN Human Rights Council recently expressed concern over the Egyptian security forces’ heavy-handed crackdown and the killing of peaceful anti-government protesters.

Human Rights Watch recently denounced Egypt’s interim government for blacklisting the Muslim Brotherhood, saying the move “appears to be aimed at expanding the crackdown on peaceful Brotherhood activities and imposing harsh sanctions on its supporters.”

Rights groups say at least 1,400 people have been killed in the political violence since the ouster of Morsi, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”

Anti-government demonstrators have been holding rallies almost on a daily basis since the army toppled Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically-elected president. The demonstrators demand that Morsi be reinstated.

JR/PR/SL

'It’s difficult to take': 10 frustrating moments for Aitor Karanka in his first four months at Boro

Bottletops, dodgy decisions and head-in-hands injuries - 10 examples of Boro's bad luck under Aitor Karanka's reign

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Gallery: 10 unlucky Boro Aitor Karanka moments

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"It’s difficult to take but we need to forget as soon as possible."

Those were the words of Boro head coach Aitor Karanka after the bottle-top bounce which cost his side against QPR.

It wasn't the first time recently that the Boro boss has been left ruminating on poor luck (or officiating) .

So, in the spirit of exorcising the demons, here's 10 bits of bad luck, bad refereeing and bad decision-making from Karanka's first four months at the Riverside.

Your School: Normanby Primary School, Middlesbrough

Pictures from primary schools around the Teesside area

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Your School: Normanby Primary School, Middlesbrough

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School: Normanby Primary

Address: Flatts Lane, Middlesbrough

Head: Carl Faulkner

How would you sum your school up? Normanby is a safe, caring and hardworking School. We have a great community who support the school, and a fantastic hardworking staff. The best bit of our school is undoubtedly the contribution our children make: every day is amazing at Normanby.

Tell us something we didn’t know about your school? For the last two years all our teachers have spent some time out of School researching educational innovation and good practice, this has really helped us understand how to get the best out of every lesson. This year my teachers have also all had the chance to volunteer with a local charity: this has really helped us strengthen bonds with our community.

What is your school motto/ethos? ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ The staff all know that every child will be given a chance to shine at Normanby; for some children that may be through sport, the arts or their academic work. But they will all shine!

What has been your pupil’s biggest achievement in the past year? Our older children do work around internet safety that was original developed in partnership with the Police for students at University to study; last year every child who entered the exam passed. I am delighted that we are helping our children to grow up with a deeper understanding of how to stay safe.

What after school clubs do you run? Over the course of the year we will run around 45 different clubs. These include pupils running the school shop, programming computers, sports and the arts amongst a range of others.

Voice of the playground: ‘The teachers are great at educating all the children, I like maths the best’ - Scott Daniels, 10

‘The teachers are so funny!’ - Anna Gonzalez, 10

‘Its great that we get so many people in School, like Zenith Leisure because we do bushcraft and archery’ - Josh Payne, 11

‘I love the circus skills club we do after school, all my friends go and we get tto try different things and get better and better!’ - Lucy Hart, 11

Model-making enthusiasts hold exhibition to commemorate centenary of First World War

Pair stage fund-raising event in aid of the Royal British Legion

Two wargame and model-making enthusiasts held a fundraising exhibition in Middlesbrough to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

David Clemmet and Thomas Davidson have both been physically disabled from an early age but have always strived to help others, both locally and internationally, for more than 30 years.

A Call To Muster 2014, held at the Southlands Centre at the weekend, invited visitors to interact in a First World War aerial wargame, where the Red Baron and Biggles were brought to life.

There was also a display by The Durham Pals, and a First World War re-enactment group performance, showcasing military equipment and skills from several bygone eras.

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Gallery: Darlington Military Modelling Society

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Retired senior local government officer Mr Clemmet said: “Our fundraising effort is being supported by traders, wargames, modellers and re-enactors from throughout northern England and beyond. We would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped us with our exhibition.”

Staff from leading toy auction house Vectis Auctions Ltd, in Thornaby, were also on hand to give valuations of hobby collectables.

The duo plan to donate all proceeds from the event to the Royal British Legion.

Mr Davidson retired after 37 years of service at the Remploy factory in Stockton.

He said: “Most families in the land lost someone during the First World War but tragically it was not the war to end all wars – so the valuable work undertaken by the Royal British Legion is still needed.”

Protest against Maulana Abdul Qavi’s arrest – BJP’s conspiracy to target Muslims

A mass public meeting was organized yesterday to protest against the arrest of Maulana Abdul Qavi, director of Madarsa Ashraful ul Uloom. Various speakers termed it as nepotism and corruption. The action taken by the police of AP and Gujarat was possible since both the states are under President’s Rule. It is therefore alleged that Central Govt. is responsible for his arrest.

Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Maulana Jaffar Pasha, Mr. Mahmood Ali and others attended the meeting. By arresting Maulana Abdul Qavi, Govt. is trying to send a message to Muslim that every Muslims who wears a cap and grows a beard is a suspect in the country. Maulana Abdul Qavi was implicated in a ten year old fake criminal case. By arresting him, the police have fulfilled the objectives of Narendra Modi since his lofty claims are getting proved false.

–Siasat News

Road closed after motorcyclist airlifted to hospital with 'serious injuries' following collision near Skelton

A174 Marske Lane is still closed in both directions after man riding a motorbike was involved in a collision with a Nissan Qashqai car

A motorcyclist was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital with “serious injuries” after a crash near Skelton this morning.

A motorbike was involved in a collision with a Nissan Qashqai car on Marske Lane, Skelton, near the junction of the A174.

Police were called to the scene at 11.08am and the Air Ambulance arrived soon after and he was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

A police spokeswoman said the man had suffered “serious injuries”.

The A174 Marske Lane is still closed in both directions between the B1268/Hob Hill Lane and A173 Marske Lane/Skelton Castle roundabout.

The closure affects traffic between Skelton Green and the Quarry Lane roundabout.

Qatar Emir: Gaza siege is no longer acceptable

The Emir of Qatar; Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani today called on all Arabs to end the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip to allow Gaza’s residents to move freely and life normal lives.

Speaking before the Arab Summit in Kuwait, Al-Thani said; “The Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip is no longer acceptable or justifiable, neither politically nor morally. We have made efforts to alleviate the suffering of Gaza and overcome the fuel crises.”

The Sheikh called on the Palestinian leadership to end its political division and form a transitional government according to the Cairo Agreement of 2011 and the Doha Declaration of 2012.

The Emir said that Arab states have to fulfil their financial commitments to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli policies. He regretted that some Arab states did not fulfil their financial commitment to contribute one billion dollars to the Jerusalem Fund saying Qatar has already donated a quarter of the amount and is committed to paying another quarter in coordination with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Al-Thani called for a fair settlement for the Palestinian cause based on the decisions of “international and Arab legitimacy”.

He pointed out that the Israeli policies represent an obstacle to achieving peace by evading international resolutions and demanding new conditions during every round of negotiations. “The settlement activity, the Judaisation of Jerusalem and the settlers’ attacks against Al-Aqsa Mosque hinders peace efforts and leave Arabs doubtful of the peace process.”

He added: “Israel must realise that the only solution to end the conflict and achieve peace is by withdrawing from all occupied Arab territories and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Emir concluded by stressing on the importance of his country’s relation with Egypt and respecting the Egyptians’ will through inclusive political dialogue

BRICS rejects sanctions against Russia over Ukraine

The group of five major emerging national economies known as the BRICS has rejected the Western sanctions against Russia and the “hostile language” being directed at the country over the crisis in Ukraine.

“The escalation of hostile language, sanctions and counter-sanctions, and force does not contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution, according to international law, including the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter,” foreign ministers of the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – said in a statement issued on Monday.

The group agreed that the challenges that exist within the regions of the BRICS countries must be addressed within the framework of the United Nations.

“BRICS countries agreed that the challenges that exist within the regions of the BRICS countries must be addressed within the fold of the United Nations in a calm and level-headed manner,” the statement added.

The White House said earlier on Monday that US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan decided to end Russia’s role in the G8 over the crisis in Ukraine and the status of Crimea.

Meanwhile, the G7 group of top economic powers has snubbed a planned meeting that Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to host in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in June.

The G7 said they would hold a meeting in Brussels without Russia instead of the wider G8 summit, and threatened tougher sanctions against Russia.

Russia brushed off the Western threat to expel it from the G8 on the same day. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier, in which nearly 97 percent of the participants voted in favor of the move.

On March 21, Putin signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of the Russian territory. Putin said the move was carried out based on the international law.

IA/AS/MAM

Gary Havelock: A top rider whose influence rubbed off on the stars

Star-studded turnout at Gary Havelock Farewell Meeting tell the Gazette what makes him such a special guy on and off a speedway bike

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Richard Crease/BNPS

Gary Havelock farewell meeting at Poole

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Teesside legend Gary Havelock attracted a star-studded turn-out, on and off the track, for his grand Farewell Meeting.

And as the Eaglescliffe-born former world champion, 45, enjoyed his richly deserved moment in the spotlight, many of them spoke exclusively to the Gazette to explain why the former Redcar Bears captain is such a special guy on and off a speedway bike.

“Havvy is amazing,” said America’s twice world champion Greg Hancock, one of the star names to take to the track for Havvy at Poole last Friday.

“He was a huge, huge competitor back in the England v America Test match days and in the World Team Cup as well as in the league.

“My fondest memories are riding against him at Odsal, Bradford.

“He was unreal around that track - he’d just sit on the bike and go round that high banking.

“But we go way back and we have become pretty good friends and I have a ton of memories of him.

“I was so stoked when he asked me to come (and ride in his Farewell Meeting) and the biggest thing was I had other things on which I had to work around.

“But it worked out which is great because I didn’t want to miss this.

“We’re from the same era and guys like that try to stick together.”

Havvy was one of the world’s top riders and Britain’s most recent world champion when current Grand Prix star Chris Harris was starting his career, and he admits he looked up to him as he set his own sights on glory.

“We know how good a rider he was because he was world champion,” said the former Great Britain skipper.

“He is a great guy, very passionate about his country and what he has done for the sport over the years is fantastic.

“It was a great line-up for his Farewell Meeting which shows how well liked he is.

“I remember watching him riding for Poole and he was a great professional.

“It’s sad his career ended the way it did but he’s now my team manager at Coventry so it’s going to be good working with him.”

Teessider Stuart Swales rode with Havvy both for Bradford Dukes and Redcar Bears.

He too says Havvy was an inspiration to him when he was carving out his speedway career and was delighted to make the journey to Poole for his big night.

“I rode with Gary at Bradford at the back end of 1992, which was the year he was world champion,” he said

“He was a great influence and throughout the years I have stayed friends with him and rode with him again at Redcar - I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“Right from the off he was the man to beat. He won the National League Fours for us when I was a 10-year-old supporter, so to go on and ride with him in two separate spells in my career is brilliant.”

Current Great Britain manager Alun Rossiter was a domestic rival and international team-mate of Havvy’s.

He said: “We toured Australia in 1987-88 and we were the last official touring side to go and win there.

“It was quite a special time. We spent three-and-a-half months together, we did a lot together and I got to know him very well.

“He’s very passionate, similar to myself, and he’s been a great servant to the sport.”

Havvy spent many of his greatest moments with mechanic Scott Trigg in his pit.

And though Trigg has since moved back to New Zealand, there was no way he was going to miss the big night, and he flew back specially.

“There was no employer/employee relationship,” he said as he looked back at their time together. “It was pretty much like brothers, if not closer.

“I’m quite emotional talking about it. He was absolutely fantastic and that’s why I stayed with him for so long. We’ve done a career together.

“As for memories, where do you start? The 1992 World Final, obviously. Even as a mechanic that was great because a lot of mechanics don’t get to enjoy that success.

“I can’t say enough about him. His whole family took me under their wing - Marje and Brian were like surrogate parents to me.

“When you come over from New Zealand it’s hard to be away from home but I had them to look after me.

“I dread leaving to go back to New Zealand! But hopefully he’ll come out to visit us.”

Team managers for the night at Poole were former world champions Mark Loram and Tony Rickardsson, two of Havvy’s biggest pals in speedway and recently named in his list of top 10 toughest opponents.

“Havvy and I go back some years and we raced together in Sweden and England,” said Rickardsson, “and when he asked me to come over, it was a very easy decision to make.”

And Loram, whose side of Legends beat Rickardsson’s Raiders 43-41 on the night, said: “He’s been one of my true friends in speedway.

“It was a no-brainer coming down to help out.”

Darlington seeking victory to round off a week of celebration

Promotion-chasing Quakers host Wakefield, second from bottom of the Evo-Stik League First Division North

Darlington will be looking to celebrate with a win tonight, their first game after agreeing a return to the town.

Promotion-chasing Quakers host Wakefield, second from bottom of the Evo-Stik League First Division North, in the same week that a deal was agreed with Darlington Rugby Club to share the Blackwell Meadows site.

Rugby club members voted this week in favour of a ground-share, and plans will be drawn up to be submitted to Darlington Borough Council to upgrade the ground.

There is a lot of work to do, but it is likely that the football club will end their exile from the town - they are in their second season at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park - sometime next season, possibly for the start of it.

Once back in the town the football club hope to cut costs and increase revenue.

Ultimately the aim is to return to the Football League, four divisions higher than their current status.

A club statement said: “The potential at Blackwell Meadows is to be fully expoited for the benefit of both clubs, and the wider community.”

It is understood that Blackwell Meadows will be developed gradually if Darlington climb the football pyramid, rather than build a ground immediately of Football League standard.

Quakers still have a chance of promotion this season despite failing to win any of their last three games.

They won’t win the title and the one automatic promotion spot, but are well placed to finish the season in a play-off position if they can overcome their current blip.

Despite Wakefield’s lowly status they have won five away games and are battling hard to beat the drop. Quakers seek a 10th home win tonight, though like their opponents, have performed better away from home.

Billingham Stars stay sharp with cup victory ahead of play-offs

Billingham Stars beat Manchester Minotaurs 6-5 in the KD Flavell Cup, lifting spirits ahead of next month’s play-offs

By Carol Ramsden

Billingham Stars continued their preparations for next month’s play-offs with a confidence-boosting 6-5 KD Flavell Cup win at Manchester Minotaurs.

The Ultimate Windows Stars went to Altrincham Ice Bowl with just 13 skaters and one netminder due to injuries and unavailability.

But their short-benched side left with a narrow victory and spirits lifted, to the delight of the club’s director of coaching Terry Ward.

“We worked really hard and the boys did what they had to do,” Ward said.

“We were missing a lot of players again, so a couple of youngsters stepped in and did a really good job, and some of the fringe players really stepped up as well.

“Anthony Price and James McCabe worked great as a duo. And Jack Davies was excellent at the back.”

Ward added: “The cup was important to us overall, because we wanted to keep our momentum going. We’ve had terrible injury problems this year.

“But we’ve had the kids in the cup, they’ve stepped up and let nobody down. That’s good for the future of Billingham.”

A fifth minute interference penalty on youngster Davies was punished almost immediately when prolific Czech import Lukas Zeman lifted a shot over Stars netminder Mark Watson’s glove for the opener.

The game looked to be heading the way of the home team when Jared Dickinson made it 2-0.

The Stars were quick to capitalise on a power play however, Anthony Price opening their account with a speculative effort that trickled through home keeper Nicole Jackson’s pads.

A second Andy Dunn penalty in the 23rd minute was punished almost as quickly when Richie Thornton slapped home the equaliser just 14 seconds into the power play.

It was with a strange sense of déjà vu that Billingham went ahead in the 34th minute.

With Dunn again in the sin bin, their third was credited to Andy Finn, with Davies getting an assist.

It was Manchester’s turn to draw level on the power play in the 36th minute, Dickinson scoring his second of the evening.

The final session saw the Minotaurs give young netminder Harry Greaves some ice time, although neither keeper was troubled until the 51st minute when Price fired his second into the roof of Greaves’ net.

Again the hosts came back and it was 4-4 going into the last five minutes when Manchester’s John Murray was allowed time to pick his spot from point-blank range.

But Billingham were not to be denied and Bowman got the fifth when he was picked out by Ben Davison.

James McCabe put daylight between the teams when he slotted home underneath Greaves’ pads just 17 seconds later for 6-4.

A dramatic late finish then saw Moss miss a penalty shot before Dickinson grabbed a consolation for the home side with his hat-trick third goal.

Billingham will sharpen their tools further this Sunday ahead of the play-offs when they travel to Whitley for a challenge game against the Warriors (5pm face-off).

The return match will be at Billingham Forum on Saturday, April 5 (face-off 6.30pm).

Ward added: “The upcoming challenge series with Whitley will keep us fit and fresh ahead of the play-offs. I’d like nothing more than to see a Billingham v Whitley play-off final.

“It would be tremendous for the North-east, and we’re the only two teams going there without any imports.”

Road closed and air ambulance attends scene after serious crash near Skelton

Man riding a motorbike was involved in a collision with a Nissan Qashqai car on Marske Lane, Skelton, at the junction of the A174

A motorcyclist is set to be airlifted to James Cook University Hospital after a crash near Skelton this morning.

A man riding a motorbike was involved in a collision with a Nissan Qashqai car on Marske Lane, Skelton , at the junction of the A174.

Police were called to the scene at 11.08am.

There is no indication as to how serious the motorcyclist's injuries are.

The Air Ambulance is currently on the scene and is expected to airlift the motorcyclist to hospital.

The junction of the A174 and Hop Hill Lane, Skelton, the A174 / Marske Lane roundabout, and the Four Lane End to A174 Skelton bypass are all closed to traffic.

Boro record loss of £14m for last financial year - up £4m on the previous 12-month period

Wage bill was reduced to £18.5m but remains one of division's largest :: Club face challenge in balancing books under new Financial Fair Play rules

Boro have posted a loss of £14m for the last financial year - a hefty £4m increase.

The deficit, for the year to the end of June 2013, shows a loss of revenues across the board as the club have struggled in mid-table in the Championship.

The figures for the Middlesbrough Football and Athletic Company (1986) Ltd, lodged at Companies House, show a continued drift in financial performance.

The loss for the year was £13,934,000 - a marked increase from the £10,048,000 the previous year.

The club also reported a £14m loss in March 2012.

Boro actually reported an operating loss of £22m but that was offset by transfer income of £3.7m and tax credits of £4.5m.

The club's turnover was reduced from £18.15m to £14.21m in the reporting period.

The main loss came in TV broadcasting rights income which fell from £7.42m to £4.22m while merchandising income fell from £1.4m to £1.2m.

The club wage bill was reduced slightly.

The cost of 44 players and 104 other staff came down by £700,000 but remains one of the highest in the division at £18.5m.

The club are allowed to lose up to £8m under the new Financial Fair Play rules in the Championship which began at the start of the the current season, leaving the club with a significant challenge to balance the books in the summer.

More to follow

Aitor Karanka urges Rhys Williams to 'take it step by step' in battle to make Australia World Cup squad

Rhys Williams is fighting to be fit for the World Cup after suffering a serious Achilles injury against Wigan in January

Aitor Karanka has urged Rhys Williams to walk before he can run.

The Australia international recently expressed his desire to return to full fitness in time to be considered for selection for this summer’s World Cup.

Williams suffered a serious Achilles injury in the Championship match against Wigan on January 28 and underwent surgery a few days later.

It was widely understood that the injury had put paid to the 25-year-old’s hopes of making the Socceroos squad for Brazil.

But he insists he's "way ahead of schedule" and could yet be back in a Boro shirt before the end of the season.

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Rhys Williams

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Despite being impressed by Williams’ desire, Karanka urged caution.

“If he plays in the World Cup it will be good news for us but I told him that he needs to take it step by step,” he said.

“Sometimes you want to run before you can walk and you lose two or three more weeks.

“I asked him to be careful. I understand his desire and it’s good that he wants to play in the World Cup. It’s good that he has this mentality.”

Williams’ first aim is to get back into the Boro team and then to prove his fitness before the Australia squad is selected.

Following last night’s 2-2 draw against Huddersfield, Karanka’s men will have just eight Championship games to negotiate before the end of the season.

With Boro out of the play-off picture, the club’s final game is at Yeovil on May 3 - just five-and-a-half weeks away.

Realistically, Williams needs to be declared fit for action by Easter weekend (mid-April) so that he can get at least three or four games under his belt.

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou will name his preliminary 30-man World Cup squad no later than May 16. The players will then spend a week together at a training camp before a warm-up match against South Africa on May 26. Postecoglou has to settle on his final squad of 23 players by June 8.

Asked if he thinks the Aussie coach will want Williams to prove his fitness for Boro before considering selecting him, Karanka answered: “I think so because if I was the national coach I would want to see the players.”

The Village Deli in Hartburn win fight to stay open following complaints over traffic and parking

Owner Rosario Di Gregorio had to apply for retrospective planning permission to continue as a deli and keep tables and chairs inside and out of the shop

By Abi Wing

An Italian deli has had to fight for the right to stay open within months of starting up – and won.

Owner Rosario Di Gregorio, who runs The Village Deli in Hartburn with wife Victoria, had to apply for retrospective planning permission to continue as a deli and keep tables and chairs inside and out of the shop after complaints.

Without tables and chairs inside and outside of the deli, the owners were adamant that business would be no more.

The deli opened in September last year and has proved popular with the locals, serving Italian coffee and various Italian-style treats.

But concerned locals complained that a lack of parking spaces at the business was adding to traffic congestion.

Other issues were that the business is classed as a deli and should not have tables and chairs outside.

But Stockton Council has now given planning approval for the business.

Italian-born Rosario, 40, said: “I wanted to stay, we’re part of the community.

“I didn’t want to leave just because of a few complaints. There are no double yellow lines around the deli – I can’t do anything about that and it’s not my issue, and the council agreed with that. We’ve received so much support, so we’re pleased.”

A total of 45 letters of support were received while six objected.

The application was approved at a meeting at Stockton Central Library – 11-0 despite two objectors making their appeals.

Landlord Andy Darby, of The Stockton Arms pub opposite the deli, was one of those to object the planning permission.

He said: “Unfortunately it does not have any allocated parking spaces.

“Our only issue has been with some customers who use our private car parking facilities reserved for hotel guests and customers.

“Our problem is not with the business, its owners or local residents but with the minority of customers that travel and park without thought for others in the neighbourhood.”

Rosario said: “Local businesses should help each other but this obviously isn’t the case. I haven’t got any problems with the owners of The Stockton Arms. I even invited them for a coffee but got no response.”

Siemens turbine facilities in East Yorkshire will benefit Teesside

Port bosses say Siemens' facilities will 'trigger a reaction' for the industry - and are great news following several setbacks for UK windfarms

Campaigners for Teesside’s offshore wind industry say suppliers are poised to benefit from the major new Siemens turbine facilities.

Teesside was considered as a possible site for the £310m factories, but lost out to East Yorkshire in 2011.

Port bosses say Siemens’ facilities, which will create 1,000 jobs and include UK’s first purpose-built turbine blades factory, will “trigger a reaction” for the industry - and are great news following several setbacks for UK windfarms,

Meanwhile, energy sector companies steering group, Energi Coast, says North-east companies that have the right products, skills and services can support Siemens operations.

Jerry Hopkinson PD Ports’ Managing Director Bulks, Ports & Logistics, said: “We are, as always, talking to a number of developers and we need to ensure we’ve got very active engagement now, as this will trigger a reaction within the industry.

“In recent months we’ve seen a whole series of projects either curtailed or canned completely.

“The Atlantic Array project on the West Coast was dropped, Triton Knoll was halved and Dogger Bank was reduced by 20pc.

“To see a major manufacturer like Siemens making an investment of this magnitude and establishing facilities in the UK will creates other opportunities. We will now start to get some momentum behind this industry.

“Both Siemens and EDF said they were impressed by the wealth of engineering expertise in this region during construction of the Tees bay wind farm.

“We tend to look at the big engineering companies, but there are smaller Teesside firms that got involved when some elements of the turbines didn’t quite fit.

“We have freely available brownfield land with port facilities and deep water access.

“We need to translate all of these opportunities into projects and be on the front foot, working with Tees Valley Unlimited.”

German-headquartered Siemens, which is the world’s largest engineering company, doubled its original £80m investment in the project.

In partnership with Associated British Ports (ABP), it will open two facilities in Hull and East Yorkshire for the manufacturing of the 75-metre rotor blades, assembly and services. Round Three, the next development round of UK offshore wind is underway.

Joanne Leng MBE, Deputy Chairman of Energi Coast, said the decision reaffirms the importance of the East Coast.

“Siemens endorsement of UK manufacturing could also offer opportunities to established suppliers, including those from the North-east, that have products, skills and services that can support Siemens operations.

“It should send a clear message to the operators that confidence in the British market is growing and it’s ready to support the construction of Round Three wind farms.”

And Billingham-based Able UK, which is building a major marine energy park on the Humber, described the plans as “a strong and positive message that the Humber will be a world-class centre for the renewable energy industries.”

Entrepreneurs' Forum says confidence in businesses and the economy is high

More than 65% of business leaders in the latest Entrepreneurs’ Forum Business Tracker Survey said that they had witnessed an increase in sales

Confidence in businesses and the economy is at its highest since quarterly research by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum began almost two years ago.

More than 65% of business leaders in the latest Entrepreneurs’ Forum Business Tracker Survey, covering the fourth quarter of 2013, said that they had witnessed an increase in sales, compared with the same period in 2012.

Business fortunes and employment also were on the increase with 64% of respondents saying they had seen a rise in profits and 49% experiencing an expanding workforce in comparison to the same period in 2012.

This business buoyancy looks set to continue into 2014 with 75% confident that sales will increase in January to March compared to the first quarter of last year.

Just under 70% expect profits to increase during that period.

The research, undertaken by Acritas, has also revealed that confidence in both respondents’ own businesses and the economy as a whole was at its highest level since the survey began at the beginning of 2012.

Key findings included:

• 74% reported feeling more confident in their own business and 70% said they had more confidence in the economy than at the same point three months ago.

• In Q3, these figures were 69% and 67% respectively.

• There has been a dramatic rise in confidence since the first survey took place in early 2012 when it was only 16%.

• 75% of entrepreneurs forecast a rise in sales in the first three months of 2014, compared with predictions for Q4 of 2013 of 72%.

• Challenges facing businesses included finding quality, skilled staff to fill vacancies (18%), red tape (10%), cashflow and competition (12%) and generating new sales leads (13%).

Nigel Mills, chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum said: “Entrepreneurial business owners are the lifeblood of the North-east economy’s future prosperity.

“It is heartening to see that our Business Tracker Survey has revealed that confidence is at its highest level since the research began

“This optimism is reinforced by a majority of businesses surveyed reporting a growth in sales, profits and jobs.

“This demonstrates how entrepreneurial businesses are adept at seizing business opportunities and how they are making a substantial contribution to the economic fabric of the region.

“However, it cannot be ignored that there are some obstacles to business development with a key one being companies’ ability to find quality staff that meet a company’s needs.

“Going forward businesses, training organisations and the education sector need to work together to try to tackle this skills shortage.”

Costa Concordia: Teesside could miss out on scrappage work due to political pressure

Able UK bosses say work to could go to Italy due to 'political pressure' for the job to be carried out in the stricken cruise liner’s home country

The wreck of the Costa Concordia could be dismantled in Italy instead of Teesside due to political pressure, Able UK bosses have claimed.

They say the Billingham-based company is one of two frontrunners for the work to scrap the vessel, which sank almost two years ago near an Italian island, killing 32 people.

Its rival - an Italian company - could win the contract due to political pressure for the work to be carried out in the stricken cruise liner’s home country.

The team leading the salvage operation has confirmed it will begin removing the ship from near the Italian island of Giglio in June, ready for demolition later this year.

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The Costa Concordia

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But according to Italian media reports this week, Giglio’s mayor Sergio Ortelli has called for a delay amid concerns the timing of its removal clashes with the onset of the tourism season.

Executive chairman and founder of Able UK Peter Stephenson said: “There’s a lot of political pressure for [the dismantling] to be done in Italy.

“We need to know soon. It’s between us and an Italian company, so fingers crossed.

“They’re looking at floating it towards the end of this year before the winter weather starts.”

Able UK, which employs up to 200 at its Teesside sites and supports hundreds more supply chain jobs, applied for the work alongside companies from across Europe when the wreckage to be scrapped was put out to tender by London Offshore Consultants in January.

The decommissioning process would be carried out at Able’s Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling facility (TERRC) at Able Seaton port.

The yard has been used previously by the French authorities to recycle the former French aircraft carrier Le Clemenceau, and the US Government for the US MARAD fleet, which finished in 2010 and employed more than 100 staff.

The facility, which has one of the world’s largest dry docks, has full planning permissions and environmental accreditations to undertake the activity.

The Costa Concordia had more than 4,000 passengers and crew on board when it capsized in January 2012 after hitting a rock.

The vessel was winched upright last September so damage could be assessed.

'He showed me what a good player he is': Aitor Karanka full of praise for Albert Adomah

Karanka says Adomah 'works 100 per cent' and is a player that the team rely on to score goals

Boro head coach Aitor Karanka has praised Albert Adomah following his brace against Huddersfied.

"I think the score is fair," he said.

"In the second half we started 100 per cent opposite (to the first), we started very well.

"I am happy today. Not with the first half because we went into the game very, very bad."

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Action Images / Ed Sykes

Huddersfield v Boro match action

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Karanka was full of praise for Adomah whose finishing earned the visitors a point.

"I am very happy with him because he was not so good the last two or three weeks. Today he showed me what a good player he is," added the Spaniard .

"He is a player who works 100 per cent. He needed to be confident like today. He is one of our players who we need to score goals.

"We need his goals and I told him that and he showed all his team-mates that he is a leader."

Video: How Norton grandmother's fairy tales brought comfort to children after pain of their mother's death

Books written by Joan Chewsworth have helped her grandchildren following the death of mum Lisa Cain

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Joan Chewsworth

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The lasting legacy of a grandmother’s fairy tales have helped her grandchildren find comfort in the wake of tragedy.

The death of brave mum Lisa Cain, aged 41, as she waited for a crucial lung transplant left her family devastated.

For Lisa’s heartbroken children, five-year-old Rebecca and two-year-old Jack, it meant getting used to a life without mum.

For Lisa’s mum, Joan Chewsworth, 74, it meant doing whatever she could to comfort her grandchildren.

Joan, of Norton, explained how on the night of Lisa’s death, in 2010, Rebecca had stayed with her.

Joan said: “Rebecca had stayed with me a lot when her mum was in hospital.

“On the night Lisa died Rebecca asked me to read her a story.

“So I came up with a story about a little fairy who lives at the bottom of the garden.

“Rebecca asked me what she was called so I said, Petronella - I just made it up as I went along.”

As time passed, Rebecca and Joan found comfort in Petronella’s stories which were becoming increasingly elaborate.

Joan said: “They involved all the creatures in the garden, including Billy the Bee and Sammy the Snail.

“Then Rebecca asked if they could have a party, so they did.

“At the party there was a spider who played the drums with his eight legs and there’s a centipede who lent Petronella a pair of his shoes.

“Then there was the day Petronella got lost and the mice pinched her cakes.”

As Petronella’s world became more and more detailed, Joan received a word of advice from her husband.

Joan said: “My husband Harry had overheard me telling the stories to Rebecca and he said, ‘Why don’t you make it into a book for the children?’

“I only just got it printed last week and there’s only a few. I’ve sold 30 of them to friends.

“So much of the profit goes to the Lung Foundation. It’s all done out of love for my daughter and my grandchildren.”

The Adventures of Petronella have now been brought to life by Joan’s illustrations, much to the delight of Rebecca.

Joan said: “When my little grandaughter saw the book she threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug.”

Keeping Lisa’s memory alive for her grandchildren is so important that Joan is now writing Lisa’s life story so that Rebecca, now nine, and Jack, now six, can hear about their mum as they grow up.

Joan said: “They’ll never be able to do the normal things with their mum but they’ll always remember her.

“Jack was only two when Lisa died. Even though he was so young, he still comes into my house and goes over to Lisa’s photo, picks it up and gives it a kiss.”

Scores killed in string of Iraq attacks

Violence across Iraq has killed more than 80 people, including 41 soldiers, and left scores more injured, amid the country’s worst protracted period of unrest since 2008.

The bloodshed on Tuesday comes just weeks before Iraq is due to hold its first national vote since 2010, though the poll was thrown into disarray earlier when the entire electoral commission resigned over political interference.

In the deadliest attack, 22 soldiers were killed and 15 others injured in Al-Nibaee village, near Taji city, north of Baghdad.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from the Iraqi capital, said the convoy came under intense fire and was hit by roadside bombs.

“We haven’t seen an attack like this in about six to eight months,” said Khan. “We don’t know how many gunmen were involved in the attack.

“But it certainly must have been a significant number with the death toll we have seen.”

Earlier, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near an army convoy in Taji city, leaving at least five soldiers dead and 14 others injured.

Buhriz deaths

In Baghdad, nine people including six soldiers were killed when a truck laden with explosives was detonated on a bridge.

The explosion destroyed the al-Muthana bridge, which is considered strategic because it links the capital’s northern outskirts to the Sunni provinces of Salah Din and Nineveh.

In the predominantly Sunni town of Tarmiyah, about 45km north of Baghdad, unknown gunmen attacked an army base killing eight soldiers and injuring 14 others.

In the mixed neighbourhood of Saidiyah, in southern Baghdad, four civilians were killed and 14 others injured when a parked car rigged with explosives was detonated.

In Buhriz, Diyala province, 33 people, including women, were executed by a sectarian militia on Tuesday, according to witnesses who spoke to Al Jazeera.

In the same province, four civilians were killed in clashes between the army and security guards belonging to members of parliament.

No group has claimed responsibility for most of the recent violence, but Sunni armed groups, including those linked to the powerful Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, are typically blamed.

More than 400 people have been killed so far this month and upwards of 2,100 since the beginning of the year, according to the AFP news agency.

Analysts and diplomats have called for the Shia-majority government to do more to reach out to the disaffected Sunni minority in a bid to reduce support for armed groups, but with the April 30 election looming, political leaders have been loath to be seen to compromise.

Egypt’s kangaroo court death sentences are truly grotesque

It was not just the numbers that shocked the world but the manner in which it was done, when Judge Saeed Yusuf Al-Jazzar took just two sittings to sentence 529 Egyptians to death. Those convicted were accused of participating in a demonstration in Al-Minya province in August 2013, which led to the death of a police officer. They were protesting against the massacre of hundreds of fellow citizens days before in Cairo’s Raba’a Al-Adawiyyah Square. Lawyers for their defence were barred from entering the court, let alone making a plea on their behalf. Whether or not the death sentences are upheld or commuted to life imprisonment, this ruling has set Egypt firmly on a course of lawlessness and self-destruction.

With the exception of the Stalinist, Nazi and Khmer Rouge regimes, there are no examples of such rulings in modern history. Field Marshall Al-Sisi and his aides have thus joined the ranks of infamous tyrants.

Judge Al-Jazzar, whose name, ironically, means “the butcher” in Arabic, acquitted the director of security and a police officer on 15 January last year, both of whom were accused of killing 25 protesters in Bani Suwayf. If there is anything called justice in today’s Egypt it is clearly reserved for the remnants of the former Mubarak regime, the military and security apparatus. It is definitely not for ordinary citizens.

Three conclusions can be drawn from the summary judgement handed down in Al-Minya: that it has driven the final nail into the coffin of Egypt’s criminal justice system; that human rights are only for those who support the 3 July coup; and that the undeclared purpose is to remove all opposition before the Field Marshall completes his seizure of power in next month’s presidential election.

Apart from its callous disregard for internationally-recognised standards of law, the ruling speaks volumes about the decadence that pervades Egyptian public life. In other ways it also exposes the depth of insecurity and paranoia that has taken hold of the regime. Since its seizure of power, the military has failed to stabilise the country and create a climate for economic recovery.

This latest travesty can only undermine further all efforts for national reconciliation. At best, it will, instead, reinforce the very divisions and polarisation which Al-Sisi himself promised to alleviate.

For ordinary Egyptians the political aim of the court ruling is as clear as its legal invalidity. Many believe that it is intended primarily to silence and terrify opponents of the regime, and, by so doing, clear the way for the enthronement of Field Marshall Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi as president of the republic.

None of this, however, will end Al-Sisi’s nightmare, for he cannot envisage himself being president while Mohamed Morsi and the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood are imprisoned. They may be physically absent from the political arena but their presence is felt in every calculation the would-be president makes. Hence, the emerging view is that the death sentence handed down on the 529 protesters is actually intended to prepare the ground for a similar verdict against Morsi, in particular, and the senior leadership of the Brotherhood in general.

Either way, Al-Sisi emerges from this scandal looking considerably weaker, despite having all the instruments of state repression at his disposal. His perversion and use of the criminal justice system to bludgeon political opponents wipes out the “strong man” image that the Egyptian media often ascribe to him. He is, in reality, weak and insecure.

Whether the sentences are carried out, in what manner, and how soon, all appear to be in the hands of Al-Sisi. Indeed, many believe that Judge Al-Jazzar could not have issued such a sentence in such a manner without the highest approval. Even if he chooses to commute the sentences and use the victims as scapegoats to blackmail the opposition, the horses have already bolted. No state, rich or poor, can enjoy social concord and stability in the face of such unbridled injustice. Egypt is no exception and as such can only slide further into the abyss of civil strife.

Even by the ghastly standards of Egyptian persecution the capital punishment for 529 people in one ruling is without precedent. None of the military courts that were established by General Gamal Abdul Nasser in his campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood ever issued such a grotesque verdict. That a civilian court should now do it leaves one in no doubt about the depth of the corruption within which the judiciary has plunged itself.

Many parties, local, regional and international, have played a role in creating the unfortunate crisis in Egypt. They were all driven by a combination of ideological prejudice, political short-sightedness and utter disregard for the rule of law. By subverting the will of the Egyptian people they have broken Egyptian society and history will forever hold them all responsible.