Ukraine’s ex-president says he was “wrong” to invite Russian troops in

Ukraine’s ousted president has admitted he was “wrong” in inviting Russian troops into Crimea and vowed to try to persuade Russia to return the coveted Black Sea peninsula.

Viktor Yanukovich made the comments on Wednesday in his first media interview since he was forced to leave power after three months of protests against corruption and his decision to seek closer ties to Russia instead of the European Union.

Defensive and at times teary-eyed, Yanukovich told the Associated Press news agency and Russia’s state NTV television that he still hoped to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to get the annexed region back

“I was wrong,” he said. “I acted on my emotions.”

“Crimea is a tragedy, a major tragedy,” the 63-year-old Yanukovich, who has been living in Russia since fleeing Ukraine, said, insisting that Moscow’s takeover of Crimea would not have happened if he had stayed in power.

Yanukovich denied the allegations of corruption, saying he built his palatial residence outside of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, with his own money.

Sniper deaths

He also denied responsibility for the sniper deaths of about 80 protesters in Kiev in February, for which he has been charged by Ukraine’s interim government.

As the world has watched the tumultuous events in Ukraine, Yanukovich has been keeping a low profile, even as he has insisted he is still the country’s true leader.

While Putin has been openly dismissive of Yanukovich, the Russian president has also described him as the legitimate leader and his ouster as illegal.

Yanukovich’s statement about Crimea appeared to represent an attempt to shore up at least some support in his homeland, where even his supporters have deserted him.

Russia annexed Crimea last month following a hastily called referendum held two weeks after Russian troops took control of the region. Ukraine and the West have rejected the vote and the annexation as illegal.

While Russia can hardly be expected to roll back its annexation, Yanukovich’s statement could widen Putin’s options in the talks on settling the Ukrainian crisis by creating an impression that Moscow could be open for discussions on Crimea’s status in the future.

Talks with Putin

Yanukovich has now lost the Ukrainian presidency twice in the past decade. In 2004, his presidential win was thrown out after the Orange Revolution protests caused the fraudulent election to be annulled.

Yanukovich said he has spoken with Putin twice by phone and once in person since he arrived in Russia – describing their talks as “difficult” – and hopes to have more meetings with the Russian leader to negotiate Crimea’s return to Ukraine.

“We must search for ways … so that Crimea may have the maximum degree of independence possible … but be part of Ukraine,” he said.

Yanukovich said the Crimean referendum in March – a vote in which residents overwhelmingly voted to join Russia – was a response to threats posed by radical nationalists in Ukraine.

Putin said last month that Yanukovich had asked Russia to send its troops to Ukraine to protect its people – a request seen as treason by many Ukrainians. Asked about the move, Yanukovich said he had made a mistake

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Thursday 3 April, 2014.

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

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

Amnesty calls on Britain not to ignore human rights abuses in Egypt

Amnesty International has called on the British government not to ignore the crackdown in Egypt. This follows the request by Prime Minister David Cameron to investigate the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK yesterday.

Amnesty International UK’s Head of Policy and Government Affairs Allan Hogarth said: “It is of course perfectly legitimate for the UK to review security arrangements over the Muslim Brotherhood, but the UK must not let this distract from the fact that human rights abuses are being inflicted on large swathes of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Egypt by the country’s increasingly repressive security services.”

Hogarth added: “Since the ousting of Mohammed Morsi last year, there’s been a huge crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Thousands of the movement’s supporters have been arrested, there are numerous reports of Muslim Brotherhood supporters being tortured in detention and – shockingly – 528 people were sentenced to death in one fell swoop last week after a grossly unfair trial.”

He pointed out that the Foreign Secretary William Hague has already expressed the governments “deep concern over Egypt’s mass death sentences” and that “it will make a nonsense of No10′s review if it doesn’t actually reflect human rights concerns like these.”

Israeli committee approves huge synagogue near Al-Aqsa Mosque

A Palestinian Islamic foundation concerned with protecting the sacred sites in Jerusalem revealed on Monday that an Israeli committee has approved a scheme to build a huge synagogue in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City, only 200 meters away from Al-Aqsa Mosque.

A statement issued by Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said that a sub-committee of the District Committee for Planning and Building in Jerusalem, which is affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Interior, approved during a meeting that took place on Sunday, 30 March 2014 the establishment of a very large synagogue called the Jewel of Israel in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The synagogue, which will be located only 200 meters to the west of Al-Aqsa Mosque, will consist of four floors, topped by a vaulted dome in addition to an underground space.

According to the foundation’s statement, “So far, the Israeli occupation has built about 100 synagogues and Jewish schools in the Old City of Jerusalem and its surroundings, where each Jewish religious school has its own synagogue.”

Furthermore, the foundation added that in recent years the Israeli authorities have already built two large synagogues in the Old City; one called Ruin Synagogue, built on the ruins of a mosque in Al-Sharaf neighbourhood, and the second called Beit Yitzhak Synagogue, built on Waqf land, about 50 meters west of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli authorities’ decision to construct yet another large synagogue in East Jerusalem accelerates the occupation’s Judaisation project in the holy city.

The foundation pointed out that: “The occupation plans to Judaise the entire Old City over the next twenty years, so that it will become completely Jewish.”

However, the foundation also emphasised that “the resilience and stability of the people of Jerusalem will lead to the failure of the occupation’s schemes.”

Although the foundation did not mention when the Israeli committee will start the construction of the synagogue in question, the Jewish religious establishment often speeds up the implementation of Israeli settlement schemes in occupied Jerusalem

Kerry cancels Mideast trip after Israel move

US Secretary of State John Kerry has cancelled a planned trip to the West Bank city of Ramallah after Israel announced plans to build more illegal houses on the occupied Palestinian land.

“We are no longer travelling tomorrow,” a senior US State Department official said on Tuesday.

Kerry was expected to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the acting Palestinian Authority (PA) chief, on Wednesday.

Late on Monday, Kerry landed in Israel on an apparently unscheduled trip and held more than four hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Tuesday, he returned to Brussels to attend a NATO summit there. Kerry told a press conference in Brussels that he was not sure yet whether he would return to the Middle East.

“My team is on the ground meeting with the parties even tonight,” the top US diplomat said.

Asked if he was going back to Israel and the region, he replied, “I’m not sure I’m going…. We have certain things we are trying to figure out in terms of the logistics on the ground and what is possible.”

The cancellation came after the regime in Tel Aviv announced new tenders for illegal settlement units in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Israel has also refused to release the last group of Palestinian prisoners from its jails. The release had been agreed as part of efforts to resume peace talks after a three-year break.

The prisoners were scheduled to get released on March 29, but Israel backtracked on the issue. The US is struggling to extend the April 29 deadline for the resumption of the talks with Palestinian officials saying that if the prisoners are not released, there will be no extension.

Israel has recently freed dozens of Palestinian prisoners, as part of a deal for the resumption of the talks with the PA, but it has also announced plans to build thousands of more illegal settlement units on the occupied Palestinian land.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly said that there will be no direct talks with Israel if Tel Aviv keeps on expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.

GJH/GJH

Anti-govt. protests continue in Venezuela

Violent protests continue against the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, despite him having agreed to hold talks with the opposition.

Anti-government demonstrators clashed with the National Guard in the capital Caracas on Friday.

Maduro has agreed to hold talks with the opposition in the presence of an outside facilitator after weeks of unrest in the country.

The announcement was made on Thursday after two days of talks between foreign ministers of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), government officials, human rights groups, and student protesters.

Maduro said he would look forward to having UNASUR elect a “group of foreign ministers that could be witnesses and sit down” and talk with the opposition. He added that he was open to international observers.

The demonstrations erupted on February 4th in the western border city of San Cristobal and quickly spread to Caracas. At least 37 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since the start of the unrest.

Caracas says the protests are part of a US plot to topple the Venezuelan government.

HN/HSN

Israel killed 12 Palestinians, arrested 364 in March

Twelve Palestinians were killed and 364 arrested by Israeli forces in Gaza Strip and the West Bank during March, a study released yesterday has found.

The information appeared in the annual report issued by Ahrar Centre for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights, which documents the Israeli violations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.

According to the report, the number of Palestinians arrested from Jerusalem was 83, 81 from Hebron, 48 from Jenin, 46 from Bethlehem, 43 from Nablus, 17 from Qalqilya, 13 from Ramallah, 11 from Jericho, eight from Salfit and Tulkarm and six from the Gaza Strip.

The prisoners counted in the report were arrested in night raids from homes, kidnapped at checkpoints or during clashes between stone throwers and armed occupation forces.

Ahrar chief Fuad Al-Khufash said that the occupied West Bank is completely vulnerable to the Israeli occupation army. The West Banks cities, villages and neighbourhoods are invaded by the Israeli armed forces almost every night for the purpose of arresting Palestinians.

US seeks to boost troops at Black Sea base: Romania

Romania says the United States wants to boost its military presence in the eastern European country amid tensions in neighboring Ukraine.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Tuesday that Washington has asked to increase the number of its troops and aircraft at a Black Sea airbase in eastern Romania.

“The US Embassy in Bucharest has asked for support from Romanian authorities to expand current operations at the Mihail Kogalniceanu base,” Basescu said in a letter to the speaker of Romania’s lower house of parliament.

Political analysts believe the move is part of NATO’s efforts to increase its military presence in Eastern Europe.

Basescu also said the US has decided to add up to 600 troops to the 1,000 forces currently positioned in the country.

The Pentagon also wants to station military aircraft used for specific missions at the airbase, which is a major hub for US forces and equipment leaving Afghanistan and northern Iraq.

The US has used the air base, just a few hundred kilometers away from Russia’s Crimea region, since 1999.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers of NATO member states held a meeting in Brussels to discuss steps to reinforce the security of member states in Eastern Europe following Crimea’s reunion with Russia.

Tensions between the Western powers and Moscow heightened after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which nearly 97 percent of voters in Crimea chose to rejoin Russia.

On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law documents that officially made the Black Sea peninsula part of the Russian territory despite condemnation from the West and the new Ukrainian government.

The move sparked angry reactions from the US and the European Union, both imposing punitive measures against a number of Russian officials and authorities in Crimea.

MSM/AS/MHB

Finlay Cooper Fund supporters attend House of Commons to promote charity's work

Representatives of the Finlay Cooper Fund were invited to Westminster for an event arranged by London-based Boro fan Mark Davies

A House of Commons reception and providing funds for a family therapy room at Teesside Hospice - it’s been an eventful few days for the Finlay Cooper Fund.

Representatives of the fund, which was set up by Boro legend and Hartlepool manager Colin Cooper and his wife Julie after the tragic death of their two-year-old son in 2002, were invited to Westminster for an event arranged by London-based Boro fan Mark Davies.

The reception was attended by MPs, fans of the clubs Colin played at and former Boro manager Bruce Rioch. And Colin admits it was “surreal” to be allowed in to the House of Commons to promote, support and celebrate the work the fund has done since its launch in August 2006.

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martin.walker@mantis-media.com

Gallery: Finlay Cooper Fund in

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He said: “I had a wonderful experience as a professional footballer and was given many opportunities to do many things, but I’m not sure if this tops the lot.

“I feel very humble, honoured and privileged to be allowed to be in a place of this stature and speak about our charity.”

Bruce Rioch said: “Whenever anyone goes through such a tragedy, getting over it is very traumatic. It happened to my family, I lost a brother at a very early age, and the impact it has on your family is enormous.

“But setting up the Finlay Cooper Fund has given him and his family a focus to do as much as they can, not only on Finlay’s behalf, but also for children all around the country, and I think it’s quite fantastic.

“It’s symptomatic of Colin and his family. They’ve always been champions of people. They like people, they care for people and this is just symptomatic of the way they are.

“When you look back at that team of 1986, the Boro boys, and the way they have carried, handled and developed themselves and how they’ve become good people in life, I don’t think that’s an accident. It is a band of brothers, no doubt about it.”

Meanwhile, artistic students from Hartlepool’s Dyke House Sports and Technology College have been putting the finishing touches to a mural in Teesside Hospice’s family therapy room.

The room is part of the Middlesbrough hospice’s Forget-Me-Not children’s bereavement counselling service and has been paid for by more than £5,000 from the Finlay Cooper Fund.

The colourful mural is inspired by popular counselling book Water Bugs and Dragonflies, which the fund’s dragonfly emblem is based on.

Transporter to remain closed for a YEAR after initially closing for 40-day revamp

Bridge is likely to remain closed until July as part of £2.6m lottery-funded refurbishment and upgrade work

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Gallery: Transporter Bridge being readied for painting

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The Transporter Bridge looks likely to be closed for a year for repainting and renovation - despite work initially being planned for completion in just 40 days.

Work on Middlesbrough's best-loved landmark has been delayed - again - because work is taking longer than expected.

The Transporter was initially closed in August for an expected 40 days of for renovation and painting.

The Gazette reported in November that the bridge was to remain closed until the spring as work continued.

And it has now emerged that it is not expected to reopen until July - almost a year after it first closed.

The revamp is all part of a scheme stemming from 2011, when the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) confirmed a £2.6m grant for refurbishment and upgrade work to the Transporter Bridge, which celebrated its 100th birthday.

The Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre is also closed until further notice to allow overhead renovation works to take place.

A free replacement bus service continues to run between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence.

The Grade-II listed Transporter Bridge has been a symbol of Teesside since it was opened in 1911.

It is 851 feet (259.3 metres) in length, which makes it the longest of those remaining transporter bridges in the world.

Doctor who stole chocolate and toys from Stockton Poundland is given official warning

Dr Manav Arora said he was 'stressed' at the time as he had been suspended from University Hospital of North Tees over false 'sex act' allegations

A hospital doctor who stole sweets, children's toys and Halloween masks from Poundland was let off with an official warning today.

Dr Manav Arora stuffed £10 worth of goods into his 'bag for life' before leaving the Castlegate Shopping Centre store, in Stockton-on-Tees without paying.

He was arrested and taken to Middlesbrough Police Station on October 11, 2011, where officers discovered his haul.

The A&E medic had snaffled Mars Bars, a magnetic timetable, two Halloween masks, a Santa pen and a toy gun, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard.

The medic said he was 'stressed' at the time because he had been suspended from University Hospital of North Tees over false allegations that he had performed a sex act on a male patient.

He had been accused of sexually assaulting the father-of-two after he arrived at A&E with a leg infection in September 2010.

The heroin addict complained to his mother who was waiting outside, but Cleveland police took no further action when the pair made statements more than three months after the incident.

The medic was cleared of the allegation this week after the panel, chaired by Dr Edward Doyle, found the patient's account was 'implausible'.

But Dr Arora admitted failing to inform the General Medical Council that he had accepted an £80 fixed penalty notice after stealing from the budget store.

The Indian-born doctor told the panel he had changed his name from Makhan Chor (which translates as Butter Thief , after the Hindu god Krishna) after coming to the UK.

The medic, who also accepted a caution for shoplifting in 2005, said he had gone to Poundland to buy chocolates for his son, but was feeling stressed because he had not parked his car properly and because he was suspended from work.

Dr Arora described his offence as a 'moment of madness', but claimed he did not realise he hadn't paid when he left with the stolen treats in his 'bag for life'.

Dr Doyle told him: 'Your actions of shoplifting and then failing to notify the GMC of your fixed penalty notice is behaviour that falls short of what is expected of a doctor working in the medical profession.

'The panel has concluded that your behaviour constituted serious misconduct.'

He added: 'However, the panel has noted your personal circumstances at the time the shoplifting took place.

'In particular that you had been suspended from your previous post, you were not working at that time, your income had ceased in August 2011 and you were subject to on on-going GMC enquiry concerning very serious allegations.

'Therefore, you were under both emotional and financial stress. It accepts that it was a difficult time for you and therefore your actions may not have been reflective of your usual state of mind.'

Dr Arora, who was suspended by the GMC in 2012, can now return to work unrestricted, although the panel did decide to impose an official warning.

Dr Doyle said: 'The panel considers that your dishonest conduct in breach of Good Medical Practice was serious and despite the mitigation presented on your behalf, the public interest demands that the panel record the seriousness of your misconduct by issuing a warning.

'The panel has concluded that the imposition of a warning on your registration will highlight that your conduct was unacceptable.

'The panel wishes to stress that this warning must be regarded as a serious regulatory matter.

'A warning does not prevent you from holding a licence to practise and does not place any restrictions on your registration.'

The warning will be published on the GMC's website for five years and made available to anyone enquiring about his disciplinary history.

Egypt’s al-Azhar expels 25 students

Egypt’s al-Azhar University has expelled over two dozen students for participating in recent anti-government demonstrations.

The university said on Monday in a statement that 25 of its students were expelled for their alleged role in a recent violent protest on campus in the capital, Cairo.

The university also said it will harshly punish any student proved to be involved in protests anywhere on university grounds.

The expelled students participated in the March 30 protest against the death of two fellow students who were killed during clashes with security forces during an anti-government demonstration on campus a day earlier.

The deadly clashes broke out when protesters were attacked after they gathered to denounce the presidential candidacy of former Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Al-Azhar has seen almost daily anti-government demonstrations that frequently turn violent since the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi last July.

Last week, Sisi, who led the overthrow of Morsi, announced his resignation as defense minister in order to run for presidency.

Egypt’s electoral commission has announced that the first round of the presidential polls is scheduled for May 26-27 with results expected by June 5.

State institutions and media are all geared toward Sisi’s candidacy, a situation which ,according to analysts, undermines the chances of a fair competition for any other candidate.

Political parties and figures have repeatedly called on the army to stay out of politics.

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since the country’s first democratically-elected president, Morsi, was ousted on July 3, 2013.

Amnesty International says 1,400 people have been killed in the political violence since Morsi’s ouster.

CAH/HSN/HRB

Gaza celebrates Erdogan’s victory

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip took to the streets yesterday evening to celebrate the victory of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Palestinians described the resounding victory of Erdogan’s party as a kind of “landslide victory” for political Islam when it has a free democratic atmosphere.

Gaza residents respect Turkey because of its outspoken stances against the Israeli-Egyptian, internationally backed, siege on them.

Turkey has refused to restore diplomatic relations with Israel before the latter lifts the siege on Gaza and allows Turkish aid organisations access

Israel orders seizure of Palestinian land in West Bank

The Israeli regime has ordered the seizure of 300,000 square meters of Palestinian land in the city of Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank for its illegal settlements.

According to Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian official in charge of monitoring illegal settlers’ activities in the northern West Bank, on Monday, the land will be used by the Tel Aviv regime for setting up a “settlement project.”

Daghlas further noted that Palestinian land in Jaloud and in surrounding villages has long been subject to confiscation by Israeli regime officials.

On March 28, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemned the Israeli regime for its continued settlement building activities and the violation of Palestinians’ rights.

The UN’s top human rights body censured the Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses and their expulsions and called on Tel Aviv to immediately cease all of its settlement activities.

The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967.

The UN and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.

IA/AS/MAM

Trip of a lifetime as Marske student Ben heads off on adventure in sub-Arctic Canadian wilderness

Former Prior Pursglove College student Ben Henderson is heading for the Kluane National Park for his BA (Hons) Outdoor Leadership course

A Teesside student is swapping the warmth of a lecture theatre for temperatures as low as -40C in the Canadian wilderness.

Ben Henderson, 20, from Marske, will spend 16 days enduring extreme sub-Arctic weather conditions in the Kluane National Park, in the extreme south-west corner of Yukon.

Ben is one of five second-year undergraduates from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston heading for Canada as part of their BA (Hons) Outdoor Leadership course.

Along with the physical and mental endurance needed for this epic snow shoe expedition, the experienced campers will be collecting data for their dissertation.

Throughout the trip, they will have to carry and drag their basic survival equipment, including camping gear and 16 days of dehydrated food supplies, in rucksacks and on sleds.

During part of the adventure, they will be four days away from civilisation in conditions which could get as cold as -40C.

Ben said: “It’s going to be a fantastic experience and one which will test us to our physical and mental limits.

“It’s mandatory for our course that we take part in an expedition of at least four nights, but we decided to go all out.

“We’ve done lots of research and training to make sure we’re as prepared as possible and have had great support from the university.”

Ben, a former pupil of Marske’s Bydales School and student of Guisborough’s Prior Pursglove College, said they have been getting a feel for hauling their sleds by pulling heavy tyres along at the Preston campus.

They have also been spending time on winter skills courses and mini expeditions in the Lake District.

He added: “We’ll have to melt a lot of snow to hydrate our main meals.

“Our snacks will be chocolate, jelly and biscuits so we’ve got enough energy to walk the eight to 10km a day through snow that could be three metres deep.

“Teamwork is going to be the most important skill when we’re out there.

“We’ve put in all the training so now we just have to enjoy it.

“It’s going to be a trip we’ll remember forever.”

No champagne for me, says former Marske Mill Farm girl Molly, as she celebrates turning 100

Molly Spencer celebrates her 100th birthday at Redcar’s Shoreline Nursing Home, and may take some persuading to mark it with a drop of bubbly

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Molly Spencer

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Growing up on a farm provided lots of happy memories for one of Teesside’s grand old ladies, Molly Spencer.

As a child, Molly - who celebrates her 100th birthday today at Redcar’s Shoreline Nursing Home - helped out with all sorts of tasks on farms run by her parents, Agnes and Charles.

Molly, who had two brothers and four sisters, was born at Vince Moor Farm, Croft, near Darlington.

When she was 10, the family moved to Alstob Hill Farm, near Sedgefield, before a switch to Saltburn saw them take over the old Marske Mill Farm, which they farmed between 1937 and 1948.

While there, they had a dairy herd and Molly even started her own milk round. She smiled: “I sold it for threepence a pint and an old lady used to grumble at that. Imagine what she’d think of the price now!”

Molly married husband Bill at Saltburn’s Emmanuel Church in 1941 and the couple eventually settled in Vicarage Drive, Marske, in 1954. They had two sons, John, now 72, and David, 64.

Bill, a steel worker, died in 1999 but Molly continued to live in the family home until earlier this year when, after a short stay in hospital, she moved in at Shoreline.

Among the hobbies she has enjoyed over the years have been embroidery, knitting and crocheting.

But Molly, who has five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, admits she “loved it on the farm” all those years ago.

She said: “I helped out with all sorts. We had pigs, cows - I used to milk the cows by hand. And I used to make hay and corn stacks, which they don’t do now.

“I had a good childhood and I’ve had a good life.”

Molly says she doesn’t have a particular secret for reaching such a grand age, other than to steer clear of smoking and alcohol.

And she may even take some persuading to mark her 100th with a drop of bubbly.

She said: “I don’t like champagne - it’s the foulest stuff. I suppose I could have a mouthful, but no more.”

US terror drone strike kills two in eastern Afghanistan

At least two people have been killed and several others severely injured in a fresh strike by a US killer drone in the troubled eastern Afghanistan, security sources say.

Local Afghan security officials said on Tuesday that the attack took place in volatile Kunar Province.

At least 10 others, including women, were also wounded in the deadly strike. The injured have been shifted to a local hospital to receive medical treatment.

Local security sources also said all the victims were members of the Taliban militant group. However, the militant group has not commented on the deaths yet.

US officials claim that the airstrikes target militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.

Many civilians have lost their lives in US-led strikes and operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past years, with Afghans becoming increasingly outraged at the seemingly endless number of the deadly assaults.

Civilian casualties caused by foreign forces have been a major source of tension between Kabul and Washington.

The United States regularly uses drones for attacks and spying missions in Afghanistan, as well as in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border, among other places.

US drone strikes have escalated significantly over the past year, fueling anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

The United Nations says the US-operated drone strikes in Pakistan and some other countries pose a growing challenge to the rule of international law. The UN and several human rights organizations have already identified the US as the world’s number one user of “targeted killings,” largely due to its drone attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The airstrikes were initiated under former US president George W. Bush, but have been escalated under incumbent President Barack Obama.

JR/AB

Live music review: Josh Newell-Brown at the The Keys, Middlesbrough

Matthew Brown enjoys Saltburn musician's performance - and anticipates bright things ahead for the 22-year-old

Saltburn songbird Josh Newell-Brown brought his sound to the Keys last night when he performed an acoustic set to the Mixtape crowd.

Joined on stage by Travis Shaw and Adam Mendum, Josh played tracks - which included the infectious Make You Believe and set closer Inner Treasures - on the live stage.

Introduced early on in the half-hour long performance was a stripped back cover of Clean Bandit’s number one single Rather Be, which showcased diverse ability from the 22-year-old.

The regular outbreaks of emphatic vocal screeching throughout the set brought a sense of rawness to what seems like an already polished act.

As the trio breezed through their set with ease, Josh’s stage presence and ferocious tone resembled that of another Saltburn star; X Factor winner James Arthur.

If this performance is anything to go by and with improvements to be made Josh can look forward to the prospect of a promising future ahead of him.

Tees Valley Mohawks see off rock bottom Leicester Warriors in convincing fashion

101-77 win came at a cost with captain Jorge Ebanks limping out of the game just three minutes from time with a twisted ankle

Tees Valley Mohawks produced a very professional display to see off rock bottom Leicester Warriors 101-77 in convincing fashion to keep their play-off bid on track.

But the win came at a cost, with captain Jorge Ebanks limping out of the game just three minutes from time with a twisted ankle.

Ebanks is now added to an already lengthy casualty list as the Mohawks begin to wonder how many black cats they have run over.

He was hurt after going in too strongly on the basket after a steal and fast break.

He landed heavily off Pressie Blue’s foot and, after twisting his ankle, was unable to take any further part in the game.

“The result was massive,” said head coach Steve Butler.

“We played really well and moved the ball well on the offensive end.

“Our defence was good but there’s still things to improve on but Jorge’s injury is a big concern.

“Injuries are a part of the game but with Alex Greven (ankle), Jorge (ankle) Ike Attah (back) and Rob Donaldson (swollen glands) all suffering, our injury list is getting bigger.”

Now Butler is hoping the injuries don’t scupper their quest to get into the EBL National League Division One play-offs.

They meet North-east derby rivals Team Northumbria at Sport Central tomorrow evening and a win is vital.

“We need to come together and play well against Northumbria to guarantee a play-off spot,” he added, “and then we can rest the guys until the play-offs.

“We are really on our last legs but the guys are giving 110% for the club and I’m really proud of their efforts.”

Mohawks started brightly against Leicester with Jerome Narcisse and Ebanks putting them 7-0 up within a minute.

The Warriors got into their stride but trailed 21-18 at the end of the session.

The second quarter belonged to the rising star Romonn Nelson who hit some big three-pointers and fast break points to take his total for the half to 17 as Mohawks went into the locker room 48-38 ahead.

The third quarter saw a mini-revival by the visitors with Blue scoring some good shots but Ebanks took control of the game and extended Mohawks’ lead to 72-52.

The final quarter saw Ebanks take a well-earned rest but another revival reduced the lead to 10 points so Butler decided to put his star man Jorge back on to calm things down.

It did the job as he produced some assists to Narcisse under the basket as the lead quicky shot up to 19 points.

And despite his injury, Mohawks controlled the final minutes and came away with an impressive victory.

Major economic blueprint for Teesside submitted to Government

The Tees Valley Economic Plan has been submitted to Government by Tees Valley Unlimited

A major economic blueprint for Teesside has been submitted to Government.

The Tees Valley Economic Plan has been drawn up by Local Enterprise Partnership Tees Valley Unlimited (TVU), following consultation with stakeholders, residents and the public and private sectors.

The plan will be used to help TVU identify the main economic opportunities and how barriers can be addressed. It is also a call for Government to provide the powers and funding Teesside needs to grow its economy.

It will form the basis for talks between the Government and the LEP on the Growth Deal - Teesside’s slice of cash from the £2bn Local Growth Fund, which was announced last summer and will become available from April 2015.

TVU is one of 39 LEPs in England to have submitted their strategic economic plans to Government.

Since draft proposals were submitted to the Government in December, Greg Clark, Minister for Cities, has met with all 39 LEPs to advise on their proposals.

The Minister for Cities, Middlesbrough-born RT Hon Greg Clark MP, has welcomed the blueprint, which sets out six main areas that could transform Teesside into a high-value, low-carbon, diverse and inclusive economy. These are:

Develop an innovative culture and positive environment for business growth.

Transformation of Teesside into a low carbon, high value economy.

Improve skills levels to address future demand in growth sectors and in existing industries.

Additional capacity on the East Coast mainline rail route and improve rail services to major Northern cities and within Teeside.

Improve air, road, port, land and property infrastructure to enable economic growth.

Create and retain wealth by establishing Teesside as a preferred location to live in, work and visit.

On-going negotiations will take place between TVU and the Government to secure the finance and resources needed for econmic development.

Mr Clark said: “The Government looks forward to continued engagement with local civic and business leaders over the next few months. The Growth Deal provides a fantastic opportunity for Tees Valley LEP to seek freedoms, flexibilities and influence over resources from Government.”

Stephen Catchpole, Tees Valley Unlimited’s managing director, said the six core priorities outlined in the plan are “central to unlocking the future economic potential of Tees Valley”.

“It focuses on the area’s competitive advantages, emerging opportunities and also pinpoints what challenges could hinder growth and what needs to be done to overcome them,” he added.

Publication of the Tees Valley Strategic Economic Plan, which is available to view at <a href = 'http://ift.tt/PgKZIX'>http://ift.tt/1op4z5v;, follows TVU having successfully secured City Deal status in December last year.

Applied Graphene Materials: Optimism at Teesside firm despite half year losses

Company reports significant losses for six months ending January 31 - but says it is 'well placed' to take advantage of growing demand for graphene

A Wilton graphene company whose shares soared when it floated on the London Stock Exchange has revealed its interim results - as bosses said the firm was on target to double its workforce.

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM), admitted to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in November, has patented technology to ramp up production of “wonder material” graphene.

The company has reported significant losses for the six months ending January 31 - but says it is “well placed” to take advantage of a growing demand for graphene, the global market for which is predicted to hit $195m by 2018.

Interim results from AGM show losses before interest, tax, non-operating exceptional costs, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £820,270 during the period compared to a loss of £397,713 the previous year. AGM reported a loss before tax of around £1.2m, compared to a loss of £398,887 the year before.

However, the firm pointed out the growing losses reflected investment in overheads, including headcount and business infrastructure, to support the development of the business

AGM also saw net assets grow from £704,840 in 2013 to around £9.7m.

Investors on AIM sent the share price for the Durham University spin-off soaring by three times its original value within days when it first floated. AGM has raised £11m through the flotation on AIM.

AGM’s chief executive officer Jon Mabbitt said: “Our share price has held up well, it’s given us the secure financial platform to build infrastructure, expand production capacity and recruit good-quality people including PhD scientists, engineers and plant operators.

“We had 10 people at Christmas, we will have 20 or more by the end of July and we’ve also invested in lab equipment and increased our footprint at Wilton.

“It’s likely that we will continue at Wilton, we have no plans to move elsewhere but we may open satellite offices if we are to become an international company.”

Graphene, a one-molecule-thick layer of graphite, is 100 times stronger than steel yet six times lighter, and conducts electricity 20 times better than copper.

AGM is now at the centre of a growing graphene development hub on Teesside, after the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) announced it is to establish a £14m facility at NETPark in Sedgefield to speed up the commercialisation of the material.

Mr Mabbitt has welcomed the Graphene Applications Innovation Centre announcement, which comes after large cash boosts went towards graphene development in Manchester and Cambridge.

He said: “CPI helped build the equipment we have in place and we are working with them on material processes. This is a small but rapidly-growing field.

“There has been so much investment going into Cambridge and Manchester including £60m towards the National Graphene Institute - it’s great news for Teesside to be awarded this.”

AGM is the only company using its production process, developed by company founder Prof Karl Coleman. The company is collaborating with household names Dyson and Proctor and Gamble and other un-named companies, including some on Teesside.

Mr Mabbitt said a higher profile within its target markets had helped AGM generate more customer collaborations, and the intention was to sell into the paints, coatings, polymers, lubricants and oils markets.

“The quality and purity of our product is what sets us apart, other methods inevitably leave some graphite behind.”

AGM has also announced Michael Sean Christie, currently group finance director of Croda International, has been appointed as a non executive director of AGM, with effect from April 24.

Erdogan…few slogans and many achievements: Lama Khater

When I read in yesterday morning’s news that the Justice and Development Party in Turkey won the local elections, I said it was a different morning; not because it brought us the victory of a party worthy of winning, but because today disappointment will plague the scoundrels, fascists, tyrants, and the morally, psychologically and politically deviant, as well as everyone who was counting on a mirage and instead stepped in to the heat of the desert.

Perhaps talking about Erdogan and his party’s successive achievements over the past 10 years is no longer an issue that needs to be evidenced and proven. It is however important in order to prove their role in dealing with the various crises that they have encountered recently yet they waited to reap the historical result in the elections.

Erdogan continued to reassure his supporters in his speeches saying the ballot boxes would surprise his opponents and bring them losses and disappointment after the series of traps they tried to put in his way.

Erdogan was not counting on oppression or his charisma for this, instead, he counted on his successful legacy and his belief that his party’s great achievements will be enough to defend his position because these achievements are tangible and experienced, not merely slogans or empty promises.

I am not one to call for applying the entire Justice and Development Party’s experience in other arenas without being aware of the differences and specifications of each arena, but I do believe that the man and his party’s pioneering spirit deserve to be studied at length, especially since some of those impressed by the experience are only attracted by the outside shell, or the marginal aspects of the experience that were not the focal point of the advancement, progress and achievements.

Erdogan and his party deserve to win the people’s confidence once again. Our different experiences deserve an evaluation that examines the issues of feasibility and achievement. As for our leaders, they need less slogans and promises and need to recognise the need to let one’s actions speak for themselves and thwart conspiracies against them.

Erdogan’s continuous victory in all the elections over the past 10 years was not primarily due to his party’s Islamic identity, especially since he has been struggling against extreme secularists and is in the midst of a community that lost its identity for a while. He has been victorious because he is a man who sowed and reaped; he sowed the seeds of development and justice, according to the name of his party and he reaped the people’s allegiance and conviction that he can continue to lead.

Therefore, even when his opponents accused him of corruption, repression and mismanagement and even fabricate accusations against him, he was ready to retaliate with even more force, but in accordance with the law and fair mechanisms because there is no room for leniency with the corrupt and treacherous.

Perhaps this is an important lesson in politics that those with good intentions must follow. The man did not reach his arm out to shake hands with those plotting against him, he reached out to nip them in the bud and stop them in their tracks.

After these schemers exposed and played all their cards after betting he’d lose, it seems the upcoming years will focus on cleansing the state institutions of the grip of the deep state remnants and the political, economic and security mafias. This will bring about stability in the state institutions as well as laying the foundations for a fair and transparent constitutional system that cannot be penetrated by internal coups or external plots

Morning news headlines for April 2, 2014

Everything you need to stay up to date around the globe

END OF LINE FOR TASK FORCE HELMAND

The UK’s military headquarters in Afghanistan has been disbanded in the latest major step in the drawdown of British troops.

British-led Task Force Helmand came to an end yesterday after eight years of frontline military operations involving tens of thousands of UK servicemen and women.

Its functions will be absorbed into the wider US-led Regional Command (South West) in the latest step towards the withdrawal of UK troops, the Ministry of Defence said.

SCHOOL REVIEW AFTER PUPIL’S DEATH

Urgent school building checks will begin today after a 12-year-old pupil died when a wall in a PE changing room collapsed on her.

The girl, named locally and on social media as Keane Wallis-Bennett, was pronounced dead at Liberton High School in Edinburgh shortly before 10am yesterday.

Pupils were sent home early, while police and health and safety officials launched an inquiry.

CHILE EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL RISES

A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck off northern Chile, setting off a small tsunami that forced evacuations along the country’s entire Pacific coast.

Five people were crushed to death or suffered fatal heart attacks, the interior minister said, but Chile apparently escaped major damage or serious casualties.

The shaking caused landslides that blocked roads, power failed for thousands, an airport was damaged and several businesses caught fire.

NOW UK SUBMARINE JOINS JET SEARCH

Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo is due to begin search efforts to help find missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Yesterday evening a source said Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless had also arrived in the area - the focus of the search for the missing Boeing 777 - where it will help in the hunt for the plane’s flight recorders.

Flight MH370, bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board, with a three-week search finding no sign of it.

NEW HILLSBOROUGH INQUESTS CONTINUE

The coroner in the fresh inquests into the deaths of the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster will continue his opening statement today.

There were emotional scenes in the packed courtroom yesterday as Lord Justice Goldring laid bare the “very many individual human tragedies” of the catastrophic events nearly 25 years ago.

Some of the hundreds of relatives present wept during powerful moments that included a roll call of the victims’ names and harrowing accounts of the fatal crush at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989.

’BEDROOM TAX’ CAUSES DISTRESS: MPS

Disabled people are suffering “severe financial hardship and distress” as a result of the so-called bedroom tax, a cross-party committee of MPs has concluded.

The decision to reduce housing benefit payments from social tenants deemed to have a larger home than they need - officially known as the social sector size criteria (SSSC) but described by ministers as the removal of a “spare room subsidy” - has hit vulnerable people who were not the intended targets of the reform and have little hope of moving to a smaller property, the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee found.

The committee voted down a proposal from Labour MP Sheila Gilmore to call for the policy to be scrapped, but it did urge ministers to exempt anyone whose home has been adapted to help them with their disability, as well as any household containing a claimant receiving disability benefits at the higher level.

CLEGG AND FARAGE IN SECOND TV CLASH

Nick Clegg is expected to ramp up his attack on Ukip leader Nigel Farage tonight when they face off in a second televised debate.

Polls suggested the Deputy Prime Minister came off worst in the first clash last week, which included arguments over immigration figures and the number of laws coming out of Brussels.

But Mr Farage was criticised over recent days after naming Russian president Vladimir Putin as the world leader he admires most.

’NEW VISION’ URGED FOR OIL INDUSTRY

The North Sea oil and gas industry needs to “significantly” reduce costs by billions of pounds to remain competitive, a report has warned.

Professional services firm PwC said “a new vision and new ways of working are urgently required” for the sector.

It argued it is “essential” that companies operating in the North Sea work together and collaborate, to help the industry “plan more effectively and further into the future”.

Leaflet promoting Stockton cycling event withdrawn by council bosses after being branded 'sexist'

Flyer aimed to encourage people to take part in Stockton’s Sportive race and the Stockton Cycling Festival

A leaflet promoting a Stockton cycling event has been withdrawn by council bosses after it was branded as“sexist”.

The flyer for the family event showed a photograph of a male cyclist under the words: “Sarah’s shopping in Stockton with the girls.

“I’m signed up for Stockton’s Sportive.

“That’s Saturday sorted.”

There were only pictures of young male cyclists on the leaftlet.

It led to complaints from cyclists Carole Jones and Yvonne Ramage to Yarm councillor Andrew Sherris.

And now Stockton Council has withdrawn the flyer.

Ms Jones helps run a women-only cycle club called Cycle Sisters.

Cllr Sherris said: “This really is a very poor piece of publicity and undermines the excellent work that the Silver Cyclists and Cycle Sisters do in encouraging cycling for residents throughout the borough.

“Although the offer has been made to produce a supplementary leaflet, this one should be withdrawn.

“If a mistake is made those responsible should be big enough to hold their hands up and admit it.”

The leaflet aimed to encourage people to take part in Stockton’s Sportive race and the Stockton Cycling Festival - a family event which takes place from Friday, July 11, to Sunday, July 13.

Ken Dixon, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for arts, leisure and culture, said: “It was certainly not our intention to imply that women and girls cannot participate in every part of the festival and having listened to the concerns raised, we have decided to withdraw this particular leaflet and produce a redesigned version.

“We do a great deal of work to encourage female participation in sport and active leisure, including women’s running clubs and women’s cycling groups, and unlike many national cycle race events, the Stockton Cycling Festival includes elite women’s racing, as well as recreational rides which are open to all.”

IAEA turns blind eye to Israel nuclear arms

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has failed to reflect international concerns about Israel’s nuclear arsenal.

In a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday, Director General of the IAEA Yukiya Amano said that Tel Aviv is a “valued partner” for the agency.

During the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the United Nations nuclear agency in the Austrian capital Vienna, Amano said nothing about the illegal nuclear activities of the Tel Aviv regime.

The two sides then shifted the focus of their talk to Iran’s nuclear energy program with the Israeli president claiming, “The implementation of the agreements between the IAEA and Iran are advancing slowly.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States — plus Germany wrapped up their latest round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear energy program in Vienna on March 19, with both sides describing the negotiations as useful and constructive.

The remarks by Peres comes while the Tel Aviv regime, which is widely believed to be the only possessor of nuclear arms in the Middle East, reportedly maintains between 200 and 400 atomic warheads.

Furthermore, the Israeli regime has never allowed any inspection of its nuclear facilities and continues to defy international calls to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

IA/AS/MAM