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, Monday 7 April, 2014.

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

1,500 Palestinian kids killed directly by Israel since 2000

The Palestinian Authority (PA) says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,500 Palestinian children and wounded thousands more since 2000.

The PA’s Minister of Social Affairs Kamal al-Sharafi revealed the figure on Saturday in a statement marking Palestinian Children’s Day.

According to Sharafi, 1,520 Palestinian children have been killed and nearly 6,000 others injured by Israeli forces over the past 14 years.

He said more than 10,000 Palestinian kids have been arrested, 200 of whom are being held in Israeli detention centers.

The minister called on the international community to take measures to protect and support the children.

Last year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also voiced alarm over the Israeli regime’s use of violence against Palestinian children.

In its report, the agency said some 700 Palestinian children aged 12 to 17 are arrested, interrogated and detained by the Israeli forces every year in the occupied West Bank.

The UNICEF report blamed Israeli authorities for practices that “amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention against Torture.”

The latest figure released by PA officials comes amid persistent settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli settlers often assault Palestinians, vandalizing their properties, cars, mosques and olive trees. However, the assailants are rarely detained.

According to the UN, there were nearly 400 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 2013.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

MRS/NN/AS

Violence is in BJP’s genes: By – Syed Tausief Ausaf

BJP watchers were flabbergasted to see the Hindu nationalist party cringe and whinge at the Cobrapost sting operation on the Babri Mosque’s demolition and its request to the Election Commission to stop the publication and telecast of the exposé.

Although the poll panel has declined the request, students of politics fail to understand why the BJP is not taking it as a compliment.

In September 1990, then BJP President L.K. Advani decided to undertake a countrywide tour to whip up passions of gullible masses about demolishing the mosque in Ayodhya — “a symbol of Mughal dominance in Hindu India.”

This had been the BJP’s main election plank in 1989. A Toyota truck was redesigned as a rath (chariot) and Advani embarked on the journey catalyzing a chain of events that resulted in the wilful demolition of the 650-year-old mosque two years later. As expected, there was a backlash as communal disturbances broke out in Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The trick worked in the BJP’s favor: From 2 seats in 1984 to 88 seats in 1989 and then to 120 seats in 1991.

What is their formula of success? Provoke the enemy, incite masses and play the victim. Babri Mosque’s demolition was the party’s core issue that transformed the Saffron brigade from a minnow into a giant. The famous black and white photo of a gleeful firebrand leader Uma Bharti over the shoulders of a smiling Murli Manohar Joshi while the razing was in progress doesn’t leave a shred of doubt that things were on the “right track” as planned. Why were they gloating then if they don’t want Cobrapost to x-ray their antics now?

Ideally, the BJP should take pride and repeatedly thank Cobrapost for brushing up voters’ memory about the unforgettable service the Saffronites have done to their cause. The party, after all, never regretted the Muslim pogrom carried out by its committed supporters throughout the country in the wake of Advani’s “yatra.” The Saffron outfit used every means at its disposal to vitiate the atmosphere.

By branding the sting operation “Congress sponsored,” the BJP is in fact unwisely sharing the credit with India’s grand old party that, under the Narasimha Rao government, silently allowed the ugly drama to continue in Ayodhya for one full day. Nothing moved despite frantic calls from Muslim leaders to the PMO as dome after dome was allowed to come down. The Congress wanted the job done through the BJP without losing Muslim patronage at the hustings.

Now, the Congress made itself a laughing stock when it said in its reaction that “the BJP which claims to be nationalist had tried to damage the secular fabric of the country in the name of religion.” It was during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure that Babri locks were surreptitiously opened to place idols in its sanctum sanctorum. Much has already been written on how the Center could have airdropped platoons of commandos at the site and saved the day.

The Rao Cabinet preferred to look the other way and came out with dozens of excuses as to why it could not act. Shedding crocodile tears, Rao addressed the nation in the evening and promised the principal minority that the mosque would be rebuilt on its original site as soon as possible. But what ensued was the construction of a makeshift temple over the mosque’s debris. Following it, little was done to contain a formidable wave of anti-Muslim riots that enveloped the nation.

It is getting clearer by the day that violence is in the BJP’s DNA, in its genes. The party with fascist leanings was born out of a movement to assert that India is essentially a Hindu nation. Amit Shah, the right-hand man of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, made it crystal clear when he called for “revenge” in a village near riot-hit Muzaffarnagar, UP. He set the stage for another Muslim carnage by declaring that 2014 elections are about revenge and honor. Brazenly suggesting that Hindus were victims of Muslim attacks, he appealed to the masses to vote out the government “that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Jats.” No one can beat Shah when it comes to twisting facts. It was Muslims in Muzaffarnagar who were lynched, maimed, raped and looted while

For More: http://ift.tt/1iihmhJ

Thursday’s Israeli airstrikes on Gaza led to $3 million losses

Palestinian losses caused by the latest Israeli airstrikes which took place on Thursday night reached $3 million, statistics by the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce showed.

The Israeli warplanes struck ten targets along the Gaza Strip, injuring a child and 30 year old man. The airstrikes also caused serious damage in the factories and shops hit by the F16 rockets.

Jewellery shops, car paints shops and a washing machines factory were targeted in the strikes. A number of farms and Hamas bases were also targeted.

According to the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce, the continuous targeting of factories, shops and farmlands doubles the losses. Direct losses were estimated at $3million, but indirect and long-term losses amount to over than $10 million.

“Israeli attacks, mainly on farmlands, undermine the ability of the local producers to fulfil the needs of residents in the Gaza Strip, which has been living under a strict Israeli siege,” spokesman of the Chamber of Commerce said.

Wyden: Americans will be ‘profoundly disturbed’ by CIA torture report

US Senator Ron Wyden on Thursday said the American people will be “profoundly disturbed” by a summary of a Senate report on the CIA’s torture techniques.

Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also urged the Obama administration to swiftly declassify parts of the blistering 6,200-page Senate report which have been approved by the Senate panel for public release.

“I believe the American people will be profoundly disturbed by the contents of this report,” the senior senator from Oregon wrote in a news release. “The American people will see that much of what CIA officials have said about the effectiveness of coercive interrogations was simply untrue.”

“I have spoken about the intelligence leadership’s culture of misinformation before and it continues to be a problem to this day,” Wyden added.

“It is going to make many people uncomfortable,” he wrote, “but getting the facts about torture out to the American people will keep these mistakes from being repeated and make our national intelligence agencies stronger and more effective in the long run.”

The 6,300-page report prepared by the Senate Intelligence Committee provides details of torture techniques – including water-boarding, wall-slamming, and shackling – used by the CIA under the administration of George W. Bush.

On Thursday, the Senate panel voted to make public parts of the report. The summary of the report will go to the White House and the CIA. According to Politico, US President Barack Obama is the one who decides whether the summary should be further redacted before being disclosed.

The report has also caused a deep split between the US Intelligence Community and the Senate panel, which is tasked with overseeing the government’s spying activities. Each side has accused the other of spying.

AHT/ISH

AAP promises disposal of terror cases against Muslims within six months

By India Tomorrow News

New Delhi, 04 April 2014: In a bid to woo Muslim voters the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) promised in its election manifesto to stop the pattern of police harassment and false cases against Muslim youths. The party also alleged that since independence Muslims have voted for Congress due to fear and to prevent BJP from coming to power.

“We will ensure that the practice of police harassment and filing false cases against Muslim youth is put to an end. Police officials found guilty of harassment will be prosecuted. Judicial reforms will be done to ensure that cases are decided within six months,” the manifesto reads.

It says that there will be a swift dispensation of justice for Muslim youths, arrested on charges of terrorist activity to make sure that the innocent are not jailed on false charges.

Accusing Congress for using entire community as vote bank the manifesto says that Muslims live in the country in fear.

“The betrayal of the Muslim community can be seen in hundreds of major and minor riots, poor conditions of schools and madarsas, imprisonment of youth on false charges, corruption in the Waqf Board, the ‘carrot’ of reservations, a defunct Minorities Commission. Despite a Congress-led Central Government, the Muslims of India live in constant fear,” it reads.

“Aarn Aadmi Party is committed to put an end to communal tension and riots by ensuring equal rights and security to the community. We believe that both the communal politics of the BJP as well as the vote- bank politics of the Congress need to be opposed,” it further reads

Myanmar must be forced to protect Rohingya rights

An international lawyer has called on the global community to take action and compel the Myanmar government to provide the basic rights of the Rohingya Muslims, Press TV reports.

In an interview on Saturday, Barry Grossman said there is a “complete blackout of information” with respect to the “horrible” situation of the Rohingya Muslim community in the Asian country.

He added that the Myanmar government had failed to fulfill its undertakings to provide internationally monitored access to the unprivileged community.

“The regime needs to be compelled to ensure the Rohingya access to basic health care, education and the standard civil liberties like the right to engage in religious practices,” the lawyer added.

The Rohingya Muslim community in Myanmar has been persecuted and has faced torture and repression since Myanmar’s independence in 1948.

The government of Myanmar announced that the minority would not be allowed to register as “Rohingya” in the country’s first census recently conducted with the help of the United Nations. The Rohingya Muslims account for about five percent of the country’s population of nearly 60 million.

Reports say hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar are suffering from a severe shortage of food and drinking water. Humanitarian aid deliveries have slowed down in Rakhine as a result of an escalation in sectarian violence.

AR/HGH/SS

Woman sexually assaulted by man in Middlesbrough on Saturday morning

A woman in her twenties was sexually assaulted as she walked home alone in Middlesbrough

A woman in her twenties was sexually assaulted as she walked home alone in Middlesbrough.

The woman was approached by a man who attempted to speak to her on Woodlands Road at around 2am on Saturday.

He grabbed the victim and carried out a sexual assault. He then ran off along Victoria Road.

The man is described as white, possibly in his mid-twenties, about 5ft 5ins with receding hair. He was wearing light coloured jeans and a black top.

Detective Sergeant Dave Smith, who is leading the investigation, said: “This would have been a busy time of night and I urge anyone who believes they know who this man is to contact us.

“I particularly want to speak to anyone who was in the Southfield Road and Borough Road area at around 2am and believes they have witnessed anything related to this incident.

“The victim is extremely shaken and distressed.

“We have a number of detectives working on this investigation and will be exploring all lines of enquiry.”

Anyone with information should contact Cleveland Police on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

RSS, corporate media together projecting Modi: Buddhadeb

Submitted by IANS on 5 April 2014 – 8:20pm

Kolkata: The “regressive” RSS and the corporate houses have forged a “strange” alliance to project BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, CPI-M leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said Friday.

“We see a strange teaming up of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh – the most regressive organisation that does not believe in the country’s constitution – and the modern corporate houses. They are saying Narendra Modi is our candidate for the prime minister’s post,” said Bhattacharjee, the former chief minister of West Bengal.

Addressing a gathering of intellectuals, he said a blitz campaign was on that Modi would come to power.

“They are creating an atmosphere to make the people believe ‘Modi is coming, Modi is coming’,” said the Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member.

Bhattacharjee said enormous amount of money was being spent in the campaign to keep Modi in national focus.

“The RSS and the corporate houses are saying Modi does not mean riots, but he stands for development,” he said alluding to the Gujarat riots of 2002 during Modi’s chief ministerial tenure.

“We don’t think meaningful development is possible if the corporate houses take the initiative,” he said.

Attacking the Congress for pursuing neo-liberal economic policies, he said the gulf between the rich and the poor has increased during the ten years of the United Progressive Alliance government.

“We did not want this India. Some Indians have set up and empire of Rs.25,000 crore of ill-gotten wealth abroad. The government has not been able to recover the money. We want to save the people from the Congress. It has to go. There is no reason to feel sorry for the Congress,” he said.

However, he said it would be like falling from the “frying pan to the fire” if the BJP replaced the Congress.

Fort Hood shooter was in dispute over leave

The shooter at Fort Hood military base in Texas had a dispute with his superiors over their denial of a leave request shortly before the fatal shooting took place, a report says.

Investigators are looking into the dispute of Army Specialist Ivan Antonio Lopez who opened fire with a .45-caliber handgun on Wednesday, killing three of his fellow soldiers and injuring 16 others, The New York Times reported, citing a law enforcement official.

The report said it was unclear why Lopez wanted to take time off, but it appeared to involve his family.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Senator Ted Cruz and other state lawmakers planned to visit wounded troops and Army officials at Fort Hood on Friday.

On Thursday, Fort Hood’s commanding general, Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milley, blamed psychological problems of Specialist Lopez for the shooting. He said the soldier was being treated for depression and was being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lopez, 34, had served in Iraq in 2011. He was part of a transportation battalion and had recently arrived on base after being transferred from Fort Bliss in El Paso, according to the report.

Specialist Lopez had been examined by a psychiatrist in the last month, said Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. But, he added, Lopez had shown no signs that he might commit a violent act.

“The plan forward was just to continue to monitor and treat him as deemed appropriate,” Mr. McHugh said.

It was the second mass shooting that have been happened in nearly five years at Fort Hood.

In September, another shooting took place at the Washington Navy Yard, leaving 12 people dead.

ARA/ARA

Modi is a man who thrives on division: critizes ‘The Economoists’, an english weekly

Hyderabad, April 04:

A strong criticism is coming in for Bharatiya Janata Party Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. English weekly The Economist has refused to back Modi for the PM’s post and entitled him a man associated with ‘sectarian hatred’.

The English weekly has accused Modi of giving anti-Muslim speeches early in his career and called him a man who has thrived on division. The paper also castigated at Modi for not apologising for the 2002 riots.

As per inb news, the article has even questioned the clean chit given to Modi by the Supreme Court saying that the reason as to why the inquiries were full of loopholes was because a lot of the evidence was lost or intentionally destroyed. The article did praise Modi’s economic track record in Gujarat and made a favourable comparison when it comes to corruption in the Congress coalition.

The article has been equally sarcastic about Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said that even as it does not find the prospect of a government led by Congress under Rahul an inspiring one, it still recommends it as the less disturbing option

25 killed in Iraq attacks

Submitted by IANS on 5 April 2014 – 9:52pm

Baghdad: Twenty five people were killed and 33 wounded in violence across Iraq, mainly in the western province of Anbar Saturday, police said.

In Anbar province, an Iraqi army troops clashed with militants linked to Daash militant group in al-Malahmah area near the town of Khaldiyah, some 80 km west of Iraq’s capital Baghdad, killing 11 militants and wounding 18, Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by the provincial joint command.

Separately, fierce clashes erupted in the morning between militants affiliated to the Daash group, and Iraqi police backed by pro-government tribesmen in al-Soufiyah district in the southern part of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, killing six militants, two policemen and two tribal fighters, a provincial police source told Xinhua.

In Fallujah, a civilian was killed and nine others were wounded when army artillery pounded several neighbourhoods in the besieged city, some 50 km west of Baghdad, the source said.

Also in Anbar, Iraqi army helicopter gunships pounded insurgents’ positions in the village of Zoubaa in Abu Ghraib area, the source added.

Anbar province has been the scene of fierce clashes that flared up after Iraqi police dismantled an anti-government protest site outside Ramadi in late December last year.

In a separate incident, a soldier was killed and three others were wounded when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in Tarmiyah area, some 40 km north of Baghdad, a local police source said.

In Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala, a roadside bomb detonated near a police patrol in the city of Maqdadiyah, near the provincial capital city of Baquba, leaving a policeman dead and an officer wounded, a provincial police source told Xinhua.

Police clashed with a wanted local leader of an insurgent militant group, named al-Naqshabandiya organisation, and shot him dead during an operation outside the city of Jalawlaa, the source said.

Also in the province, two soldiers were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion near their patrol in Naft Khana area, some 135 km northeast of Baquba, the source added.

Iraq is witnessing its worst violence in recent years. According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, a total of 8,868 Iraqis, including 7,818 civilians and civilian police personnel, were killed in 2013, the highest annual death toll in years