Nigel Farage: 'EU red tape is damaging Teesside's entrepreneurship'

Ukip leader refuses to be drawn on which Tees seats party will target in General Election :: Also pledges more Ukip councillors in the region

Nigel Farage has called for a return to industrial power of Teesside's heritage - but wouldn't say if Ukip will be targeting the area in 2015.

The UK Independence Party leader took to Yarm high street on St George’s Day.

And Mr Farage later told the Gazette that he believes the single biggest political issue facing Teessiders is unemployment.

“Jobs are the most important thing to the people of Teesside," he added.

"In this area, you have a lot of entrepreneurial small businesses that want to get rid of the red tape of the EU and employ young people.

“There is an industrial heritage here. I don’t want it to be a heritage any more. I want to bring industry back.”

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Ukip leader Nigel Farage visits Yarm

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Mr Farage would not be drawn on whether Ukip would target any seats on Teesside in next year’s general election.

But he promised that the North-east would return a Ukip MEP - and that more councillors would be joining Teesside’s only Ukip councillor, Stockton’s Mark Chatburn.

“The North-east is the fastest growing area for Ukip support in the country, but we have to get our foot on the first rung of the ladder,” he continued.

Mr Farage has this week been criticised for Ukip’s national poster campaign which claim Europeans are targeting British jobs, which have been branded racist.

But Mr Farage said that Ukip was ready to cause an “earthquake in British politics” in the upcoming European elections by targeting “patriotic, Old Labour voters in the North”.

And Ted Strike, Ukip's candidate for Stockton South, said: “I’ve been helping those in the area most affected by Chernobyl in Belarus since 1996, and I want to dig a well in India - on the condition that people of all religions can use it. But apparently we’re all racists.”

Mr Farage yesterday dropped in at Yarm Butchers to pick up some bacon and sausages and buying a red rose at Diana Kaye florists.

He then retired to the Black Bull to enjoy a pint of Proper Job bitter, before heading off to Gateshead last night to speak in front of more than 1,000 people at the Sage.

He said: “I’ve fallen in love with the place, Yarm is fantastic - although with the butchers and the florists, and now the pub, I’ve spent far too much money here already.”

Meanwhile, Labour's Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is due to visit Redcar today.

Teachers force Muslim, lower caste students to clean toilets in India: Report

NEW DELHI: Some Indian teachers force children from lower castes and minority religions to clean toilets and sit separately from their classmates as part of “persistent” discrimination in classrooms, a rights group said on Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch said pupils from marginalised communities often dropped out of school and started working as labourers rather than face continued humiliation at the hands of teachers and principals.

The 77-page study on schools was compiled through interviews with more than 160 teachers, principals, parents and students in four states which have large populations of low-caste poor, indigenous tribals and Muslims.

“India’s immense project to educate all its children risks falling victim to deeply rooted discrimination by teachers and other school staff against the poor and marginalised,” said the report’s author Jayshree Bajoria.

“Instead of encouraging children from at-risk communities who are often the first in their families to ever step inside a classroom, teachers often neglect or even mistreat them,” she said.

Children from Muslim communities were among those often made to sit at the back of classrooms or in separate rooms. They were called derogatory names, were denied leadership roles and were served food last, the report said.

The report comes as a mammoth general election is underway which is likely to vault Narendra Modi and BJP to power after a decade of Congress party rule.

Some children said they were segregated and neglected because they were considered dirty, while Muslim students said they were called “mullahs”, a term for an Islamic cleric, instead of by their names.

India’s Parliament passed landmark legislation in 2009 that guarantees state schooling for children aged six to 14 and enrolments have reached more than 90 percent nationally.

But HRW said the law does not contain punishments for those who discriminate in the classroom.

Most education authorities have failed to establish proper mechanisms to monitor and track children, who were at risk of dropping out, and acting to ensure they were able to remain in school, the report said.

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 24 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.

Palestinians mull handing territory ‘keys’ back to Israel

JERUSALEM: Palestinian negotiators have warned they may pass responsibility for their territory back to occupying power Israel if peace talks remain stalled, a senior Palestinian official said Sunday.

The official said the Palestinians told US peace envoy Martin Indyk on Friday that unless Israel releases Palestinian prisoners as agreed and freezes settlement building, they could dismantle the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) of President Mahmoud Abbas.

“The Palestinians informed Indyk that if this Israeli intransigence continues, they have several options to resort to,” the Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“First, handing the keys of the PA to the UN so it will become in charge of the Palestinian people and the state of Palestine, which is under occupation, or that the (Israeli) occupation assumes again full responsibility for everything.”

Under the 1993 Oslo accords which were to have led to an independent Palestinian state, the Palestinians received some autonomy in managing their day-to-day affairs.

Israeli commentator Nahum Barnea, writing in Yediot Aharonot daily on Sunday, said the Palestinian gambit was a desperate one.

“The Palestinians are playing their last card,” he wrote. “Cancelling … all their achievements and all the obligations they made under the Oslo accords.

“If the Palestinians carry out their threat it will have dramatic results. The PA will be dismantled, all its security apparatus will be dispersed.”

That would oblige Israel to fill the vacuum at tremendous financial cost, Barnea added.

“The (military) will have to find a way to take the PA’s place: to set up a police force, to take care of education, health services, water, sewage.”

Israeli settlers uproot olive trees in occupied West Bank

A group of Israeli settlers have uprooted more than 100 olive trees in the occupied West Bank, Press TV reports.

The settlers destroyed the trees belonging to Palestinian farmers in the village of Ras Karkar, northwest of the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday.

The olive harvest is the main annual source of income for the villagers and they say the frequent settler assaults on their property have affected the livelihood of farmers.

“The olives and oil we make from these trees are our only source of income. We live off this land. The settlers contaminate our water. They prohibit us from reaching the springs, and they cut down our tress,” Ali Azmi Samhan, a Palestinian farmer, told Press TV.

Villagers say the settlers returned to Ras Karkar on Monday and attacked Palestinian farmers who were attempting to replace the destroyed trees.

On January 1, Tadamun Foundation for Human Rights, an NGO, said in an annual report that an estimated 8,000 trees, some of them hundreds of years old, had been damaged and destroyed altogether by the Israelis.

“Settlers’ attacks include uprooting, burning and cutting down olive trees… Olive groves were also flooded by wastewater from the settlements,” said the rights group.

“We have been unable to count the hundreds of trees damaged in groves close to settlements due to Israeli security measures.”

Villagers living south of the West Bank city of Nablus have said that Israeli settlers used chemicals in several cases last June to burn 1,500 trees there. In the blaze that followed, more than 49 acres of prime agricultural land was also destroyed.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since 1967.

MR/HSN/HRB

Teenagers find man's body in Brotton barn

The body of man has been discovered this evening in a barn on Coach Road in Brotton, East Cleveland

Three teenagers have discovered the body of a man in a barn in East Cleveland.

Officers from Cleveland Police were called to a barn on Coach Road in Brotton after the teenagers found the man's body inside.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was discovered at around 5.30pm tonight.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Teenagers find man's body found in Brotton barn

The body of man has been discovered this evening in a barn on Coach Road in Brotton, East Cleveland

Three teenagers have discovered the body of a man in a barn in East Cleveland.

Officers from Cleveland Police were called to a barn on Coach Road in Brotton after the teenagers found the man's body inside.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was discovered at around 5.30pm tonight.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Jordan makes official protest against Israeli violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry summoned on Monday the Israeli ambassador in Amman, Daniel Nevo, to officially communicate the government’s protest against Israeli violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, Jordanian media has reported.

The reported Israeli violations include: infringing upon the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque; arresting Palestinians; committing acts of aggression against worshipers, religious students and the Awqaf employees that are in charge of the Mosque; and imposing restrictions on Muslim worshipers while protecting extremist Jews illegally touring inside the Mosque.

As per an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, Jordan maintains guardianship over the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

Nevo was informed to pass this message immediately to the Israeli government, which was described by the Jordanian side as a “de facto occupation authority” responsible for the safety and security of Al-Aqsa Mosque, worshipers, Awqaf employees and religious students.

The ministry described the Israeli offences as “grave violations” of international and humanitarian law, as well as a threat to the peace agreement between Jordan and Israel. It warned that these practices severely harm relations between the two countries.

The Israeli ambassador said he would pass the message to the Israeli government that same day.

It is worth mentioning that Israeli occupation forces have attacked Al-Aqsa Mosque several times during the last week and again over the weekend, attempting to arrest Palestinians staying inside the Mosque in order to protect it from the provocative actions of extremist Jews.

Many Palestinian worshipers were either wounded or arrested inside the Mosque while extremist Jewish settlers, including Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Moshe Feiglin, were freely carrying out their tours in the presence of occupation forces, despite being legally barred from the site

Narendra Modi movie finds 15 people in a movie hall, pulled out. And they say Modi wave!

VADODARA: Gujarati flick ‘Namo Saune Gamo’ the movie didn’t get any response from audiences.

A team of election officials from the district election office (DEO) saw the movie on Saturday and prepared a report. The report stated that there was nothing objectionable in the movie that can be related to any candidate. The report was sent to CEO.

“We have not put any ban or ordered suspension of its screening. The movie wasn’t screened on Sunday as probably they are not getting enough audiences. There were just 15 people on Saturday and nine on Friday in the movie hall,” said Dr Vinod Rao, district election officer (DEO).

Interestingly, Congress had alleged that BJP is distributing free tickets for the movie. The movie that revolves around the backdrop of a terror attack in Mumbai and one of its accused being nabbed from Gujarat, had already come into focus when it was to be released before the assembly polls in 2012. The story talks about what would happen if a terrorist was caught in Gujarat. One of the key characters bears resemblance to Modi and Congress had pointed this out to the Election Commission of India.

Son of distributor of anti-Islam film Fitna accepts Islam

Muaz Shabandri / 21 April 2014

Arnoud van Doorn’s son, Iskander Amien De Vrie, was one of the 37 people who converted to Islam during the Dubai International Peace Convention.

The son of Arnoud van Doorn, the famous Dutch policy maker and distributor of an anti-Islam film Fitna that caused unrest in 2008, surprised the audiences at the three-day Dubai International Peace Convention by 
embracing Islam.

Arnoud’s son, Iskander Amien De Vrie, was one of the 37 people who converted to Islam during the convention.

Iskander with his father Arnoud. — KT photo Muaz Shabandri

“I bear witness that there is no God to be worshipped but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his worshipper and last messenger,” said Iskander in his Shahadah (testimony) to become a Muslim.

Arnoud van Doorn shot to fame in 2008 as one of the names associated with the anti-Muslim film Fitna, which was released in 2008. The film promoted misconceptions about Islam and Arnoud was one of the film’s distributors.

Five years later, Arnoud was a changed man having learned more about Islam, which he today calls as ‘a religion of peace’. He converted to Islam after learning more about the religion and his decision shocked the world.

“I saw my father become more peaceful after converting to Islam. That’s when I realised there is something good in this religion and it made me change my perception of Muslims. I started studying the Holy Quran and going through lectures of important scholars,” said Iskander in an interview with Khaleej Times.

Iskander, 22, credited his college friend Younis for setting a good example of what Muslims 
really are and how they live their life. “My friend Younis is a good practicing Muslim who taught me something new every day. He was patient with me and there was no way I could be rude to him,” said Iskander.

Iskander also drew inspiration from his father’s life and how he underwent a transformation to become a more peaceful person.

Talking about the anti-Islamic movie Fitna, Arnoud called it a “mistake”, which he deeply regretted. “There is a misconception among people that I produced the movie Fitna, but I wasn’t involved in it. I was only responsible for distributing the movie. Today, it is something that I deeply regret.”

Arnoud hopes to produce a movie about the righteousness preached in Islam and correct his earlier “mistakes”. “I feel an urge and a responsibility to correct the mistakes I have done in the past. I want to use my talents and skills in a positive way by spreading the truth about Islam. I am trying to make a new movie about Islam and the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It would show people what examples the Prophet set in his life and the 
movie would invite younger 
people to Islam.”

With both the father and son now leading life as Muslims, the astonishing story was talked about by speakers and scholars even after the convention was over.

Arnoud is now calling on people to support his Islamic Foundation, which is fighting Islamophobia in Europe. Having started the European Dawah Foundation, Arnoud has come a full circle from his earlier days as a member of the right-wing anti-Islam Freedom Party.

His team of volunteers works towards bridging the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims and helping people clear their misconceptions about Islam.

Iskander now plans to take a trip to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and hopes his mother would also embrace Islam soon.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com

Your School: St Jospeh's RC Primary School, Loftus

Pictures from primary schools around the Teesside area

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Your School: St Jospeh's RC Primary School, Saltburn

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School: St Joseph’s RC Primary School

Address: Rosecroft Lane, Loftus, Saltburn by the Sea, TS13 4PZ

Head teacher: Alison Toward

How would you sum your school up? We are a small Catholic primary school set right on the outskirts of Redcar and Cleveland. Our governors, staff, parents and children work together to achieve the best they can. We believe that Jesus is the heart of everything we do and promote the Gospel values in all aspects of school life. We achieve high standards and expect highly of all of our children.

Tell us something we didn’t know about your school: We serve the Parishes of Loftus, Brotton and Staithes so have children from a wide area. We have strong links with other Catholic schools and hope to form a Catholic academy, the Nicholas Postgate Academy Trust with St Bede's, St Benedict’s, St Paulinus and Sacred Heart this year. We are really looking forward to working with these schools to promote Catholic education and improve teaching and learning further.

What is your school motto/ethos? Christ be our Light in Life, Love and Learning.

What has been your pupils biggest achievement in the past year? Our anti-bullying ambassadors have achieved a Princess Diana award in recognition of the efforts they have made towards teaching their peers about bullying and being good friends. Several of the children travelled to London to take part in an anti bullying conference at the House of Lords. We also gained our level 1 Rights Respecting School award which we are really proud of.

What after schools clubs do you run? We run lots of after school clubs that change each half term. This half term we have art, football, cricket, gardening, girl’s football, Lego, cross country and film club. For the first time we are also running a ukulele club.

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Your School: St Margaret Clitherow's Catholic Voluntary Academy Trust , Middlesbrough

Your School: Overfields Primary School , Middlesbrough

Your School: Normanby Primary School , Middlesbrough

Your School: Oakdene Primary School , Billingham

Egypt: 2.5 million children dropped out of schools after the coup

A study conducted by Tomouh program in cooperation with the Egyptian Food Bank, the Armed Forces and PepsiCo Company revealed that the number of school dropouts across Egypt has reached 2.5 million in the last term.

In Suhag governorate alone, 100,000 children dropped out of their schools this year due to poverty and child labour.

The results were announced in a press conference in the Suhag city hall. Representatives of the World Food Organisation and PepsiCo attended the presser.

The Tomouh program aims at eliminating the phenomenon of education dropouts

Ukip leader Nigel Farage pays St George's Day visit to Yarm

Politician went for a walk on High Street before retiring to the George and Dragon pub ahead of next month's Euro elections

Nigel Farage visited Teesside today as part of a North-east tour ahead of next month's European elections.

The UK Independence Party (Ukip) leader took to Yarm High Street - along with a media scrum - to meet residents on St George's Day.

He dropped in at Yarm Butchers to pick up some bacon and sausages and bought a red rose at Diana Kaye florists.

Mr Farage then retired to the Black Bull to enjoy a pint of Proper Job bitter, before heading off to Gateshead this evening to speak in front of more than 1,000 people at the Sage.

"I've fallen in love with the place," he said.

"Yarm is fantastic - although with the butchers and the florists, and now the pub, I've spent far too much money here already."

A more detailed report will follow

David Moyes sacked: No thanks for players as Moyes breaks silence

Fired boss releases statement day after being fired from Manchester United job

David Moyes has broken his silence after his sacking as Manchester United manager - and pointedly made no mention of his players.

The 50-year-old released a statement via the League Managers Association in which he spoke of his gratitude to Sir Alex Ferguson, the fans and the staff at Old Trafford.

There was no mention of the United players, who have kept tight-lipped since Moyes left the club. Even those players normally so active on Twitter have remained silent on the matter.

Moyes was sacked as manager by the club on Tuesday, and former United captain Roy Keane said some of the players “should be ashamed of themselves”.

Ryan Giggs has been appointed interim manager and was assisted at training on Wednesday morning by former team-mates Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

Moyes said he felt proud to have taken the team to the Champions League quarter-finals but that he understood fans’ frustrations at the overall results.

He said in a statement: “During this period of transition, performances and results have not been what Manchester United and its fans are used to or expect, and I both understand and share their frustration.

“I remain proud to have led the team to the quarter-finals of this year’s Champions League and I remain grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson for believing in my ability and giving me the chance to manage Manchester United.”

He added: “To have been appointed as manager of Manchester United, one of the biggest football clubs in the world, was and remains something of which I will always be incredibly proud.

“Taking charge after such a long period of continuous stability and success at the club was inevitably going to be a significant challenge, but it was one which I relished and never had a second thought about taking on.

“The scale of the manager’s job at United is immense, but I have never stepped away from hard work and the same applies to my coaching staff.

“I thank them for their dedication and loyalty throughout the last season.

“We were fully focused and committed to the process of the fundamental rebuilding that is required for the senior squad. This had to be achieved whilst delivering positive results in the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League.

“In my short time at the club I have learnt what special places Old Trafford and Carrington are. I would like to thank the United staff for making me feel so welcome and part of the United family from my first day. And of course thank you to those fans who have supported me throughout the season. I wish you and the club all the best for the future.”

It has emerged that Scholes is now back coaching at the club - Moyes tried to persuade him to join his backroom staff at the start of the season, but he failed.

“It’s great to see Paul Scholes here at the Aon Training Complex today, assisting Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville,” read a post on Manchester United’s official Twitter feed.

Giggs, Neville, Scholes and Butt are all graduates of the famed ’Class of ’92’.

The United board hope Giggs and his staff can restore some pride after a woeful season under Moyes.

Moyes’ tenure was often dogged by rumours - always denied by the Scot - that he did not get on with some of his players.

One highly-placed source at United revealed the board became concerned that Moyes could not get the best out of them.

The source said: “The players didn’t look up for it,” during the latter stages of the former Everton manager’s reign.

Although Giggs has no experience in management, he will command the total respect of his players, according to his former team-mate Quinton Fortune.

“In the last few seasons, and especially this season, I’ve seen him stepping in and helping out with the coaching. The amount of respect that the players have for him is unbelievable,” Fortune told MUTV.

“I wish Giggsy all the best.”

Giggs is expected to take charge of United’s final four games but the 40-year-old is understood not to be in the running to be the club’s next full-time manager.

The front runner to replace Moyes is Holland coach Louis van Gaal, who has made no secret of his desire to move to England once his contract expires after the World Cup. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is also a candidate.

Philip Tallentire: What Aitor Karanka might have meant in saying he couldn't motivate his players

Eyebrows were raised after Boro head coach's post-match comments last night - Philip Tallentire looks at the context of the remarks

Aitor Karanka may have admitted not motivating his team properly at Reading - but he’s not letting the players totally off the hook for two abject performances.

Boro followed a dismal display in the 2-1 home defeat to struggling Millwall with an equally poor effort at the Madejski Stadium last night.

The visitors were beaten 2-0 and, after the game, Karanka took the lion’s share of the blame.

He said: “I didn’t choose my team well and I didn’t know to motivate them and for this I need to learn for the future and for the next game to try to motivate them to win.

“It was my fault. It’s difficult when you don’t play for points but I didn’t choose the right players and I couldn’t motivate them.

“The defeat at Reading was my fault, I couldn’t motivate the players.

"It’s just my first season and I’m learning every day about the league, about the players, about everything.”

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Avril Husband / Griffiths

Gallery: Reading v Boro match action

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As he touched on in his quotes, Karanka recognised that it can be difficult for player to play at their optimum levels when there’s nothing to play for in terms of promotion or relegation.

But, the message to the players who failed to perform at Reading is crystal clear and that is they have to be able to perform at maximum levels in every match and, just as importantly, every training session.

“As a player I was competitive and I want competitive players,” is how he put it.

“I don’t want to lose in a training session, never mind a match and for this I want players with the same mentality.

“No matter what position in the division we are in, I want to win.”

Boro have two games to negotiate before the season ends and Karanka begins assembling a squad that can win promotion in 2014/15.

To that end, the Spaniard will be keeping a close eye on how his players perform against Barnsley at the Riverside on Saturday, and at Yeovil on May 3.

“If you’re competitive you want to win all the games and that’s the thing I demand from my players, to finish the season as well as they can”, he added.

View: Hundreds of youngsters GO Run For Fun at Preston Park

Watch: Around 800 children took part in the INEOS GO Run For Fun event at Preston Park this afternoon

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Gallery: INEOS GO Run For Fun event at Preston Park,

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Hundreds of children had fun in the sun when they took part in a national running event today.

About 800 youngsters took part in the INEOS GO Run For Fun event at Preston Park.

The event was hosted by Stockton School Sport Partnership (SSP) at Preston Park and was attended by Michael Rimmer, Beijing and London 2012 Team GB 800m athlete and six-time British champion.

The morning run saw the 15,000th runner cross the finish line, marking the halfway point in the campaign which aims to get more than 30,000 children aged five to 10 to take part in one of the GO Run For Fun events across all corners of the UK.

Michael Rimmer said: “It’s brilliant to have almost 800 children here today, all participating in GO Run For Fun.

"These fun events are a great way for your kids to get out of the house and have fun with their mates - running.

“We really must make sure that kids are given the opportunity to get active from an early age, and GO Run For Fun provides the chance to do just that.

"If they enjoy it you never know where it might end up, we might find Britain’s best talent for the future.”

Latin American support for Palestine thwarts Zionist ambitions to dominate the region

A recent op-ed in the Jerusalem Post glorifying the international influence of Israel with particular reference to Guatemala has once again sparked the conviction that the settler-colonial state should turn to Latin America for political support. The op-ed, a mixture of misplaced patriotism and an exaltation of Israel’s humanitarian and military aid to the country, attempts to depict Latin America as a possible ally for Israel.

Drawing upon the historical support of Guatemala for Israel, being one of the first countries in the region to recognise the settler-colonial state, the op-ed urges Israel to “constantly revive our political and economic relationship with Guatemala, before Islamic extremists fill the peaceful vacuum with their hateful and violent messages.”

Israel may indeed derive support from nations aligned to imperial interests and others which, despite the ramifications of neoliberal violence, have traded revolutionary zeal for the rhetoric of convenience. Beneath the glorification of similarities between Israel and Guatemala, including a ludicrous comparison to the destruction wrought by natural disasters to the Zionist propaganda alleging fear of imminent annihilation, it is the submission to imperial interests and the endorsement of violence that entices commentators to muse about the benefits of Israel investing in the region.

The ties maintained between Israel and countries in the region such as Guatemala, Colombia and also Chile, exhibit reliance upon Israeli drone technology in the name of security. In April 2013, Israel was awarded a $3 million contract to provide the Chilean army with surveillance drones. Drones are reported to have been deployed in the Araucania region to perfect the oppression of the indigenous people of Chile, the Mapuche, who are resisting colonial usurpation of land exacerbated by the laws set in place during Pinochet’s dictatorship that negated the existence of the indigenous population.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Latin American countries such as Cuba, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia have consistently imparted support for Palestine. The integrity and respect for resistance was strongly evidenced during the United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine that took place in Quito, Ecuador, last month.

Chilean news outlet El Ciudadano published a detained report specifically dealing with the Cuban and Ecuadorean reiterations of support for Palestine uttered during the summit. Ecuadorean Deputy Foreign Minister Leonardo Arízaga described the question of Palestine as “a permanent concern for Ecuador”, denouncing the various forms of aggression committed by Israel against Palestinians. In January 2014, the Palestinian embassy was opened in Quito and the gesture will soon be reciprocated by the establishment of a diplomatic mission in Palestine.

The Cuban Ambassador in Ecuador, Jorge Rodríguez, reiterated his country’s stance supporting Palestinian self-determination and renewing the insistence that Cuba will not renounce its support for Palestine to become a full member state in the UN. Rodríguez also referred to Fidel Castro’s speech at the 6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in which the Cuban leader and revolutionary imparted his internationalist stance by declaring that the just cause of Palestine should derive support from nations across the world.

Such statements have not been relegated to isolated occurrences. Drawing attention to the oblivion enforced upon colonised nations, Castro’s speeches throughout the years emphasised the necessity of internationalism to combat colonial and imperialist oppression. In recent years, the Cuban representative at the UN has been constant in specifically denouncing Israel’s settler-colonial expansion and avoiding surrendering to mainstream rhetoric which mellows the magnitude of atrocities into the detached “military occupation”.

Far from remaining confined to a Cuban expression of support, the internationalism inspired by Castro was emulated by other Latin American countries, in particular Venezuela and Bolivia, which followed the Cuban example and severed ties with the Zionist settler-colonial state. As opposed to the asserted “imagination” comprising the op-ed, Latin American internationalist support for Palestine, as well as opposition to Israel, remain tangible deterrents against Zionist infiltration in the region

Churchgoers claim traffic wardens deliberately targeted them on Easter Sunday

Sweep by council wardens has 'left a sour taste for many' says priest :: Council says anyone feeling 'unfairly penalised' should appeal

Churchgoers and tourists believe they were targeted by council traffic wardens in a parking ticket blitz over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

On Easter Sunday, eight motorists were ticketed while parked on double yellow lines outside St Andrew’s Catholic Church on Fabian Road, in Teesville.

And over the Easter weekend, 32 motorists were handed fines after they struggled to find a space in the car park at Guisborough Forest Walkway.

But Redcar and Cleveland Council say that they were not targeting any particular areas over the Easter break, in which they handed out 70 penalty charge notices across the borough.

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Gallery: Father Eddie Gubbins

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The Very Reverend Edmond Gubbins, priest at St Andrew’s, believes the yellow lines on the road near his church are unnecessary since Redcar and Cleveland’s town hall and the James Finegan Hall were demolished last year.

Father Gubbins, who is to write to the council about the situation, said: “Some members of our church have been parking a little closer to the church entrance to allow disabled or elderly people to get in easily.

“The yellow lines used to be necessary, but since the town hall and James Finegan Hall, which were opposite the church, have been demolished and the site has been left empty they are now unnecessary.

"Our members have been parking there for the past year, and they’ve never had any problems.

"It was an unkind thing to do on Easter Sunday. It has left a sour taste for many.”

Motorists at Guisborough Forest Walkway faced similar problems over the weekend.

Keith Cummings, 70, had driven to Guisborough from his home in Redcar with his grandchildren and was issued with a £50 ticket after he parked outside a bay on Bank Holiday Monday.

He said: “There were no other spaces. When it is so busy, what else can people do?

“I wasn’t in a bay, but I was parked completely safely and I was not blocking anyone’s access. I had also paid and displayed.

“It feels like they’ve targeted that spot on the busiest day possible to hit their quota, when the council could have had some understanding on one of the busiest days for tourism.”

Steven Goldswain, Redcar and Cleveland Council’s cabinet member for community safety, said: “Restrictions on Fabian Road, where there have been a number of accidents, were implemented because of high traffic flow and road safety concerns.

“The vast majority of motorists observe these restrictions and the conditions of use in our car parks, which includes only parking within a marked bay.

“However, anyone who feels they have been unfairly penalised should follow the appeals process which is set out on the reverse of the penalty charge notice.”

Togadia tirade sign of dire times ahead

MUMBAI: The provocative speeches of VHP leader Pravin Togadia is warning signal of “horrible” times for minorities, especially Muslims, if Narendra Modi becomes PM. Vote intelligently and defeat “divisive forces” if they want a peaceful existence in India, says many Urdu Dailes.

In a front-page piece titled ‘If Modi becomes PM, Togadia’s threats can become reality’, Urdu Times columnist Shakeel Rashid has said that Togadia and Giriraj Singh have only articulated the scenario that would surface under Modi raj. He said minorities, especially Muslims, might lose their rights as citizens. In its editorial, the Inquilab slammed the BJP for its “double standards”. It also criticized the EC and the police for not acting swiftly and strongly against hate mongers

Redcar house fire: Lee Jason Close, 44, appears before magistrates

Defendant is accused of arson attack at terraced house in Charlotte Street on Monday afternoon

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Gallery: House fire in Charlotte Street, Redcar

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A man has appeared in court in connection with a potentially deadly blaze at a family home in Redcar.

Lee Jason Close today faced Teesside Magistrates’ Court following a fire at an address in Charlotte Street on Monday.

Firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at the terraced property, which was empty at the time of the incident at around 2pm.

Two fire engines from Redcar and Grangetown were called out and crews used thermal imaging technology and breathing apparatus to deal with the flames.

It took about 30 minutes to put out the fire.

The upstairs of the home suffered severe fire and smoke damage but no-one was injured.

Detectives began an investigation alongside Cleveland Fire Brigade.

Close, of The Parklands, Redcar, made a brief appearance before Teesside Magistrates’ Court in relation to the fire.

The 44-year-old has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

The prosecution asked for the matter to be sent to the crown court.

His solicitor Alex Bousfield made no application for bail and Close was remanded in custody.

The magistrates committed the case to Teesside Crown Court, with the next hearing due on May 7.

US drone strikes in Yemen shameful: American activist

An American activist says the Obama administration’s drone strikes in Yemen targeting civilians in the country are “shameful and sad.”

“It’s just quite shameful and sad,” Daniel Patrick Welch said in a phone interview with Press TV on Tuesday.

“It’s really sad that they don’t seem to be coming up with any plausible excuses any more. They just feel that they can go around the world and do this as they please,” he added.

The activist was referring to the latest US assassination drone attacks in Yemen.

The death toll from three days of air strikes carried out by US drones in southern Yemen has reached almost 50.

On Monday, at least three people were killed after a US drone fired a missile at a vehicle carrying three men in the country’s southern province of Shabwa.

According to witnesses, the vehicle was completely destroyed and the burnt remains of the bodies could be seen.

The US administration claims that its unmanned aircraft attacks target al-Qaeda militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the non-UN-sanctioned airstrikes.

“I don’t know exactly what is behind this orgy of killing that has gone on with the drone strikes as well as with Syria and with Ukraine and Venezuela. It’s almost seems like a sort of failing that they already know that they lost the next war which is the economic confrontation with China, and Russia, and the BRICS,” Welch said.

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St George's Day celebrations through the years on Teesside

Although one of the lesser-celebrated saints' days in the UK, there's no doubt patriotic Teessiders take St George's Day to heart

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Gallery: St George's Day - Past

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Although one of the lesser-celebrated saints' days in the UK, there's no doubt patriotic Teessiders take St George's Day to heart.

Over the years, we at the Evening Gazette have seen some impressive parade turnouts for the April 23 celebration of England’s heritage - as well as some more interesting ways to mark the occasion.

St George, the patron saint of England, is best known for his fight with a dragon.

From the early 15th century, a major feast and celebration day has been held in his honour although this tradition waned by the end of the 18th century following the union of England and Scotland.

And, even though celebrations today remain generally low-key, patriotic Teessiders have ensured the spirit of St George lives on.

Every year, hundreds of scouts join together to parade through towns.

And retired Grangetown firefighter Tony Hey has become something of a legend himself with his propensity to swap his uniform for chainmail and his fire engine for a horse - and parade through the streets.

Starting his own tradition in 2009, Tony sets off astride his horse for his annual display of patriotism.

In 2011, Tony said: “I just think St George’s Day is something we should celebrate. The Irish, Welsh and Scottish mark their special day, so why shouldn’t English people?”

Also in 2009, revellers at a Stockton bar enjoyed a whacky jousting tournament for a St George’s Day charity fundraiser.

The event, at Georgia Browns, on Dovecot Street, was organised to raise money for the Help For Heroes fund which supports wounded British servicemen and women.

The jousting saw horses replaced with space hoppers, and jousters used boxing gloves on poles in place of lances.

Pub-goers in fancy dress placed bets on the tournament before digging into a hog roast.

The day has not been without its controversy though.

In 2005, Teesside MPs backed calls for the day to be celebrated more widely. But only one - Vera Baird - could recall the date of St George’s Day.

UN: Syria’s presidential election hinder political solution

Bashar Al-Assad’s plan to hold presidential elections in the current circumstances undermine efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria, the United Nations said yesterday.

The UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric quoted the UN chief as saying that “under the current circumstances, the election will damage the political process and hamper the prospect for a political solution that the country so urgently needs.”

Dujarric said: “The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi have warned against holding the elections under the current circumstances, in the midst of the conflict and mass displacement, as they will hurt the political process and obstruct prospects for a political solution.”

Dujarric noted that “such elections are incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Geneva communiqué.”

The UN Working Group on Syria which includes the UN Security Council’s five permanent members, Turkey and the Arab League reached the Geneva I agreement in June 2012. It called to resolve the Syrian crisis politically by forming a transition government, holding parliamentary elections and amending the constitution but did not mention the fate of the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad sparking international and regional disagreements over its validity.

Lord Digby Jones puts Ebac under the microscope

North-East company Ebac is starring in a new primetime BBC programme with Trade Minister and CBI Director General Lord Digby Jones

A high-profile North-East company is starring in a new primetime BBC programme.

It will see the former Trade Minister and CBI Director General Lord Digby Jones, one of Britain’s best known business figures, putting North-east manufacturing bosses at Ebac under the microscope as they prepare for a major product launch.

Lord Jones has spent months working behind the scenes with the team establishing a County Durham facility to manufacture Norfrost freezers.

Lord Jones drove management at Ebac to re-examine everything they have learned over 40 years of manufacturing as they worked to relaunch the Norfrost brand, taking on the likes of Indesit, Zanussi and Hotpoint, in a market which saw the collapse of Norfrost’s previous owners.

The Norfrost brand and machinery were bought in 2013 by Ebac, which is based in Newton Aycliffe.

Viewers will see how Lord Jones has been working alongside management, led by Managing Director Pamela Petty, in the build-up to the first new Norfrost freezers being produced next month.

The programme will air at 8pm on Thursday on BBC 2.

Pamela Petty said: “The launch of Norfrost freezers marks a major investment for us, so to be under the spotlight from Lord Digby Jones and the TV cameras at the same time has added a real element of external scrutiny to the whole process.

“Working with Lord Jones has been more than just filming a TV series.

“It has been a great opportunity to use and learn from his experience and to take on board his views and criticisms, as well as taking pride in what he feels we do well.

“We have a wealth of experience in manufacturing products for the home and in refrigeration, but having an outside expert to give his view on what we are doing and how we are doing it has been hugely valuable.

“Lord Jones was very thorough and really put our plans, processes and thoughts to the test.

“This is great for us and for the final products because no stone has been left unturned by the process.”

NECC applauds action on North East infrastructure

The North East Chamber of Commerce has welcomed start dates for a number of infrastructure projects in the region

The North East Chamber of Commerce has welcomed start dates for a number of infrastructure projects in the region.

Reacting to a Government announcement that 19 major projects are due to start in the region this financial year, NECC Policy and Research Manager Mark Stephenson said: “Having lobbied extensively for these vitally important infrastructure projects and worked closely with the Department for Transport and Highways Agency, NECC welcomes the assurances from the Prime Minister that these projects will all be started this financial year.

“It is vital that the timeframes do not slip – the quicker these projects are delivered, the more it will help business and the more it helps business the more our region is able to contribute to UK PLC.

“The timetable provided for key North-east projects will be welcomed by our members. With around £700m being spent on regional road and rail infrastructure projects in the next three to five years, this investment is long overdue.

“It is good to see work at Lobley Hill being prioritised and brought forward. Along with schemes at both Silverlink and Testos that are scheduled to start in 2016/17, these projects will not only eliminate major congestion pinch points, but also hugely improve regional connectivity around some of our major business hubs.”

Among the projects beginning this year are: the A1 Lobley Hill widening scheme, Sunderland Strategic Junctions Improvement Scheme, Ovingham Bridge refurbishment and the Morpeth Surface Water and Port Clarence and Greatham South flood alleviation schemes.Twelve projects are expected to complete in 2014-15 including the £8.6m regeneration of Newcastle Central Station; Four Lane Ends and A188 Junction Improvements; A167 Chester-le-Street, Park Road to Junction 63 Improvements and the A19/A174 Parkway Junction Improvements, Middlesbrough.

The projects due to start construction this year are part of £36bn of planned investment by the Government, which estimates could support over 150,000 jobs in construction alone.

Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation - Inspiring community goals

Mike Hughes goes behind the scenes of the Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation

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Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation

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There is no doubting the passion at the Riverside.

For the thousands who pour into the place to adore and admonish at each home game, Boro is a huge part of their lives and the roll-call of legends who make the club what it is echoes around the ground... Aitor Karanka, Juninho, Jonathan Woodgate, Helena Pinder, Emmanuel Adomah...the list goes on.

Wait. Who? Pinder?

The name may not trip off the tongue as easily as Aitor’s, but Helena Pinder attacks, defends and draws up strategies at the stadium every day.

Around the back of the ground is the small doorway to the MFC Foundation offices where she leads her 24-strong team.

The foundation is an independent charity set up by Steve Gibson in 1996 to provide education and training for the community.

Every Premier League and Championship side has one, but Boro’s is as tight and focused a team as you will find, undergoing a fine-tuning and new brand in March last year.

So, as it heads for its 20th anniversary in 2016, what do they actually do under that stand facing the executive boxes?

“We use the inbuilt following and high profile of the club brand to engage with the community to provide opportunities for disadvantaged Teessiders and help them maximise their potential,” explained Helena.

That strategy makes an important point. This isn’t a handout.

It requires commitment on both sides – but the club will stretch way beyond pure sport to back someone who can make a difference if they are just given the guidance and training MFCF can provide.

Helena has been part of the set-up for seven years and has overseen that expansion of the club’s reach.

As well as the team you shout for every week, your football club now has three classrooms, 25 laptops, a Futsal programme, grass pitches and more classrooms at Eston, staff who all have a Post-Grad Certificate of Education, a Btech course at Middlesbrough College, a healthy-living bus out in the community... the list is impressive and difficult to match anywhere else in the country.

It has now worked with more than 20,000 young people around the region.

This is brand awareness at its finest. The realisation that a football club has such pulling power, that as well as taking its community of fans on a roller-coaster ride throughout the season, it can offer work, training and hope that can only exist because of the trust businesses and partners put in Boro.

In 2002 the club’s set-up became an enterprise academy offering packages for business and enterprise-related learning.

The work the foundation did after that was so innovative that now the 24 other academies that are run at other clubs around the country are based on the Riverside model.

“Social inclusion is also an area where we can have an effect,” said Helena.

“We are working with the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation and a year ago set up Middlesbrough Homeless Football Club which aims to improve the health and confidence of homeless people in the area.”

Residents from eight local hostels went head to head in the club’s first game and as chairman Andy Preston of the Philanthropic Foundation told the Gazette at the time: “The long-term goal is to raise life skills and life chances.”

Those chances are affected by environment and the MFCF has seen noticeable changes.

Its Premier League Kickz project has been used to help repair a divided Teesside community.

Middlesbrough Council flagged up concerns in Gresham about potential conflicts between different groups.

The Kickz programme is funded by the Premier League Charitable Fund, Sport England, Erimus Housing, Tees Valley Community Foundation and Lloyds TSB.

It has sent coaches into the area and young footballers are now focused on playing together and against each other in good-spirited games.

Crime figures are actually falling in areas where the foundation is working – one of the proudest goals of any organisation that works with its community.

“We will always want to expand, but it has to be a slow and organic process, with the support of local businesses to back up our aims,” said Helena.

She is certainly a woman as passionate about the foundation as she is about the club itself.

“I love what we do - and the sense of what we can achieve is really rewarding.”

The foundation is already in a premier league of its own - here’s hoping the club can join them in that status next season.

£500m Teesport biomass plant vision moves a step closer to becoming reality

Government backs major low-carbon energy project :: Scheme would create more than 700 jobs if it were to go ahead

A major biomass plant at Teesport has moved a step closer to reality today.

MGT Power’s half-a-billion pound plant, which will create more than 700 jobs, has been included on a list of eight key projects released by the Government, aimed at unlocking billions in UK energy investment.

Today’s announcement means the 275 megawatt Tees Renewable Energy Plant (Tees REP) will receive a fixed strike price for the electricity it produces for 15 years.

It’s part of the Government’s “world leading electricity reforms”, and is designed to help developers of low-carbon electricity projects.

The contract MGT Power has secured is “vital to give investors the confidence they need to pay the up-front costs of major new infrastructure projects” claims the Government.

Now the project, which achieved full planning consent five years ago, has 12 months to achieve financial closure under the contract.

Ben Elsworth, chief executive of MGT Power, said: “This decision is a vote of confidence in our project.

“It’s what we’ve been expecting, and we’ve been working closely with DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) for some time on this.

“The investment contract, which is what has been announced today, gives us 12 months to get to financial close.

“There were 57 applications to the Government, and only eight have got investment contracts.

“We were fifth on that list, ours is a complex project and we have been developing it for a long time.

“Among other things, projects were scored on both the local and national benefits they will bring, technology advancement, and what the impacts are.”

The eight successful projects have been awarded contracts under the Final Investment Decision (FID) Enabling for Renewables process.

The Tees REP will create 600 construction and supply chain jobs and 150 permanent roles.

It will generate enough electricity to supply 600,000 homes and heat for nearby commercial users, and will “play a major part in the country’s energy security going forward” according to bosses.

These kids ensure my life's on song, says cancer survivor Sue

Passionate singing teacher Sue Capes-Bunnett is thanking superstar kids from her choir for making life after cancer great again

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The young stars of Singing Sue's Vocal Academy

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Passionate singing teacher Sue Capes-Bunnett is thanking superstar kids from her choir for making life after cancer great again.

Vocal coach, choir mistress and piano tutor “Singing Sue” is on cloud nine after her choir group excelled for the third time in The Darlington Festival for Performing Arts.

Billingham mum Sue, 43, was inspired to create her “wonderful” choir Singing Sue’s Vocal Academy - SSVA for short - after her battle with breast cancer in 2009, which saw her undergo gruelling chemotherapy treatment and a full mastectomy.

Of the 33 classes they entered, which included solo and group entries in different age categories, the choir achieved an impressive haul of trophies including 23 first places, merits, distinctions and commendations from the judges.

Sue, whose choir members are aged from six to 18, said: “The kids successes give me a reason to keep going. It’s everything I’ve worked towards, thrived to be, and lived for.

“To see the kids faces light up when we win is just incredible. The week before the competition I went in to a bit of depression because I thought the children weren’t performing their best. But they pulled it out of the bag on the day and completely blew me away. That was when I realised I need to start believing in myself again.

“Being with the kids lifts me and gives me a reason, a drive and a passion to succeed and, most importantly, live.”

Sue married Paul in August 2008, months before being diagnosed with cancer. She still has to take tamoxifen - a hormone pill treatment which helps prevent cancer from returning - every day and sometimes suffers anxiety.

But her outlook on life is now much more positive - thanks to the choir she set up in November 2010 and her work as a one-to-one vocal coach to both amateur and professional singers.

Sue said: “I finished my last treatment in December 2009.

“A whole year of my life had been spent in and out of hospital, then it took me about a year to bring myself back to some sort of normality.

“Since setting up the choir, I can’t believe how much they have come on.”

Sue also runs a multi-award winning junior choir, a fun daytime women’s choir dedicated to non-singers, with a second group due to launch on Monday.

For more about the choir or Sue’s vocal coaching, visit http://ift.tt/1lDXCbo email susan.capes@hotmail.co.uk or call 01642 885409.

Israel cracks down on Palestine vendors

Israel has launched a crackdown on Palestinian vendors in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as part of what it calls the “Judaize Jerusalem” campaign.

Jerusalem City Councilor Arieh King has taken credit for the action, calling it part of Israel’s plan to “Judaize Jerusalem.”

King, who is the head of the right-wing United Jerusalem party, has on his Facebook page thanked the municipal authority for confiscating dozens of Palestinian bread stalls near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate.

“We promised to deal with the Judaization of Jerusalem, and we are trying to meet our obligations to our voters,” he wrote in a Facebook statement.

He said that the move had also to do with leavened products Jews traditionally forgo during the weeklong Passover.

However, a municipality official has denied King’s claims, saying the stalls were confiscated for licensing issues.

Israel has long been accused of plotting to Judaize East al-Quds especially the al-Aqsa Mosque complex there.

Over the past decades, Israel has tried to change the demographic makeup of al-Quds by constructing illegal settlements, destroying historical sites and expelling the local Palestinian population.

The Tel Aviv regime has increased its illegal settlement expansion following an upgrade of Palestine’s status at the UN to a non-member observer state on November 29, 2012.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. The international community considers the settlements illegal.

The United Nations 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.

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