More than 1,000 jobs set for Teesside after area secures over £90m of Government cash

More than 1,000 jobs will be created on Teesside after the area today secured over £90m of Government cash to boost economic growth.

The Tees Valley Growth Deal will see major investments in key transport, infrastructure, skills, innovation and business support projects.

These will support the further success of priority sectors: advanced manufacturing, low carbon, oil and gas, digital and logistics.

In total the Tees Valley LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) has secured £90.3m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund – with £14.1m of new funding confirmed for 2015/16 and £21.2m for 2016/17 to 2021.

This substantial Government investment will bring forward at least £100m of additional investment from local partners and the private sector.

Combined together this will create a total new investment package of £190.3m for the Tees Valley LEP area. By 2021, this deal will create at least 1,000 jobs and allow 1,500 homes to be built.

Priorities for investment will include:

• A689 Wynyard road improvements - signalisation and road widening to complement the Highways Agency Pinch Point scheme on the A19 junction.

• Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park (TAMP) Offshore Wind Validation Centre – to provide research and validation services for offshore wind tower manufacturers as well as for the oil and gas and sub-sea sectors.

• Cleveland College of Art and Design – upgrading existing facilities including construction of a new building for creative industries.

• Redcar and Cleveland College – to provide specialist accommodation for an Oil and Gas Academy and provide specialist teaching and support accommodation for a number of skills initiatives.

• Tees Valley Business Growth Hub – the capital funding element of a programme to provide a range of coordinated funding and advice services to business.

• Durham Tees Valley Airport – new road to open up access to the south side of the airport for aviation-related activities.

• Ingleby Way/Myton Way – road and junction improvements at Ingleby Barwick.

As well as being “good news for Teesside”, James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, said today’s announcement “shows we are punching above our weight and our voice is being heard in Westminster”.

The MP added: “This is a huge amount of money being targeted at local priorities.

“Having our own Local Enterprise Partnership has meant we chose what to bid for and where money should go, the success of that approach is now clear.

“The Government is putting tens of millions of pounds into Teesside to benefit our economy and infrastructure for years to come. This is a real vote of confidence in Teesside by the Government.

“Steelmaking is back, train making is coming to Aycliffe, we got our City Deal recently and now we have secured this huge sum for our local priorities.”

Teesside’s is among a series of successful bids across the country which will be sharing the first £6bn from the first wave of Growth Deals.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister announced the first instalment of plans to invest at least £12bn in local economies in a series of Growth Deals.

The money will go towards providing support for local businesses to train young people, create thousands of new jobs, build thousands of new homes and start hundreds of infrastructure projects; including transport improvements and superfast broadband networks.

The Prime Minister said: “Growth Deals are a crucial part of our long-term plan to secure Britain’s future.

“For too long our economy has been too London-focused and too centralised. Growth Deals will help change all that. They are about firing up our great cities, towns and counties so they can become powerhouses.

“By trusting local people, backing business and investing in infrastructure, skills and housing, we can create thousands of new jobs.

“And that means more economic security, peace of mind and a brighter future for hardworking people across the country.”

The Tees Valley LEP brings together the five local authority areas of Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton, Darlington and Hartlepool.

Video: Jamie Glazov on the Left’s Jihad-Denial

[Subscribe to The Glazov Gang and LIKE it on Facebook.]

In this special episode of The Glazov Gang, Ann-Marie Murrell interviews Frontpage Editor Jamie Glazov about the Left’s Jihad Denial and progressives’ willful blindness in the face of the Islamic threat. The dialogue occurred within the context of Jamie’s discussion about his battle on Hannity against the Unholy Alliance:

To watch previous Glazov Gang episodes, Click Here .

LIKE Jamie Glazov’s Fan Page on Facebook.

Hundreds of fuel tankers caught fire in Taliban attack in Kabul

A massive fire has destroyed more than 400 vehicles carrying fuel and oil for US-led forces near Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul, police say.

Afghan police spokesman Hashmatullah Stanekzai said Saturday that the blaze broke out overnight at a truck terminal near the town of Paghman, northwest of Kabul.

Most of the tankers burnt were used to carry fuel to US-led troops operating in Afghanistan.

The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the incident. The group also claimed that about 600 trucks and fuel tankers went up in the flames.

Taliban militants frequently attack trucks carrying supplies from Pakistan to the US-led forces deployed in Afghanistan. Militants in neighboring Pakistan have also destroyed hundreds of oil tankers and containers carrying fuel and other supplies to foreign forces in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001. The invasion was aimed at rooting out the Taliban.

In the latest incident on June 19, 37 NATO trucks were blown up near the Torkham border crossing in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar Province.

SSM/HRB

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, Friday 11th July, 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.

More than 1,000 jobs set for Teesside after area secures over £90m of Government cash

More than 1,000 jobs will be created on Teesside after the area today secured over £90m of Government cash to boost economic growth.

The Tees Valley Growth Deal will see major investments in key transport, infrastructure, skills, innovation and business support projects.

These will support the further success of priority sectors: advanced manufacturing, low carbon, oil and gas, digital and logistics.

In total the Tees Valley LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) has secured £90.3m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund – with £14.1m of new funding confirmed for 2015/16 and £21.2m for 2016/17 to 2021.

This substantial Government investment will bring forward at least £100m of additional investment from local partners and the private sector.

Combined together this will create a total new investment package of £190.3m for the Tees Valley LEP area. By 2021, this deal will create at least 1,000 jobs and allow 1,500 homes to be built.

Priorities for investment will include:

• A689 Wynyard road improvements - signalisation and road widening to complement the Highways Agency Pinch Point scheme on the A19 junction.

• Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park (TAMP) Offshore Wind Validation Centre – to provide research and validation services for offshore wind tower manufacturers as well as for the oil and gas and sub-sea sectors.

• Cleveland College of Art and Design – upgrading existing facilities including construction of a new building for creative industries.

• Redcar and Cleveland College – to provide specialist accommodation for an Oil and Gas Academy and provide specialist teaching and support accommodation for a number of skills initiatives.

• Tees Valley Business Growth Hub – the capital funding element of a programme to provide a range of coordinated funding and advice services to business.

• Durham Tees Valley Airport – new road to open up access to the south side of the airport for aviation-related activities.

• Ingleby Way/Myton Way – road and junction improvements at Ingleby Barwick.

As well as being “good news for Teesside”, James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, said today’s announcement “shows we are punching above our weight and our voice is being heard in Westminster”.

The MP added: “This is a huge amount of money being targeted at local priorities.

“Having our own Local Enterprise Partnership has meant we chose what to bid for and where money should go, the success of that approach is now clear.

“The Government is putting tens of millions of pounds into Teesside to benefit our economy and infrastructure for years to come. This is a real vote of confidence in Teesside by the Government.

“Steelmaking is back, train making is coming to Aycliffe, we got our City Deal recently and now we have secured this huge sum for our local priorities.”

Teesside’s is among a series of successful bids across the country which will be sharing the first £6bn from the first wave of Growth Deals.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister announced the first instalment of plans to invest at least £12bn in local economies in a series of Growth Deals.

The money will go towards providing support for local businesses to train young people, create thousands of new jobs, build thousands of new homes and start hundreds of infrastructure projects; including transport improvements and superfast broadband networks.

The Prime Minister said: “Growth Deals are a crucial part of our long-term plan to secure Britain’s future.

“For too long our economy has been too London-focused and too centralised. Growth Deals will help change all that. They are about firing up our great cities, towns and counties so they can become powerhouses.

“By trusting local people, backing business and investing in infrastructure, skills and housing, we can create thousands of new jobs.

“And that means more economic security, peace of mind and a brighter future for hardworking people across the country.”

The Tees Valley LEP brings together the five local authority areas of Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton, Darlington and Hartlepool.

Huntsman wins three major chemical industry awards

A Teesside chemical manufacturing site has clinched a trio of top industry awards.

Huntsman’s titanium dioxide manufacturing site at Greatham took three titles at the recent 2014 Chemical Industry Awards.

The team at the Greatham site won the ABB Manufacturing & Resource Efficiency Award, the Environmental Leadership Award and was joint winner of the most prestigious award of the evening, The Company of the Year Award.

Last year the site - which employs 250 direct staff and a further 150 contract workers - also enjoyed success at the awards, taking the Responsible Care title.

Greatham site director Gary Conroy said: “Winning the Responsible Care Award last year was a great achievement, however to win three awards this year amongst such stiff competition was fantastic.

“The awards recognise the hard work, commitment and results that the Greatham site has delivered and reinforces the fact that we have a very gifted and committed team. We are all very proud.”

President of Huntsman’s Pigments division, Simon Turner, added: “My congratulations go to the Greatham team for all three awards and particularly the Company of the Year Award, which underscores Huntsman’s commitment to making our sites and facilities a great place to work for our associates.”

On the Company of the Year Award, the judges said: “We were happy to see how the Greatham site engages with the workforce, and is taking action to become ‘employer of choice’.

“This has seen over 40 people joining the company over the last two years in addition to being one of the largest sponsors of apprentices in the region, with 30 apprentices working at the site in a variety of roles.”

Chief executive of the Chemical Industries Association, Steve Elliott, said: “The 2014 Chemical Industry Awards celebrated the very best of our industry and I believe the very best of business and workforce achievement throughout the UK.

“All who entered have great stories to tell. Our winners should be very proud of their achievements.”

Are CNN and MSNBC Now Our Government?

A lot of people are commenting that there is nothing to watch on CNN. Instead of news, CNN is daily airing hours of Anthony Bordain travelling to experiment with food and hours of crime shows, such as ‘Forensic Files’ which is probably the most interesting to watch recently on CNN.

The current administration scandals and other important topics are ignored by CNN, unless they are in the context of criticism of Republicans. CNN seems to be trying to force a reality on the American public that does not exist. The majority of the American people are concerned about the economy, the scandals and the radical change the administration is forcing on the American people. Like it or not, all of the media, right and left, should be reporting on Obama’s push for such radical changes. If the leftist media supports the change, then fine, but they should go ahead and talk about why they support it, instead of pretending that nothing is happening in America.

The role of the media is supposed to be to keep citizens informed and educated about what is going on inside their government, society and the world. America under Obama has been undergoing a major change that is very alarming to many American citizens, but the mainstream media seems not to notice.

We now have a situation where instead of reporting on government, CNN thinks and acts as though they are the government. Instead of naming their shows with titles that reflect what the media’s job should be — to be a watch-dog — they have chosen to impersonate government. We thus have a show on CNN entitled “The Situation Room” in which Wolf Blitzer reports as though CNN and the White House situation rooms are the same.

Another CNN show is “State of the Union.” Again here CNN is playing the role of president of the United States, reporting on the state of the union. Another unsuccessful daytime show that was canceled soon after it started was Kyra Phillips’ “Raising America.” Here we see yet another maternalistic title attempting to control and teach America on how to raise its kids.

The mainstream media have extended the separation of ‘Church and State’ to their own reporting. In so doing, they have confused themselves with the government yet again. America has untapped and unutilized great talent of many outstanding male and female pastors and religious leaders who would be great guest and hosts of many non-religious shows. Just look at the success of Mike Huckabee on FOX. It is a shame to see disclaimers by some TV channels stating that “they are not responsible for the content” of religious shows such as the 700 Club, but the disclaimer is never made on other shows.

The leftist media is starting to feel the negative effects of its insincerity and bias. Instead of self-discipline and sticking to their duty to the public, they have allowed themselves to be seduced into competing with the goals and role of the government. Instead of objectively examining the causes of their shrinking viewership, they continue to impose their agenda to educate the public about what their of hope and change should be. Instead of reflecting what is going on in society so that public can make informed decisions, they continue with their obsession of steering the public into their leftist agenda.

MSNBC has recently been trying to get the public excited about yet another hope and change initiative in a commercial called “Growing Hope.” This is what the commercial says:

“When the truth is empowered to action, then truth is spoken to power; when light shines on equality and justice the seed of hope is sewn; it drives you to tackle the hard stuff; to stop gun violence; to protect voter rights; to fight so everyone has access to health care; and make sure that no one falls through the cracks; as hope grows so does the power of people. Change begins with you.”

The above commercial is an insult to the intelligence of the American people. It promotes a high level of conformity to values that are not necessarily universally held by all Americans. In pursuit of MSNBC’s search for the perfect life, everyone will shame and blame the other for allowing someone else to fall through the cracks. The end result will be confusion, disappointment and pitting people against one another, instead of promoting values of self-reliance, taking responsibility and pulling one’s boot straps and doing what is best for oneself, family and community.

I have come from an area of the world that is in desperate need for hope and change, the Middle East, and this lesson is not for America. Of course, America like any nation, needs constant fine-tuning to get better and better, but those behind the MSNBC commercial have no clue what the American people need, can or cannot do. The American people need jobs and less government obstacles. They don’t need to be shamed into not measuring up to MSNBC’s unrealistic expectations. They do not need to be changed into conforming robots with hopes of false rights and duties.

It is not the job of the media to promote the perfect society where health care is a right; or as MSNBC puts it “the healthcare you deserve.” Healthcare will never be a right because human beings cannot have rights that obligate another human being to do something for them. Healthcare is a commodity that requires doctors to provide a service and doctors will only do their job when they are paid.

The US current dysfunctional media need a major overhaul. They need to treat people like adults so they can act like adults, leave governing to the government, and leave us, citizens, to decide what is best for us, our families and our nation.

I lived half of my life in the Middle East under a ‘government-controlled media’ and I will not accept to live the second half under a ‘media-controlled government.’

Bad news for vegetarians! Plants can ‘hear’ themselves being eaten

Most people don’t give a second thought when tucking into a plate of salad.

But perhaps we should be a bit more considerate when chomping on lettuce, as scientists have found that plants actually respond defensively to the sounds of themselves being eaten.

The researchers at the University of Missouri (MU)found that plants can identify sounds nearby, such as the sound of eating, and then react to the threats in their environment

Previous research has investigated how plants respond to acoustic energy, including music,’ said Heidi Appel, senior research scientist in the Division of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the Bond Life Sciences Center at MU.

‘However, our work is the first example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration.

‘We found that “feeding vibrations” signal changes in the plant cells’ metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars.’

Appel collaborated with Rex Cocroft, professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at MU.

In the study, caterpillars were placed on Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard.

Using a laser and a tiny piece of reflective material on the leaf of the plant, Cocroft was able to measure the movement of the leaf in response to the chewing caterpillar.

Cocroft and Appel then played back recordings of caterpillar feeding vibrations to one set of plants, but played back only silence to the other set of plants.

When caterpillars later fed on both sets of plants, the researchers found that the plants previously exposed to feeding vibrations produced more mustard oils, a chemical that is unappealing to many caterpillars.

‘What is remarkable is that the plants exposed to different vibrations, including those made by a gentle wind or different insect sounds that share some acoustic features with caterpillar feeding vibrations did not increase their chemical defenses,’ Cocroft said.

‘This indicates that the plants are able to distinguish feeding vibrations from other common sources of environmental vibration.’

Israel holds US boy without charge after police nearly beat him to death

Fifteen-year-old Palestinian-American Tariq Abukhdeir, cousin of recent lynching victim Muhammed Abu Khudair, was brutally beaten by masked Israeli police on Thursday evening in the Shuafat neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. He has since been arrested and held without charge and denied medical treatment, according to his family and the rights group Addameer.

Tariq’s family lives in Tampa, Florida and have been on vacation in Palestine since early June. They are scheduled to return to the United States on 16 July. Tariq’s next court hearing is scheduled for Sunday, 6 July.

As photos of Tariq’s horrific facial bruises surfaced, so did two videos that show masked Israeli officers punching, kicking and dragging a handcuffed Palestinian in Shuafat [videos at the bottom of the page].

Salahedeen Khdeir, Tariq’s father, told The Electronic Intifada by phone from Shuafat that the Palestinian in the video is his son Tariq and that the footage was recorded by neighbors who then released it to a Palestinian media outlet.

Salahedeen says Tariq was visiting his uncle’s house in an area devoid of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians when he and five other youths were attacked in the yard by two masked Israeli police agents.

Tariq was roughed up the worst, beaten so badly that he lost consciousness. But that didn’t stop the Israeli forces from arresting Tariq and the others without charge and preventing Tariq from receiving medical treatment for five hours.

“Tariq was arrested at 7:35pm but wasn’t transferred to the hospital until around 1:30am,” said Salahedeen. During those five hours his parents were prevented from seeing him as well.

At the police station, Salahedeen came face to face with his son’s attackers, who called Tariq “a tough boy” and claimed he tried to attack them.

Kangaroo court

Tariq’s parents did not see him again until Friday in an Israeli court where the judge extended his imprisonment another 48 hours as requested by the Israeli police, who argued they still needed to question him.

The officers told the judge that Tariq and his cousins were throwing stones, an accusation Tariq and his family vehemently deny. When asked if they had any witnesses to the alleged stone-throwing, the officers said no, Salahedeen recounted.

When Salahedeen showed the video of Tariq’s beating to the judge, he said, she was appalled and asked the officers why they beat a boy who was handcuffed. She also asked why Palestinian youths arrested for throwing stones appear in court with bruises while Israeli Jewish youths arrested for throwing stones appear unharmed.

The officers responded, “When we tell the Jewish kids to stop throwing stones, they stop and let us lock them up. But the Palestinians kids want to fight,” recounted Salahedeen.

“Tariq is scared,” said his father, adding that his son speaks very little Arabic and no Hebrew, making an already nightmarish ordeal even more terrifying for the 15-year-old.

Salahedeen begged the judge to let him stay with Tariq in jail so he so he could check his son’s urine for blood each time he uses the bathroom, as advised by the doctor who treated the boy. This has led his family to fear that he may have internal bleeding. The judge denied Salahedeen’s request, promising that she would personally notify the jail to look after Tariq.

“No protection for Palestinians”

When asked if he expects any accountability or justice for the treatment of his son, Salahedeen said, “No way, this is Israel. There is no protection for Palestinians from the police or soldiers or army.”

Referring to 16-year-old lynching victim Muhammad Abu Khudair, Salahedeen added, “My cousin was kidnapped from outside and got killed after 45 minutes and we gave the police pictures of the kidnappers, the car tags, exactly when and where he was taken and still the police say maybe this is a family problem.”

“He’s a good boy, he’s good in school, he loves soccer, loves music,” Salahedeen said of his son. “This is the first time he went to sleep far away from his home. And where does he end up? In a jail next to the people who hit him almost to death.”

Asked whether the State Department is aware that an American child is being held without charge by Israel, a State Department official responded, “We are aware of these reports but have no comment due to privacy considerations.”

Salahedeen says he has an appointment on Saturday with the US consulate, which had not yet responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

The Palestinian prisoner rights organization Addameer reports that Tariq is one of eleven Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in Shuafat on Thursday, many of whom were minors.

“The continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable,” Addameer stated in an appeal for protests against Tariq’s treatment.

“Addameer urges immediate action and calls on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United States consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend Tarek Abu Khdeir’s hearing on Sunday 6 July to investigate the intensified aggression against Palestinian children,” the group added.

US family pray

Back in Tampa, Tariq’s family is praying for him.

“My whole family is in shock,” 22-year-old Ala Kader, Tariq’s cousin, told The Electronic Intifada over the phone from Tampa. Ala grew up with Tariq, who she says is like a little brother to her.

As a Palestinian, Ala is used to seeing horrifying images out of the region whenever the conflict heats up.

“But to see it happen to your own family members in your hometown from thousands of miles away is devastating,” she said.

“It makes your heart go crazy.”

Report by Rania Khalek for The Electronic Intifada.

Seven killed and hundreds wounded on coup anniversary

At least seven protesters have been killed and hundreds of others were wounded in protests on the first anniversary of Egypt’s military coup which ousted President Mohamed Morsi, a pro-Morsi group has reported. According to the National Alliance for Supporting Legitimacy, up to 200 anti-coup individuals were rounded up on Friday; a young woman was among those shot dead by security forces, in a protest in Alexandria.

Two protesters were also shot dead when security forces broke up a large protest in Al-Haram district in Giza governorate. At least four others were killed in different protests in Giza.

Thousands took part in nationwide demonstrations on what the alliance called “the Day of Rage”. The pro-Morsi, anti-coup alliance called on followers to resume protests after the Ramadan night (Tarawih) prayers, urging them to be peaceful.

Ban on Peace TV will be lifted soon: Zakir Naik

The Muslim scholar of international repute, Zakir Naik, hoped the Indian government would soon lift ban on his Peace TV. Naik heads the Islamic Research Foundation that owns Peace TV. The channel has a substantial viewership in the Middle East and African countries and which operates from Dubai.

The Indian government’s Intelligence Bureau had red-flagged Peace TV among 24 foreign channels for allegedly broadcasting anti-India programs “not conducive to the security environment in the country.”

Naik rejected the accusations as unfounded and said a stay order was granted by the Supreme Court during the tenure of India’s former Chief Justice Altamas Kabir. The order was later revoked by his successor. However, he expressed hope of a “positive decision soon.”

He said Peace TV programs were often considered to have a political agenda, which was unjustified. Naik told Arab News here at a sahoor party hosted by Rashid Ali Sheikh, an Indian businessman and social worker, that Peace TV was a major Islamic satellite television network with a global viewership of more than 100 million and broadcast in English, Urdu and Bengali languages.

Sheikh also hoped that Peace TV would be able to clear its name. He said Naik’s speeches, especially when he criticizes Western powers for their interference in Muslim countries, are taken out of context to label him as a supporter of extremism. The Indian Express, India’s one of the top daily newspapers, recently ranked Naik as the country’s 89th most powerful person, ahead of Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen and former Attorney General Soli J. Sorabjee.

Peace TV has many speakers and presenters including those from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, and its Arabic channel is expected to go on air soon.

The reception function was attended by many prominent expats from the Indian community.

Mani-Talk: Do The Hindus Want A Uniform Civil Code?

(Mani Shankar Aiyar is a Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha)

My Sikh wife and I were married 41 years ago under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. But for a slight hiccup when I had to suppress a giggle reading the prescribed oath, swearing that I was not married to anyone else “to the best of my knowledge and belief”, the event went off smoothly. If, however, we had contracted a civil marriage before 1954, we would have first had to relinquish our respective religions before the knot could be tied. A Uniform Civil Code was available before 1954 only to agnostics and atheists who had proved their credentials by foreswearing the religion of their ancestors.

This changed in 1954. The Special Marriage Act, read with the Indian Succession Act, 1925 (note the non-denominational adjective “Indian”), constitutes the voluntary Uniform Civil Code we gave ourselves sixty years ago. Yet the very Moditvists who have pledged to impose a compulsory Uniform Civil Code on our minorities have not deigned to explain why they themselves have not availed of the Uniform Civil Code that has been on our statutes for six decades. No, they prefer to get married under the Hindu code and regulate their personal lives in terms of Hindu Personal Law, embodied in a series of four laws enacted in 1955 and 1956 – that is, well after the voluntary Uniform Civil Code was bestowed on the country – while sneering at the minorities who baulk at their respective Personal Laws being substituted by a compulsory Uniform Civil Code.

Why this hypocrisy? Only to mock at Muslims, to claim that the Muslims are reactionary while the majority is progressive. There is no Personal Law more progressive than the laws under which I got married. That was a decision I made reluctantly and only because the priests at the temple my Father had built refused to perform the rites since the girl I wanted to marry was not a Brahmin. They offered instead a whisky priest who would do what was required for a small fee. Furious, I rejected the offer outright and opted instead, with her consent, for us to be married under a modern, secular law.

That modern, secular law being readily available, why did the majority community opt instead for their own Personal Law? Only because Hindu Personal Law is precious to Hindus. In which case, why should their respective Personal Laws not also be precious to other communities?

True, Hindu Law has been codified by Parliament while the other Personal Laws have not. But that is only because Mahatma Gandhi had ensured that our Freedom Movement was not only about ridding ourselves of foreign rule but also of shedding horrendous malpractices that had adhered to the religion and culture of the Hindus to the shame of the Hindu community. Codification had proved possible because it was the unfinished business of the struggle for Independence.

Indeed, long before Independence, in 1941, the British Indian government set up a Hindu Law Committee under B.N. Rau that took 6 years to complete its toils and reported to the Constituent Assembly on the eve of Independence. Another eight years were taken in getting the Hindu Marriage Act passed in 1955; the Hindu Succession Act in 1956; the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, also 1956; and the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, also of 1956. Numerous amendments have since been brought to these laws, and this will doubtless continue. It could be regarded as a ‘work in progress’. To expect other communities to act any sooner to reform their own laws would be invidious.

It may also be noted that in the many debates in Parliament on the legislation that derived from the Rau committee’s Hindu Code Bill, it was only Hindu MPs who took part; there was little or no Muslim, Christian or Parsi participation – for the non-Hindus felt, quite correctly, that it was for the Hindus, not others, to reform and codify their law. Then why should non-Muslims tell Muslims or other non-Hindus how to reform themselves?

Reform is not easy. Hindu conservatives, from the President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, down fought a rearguard battle to fend off reform as long as they could. And introduced so many loopholes in the code that there are more bigamous and polygamous marriages among Hindus than Muslims (1961 Census and 1974 Committee on the Status of Women). Besides, as a result of an amendment brought in 1964 to the Hindu Marriage Act, now, under Hindu divorce law, Hindu wives can be “simply expelled from the matrimonial home when the husband state(s) that, as far as he is concerned, the marriage ha(s) broken down”. Triple talaq anyone? (I am not quoting myself, but an eminent jurist, Prof. Ajay Kumar, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Ambedkar University, Lucknow in his magnum opus, Uniform Civil Code: Challenges and Constraints, 2012). He goes on to quote another authority on Hindu law, Dr. JDM Derret, as saying the subsequent Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 1976 has led to “still more amazingly gender-insensitive case law”. Flavio Agnes’ celebrated article in The Economic and Political Weekly, 16 December 1995, documents a whole sheaf of such

For More:

http://ift.tt/1ktEHyx

Shocking footage shows Israeli police savagely beating teenage cousin of Palestinian boy, 15, burned alive

• Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, abducted and burned to death on Wednesday


• Autopsy shows he inhaled smoke, meaning he was alive when set on fire


• Now his 15-year-old cousin, Tariq Abu Khder has been beaten by police


• Footage has emerged seeming to show officers kicking him in the head while he is on the ground before dragging his semi-conscious body away


• Was protesting cousin’s death at the time and police say he resisted arrest


• Death of Abu Khder has sparked days of protests by Arab Israelis


• Believed he was killed in revenge for deaths of three Israeli teenagers

The 15-year-old cousin of a Palestinian boy who was burned to death in Israel has been badly beaten and arrested while protesting about his relative’s death.

Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, was burned to death in a suspected attack by Israeli extremists in revenge for the killing of three Jewish teenagers abducted in the West Bank recently.

Now family members say Abu Khder’s cousin Tariq Abu Khder, 15, has been badly beaten by Israeli police while being arrested during a protest sparked by Abu Khder’s death.

Footage has emerged on social media showing border guards savagely beating a youth, thought to be Tariq, before dragging his semi-conscious body away.

http://ift.tt/1rDxt2B

Pictures: Hope for Holly Challenge Cup raises funds for charity

View gallery

Pictures: Hope for Holly Challenge Cup

View gallery

More than 100 football players took to the pitch in an attempt to net the new Hope for Holly Challenge Cup.

The all-day seven-a-side tournament was part of a family fun day, all in aid of Hope for Holly, a charity set up by Eston’s Andy Gowland and Lucy Toner-Gowland in the name of their brave daughter.

Holly, of Marton, Middlesbrough, and who recently celebrated her sixth birthday, has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since she was diagnosed a week before her fourth birthday.

Her parents set up the charity to help fund research into blood cancers as well as donate to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), where Holly receives her treatment. To date, they’ve raised in excess of £50,000.

Holly, a pupil at Lingfield Primary School, has been treated with chemotherapy and steroids. She went into remission last year after an initial intense dosage of the treatment.

However, she has had to continue on lower doses of the treatment, and will need regular check-ups for the rest of her life.

Funds raised at the fun day will help with sponsoring rooms at the Sick Children’s Trust’s Crawford House, a “home from home” providing living facilities for families of poorly children who attend the RVI.

Andy said: “Hope for Holly also just bought a static caravan at Ribby Hall Village near Blackpool.

“When it’s all finished families will be able to use it for respite breaks.

“40 of us will be doing the Middlesbrough 10k run to raise funds too.

“Holly’s doing really well at the moment. On August 28 she’ll hopefully finish her treatment, which she’s been on for two years.

“It’s been tough, but thankfully both Lucy and I have very understanding workplaces.”

Lucy added: “Holly’s as well as she’s ever been now; she had a lot more energy.”

The couple also have a younger daughter, Summer, two.

Yesterday’s football tournament, held at Middlesbrough College, involved 15 teams of players from companies and organisations including Cleveland Police, ambulance crews, TGI Fridays, Yodel, who were all hoping to bag the cup, sponsored by Steria.

Visitors didn’t let the rain dampen their spirits and turned out in droves to enjoy the fun day, from 10am-4pm, made possible by Middlesbrough College and the Middlesbrough FC Foundation, which included a bouncy castle, fire engines, cake stalls, raffle, face painting and much more.

To follow the work of the charity, find their page on Facebook or follow on Twitter @hopeforholly.

School rated outstanding in first Ofsted since becoming Middlesbrough's first primary academy

Pupils and staff at one of Middlesbrough’s first primary schools to convert to academy status are celebrating after inspectors pronounced them outstanding in their first Ofsted report.

Brambles Primary Academy, formerly Brambles Primary School, on Kedward Avenue, gained the top mark in all areas after inspectors visited last month.

The report said: “Pupils achieve exceptionally well academically, personally, physically and creatively because of the exceptionally wide range of opportunities which staff ensure are available to all pupils.

“Pupils become confident, polite, courteous young people.

“All groups of pupils make outstanding progress, including those known to be eligible for the additional funding through pupil premium, disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and the most able.

“This is because each pupil’s progress is frequently reviewed and support is provided if their progress is not better than expected.

“Outstanding teaching ensures that pupils learn very quickly.

“The principal’s inspirational leadership has ensured that the whole academy team works well together. Senior and middle leaders carry out their roles very effectively.”

Brambles Primary Academy became part of the Navigate Academies Trust in September 2012, alongside Pennyman Primary and Chandlers Ridge Primary.

The Ofsted report added: “The three academies within the trust work very effectively together. Through the trust, the staff have many excellent opportunities to develop professionally.

“The governing body and academy sponsor very effectively challenge all aspects of the academy’s work. They also provide high quality support.”

It added: “Pupils say that their teachers are ‘brilliant’. Parents feel that their children are taught well.”

There were no points noted in the report where improvements could be made to better the school.

Principal Jane Wilson said: “We’re over the moon, and I’m just delighted for the whole community and everyone involved with the school. We just continue to do our best and get on with the job.”

She added: “This fantastic report is a tribute to the hard work of staff and pupils alike, backed by the solid support of parents and the local community.

“I’m delighted that our teachers and learning assistants have been recognised for their hard work, skill and commitment, and I know parents are fully appreciative of the effort they put in to ensure their children have the best possible school experience.

“I am privileged to work with such a great team, and look forward to building on this success over the months and years ahead.”

Councillor Jan Brunton, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Education and Skills, said: “This outstanding Ofsted report is richly deserved recognition of the great work and community spirit that are at the heart of Brambles Primary Academy.

“The school is a fantastic example of what can be achieved, and staff, pupils and parents can be rightly proud.”

Big increase in successful domestic violence convictions by Cleveland Police

Cleveland Police saw one of the biggest increases in the country for successful domestic violence convictions last year.

The force recorded 2.2% more in 2013/14 than it did the year before - 74.8% of prosecutions ended with a conviction, according to new figures from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Despite the success, Cleveland Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Sean White has appealed to other victims to come forward and help police catch even more criminals.

Mr White said: “We are encouraged that there has been an increase in the number of successful prosecutions in cases involving domestic violence and abuse and that three-quarters of such cases on Teesside result in a positive outcome for our victims.

“I pay tribute to those women and men who have stepped forward and found the personal courage to report violence or abuse and to seek the support of the police, CPS, courts and others to put matters right.

“I particularly wish to reach out, on this occasion, to those who are continuing to suffer domestic violence and abuse, to those victims who have not yet found the strength, courage or conviction to step forward.”

Nationally, the CPS has announced that conviction rates for domestic violence are at their highest level ever at 74.6% - with Cleveland Police ranking amongst the top ten most improved forces, convicting 701 offenders last year.

“Cleveland Police, its partner agencies and particularly the voluntary and charitable sector in the area are committed to helping those who are ‘suffering in silence’ and I would urge anyone who is suffering in these circumstances to pick up the telephone, talk to someone who can assist or speak with any member of Cleveland Police,” continued Mr White.

“There is a great deal that we can do to assist and protect people in these circumstances and in 2014, I wish to say that no woman or man should be the subject of ‘harm’ within a family or home setting, no children or family members should be suffering the consequences and that we are totally committed to tackling those offenders who perpetrate such crimes and to supporting the victims and witnesses.”

Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger launched a regional strategy alongside his North-east counterparts to tackle violence against women and girls last year.

They devised a 20-point plan to provide support and protect women and girls who are victims of violence or abuse - containing pledges around: domestic and sexual violence and abuse; human trafficking and sex work; forced marriage and so-called honour crimes; harassment and stalking, and female genital mutilation.

Mr Coppinger said: “I am delighted we have increased prosecutions.

“One of my main priorities has been to ensure the strategy implemented earlier this year by the Police and Crime Commissioners in Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria, NE Women’s Network and Northern Rock Foundation continues to reach those affected by domestic abuse.

“With the networks and specialist services available we are offering and will continue to offer a long-term outcome for those who need it.”

Hundreds hold protest at Israel embassy in London

Over a thousand protesters have gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in central London to show outrage against Tel Aviv’s ongoing aggression and attacks on the Palestinians, Press TV reports.

Protesters attending the London rally have expressed anger and frustration at Israel for engaging in widespread violent clashes against the Palestinians over the past days.

The unrest has grown across the region after the burned body of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was found in a forest on July 2.

“I’ve come down here to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and obviously to support their freedom and their justice, and also to protest against the collective punishment which is constantly occurring in Palestine when terrible tragedies occur, which all of the Palestinian people get punished for and get blamed for. There are hundreds of people who are trying to just live in peace in that area,” said Adam Lee, an activist at the rally.

Protesters at the event also condemned the media and called for an end to biased and one-sided coverage of the news related to the occupied Palestinian territories.

“There’s a lot of coverage of the tragedy concerning the three Israeli children who have been killed, but since the second intifada…I believe, there’s been hundreds and hundreds of Palestinian children killed amounting to 1 every three days,” said Lee.

Israeli forces killed several Palestinians and arrested hundreds of others, including Hamas members and lawmakers, as part of the military operations that were purportedly carried out in search of the three settlers, who Israel claimed had gone missing on June 12.

Tel Aviv claims the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, is responsible for the death of the three. However, Hamas rejects the allegation.

GMA/AB/SS

BJP goes back on promises in North East angers residents

Guwahati: India’s northeastern region is witnessing wind of change and it is a bit too early. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at New Delhi has utterly failed to impress the people of the region with their actions so far, rather they are angry.

After a series of developments which went against the will of the region, now the BJP led government has decided to give green signal to the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP).

AGP working president Atul Bora termed the BJP as a party of double-speak. The people of the state have been opposing the mega dam projects for quite a long time. During the course of their agitation, they have been subjected to harassment and atrocities by the police.

“The BJP has been maintaining dual standard on everything. They speak something else before the election and work the opposite after the election. They have cheated the people of the region by playing with the emotion of the common people. We condemn their act and we will oppose it to the best possible manner,” Bora said.

Ironically, the BJP lent its support to the people’s movement on the issue prior to the Lok Sabha polls only to attract the votes of the people. But the real face of the BJP has now come to the open, Bora said.

The present union home minister Rajnath Singh also took part in a mass anti-dam movement in 2010.

Palestinian farmers incur losses worth $2.5 million due to Israeli bombardment

Mohammed Al-Shaer, the director of Al-Mohararat agricultural region in Gaza, has said that the value of the losses caused by Israeli raids this week is estimated at $2.5 million.

Al-Shaer told Anadolu news agency that on Tuesday Israeli planes launched about 30 rockets targeting the region of A’ein Galot, located west of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip. The raid injured four workers and caused serious material damages.

He added, “the infrastructure suffered significant damages at the level of the irrigation network, electricity network, tractors, generators and stored vegetables, in addition to damaging about 60 thousand square meters of agricultural land planted with citrus fruits.”

For his part, farmer Maher Abu Hadid said that his own farm of 80 thousand square meters “was heavily hit by the Israeli attack”.

He told Anadolu, “When I arrived to my farm in the early morning, I was shocked over the way it was subjected to bombings by the Israeli aircrafts, leaving the stores, farm tractor, agricultural crops and greenhouses nearly destroyed in full.”

Since the kidnapping of three Israeli settlers on 12 June in the city of Hebron in the southern region of the occupied West Bank, who were found dead a few days ago, the Gaza Strip has witnessed an Israeli military escalation, which, so far, has led to the death of three Palestinians and left dozens wounded. The latest of the attacks took place on Thursday when ten Palestinians were injured in nine raids that targeted different areas.

Israel accuses Hamas, which controls Gaza, of being behind the kidnap and murder of the three settlers. While the movement has denied the accusations, apparently Israel does not accept Hamas’s denial and has continued with its military operations against Hamas in the West Bank, as well as threatened to further attack the Gaza Strip.

Recap: 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 3rd, 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.

Meet one-eyed miracle moggie Nelson - the UK's luckiest cat

Miracle moggie Nelson has used a fair share of his nine lives to reach the grand old age of 20.

The feisty feline has survived being dumped in the sea, lost an eye after being set upon by a gang of thugs, was scared out of his home by diggers, and bounced back from a heart tumour.

As a kitten he was cruelly thrown into the sea in a sack, alongside his littermates. Fortunately, a fisherman plucked the bag from the waves, but only Nelson and one other kitten survived.

The tough times weren’t over for courageous cat from Seaham as he then spent the following years living on the dock in a little cabin being watched over by local fishermen. However, he lost an eye when a gang of thugs threw rocks at him.

Nelson was eventually scared out of his home in 2009 when work started on the new marina and the workmen and heavy machinery became too frightening.

But he soon hit the jackpot in the bitterly cold winter of 2009 when he spotted the Huntley-Crow family on a visit to the marina. He followed them back to the car and, taking pity on him, the family decided to adopt him.

In January this year, Nelson was diagnosed with an inoperable heart tumour, but the plucky older gent fought back and amazed vets with his zest for life.

Nelson’s owner Andrea Huntley-Crow said: “Nelson is our little miracle, a real character and we love him very much.”

Now, Nelson could be in line for a national award after being announced as a finalist in Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards 2014 sponsored by PURINA.

He is one of three shortlisted cats in the Most Incredible Story category, which celebrates amazing, true stories from the cat world.

Andrea now faces a wait to find out if Nelson will scoop the category title at a prestigious ceremony to be held at The Savoy in London on the afternoon of August 7 2014.

The winner will be selected by celebrity judge Paul Copley who appears as Mr Mason in ITV’s critically-acclaimed period drama Downton Abbey and in a string of other programmes.

Paul said: ‘As a cat owner myself I am delighted to be supporting this fabulous occasion.” For more, visit www.cats.org.uk .

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Poll: US voters blame Bush for Iraq violence

A majority of Americans blame the recent surge of violence in Iraq on former US president George W. Bush, in addition to opposing the Iraq war as a whole, according to a new poll.

The poll released Thursday by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute shows that 51 percent of US registered voters blame Bush for the current turmoil in Iraq, with only 27 percent blaming President Barack Obama.

“By 2-1, American voters believe the Iraq War was a mistake and most say it was the fault of President George W. Bush, but President Barack Obama isn’t exactly getting high marks for the way he has handled the two conflicts he inherited,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

The poll also found that 61 percent of those polled said the 2003 invasion of Iraq was the wrong thing to do and 58 percent of the voters said Obama’s decision to withdraw American forces from Iraq in 2011 was the right decision.

Hundreds attend WW1 Centenary Commemoration event in Guisborough

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WW1 Centenary Commemoration event in Guisborough

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Guisborough was transported back to World War 1 when the town held a special centenary commemoration event.

The three day event took place over the weekend and hundreds of people attended.

Military displays and activities were held at Gisborough Priory, St Nicholas Church and St Nicholas Church Hall.

At Gisborough Priory, Redcar Home Guard Reenactment group performed a display and there was a WW1 Trench dug-out exhibit provided by Time Bandits - a group of historical costumed interpreters and re-enactors.

The Allied Forces Movement Control was also on hand and did a Home Front WW2 re-enactment.

Ron Prince from the group said: “This is a special weekend for Guisborough and it has been nice to see so many people attending.

“We have had a lot of families which is nice as it’s so important that children learn more about the war.

“We had a bomb disposal crew with us and they diffused a land mine which is fascinating to watch - they make it as real as they can make it look.

“There has been so much going on and we hope everyone enjoyed it.”

On Saturday evening the Cleveland Police Community Bad performed a concert at Gisborough Priory and Stage Coach dance Academy performed on Sunday.

At St Nicholas Church on Friday and Saturday there were exhibits form British Red Cross, Dorman Museum Service. Guisborough Museum, Lord Gisborough and Middlesbrough College.

Pictures: Families turn out for special fun day in Hemlington

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Hemlington Family Fun Day

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Families in Hemlington enjoyed an array of activities during a special fun day.

The annual Hemlington Family Fun Day took place on Saturday at St Timothy’s Church Hall and the Viewley Centre.

There was plenty going on to keep youngsters entertained with a climbing wall, bouncy castles, a magician and face painting.

The Hemlington Food and Craft market coincided with the event and was held at St Timothy’s Church Hall.

There were 21 stalls at the market selling a variety of food and crafts.

The free event was organised by Hemlington Community Council.

Hemlington councillor Nicky Walker said: “It has been a great success. It is always nice to see families in Hemlington come along to these types of events.

“This is a family fun day which we hold every year Summer in Hemlington.

The children have particularly loved playing on the climbing wall.

“And we have had a lot of local groups running stalls at the market. It is lovely to see everyone come together.

“This event shows great community spirit and there has been plenty going on.”

Gill Baines, chairman of Hemlington Community Council said: “It was great that this year we were able to offer all the main activities for free thanks to a grant from Erimus Housing.

“We were hopeful that the joint event would attract a bumper crowd.”

Myanmar mob burns buildings in Muslim area

Muslims in Myanmar’s second largest city of Mandalay have accused police of not taking any action when an extremist Buddhist set a number of buildings alight in a Muslim neighborhood.

Witnesses said on Saturday that more than 70 police were just standing by and watching as a Buddhist mob set fire to a school and other buildings in a Muslim neighborhood of Mandalay.

The assault took place after the funeral of a Buddhist man in a recent wave of unrest in the city.

Win Naing, a Muslim donor to the school, said other Buddhist rioters were also armed with sticks, metal pipes and even saws.

Ye Htut from the Myanmar regional police office later claimed that security forces did not try to stop the Buddhist extremists as they thought the mobs were merely attending the funeral and not an attack.

On July 2, an assault by Buddhist monks on Muslims left two people dead and wounded 14 others in Mandalay.

Violence by extremist Buddhists against Rohingya Muslims has killed hundreds of them and forced many more to flee the country.

Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar account for about five percent of the country’s population of nearly 60 million. They have been persecuted and faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country’s independence in 1948.

The UN recognizes the Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar’s Rakhine State as one of the world’s most persecuted communities.

The Myanmar government has been repeatedly criticized by human rights groups for failing to protect the Rohingya Muslims. International bodies and human rights organizations accuse the government of turning a blind eye to the violence.

MKA/NN

Israel renews air raids on Gaza

Israeli fighter jets have carried out fresh air strikes on the impoverished Gaza Strip, leaving at least two Palestinians injured.

The Israeli regime renewed its air attacks on the besieged coastal sliver as its warplanes targeted the southern city of Rafah.

Just hours before the air raids, the Israeli air force coducted three separate strikes east of Rafah.

Earlier on Saturday, Palestinian resistance groups fired rockets from the besieged Gaza Strip into Israel, in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime’s earlier deadly air strikes on the blockaded enclave.

Israeli military sources say an Israeli soldier was injured.

This comes as Israeli warplanes have already conducted a dozen air attacks in central and southern Gaza since Friday, injuring a number of Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently vowed to expand military operations in the besieged enclave.

Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.

Over 160 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and about 1,200 others were injured in Israel’s eight-day offensive on the coastal enclave, which ended on November 21, 2012.

SRK/NN/AS

Mr Justice: Water board refuses to repair damage to house claiming their leak was not the cause

Northumbrian Water have refused to help a landlord repair damage to his property he claims was caused by a leak.

Bosses admit the re was a discharge of water outside the house in Skelton, Teesside, but claim they were not responsible for fixing the house afterwards.

They blame a possible failure of a damp course which may have contributed to the damage.

Landlord Edward Brewis, however, thinks they should pick up at least some of the bill.

“I rented the house out to two miners working for Boulby Potash Mine and they complained about excessive dampness,” said Edward, of Amble, Northumberland.

“I noticed a pool of water had accumulated at the front of the property and on further inspection saw water was running through the garden wall and was coming from a leak between the wall and the road.

“Northumbrian Water came out to start work but left an area barricaded overnight.

“The excavation started to overflow and the next day another squad of men came, pumped the water out, and fixed the leak.

“I think I have enough evidence for them to assist me in paying for the damage because of a failure in their distribution system.”

Edward believes the leak had been happening for some time before it became obvious.

He had just had a damp course fitted to combat previous damp issues which he says required further work after the leak.

An independent report said the damp started quickly and accelerated at a fast pace.

It said: “It would appear that the increased presence of water from the leak would be a major factor in causing the damp ingress.”

A spokesman for Northumbrian Water accepted there had been a leak but said the damage to the house was a separate issue.

He said: “After careful inspection there is no evidence to suggest the leak had been running for any significant period of time.

“Neither is there any evidence to suggest the dampness issues identified in September 2013 were attributable to the leak we fixed in March 2014, or to any escape of water from our pipes.

“Our professional opinion is that surface water flowed over the block paved drive every time it rained resulting in moisture penetrating the front wall.

“Throughout 2013 there were multiple periods of extreme rainfall. Upon visiting the property on 30 April 2014, the lower courses of brickwork at the front of the property were still damp. We believe the dampness is an ongoing issue unrelated to the leak we fixed.”

Edward said he was not impressed and would continue his fight for compensation.

Sunday Sun: 'How dare you take me away from my kids', dad tells judge after being caught with weapons in airport

A dad-of-nine caught at an airport with a stash of deadly weapons on his way home from a family holiday told a judge as he was jailed: “How dare you take me away from my kids”.

Snake breeder Robert Johnson was on his way back from a trip to Bulgaria when he was stopped at Newcastle Airport by customs officers.

A search of his luggage found two stun guns and four knuckle dusters while in his children’s bags were three butterfly knives, a death throwing star, an extendable baton and four more knuckle dusters.

Johnson pleaded guilty to importing the offensive weapons and erupted in fury as he was locked up for 15 months at Newcastle Crown Court.

Recorder Henry Prosser told him: “I have no doubt you realised they weren’t items which would be met with favour in this country.”

Johnson, who appeared in the dock in shorts and a T-shirt, shouted at the judge: “How dare you take me away from my kids. How do you sleep at night?”

Johnson, of Kensington Road, Middlesbrough, had admitted fraudulent evasion of prohibition on importation and having offensive weapons.

He told border control officers he had not realised it was illegal to bring the weapons into the UK as he had seen, and photographed, signs in the store he bought them from in Bulgaria, reassuring tourists that they were safe.

Prosecutor Graham O’Sullivan told the court: “He stated he was ignorant fo the fact the items he was found in possession of were illegal.

“He admitted when he bought the stun guns it had taken three days to convince his wife he should buy them.

“He said he was going to put the knuckle dusters that he had in a tank with his python and use the stun gun on the python.”

The court heard Johnson had been selected at random to be searched during an ongoing operation at the airport to crack down on illegal weapons coming into the UK.

He said he paid £1.80 for each stun gun, which had the appearance of a torch.

Johnson, whose oldest child is 15, said he planned to display some of the weapons along with an ornamental sword he has at home.

Nigel Soppitt, defending, said: “Those items, the weapons, could have fallen into the wrong hands. “

He added: “He should have been more astute, more alert to what potentially should have happened.”

Sunday Sun: Families face billions extra in household bills, Teesside MP warns

Families will be forced to pay out a staggering £250bn to modernise Britain’s creaking water, gas, electricity and rail industries, a Teesside MP has warned.

Most of the massive cost of replacing the country’s ageing infrastructure is being added to household bills.

It means energy bills, which have already shot up, are set to increase by a fifth by 2030, on top of the effects of inflation.

Redcar MP Ian Swales was part of a Commons inquiry which looked at the way improvements to the nation’s utilities and transport networks were funded.

He warned that Government red tape was making it difficult for new businesses such as energy companies to get started - making it easier for the existing energy giants to charge sky high prices.

Speaking as MPs quizzed Government officials, he said: “Based on all the investors to whom I have talked – none of whom are the big six, which is an important point – we want to try to break the pseudo-monopolies.

“If we have people who want to invest, surely we should be making it as easy as possible for them.”

The so-called big six energy firms include E.On, EDF, SSE, Scottish Power, British Gas and Npower.

But Government rules made it almost impossible for new firms to enter the market, he said.

He urged civil servants in the Department of Energy and Climate Change to take action, telling one official: “In my constituency there are four potential power station investments right now, three of which are for fossil fuels.

“If you talk to all those investors, they will tell you that they feel like giving up because the system is almost impossible to deal with.”

The MP is one of the authors of a report which warns the UK is set to spend more than £375bn to replace infrastructure.

This includes replace assets such as rail track or waterworks which are simply too old; replace assets which don’t comply with EU regulation; introducing new facilities which cause less pollution, and catering for a growing population.

Around two-thirds of this will be paid for by private companies - but that really means consumers will pay through higher utility bills and rail fares, MPs said.

They warned: “Energy and water bills have risen considerably faster than incomes in recent years, and high levels of new investment in infrastructure mean that bills and charges are likely to continue to rise significantly.”

The Government should act by ensuring there is real competition, which would encourage companies to keep prices down, and in some cases by simply setting the prices consumers can be charged, MPs said.

Sunday Sun's Eric Paylor: North East derbies brought so many good goals

I've seen Boro score lots of great goals – but it’s amazing how many of my top memories come from North East derbies.

In fact my favourite all-time Boro goal was scored against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

It came from the boot of the Brazilian Emerson – the outside of his boot to be exact – as Boro recorded a valuable 2-1 win against the Wearsiders in September 1997.

Ironically, Emerson (right) had scored a similar goal from a deeper position in Sunderland’s final season at Roker Park 12 months earlier when the teams drew 2-2.

However, while his first derby goal in 1996-97 was a piledriver, his fantastic strike the following season – also made from outside the box – was cultured, measured and the type of goal that only Brazilians can score.

The goal came from a Sunderland mistake. A half-hearted defensive clearance rolled into his path and Emerson ghosted in to send a wicked, curving shot into the top corner of the net – right in front of the travelling Teessider supporters. At the final reckoning it was a massively important goal too.

For Boro won automatic promotion back to the Premier League that season, finishing in second place, and just one point ahead of third-placed Sunderland – who then faced the spectre of the play-offs and that nightmare defeat at the hands of Charlton.

And my favourite Boro goal against Newcastle United? It has to be Alen Boksic’s terrific free-kick at St James’ Park in March, 2001.

Boksic blew hot and cold at Boro, but on this occasion he was sizzling. Boksic was a handful throughout for the Magpies defenders and scored both Boro goals as Terry Venables’ men won 2-1.

His second, and most memorable, goal was a thundering free-kick from outside the box which gave Boro fans’ favourite Shay Given no chance at all.

Boro went down to 10 men that day when Phil Stamp was sent off for a gruesome challenge on Rob Lee. But the 10 men held on in the second half despite Carl Cort reducing the arrears.

Sunday Sun: Teesside youngsters singled out among country's best readers

Young book worms at a North school have scooped a national-first.

Eston Park Academy, in Middlesbrough, is a mixed academy and sixth form and has become the first school in England to be awarded ‘Master School’ status for its impressive reading programme.

The award comes from Renaissance Learning who work with thousands of schools across the country to improve and promote literacy.

Master School status means that every pupil in 75% of classes at Eston Park are performing exceptionally well in their reading and comprehension and are having substantial success progressing their reading age faster than their actual age.

Sue Hare, executive principal at Eston Park, said: “We are extremely proud to be the first school in the country to achieve model status which is due to the hard work and dedication of staff and students.

“This highlights a change in culture around reading with an increasingly high number of students reading for pleasure.”

Only one in 10 students who arrive at secondary school without at least a Level 4 in reading will go on to achieve 5 A*-C grades at GCSE (including English and maths).

As part of the school’s reward it will be presented with a model school plaque on July 11. Two teachers will also be presented with their own individual model project manager plaques.

Making up the school’s status are 17 model classes and seven master classes. A model class average 20 minutes of engaged reading time a day and 90% of students average at or above 85% on literacy comprehension. A master class average 25 minutes of reading time a day and 90% of students average at or above 90% on literacy.

James Bell, director of professional services at Renaissance Learning said: “Model school status recognises the success of a school’s culture to help all pupils focus on the common goal of becoming better readers.

“This in turn helps motivate each individual in the schools model and master classes to meet their own reading goals, which then allows them to proudly wear their class badges.”

Results from a survey on the degree to which children and young people in Middlesbrough now enjoy reading and writing have been published by the National Literacy Trust.

The new survey found that by the end of 2013, more of Middlesbrough’s children and young people aged 8-16 enjoy reading and read daily, particularly adventure books such as the Percy Jackson series which came out as a top favourite. Six in 10 children and young people agreed that reading is ‘cool’ in 2013, compared with four in 10 in 2012.

Sunderland striker Danny Graham set to sign for Middlesbrough

Danny Graham is on the verge of signing a permanent deal with Middlesbrough.

The striker is also wanted by Watford, but it understood he wants to remain in his native North East.

Talks have now started and a contract is expected to be signed this week.

Sunderland have agreed to sell the 28-year-old for £1m, which is a big hit given they spent £6m on him 18 months ago when he moved from Swansea City.

Graham’s career stalled at the Stadium of Light, but he showed flashes of his best form in the second half of last season when he joined Boro on loan.

He began his career at Boro before his career took him to various clubs.

But it was with Swansea two seasons ago that he made his mark and his form persuaded Martin O’Neill to move for him.

But in 13 games he failed to find the net and he was loaned out to Hull City in the first half of last season were he scored one goal.

However, the Geordie scored six times after moving to the Riverside and did enough to impress manager Aitor Karanka who has had a busy week.

Goalkeeper Tomas Mejias’ move from Real Madrid to Wearside was formalised on Friday after he signed a two-year deal.

And defender Kenneth Omeruo has all-but agreed another loan move to the Riverside.

Chelsea’s young Nigerian centre-back excelled in Boro colours last season and Jose Mourinho is happy to send the player back to his old friend Karanka.

This is a coup for Middlesbrough as Omeruo played in all four of his country’s World Cup games in the World Cup.

Fuel prices increased in Egypt by up to 78%

The Egyptian government has dramatically raised fuel prices by up to 78 percent as part of its plan to cut state subsidies and reduce the country’s staggering budget deficit.

The price hikes, which have come into effect since Friday midnight, are expected to trigger a public backlash against newly-elected Egyptian president General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The move comes less than a week after an increase in electricity prices in the North African country.

The price for 80 octane gasoline jumped 22 to 78 precedent per liter. Diesel fuel price also soared 25 to 64 percent while the 92 octane rose by 37 to 40 percent per liter.

The Egyptian government has already said that energy and food subsidies consume nearly a quarter of the budget and need to be slashed.

According to the latest figures, Egypt’s budget deficit reached 9.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in the first eleven months of the current fiscal year.

SSM/HRB