US guilty of war crimes in Palestine

The U.S. is not a neutral mediator in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; it is an active participant and is guilty of the crimes being committed by Israel against Palestinians, most recently, the mass killings and destruction Israel wrought on the Gaza Strip during the summer. The reality that the U.S. is an active supporter of unimaginable suffering may very well be the motivating force behind the U.S.’s adamant attempts to block the Palestinians from using any of the internationally recognized tools of accountability to hold Israel responsible, such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. When an indigenous, stateless population is blocked access to opportunities for justice by superpowers like the U.S., something is wrong—deadly wrong.

While Israeli bombs were hammering Gaza, Alice Lynd with the assistance of Staughton Lynd, drafted a 32-page pamphlet which was published by the Palestine-Israel Working Group of Historians Against the War (HAW) titled, Violations by Israel and the Problem of Enforcement (August 2014). The policy paper places the U.S. in front of its own mirror and meticulously documents how one hand of the U.S. government systematically documents Israeli violations of U.S. law and international law, while the other hand unconditionally dishes out financial, military, and diplomatic support to Israel.

The study notes that “United States law states that no military assistance will be provided to a government that engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Yet the United States gives more military assistance to Israel than to any other country, currently in excess of $3.1 billion per year. The U.S. participates in joint military exercises, military research, and weapons development.”

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Israeli forces issue demolition orders to 3 Hebron families

HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces delivered demolition orders to three Palestinian families in the southern West Bank town of Idhna on Thursday, the landowners said.

Amjad Hilmi Nofal, owner of the one of the properties, said his family of seven have lived in the home for 10 years.

Nofal’s brother, Awad, and his family of nine have lived in their home since 2007, while a third house slated for demolition belongs to Arif Abd al-Hamid Abu Zalata.

The families received stop-work orders from Israel’s military seven years ago and have been filing appeals with Israel’s Supreme Court ever since.

Mayor of Idhna Hashim Tmeizi says Israel is trying displace Palestinians from the town, with hundreds of families threatened with demolition orders.

The properties are located in Area C, which according to the Oslo Accords is under full Israeli security and administrative control.

Some 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures have been demolished by Israel since it occupied the West Bank in 1967.

Israeli forces shoot, injure elderly Gaza fisherman

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli naval forces opened fire off the coast of northern Gaza late Wednesday, injuring a Palestinian fisherman on a beach, locals said.

Yousef Zayif, 70, was hit by live fire while waiting for his sons on the shore near al-Sudaniya.

Medics said he was moderately wounded.

An Israeli army spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment.

On Sunday, an Israeli warship opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp, the speaker of the Union of Gaza Fishermen said.

Nizar Ayyash told Ma’an that Israeli gunboats “have been firing at fishermen every day since the ceasefire agreement was signed.”

He also said that Israeli naval forces have detained six Palestinian fishermen since the ceasefire agreement in late August.

The Israeli blockade in place since 2006 has severely limited the imports and exports of the Gaza Strip and has led to frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gazans

UAE: Entire soccer team converts to Islam

Source: World Bulletin / News Desk

An entire football team of young Cameroonian football players have declared their conversion to Islam after spending two months at a football training camp in the United Arab Emirates.

A total of twenty-three players in their twenties who came as part of a program run by a football academy for poor, homeless and orphaned youngsters in Cameroon, openly read out their testimony of faith at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) in Dubai.

Javeed Khateeb, senior religious adviser at IACAD, told The National, “It is amazing that at an age when most people just want to play and have fun, these young men were searching for faith and enlightenment.”

It was reported that the players and coaches decided to accept Islam for various reasons, including the peace they felt in the religion and the kindness of Muslims they came across during their stay in the country.

“They were very impressed with the way Muslims behaved, but mostly they were impressed by the kindness and respect they received. These are poor young men and they were embraced like brothers,” Khateeb said.

“We spent two separate sessions, which were about a full day each, talking about Islam and answering all their questions and alleviating any doubts,” Khateeb added.

“We wanted to make sure they had proper understanding of Islam. Many of their questions were about halal and haram, consuming alcohol, and how the prophet Jesus is portrayed in Islam.”

All but two visiting footballers decided to convert to Islam during their visit to IACAD on Thursday before returning to Cameroon on Saturday, although the remaining two players asked for more information before they made up their minds, Khateeb said

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Israeli forces detain Palestinian near Duheisha camp

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man at a military checkpoint near Bethlehem late Thursday.

Locals told Ma’an that the Israeli army detained Muhammad Adnan Abu Ayyash, 21, near al-Khader, a village south of Bethlehem.

Sources added that Abu Ayyash was taken in a military vehicle to an unknown destination.

Abu Ayyash is a resident of the nearby al-Duheisha refugee camp.

An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed that one Palestinian was detained at the checkpoint and “transferred to security questioning” because he was “suspected of terror activity.”

UN report: World still struggling hunger

The number of hungry people around the globe is alarming as one in nine of the world’s population still does not have enough to eat, says a report by the United Nations.

A report issued by three UN food and agriculture agencies said the number of chronically undernourished people dropped by more than 100 million over the past decade. However, 805 million of people worldwide still struggle hunger.

“We cannot celebrate yet because we must reach 805 million people without enough food for a healthy and productive life,” said World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.

In Asia, the world’s most populous region, the number of undernourished people has dropped nearly 50 percent since 1990. Nevertheless, over five hundred million people in the continent still go hungry, led by India with 191 million, according to the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the WFP.

The report added that sub-Saharan Africa, in contrast to much of Asia, continues to struggle with the world’s highest rates of hunger.

Reportedly, chief among the causes of concern is the Ebola virus which is threatening food security in Africa. Ebola which has killed more than 2,400 people this year, endangered harvests and sent food prices soaring in West Africa and is rapidly creating a major food crisis there, Cousin said.

In the Central African Republic, where 38 percent of the population is undernourished, an ongoing civil war has led to widespread displacement. This has led to disruptions in food supply and distribution.

Researchers from the FAO and the WFP note that parts of Africa and Asia are plagued by low income, poor agricultural development, and few social safety nets.

In some countries, such as North Korea, the political climate limits trade and food aid.

According to the data gathered, the problem of hunger is not something isolated to third world countries. In the US, millions of children go to sleep hungry every night.

While the report argued that the world can end hunger by 2025, it also said that major challenges loom on the horizon, such as population growth, climate change, and political instability in parts of the Middle East and Africa.

SB/NN

Prolific Stockton burglar jailed for two years after trying to break into student flats

A drunken scaffolder who went out “burgling for burgling’s sake” has been jailed for two years.

Jonathan Mark Legg had a full-time job and money in his pocket despite a criminal record including 10 burglaries.

Yet he “reverted to type” and tried to break into student flats, Teesside Crown Court heard.

He was caught hiding in the undergrowth after a police helicopter took to the air to find him.

A security guard at Durham University’s Stephenson House in Thornaby saw Legg opening two windows.

Legg, 34, was trying to take a third window off its hinges by removing screws with a key.

He made a quick succession of excuses for his presence at 11.45pm on June 24.

First he said he was a student, then he was waiting for his girlfriend, then he was a scaffolder.

He was asked to leave and walked off towards some bushes, where he was caught.

When interviewed, he claimed the witness was lying and the police were wrong. He tested positive for cocaine at the police station.

Prosecutor Emma Atkinson told how the offence shocked and distressed students and staff.

The college, which accommodates 280 students, had already been burgled in April.

Legg, of Yarm Road, Stockton, admitted attempted burglary, his 41st criminal offence.

His record included five previous home burglaries, four non-home burglaries and one aggravated burglary where he grabbed a knife and threatened a resident. He has served long prison terms.

Paul Cleasby, defending, said: “He at the time was working as a scaffolder, earning decent money.

“He went out and regrettably got drunk. He’d taken some sleeping tablets and regrettably reverted to type.

“It’s a drunken act very much regretted by him when he had, on the whole, been making positive progress.

“He finds this sentence the most difficult of all his sentences because he has let himself down.”

The judge, Recorder Jamie Hill QC, described the burglary attempt as opportunistic, “burgling for burgling’s sake”.

He jailed Legg for two years, telling him: “You weren’t offending because you were looking for money.

“You had £70 in your pocket, you had money in the bank, which leads me to conclude that you were burgling because that’s just what you do.

“Student accommodation is always vulnerable to those who are determined to try and line their own pockets at other people’s expense.

“I take the view that this was targeting vulnerable premises.”

Stokesley Show draws in the crowds despite the weather

The drizzle didn’t dampen the spirits at one of Teesside’s most famous agricultural events.

Despite the miserable weather, thousands arrived to enjoy a taste of the countryside at this year’s Stokesley Show.

The show was officially opened by Harry Newbould, of the well-known Teesside butchers family, as he walked the GT Group Band Peterlee through Stokesly town, past the annual fair and onto the showground.

Inside the showground, families were treated to an agricultural extravaganza with a huge selection of livestock, horticulture and entertainment on offer.

This year saw cattle lines supported in all breeds, sheep classes were keenly supported and over 1,000 entries were made to the Horticulture Tent.

This year marks the 142nd Stokesley Show and 100 years since the start of the First World War and to mark the anniversary the show invited the Royal British Legion to host a fund raising stand and made a donation of £500 to the charity.

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Chris was appointed editor of the Gazette in January 2012. He is also a former Gazette news editor. Chris has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has previously worked in senior positions in Newcastle, Exeter and Nottingham.

Jan Graversen's delight at South Tees Silver Helmet win

Danish sizzler Jan Graversen put winning the South Tees Silver Helmet up there with his greatest achievements in speedway.

And the 27-year-old Redcar Bears ace, who won the Premier League, KO Cup and Premier Trophy treble with King’s Lynn in 2009, admitted it was shame he has to wait until next spring to get back out on the track.

Graversen clinched victory by the narrowest possible margin from Ecco Finishing Bears skipper Aaron Summers in the final.

Summers, who had fought his way past Robert Lambert in the semi-finals to book his place in the final, almost did it again.

He chased Graversen all the way and made a last gasp move to go round him, but his team-mate dug in his heels and held on.

Graversen had scraped into the knockout stages with five points after a win and a second bookended two lasts in the heats but he was fast, assured and confident as he won first the semi-final then the final as the Bears brought their season to a thrilling close.

“In my British career I’ve won another meeting like this (the Kenny Smith Memorial Cup) when I was at Scunthorpe,” said Graversen, “and now I’ve done it again, which is nice.

“I don’t win a lot really! But this is probably second after my year at King’s Lynn when we won the treble.”

Summers, who won the Silver Helmet in 2011, thought he’d got past Graversen on line, but the Danish star knew he’d done just enough.

“He was fast,” said Graversen, “but I just tried to keep my wheels in a straight line.

“There was a bit of drama for me at the finish line and I only just got it. I felt I’d got it, but he thought he’d got it too - that’s how close it was. It was in my favour this time and I’m pleased about that.”

Graversen was a key figure at reserve for much of the season although a couple of mid-season knocks hampered his progress a little.

“I felt in the last home meeting that I was slowly coming back to where I was,” he said.

“I tried a different engine on Thursday to get me going for next season really and I struggled a bit with the set-up to start with but it was nice to be back and feeling good again.

“I’ve still got some soreness in my lower back and my left knee which doesn’t seem to want to go away but now I have some time to get it looked at properly.”

Although the Bears’ fixtures are now over for the year, Richard Lawson will represent the club in tomorrow’s Premier League Riders Championship at Sheffield (5pm start). The line-up has seen several changes due to a varying reasons with Nick Morris, Morten Risager, Matej Kus, Stuart Robson and Jason Garrity all coming in.

Line-up: 1 Steve Worrall (Edinburgh), 2 Ryan Douglas (Scunthorpe), 3 Stuart Robson (Newcastle), 4 Simon Stead (Sheffield), 5 Ben Barker (Plymouth), 6 Craig Cook (Edinburgh), 7 Morten Risager (Ipswich), 8 Jason Garrity (Rye House), 9 Ulrich Ostergaard (Peterborough), 10 Danny King (Newcastle), 11 Theo Pijper (Glasgow), 12 Matej Kus (Berwick), 13 Richard Lawson (Redcar), 14 Lasse Bjerre (Peterborough), 15. Josh Grajczonek (Workington), 16. Nick Morris (Somerset).

The Bears Rider of the Year will be announced at tonight’s presentation evening at The Central in Middlesbrough.

The poll has been running exclusively on the Gazettelive website - follow Martin Neal @gazettespeedway on Twitter to find out the winner tonight.

World champion Tai Woffinden salutes Redcar Bears fans

World speedway champion Tai Woffinden was full of praise for Redcar Bears fans after paying a special visit to South Tees Motorsports Park.

The Wolves ace, who has a strong chance of retaining his title with two grands prix left, was special guest at the South Tees Silver Helmet. Wuffy, whose late dad Rob rode for Middlesbrough in the 1980s, met fans, signed autographs and posed for photographs.

The visit was arranged after Bears fans raised £7,000 for his Great Ormond Street Hospital appeal through the sale of wristbands.

The wristband idea was first suggested by Bears supporter Brian Nunn of North Ormesby.

Fellow fans Claire James from Middlesbrough and Janice Jackson from Great Ayton were prime movers in the fund-raising drive.

Along with fellow Ecco Finishing Bears supporters, they sold them at tracks all over the country and online.

“It’s a while since I’ve been here so it was nice to come back,” said Woffinden.

“To raise £7,000 is a fantastic effort and I’m really grateful. Everybody knows Redcar Claire now!

“It’s given me a massive boost towards my total of raising £100,000.

“The handover of the money is next February and I’m confident we’ll have reached the target by then.

“Great Ormond Street was my chosen charity this year and it will continue to be so now.

“I’ll be doing more for them next next year and it will be bigger and better.”

Billingham phone lines and internet connections down after thieves steal cables

Thousands of residents are into their sixth day without a phone or Internet connection after thieves stole underground copper cables in Billingham.

Countless homes and businesses have been affected following the reckless thefts in which nine BT network cables were cut, wiping out the access to a large chunk of the town.

Properties have been without full use of their landlines and computers for almost a week.

BT has now confirmed the work to restore services will not be completed until the end of next week.

Banks, supermarkets, off-licences are just some of the businesses hit by the chaos. Schools in the area have also suffered.

Cleveland Police said the incident happened on the junction between Norton and Billingham, close to Bypass Road, overnight on Sunday September 14.

A spokeswoman said: “Police have not made any arrests but inquiries are on going.”

Jason Mann, from BT, said at least 5,000 customers will have been affected by the theft, which saw large sections of cable “completely removed from the ground.”

He said: “Cable thieves caused extensive damage to the underground BT network.

“But teams of BT engineers have been working flat out through night and day to repair the damage and services to customers are being steadily restored as the work progresses.

“So far, about 1,200 customers are back in service and we will continue to pull out all the stops to complete the work as quickly as possible. Due to the huge scale of the repair job, we expect the work to continue until the end of next week.”

Pet Mania on Mill Lane, is one of many businesses affected. Shop director Cath Smith, said sales had dropped by at least a third since connection was lost.

She said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare for us and we are losing trade. I heard an axe saw was used to cut the cable so I can imagine it has been left in a mess.

“Our card machines aren’t working, so we are turning customers away. My till works through the Internet which is also down. I’ve had to set up calls to be transferred to my mobile. We are doing the best we can with a bad situation.”

Salon owner Sarah Griffiths of DM’s hairdressing on Wolvistion Road, said her shop had been “completely cut off”.

She said: “It’s been a week from hell and by the sounds of it next week is going to be just as bad. Customers aren’t able to ring up and cancel appointments so we are losing trade.

“The beauty salon is down on sales by about three quarters this week already. It’s been crazy.”

Resident Jayne Taggart, of Cheviot Crescent, said her main worry was for elderly and vulnerable people living in the town.

She said: “Businesses are losing a lot of money but it’s the elderly and vulnerable that concern me.

“They’ve found themselves without phone lines but their emergency intercoms are down too. ”

Miss Taggart, who has owned a number of used furnishing businesses in the town over the years, praised the efforts of engineers working around the clock to fix the problem, saying they were doing a “fantastic job” of the mammoth task faced.

Anyone with information should contact Cleveland Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through an anonymous online form at http://ift.tt/uUMqUx

Iran and Israel’s role in the war on ISIS: Tala’at Rameeh

Two states in the region were not invited to officially join the regional Arab international alliance to fight the Islamic State (ISIS), namely Iran and Israel. The United States was most likely behind the decision to exclude the two states, but of course by virtue of a previous agreement with both of them, based on the Unites States’ past decision to exclude both countries – in agreement with their leaderships – during the war on Afghanistan, and later in the war on Iraq (2001 and 2003). It is striking that the US has decided, for the second time, to exclude the two states that gain the most from its wars in the region.

The United States was afraid to officially invite Iran to its current alliance and the ongoing war in order for the US not to appear to the Arab, Islamic, American, and European public opinion to be in a military alliance with Iran, which the US still refers to in hostile terms, in one way or another, especially due to the disputes over its nuclear programme and its support of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. The US also feared the effects its invitation to Iran would have on the positions of some Arab states, especially the Gulf, that are already worried about the unofficial alliance and coordination between the US and Iran.

In addition to this, Iran’s participation in this war would be an announcement to mobilise the Sunni citizens in the region against the alliance that will appear to be sectarian and against the Sunnis in light of the hostile environment in Iran due to its criminal acts in the two countries that will be bombed (Iraq and Syria). It has been said that the air force will be serving the actions on the ground that Iran’s militias will be carrying out.

As for Israel, the US was afraid to involve it in this regional Arab international coalition to wage war on ISIS for the same reasons it refused to officially include Israel in the war on Iraq and Afghanistan during the alliance formed during George Bush’s presidency. Including Israel in an official alliance with Arab countries would put its leaders in a difficult situation in the eyes of its citizens who consider Israel to be a country that has seized Arab and Palestinian land, or because the Arab and Islamic public opinion would reject such an alliance before it would even start, and ISIS would seem to be fighting the enemy of the entire nation who kills its people, i.e. Israel.

In addition to this, the previous experience of forming an alliance for the war on terror during Bush’s administration has proven that Iran and Israel, which have been officially excluded from participating in the war alliance, not only benefitted from the war, but also participated in it. The war on Afghanistan and Iraq ended with two winners; Iran and Israel, and no other states, not even the US itself. The blow dealt to the Iraqi army was a victory for the two states without their soldiers having to fire a single shot. The door was open for the growth of Iran’s role and its influence and control in the region, as well as its control over Iraq, which was “liberated” by the US forces.

It was over for the national Iraqi army which was a constant concern for Israel in the balance of power with the Arabs. The reports from the Israeli and Iranian sides have proven that they shared roles and interests in the post-occupation period inside Iraq without much dispute. This was their reward for unofficially participating in the wars. (Iran has officially admitted to participating in the war.)

In the current war, things seem to be the same, albeit a few small changes here and there in the language used to express embarrassment. If anything has changed, it is that the war on terror is occurring directly in the region and it is targeting all the heads of the national Sunni resistance. This means that Israel and Iran are in the heart of the battle in a more comprehensive manner, as Iran is greatly hostile towards ISIS and all the national Sunni resistance, and is actually fighting a war against them, killing unequivocally based on sect.

Iran is already in the war and is not waiting for the alliance, and the fact that it is not officially a part of the alliance will not stop it. It is better for it to work secretly with the alliance while openly playing the game of washing its hands of its alliance with America and Israel.

On the other hand, Israel is also engaged in the conflict, not only against ISIS, as it has tried to link ISIS and Hamas, but in a historical war against the Sunni Arabs.

Source: MEMO

Translated from Al-Sharq newspaper, 18 September, 2014

Iraq: History repeating – By: Imran Khan

World leaders and global organisations have in recent days raced to condemn the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant for their lack of Islam. First among them was the US President Barack Obama who called the group “neither Islamic nor a state”.

British Prime Minister David Cameron weighed in after the brutal execution of British aid worker David Haines, calling the group “the embodiment of evil”. A group of British Muslims representing several organisations even went so far as to plead with the prime minister to stop referring to the group as “Islamic State”, instead offering “Unislamic State” as an alternative. This statement was issued just hours before Haines’s death.

Curiously, all of these groups have been silent about previous brutal deaths at the hands of ISIL. I heard no such anger from anyone in officialdom when my dear friend and cameraman Yasser Faisal al Jumali was killed in Syria in December 2013. I heard no condemnation for the eight people beheaded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last month alone. It seems the only way to galvanise the world to act is when westerner’s die brutal deaths.

There is historical precedent to back that statement up.

It is 2004 and Iraq is aflame with violence. Two men, unknown to each other but who are now forever linked, are in Iraq. Both are helping rebuild after the American occupation. Nick Berg, a freelance American radio tower repairman, and British Civil Engineer Ken Bigley.

Both are beheaded by al-Qaeda, the killing of Berg in response to American atrocities that took place at Abu Ghraib prison.

Their deaths send shockwaves throughout the world. The then US president, George Bush, tells reporters that there is no justification for Berg’s death. House Majority leader Tom Delay goes even further, calling them “terrorists” and “monsters”.

None of them mention Abu Ghraib.

Murderer or freedom fighter?

The outrage is similar when Ken Bigley is killed. The Muslim Council of Great Britain makes great steps to intervene and prevent his killing, but to no avail. ‎His is said to be a response to Iraqi women being held without charge by British forces, a charge the British government denies.

The man behind the group responsible for the beheadings is developing a fearsome reputation. Abu Mus’ab al Zarqawi is a Jordanian national who the US accuses of ties with Saddam Hussien before the war, ties that were never proven. After the war his group becomes one of the most feared and quickly picks up support from Iraqi Sunni groups who felt the war in Iraq was turning against them. Between 2004 and his death in 2006 he creates havoc. The US puts a $25m bounty on his head, the same as

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Saltburn Animal Rescue Association is welcoming your Wish support

An animal rescue charity is hoping for token success in this year’s Wish campaign.

Based at Foxrush Farm in Redcar, Saltburn Animal Rescue Association, rescues stray or abandoned animals in the Teesside area.

Having just recently celebrated seven years at the farm, there are 15 kennels, 14 cat pens and four rabbit hutches all of which are full and generally run on maximum capacity.

As well as 80 volunteers, the sanctuary is run by four members of staff who concentrate on giving the animals the best care they can.

Having entered The Gazette’s Wish campaign for the past five years, SARA is extremely grateful for the support they have received each year.

Last year, the charity group spent the money they received from the campaign on a new van.

Jacqui Henderson, 29, who has been manager for the past three years said: “The help we got from last year’s campaign has been invaluable.

“The new van is used as transport to and from the vets and it is also used to pick new animals up. Before we got the van we had to use our own vehicles which was impractical. The van is used everyday.

“Any money we receive from this year’s Wish will be spent on converting a stable into kennels. These kennels will be specially designed for dogs with kennel stress and dogs that have more needs.

“They will have less of a kennel environment and be more like a rehabilitation unit.”

Chair, Ann Prosser, 77 who set the animal sanctuary up in 1995 said: “We will also spend any money we receive on a new kitten unit.”

Assistant manager, Steven Parker, 26, added: “The support from Wish offers us extra help with everything. The van has made such a big difference which means we can now take multiple animals to the vets at one time.”

Every year, The Gazette’s Wish campaign gives away thousands of pounds to not-for-profit groups and organisations benefiting the Teesside community.

To get involved, groups must first register online at http://ift.tt/XA3Wdt . All registered groups will receive confirmation in writing as well as a free starter pack to get supporters ready to start collecting tokens. Every registered group will be guaranteed a share of the £40,000 fund.

There are no losers in the Wish campaign but the aim is to collect as many tokens as possible. The more tokens a group collects, the bigger its share of the prize pot.

Tokens will start appearing in The Gazette on Monday, October 13, with the last token appearing on Wednesday, January, 21. Submissions for tokens will close at 5pm on Monday, February 23.

To help SARA, send your tokens to: 28 Turner Street, Redcar, Cleveland, TS10 1AZ.

Replay: 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 19th September, 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.

Palestinian prisoner tortured to death in Israeli jail

Raed Abdel-Salam Al-Jabari, a Palestinian prisoner held in an Israeli jail has died as a result of severe torture at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces, the head of Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs in Ramallah Issa Qaraqe said.

Qaraqe accused Israel of committing two crimes against Jabari, 35, when the Israeli authorities claimed that he had hanged himself in prison in an attempt to hide the real reason for his death, torture.

Al-Jabari was imprisoned on July 26 in Eshel prison.

Speaking during a press conference in Hebron, Qaraqe said: “Jabari’s autopsy report, which was conducted at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Dis, revealed that he had been subjected to severe torture which resulted in internal bleeding and severe concussion that led to his death.”

He stressed that “Jabari’s autopsy results did not reveal any marks around the neck which refutes the Israeli claim that he had hanged himself.”

Qaraqe had previously said that several prisoners who were imprisoned with Al-Jabari testified that he was severely beaten by the Nahshon forces when he was transferred to Eshel prison

Morning news headlines: Gordon Brown to unveil plans for Scotland's future and hunt for missing Alice Gross continues

BROWN TO UNVEIL PLANS FOR REFORM

Former prime minister Gordon Brown will set out his ideas for the future of Scotland as political wrangling in Westminster continued over his successor's plans for sweeping constitutional reform across the United Kingdom.

Former Labour leader Mr Brown, whose intervention in the referendum campaign has been credited with helping to secure a No vote, will spell out the next steps he wants to see in Scotland and how to heal the wounds caused by a bruising referendum campaign.

The biggest victim of the referendum battle was Alex Salmond, who announced he would quit as First Minister and Scottish National Party leader although he insisted the dream of independence "shall never die".

ALICE SUSPECT FORMER HOME SEARCHED

The hunt goes on for missing schoolgirl Alice Gross after police completed a search at a second property linked to the prime suspect in her disappearance.

Scotland Yard also said they have found a red Trek bicycle belonging to Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns, but would not say where it had been recovered or in what circumstances.

Forensic officers have searched a property where Zalkalns has been living with his partner and their young child in Castlebar Road, Ealing, west London.

TURKEY: 49 HOSTAGES HAVE BEEN FREED

Islamic State (IS) militants have freed 49 Turkish hostages who had been held for more than three months.

The Turks, including diplomatic staff, were seized from the consulate on June 11, when the IS group overran Mosul and stormed the Turkish Consulate.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the group was released early today and had arrived in Turkey.

NHS STAFF ASKED TO HELP EBOLA FIGHT

NHS staff are being encouraged to volunteer to help with the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

The Department of Health's chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies has written to health service staff to point them towards the UK International Emergency Medical Register.

Doctors, nurses and paramedics are among the medical staff who will be needed to help contribute towards efforts to tackle the crisis, she said.

LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE TO BEGIN

Labour activists are gearing up for the party's annual gathering today with the constitutional fallout from the Scottish referendum battle set to loom large.

As the last pre-election political conference season gets under way, Ed Miliband will seek to rally his troops for what promises to be a long and attritional campaign.

But he is also facing pressure from David Cameron to agree to reforms preventing Scottish MPs voting on issues that only affect England - potentially undermining Labour's power base north of the border.

TWO BRITONS MISSING AFTER HURRICANE

Two Britons missing after a hurricane in Mexico are understood to be Paul Whitehouse and Simone Wood.

They are reportedly a couple from Wolverhampton and London who went missing when their yacht overturned in La Paz in Baja California.

It is thought Mr Whitehouse is a scuba instructor in the city of La Paz.

UMUNNA CAUGHT OUT ON SCOTLAND TEAM

Shadow cabinet minister Chuka Umunna was caught out when questioned about his party's team in Scotland after only being able to identify two of Labour's senior MSPs.

Asked to list members of the shadow cabinet at Holyrood he could only name Scottish leader Johann Lamont and Kezia Dugdale - although he did not know her education portfolio.

Mr Umunna said he could not identify any more "off the top of my head", but added: "I'm not a Scottish MP and I'm not a member of the Scottish shadow cabinet."

KIDNAP 'AGAINST SHARIA', IS WARNED

The kidnap and threatened murder of Alan Henning is against Sharia law, three high-profile Muslims have warned Islamic State (IS).

The latest plea to free the former taxi driver from Manchester who travelled to the region as an aid worker last year is made by a judge on the Sharia council in London, a director of Prophetic Guidance and an Imam.

It comes after various representatives from Britain's Muslim community signed a letter urging IS to release the 47-year-old who appeared at the end of a video last Saturday in which fellow captive David Haines was killed.

WILLIAM JOINS MALTA CELEBRATIONS

The Duke of Cambridge will today join the people of Malta in celebrating the 50th anniversary of their independence.

William is taking the place of his pregnant wife Kate who was forced to withdraw from the trip - scheduled to be her first official solo overseas visit - as she is still suffering from a severe form of morning sickness.

Kate, who is pregnant with her second child, had been in doubt after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum for around two weeks.

MARILYN MONROE NEGATIVE AUCTIONED

A negative from Marilyn Monroe's first professional photoshoot goes under the hammer today.

At the time the image was captured, the future film star was the unknown Norma Jeane Baker, a 20-year-old factory girl dreaming of becoming a model.

The negative - and most crucially, the copyright to the image - will be sold at a Wiltshire auction house and is estimated to fetch between £5,000 and £8,000.