Dreamiest of the Dream Homes: The Gazette's 10 most popular properties of 2014

How would you like to live in one of these Dream Homes?

Judging by the number of people who looked at them on GazetteLive this year there's quite a few of you out there...

Each week our Homemaker section profiles a top property that is currently on the market.

The Dream Home feature is one of the most popular on GazetteLive - but which of the homes are the most popular?

We have looked at the numbers to bring you a list of the 10 most viewed properties of the year so far:

10. Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, £490,000

This elegant five-bedroomed property on Eaglescliffe’s Yarm Road was described as being just a stone’s throw away from Yarm, with its mix of shops, boutiques and top restaurants.

The property itself was advertised as keeping much of its period charm: including large bays in two reception rooms, original sash windows and high ceilings.

9. Parkholme, Great Broughton, near Stokesley, £650,000

Parkholme is in Great Broughton, at the foot of the Cleveland Hills just a few miles from the market town of Stokesley.

The four-bedroomed detached home was advertised as boasting a farmhouse style kitchen, spacious rooms, peaceful gardens and a luxurious bathroom with whirlpool style bath.

8. Coppice House, Bridgewater Manor, Yarm, £525,000

A stylish six-bedroom Yarm property built as part of the Bridgewater Manor development in 2010.

The property also featured in our piece as having underfloor heating, three reception rooms, a utility room, landscaped gardens and a large parking area with double garage.

7. St Martins Way, Kirklevington, near Yarm, £649,950

This five-bedroom detached home on St Martins Way in the village of Kirklevington near Yarm was built to make the most of its aspect with breathtaking views of Cleveland Hills.

6. St George House, Wynyard, £1,095,000

Owners described the seven-bedroomed St George House as including a temperature controlled wine cellar, a large sunken whirlpool style bath and a sauna as well as a self contained apartment on the first floor.

5. Hazelhurst, Monkton Rise, Guisborough, £424,950

Four-bedroomed Hazelhurst was described by owners in our feature as being located on a small private road serving just three properties.

They said the master and bedroom two both featured en suites.

4. Croft Drive, Nunthorpe, £750,000

Four double-bedroomed Treetops was described as a giant home of quality.

Its owners said the study room had spectacular wood panelling crafted and signed with little wooden mice by the family company of Robert “Mouseman” Thompson.

3. Foresters Close, Wynyard, Stockton, £749,950

From the cinema room to the games room, this five-bedroomed Foresters Close home in Wynyard was advertised as having a family kitchen which was the 'heart' of the home.

The owners also spoke about the landscaped gardens.

2. Gunnergate Lane, Marton, £485,000

The five-bedroomed property on Marton’s Gunnergate Lane had everything right at its fingertips when it comes to relaxation, said owners.

The property was advertised as featuring its very own swimming pool in a purpose built wing of the house.

1. Marton Village, Marton, guide price of £630,000

This seven-bedroom, five bathroom home was billed as blending the charm that goes hand in hand with a period style and all of the convenience of a contemporary home.

It was also advertised as having its own self-contained wing - ideal for giving guests their own space - as well as extensive gardens.

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Five things to do with your family on Teesside this Boxing Day

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Boxing Day is a day to chill out with your family after the chaos of Christmas.

But if you fancy escaping the wrapping paper (and washing up) then you can head out with the kids.

Here are five suggestions of where to go and what to do on Teesside the day after the big day.

Hop into the North Sea for the Boxing Day Dip

Join hundreds of other dippers earning money for their favourite charities at this event ran by the Rotary Club of Redcar.

Sign in from 10.15am at the Livery on December 26. The parade leaves at 11am.

Watch Boro take on Nottingham Forest

If you’re Boro fan then why not pop along to the Riverside this Boxing Day to see the Championship league match against Forest.

The club are expecting one of their biggest home attendances of the season.

Adult tickets range from £21. For more information and ticket purchases, click here.

See if you can eat a bit more

There are plenty of places across our area to dine out in style over the festive period - including for Boxing Day lunch.

Check out a few suggestions here.

...or walk off the excesses of Christmas

Walk off that Christmas dinner!

We are lucky as we have an array of beautiful parks to visit in Teesside.

There Stewart Park, in Marton, Albert Park, in Middlesbrough, Preston Park, Eaglescliffe, and Locke Park in Redcar - to name but four.

Alternatively, why not take a stride up Roseberry Topping?

Tackle the sales

Not had enough consuming yet? Still have a bit more money to spend? Maybe a gift voucher burning a hole in your pocket?

You could try braving the Boxing Day sales - there's details here of some of the retailers who are opening and at what time.

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10 free Teesside apps to download: Jump bar queues, order taxis and more

Did you receive a new smartphone for Christmas? Or maybe a shiny new tablet was in your stocking?

If you did, you're probably hunting around now on iTunes and Google Play for apps to download.

For whatever you need, there’s an app...or so the saying goes.

And here on Teesside there's plenty to keep you up to date and on the right track - from getting out and about with friends to saving money.

Here is a round-up of some of the apps aimed at users in our area.

The Gazette

Of course. Our free app is available on Apple or Android you can keep updated throughout the day - and you can tailor it to the content you want.

It’s well rated by users - with one saying “get to know local news at any time of day or night”.

It also has all the latest Boro news.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here.

Boro Cars

Going somewhere? Boro Taxis is one of the biggest firms in the North-east.

And its app enables customers to order a taxi quickly without even needing to type in a phone number.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here.

Q App at Middlesbrough Empire

Could this be the end of the bar queue? Quite possibly if you make use of the app for one of Teesside's most famous nightclub's apps.

The Q App enables you to order and pay for drinks on your phone for collection or by waitress delivery to your table.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

TU Mobile

Teesside University’s official app keeps students and those interested in university life in the town abreast of latest news - as well as featuring a room finder and a searchable campus map.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

Stockton Libraries

Looking for a book? Well, you can access Stockton-on-Tees libraries from your Android phone or tablet.

Manage your account, search the catalogue, renew and reserve books.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

MC Mobile

MC Mobile is the official mobile app of Middlesbrough College - and says it can help you stay connected to college life from wherever you are.

Keep up with all of the latest college news and view a map of the area and its surrounds - plus course, event and bus information.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

ARC

Looking for a bit of culture on a night out? Finding about the latest theatre and cinematic events at Stockton’s Art Centre is now so much easier say developers of this app.

You can browse events by either genre or date, fast forward a few months to find out what’s on at the venue in the future and also view the best and most popular events via an interactive showcase area.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

Teesside Voucher Codes

Find offers, discounts, promotional codes and deals for ‘smart Smoggies and Poolies’ according to developers.

The deals cover Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Darlington, Stockton and Redcar and feature a range of goods, services and destinations.

You can download for Android from Google Play here .

My Health by NHS Hartlepool & Stockton CCG

This NHS Hartlepool & Stockton Clinical Commissioning Group app has been developed to offer patients a range of health services - direct to their smartphones.

Core health information such as local services (GPs, hospitals, walk-in centres and much more) sits alongside health advice from both NHS Choices and NHS Direct.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

Go North East

Go North East is the North-east's largest bus company - and Teesside is one of its areas.

Commuters can check timetable and route information across all of the operator's network, as well as get up-to-date services updates.

You can download it from iTunes here and for Android from Google Play here .

Your Pub: Chambers Bar and HAZE, Middlesbrough

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Pub name: Chambers Bar and HAZE

Address: 2-6 Albert Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 1QA

Website: ChambersBoro or HAZEBoro on Facebook and Twitter.

Proprietor: Abdu Shaher.

How long have you been at the pub? We opened the bar on July 4 and HAZE nightclub on August bank holiday.

What’s you recent history as a landlord? I owned and managed the Linthorpe Assembly rooms from 1989 to 2005.

Tell us three of your best selling drinks: Vodka, Desperados and cocktails.

Tell us why you think your pub is one of the best on Teesside: We spent considerable funds to refurbish one of the best listed buildings to a very high standard. It is now a quality venue and has already become a destination venue.

What’s your most popular meal? We are due to open our bistro early in the new year from which you will able to order quality food at reasonable prices throughout the day and early evening.

What is your most popular night and why? Our Saturday feature called GORILLA has quickly become popular. People also should not miss out on our Friday RnB nights which are probably the best Friday night in town.

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Senate and CIA agree torture program was mismanaged

WASHINGTON: The Senate report on the CIA’s interrogation program and the spy agency’s official response clash on almost every aspect of the long-secret operation, including the brutality and effectiveness of its methods and the agency’s secret dealings with the Bush White House, Congress and the media. Both reports largely agree on one major CIA failure: The agency’s mismanagement of the now-shuttered program.

The 525-page summary from the Senate Intelligence Committee paints a chaotic landscape of bureaucratic dysfunction, showing an agency unprepared to take control of terrorist prisoners, unqualified field interrogators who overstepped their legal authority and CIA bosses ignorant about exactly how many detainees were warehoused in their overseas prisons. CIA oversight, the Senate committee found, “was deeply flawed throughout the program’s duration.”

The CIA agrees in its official response that “the agency made serious missteps in the management and operation of the program.” But it said the breakdowns came in the program’s early days and that internal changes corrected much of the disarray before President George W. Bush ordered the “black site” prisons emptied in 2006. The divide over the depth of the CIA’s management failures reflects a longstanding history of conflict between the agency and its critics over how mistakes should be corrected — and whether reforms should come from within or be forced from outside.

The committee’s chairwoman, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said the panel aimed to “ensure coercive interrogation practices are not used by our government again.” The agency has proposed a series of changes that would more tightly monitor its covert action programs, but CIA Director John Brennan has been less clear about whether the agency would ever again use interrogation techniques that President Barack Obama calls torture.

“We are not contemplating at all getting back into the detention program,” Brennan said at a recent news conference. But he added that the agency would “defer to the policymakers.”

The most glaring human evidence of mismanagement cited by the committee is its description of the agency’s wrongful detention of at least 26 prisoners and CIA officials’ inability to account for 44 detainees held in one overseas prison facility. The report cites the prison only as “Detention Site Cobalt,” but former US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive material identified it as the agency’s now-abandoned dungeon in Afghanistan known as the “Salt Pit.”

The Senate report cites the high-profile case of Khalid Al-Masri, a Lebanese man living in Germany who was grabbed in 2003 by Macedonian authorities and handed over to US officials on errone

Boxing Day sales: What time is Next and other big retailers and supermarkets opening?

Not had enough yet? Are you thinking about braving the sales?

Or perhaps you need to stock up on food and drink after today's celebrations.

If so, you'll be wondering what shops are open - and at what times.

Here's a list of some of the larger retailers in the area - as well as the bigger supermarkets.

Middlesbrough

BHS 9am-4pm

Boots 8.30am-5pm

Captain Cook Square 9am-5.30pm

Cleveland Centre 9am-6pm

Debenhams 7am-6pm

Dundas Market 9am-5.30pm

Hillstreet 9am-5.30pm

M&S Closed

Next 6am-6pm

Stockton

Teesside Park

Argos 9am-5pm

ASDA Living 7am-6pm

Bank Fashion 9am-6pm

Boots 6am-6pm

Clarks 9am-9pm

Currys/PC World 8am-6pm

Deichmann 10am-6pm

DFS 9am-8pm

Foot Asylum 10am-6.30pm

Game 9am-6pm

H&M 9am-6pm

Hobbycraft 9am-6pm

JD Sports 9am-6pm

Laura Ashley 9am-6pm

M&S 8am-5pm

Mamas & Papas 10am-5pm

Maplins 9am-8pm

Mothercare 9am-5pm

New Look 8am-6pm

Next 6am-6pm

Outfit 7am-7.30pm

River Island 8am-6pm

Schuh 8am-7pm

Simply Be 9am-8pm

Sofaworks 10am-8pm

Sports Direct 8am-6pm

Staples 10am-6pm

TK Maxx 9am-6pm

Toys R Us 10am-5pm

USC 8am-6pm

WH Smith 10am-4pm

Town centre

Castlegate - Closed

Portrack Lane

B&M 10am-4pm

Dunelm Mill 10am-6pm

The Range 9am-8pm

Oak Furniture Land 9am-8pm

Go Outdoors 9am-6pm

Smyths 10am-6pm

Furniture Village 9.30am-8pm

Wellington square 10-5 (free parking)

Redcar and Cleveland

Redcar

Boots 10am-4pm

Argos 9am-5pm

B&M Closed

Burton 9am-5.30pm

Home Bargains 10am-4pm

Supermarkets

ASDA - all (except Teesside Park) open 9am-6pm

Tesco - 9am-6pm

Sainsbury's - 9am-5pm

Morrisons - 10am-5pm

Matchfile: Boro v Nottingham Forest

A first defeat in 16 matches saw Boro slump behind their promotion rivals on Saturday and Aitor Karanka's players will be looking for redemption against Nottingham Forest.

Boro sit fourth in the Championship table and three points off leaders Bournemouth, but will still be fancied to heap more misery on Stuart Pearce's under-achieving side.

Forest themselves have only won twice in their last 15 matches and sit seven points of the play-off pace, meaning only a sudden upturn in form will see their top six hopes kept alive.

The Teessiders have an impressive Boxing Day record in recent years, and with more than 30,000 expected at the Riverside, Boro will be roared on by the biggest home crowd of the season so far.

Here's all you need to know ahead of the game:

Injury news

Defender Ryan Fredericks (thigh) remains on the treatment table and looks set to miss all of Boro’s festive programme.

Jonathan Woodgate (hamstring) and Rhys Williams (Achilles) are both back in full training, but Damia Abella and Mustapha Carayol (both cruciate) will be out until the New Year.

Ryan Fredericks

Forest striker Dexter Blackstock is a major doubt after picking up a knock against Leeds United, while winger Tom Ince has been recalled by parent club Hull City.

The game will also come too soon for Jack Hobbs (ankle), while Andy Reid (groin) and Chris Cohen (knee) are out.

The thoughts of the boss

"Nottingham Forest will be a big test and a nice test for us.

"Ipswich was a very bad game. I was angry afterwards because I didn’t like anything I’d seen on the pitch.

"I’ve heard that it’s going to be close to 30,000 tickets sold against Forest and people are excited about the game.

"I know how important these games are in this league, and I’d like to repeat the same (win) as we did last season. I’ll make sure our attitude is perfect.

Aitor Karanka watches on at Portman Road

"Forest started very well at the beginning of the season so I thought they were going to be better than where they are now, but I’m not making a mistake thinking they are a bad team.

"They are a very good team, and if we think that the game is going to be an easy game, we are very wrong.

"It’s going to be a tough game because they have a very good team with good players."

Opposition's view

Winger Michail Antonio insists Nottingham Forest are focusing on themselves rather than worrying about the Championship table.

Stuart Pearce’s men lost further ground to the division’s early pacesetters after a 1-1 home draw with Leeds.

Action Images

Nottingham Forrest manager Stuart Pearce

"The Championship is unpredictable - everything always chops and changes,” Antonio told the club’s website.

"We could win four games in a row and get straight back in (the play-off positions).

"We can’t really look at the points right now – not even half of the season has gone yet. We’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves."

Their man in the know - Paul Taylor, Nottingham Post

"Forest started really well this season but will be massively disappointed by the way they’ve dropped off recently.

"It’s only two wins in the last 15 now which isn’t great. They’ve been unfortunate in a couple of games, and on Saturday against Leeds they played well and could have won 5-1.

"Their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves and Forest had two goals disallowed.

"The expectation remains for Forest to break into the top six this season, and if they don’t then the manager could find himself under pressure."

Who's the danger man?

Congolese striker Britt Assombalonga may have arrived at the City Ground with a hefty £5.5m price tag - but he has taken little time to hit the ground running.

The 22-year-old, pictured left, has already scored 12 goals for his new employers after making the move from Peterborough United.

Action Images

Britt Assombalonga

However, his absence from the starting line-up during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United was a huge surprise, and he has now gone three games without finding the net.

His last goal for Forest was a late consolation in the 2-1 loss at Birmingham, but with Dexter Blackstock a doubt, expect Assombalonga to lead the line at the Riverside on Friday.

What's the form?

Boro were comprehensively beaten at Ipswich and boss Aitor Karanka will be demanding his side bounce back with the same zest as after the last set-back.

They were turned over at Wolves in October and bounced back with a seven game unbeaten run that featured four wins and three draws and took bubbling Boro up to joint top of the table.

They also responded in style to back to back defeats at home in August to Sheffield Wednesday and Reading to put together an eight game unbeaten sequence at the Riverside.

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Boro have won four and drawn four since then and have emphatically beaten promotion rivals Brentford 4-0, Derby 2-0 and drew with table-topping Bournemouth in a cagey affair as the sides cancelled each other out.

In that run Boro have scored 15 and leaked just three and have kept five clean sheets so they will be confident.

After an emotion-fuelled flying start on the return of club legend Stuart Pearce, Forest’s fire has fizzled out.

Forest won five of the first six to take up their usual tags of promotion favourites before stuttering through a run of nine without a win that saw them slip into the bottom half.

They stopped the slide with impressive back-to-back wins over then top six sides Wolves and Norwich but since have failed to push on.

A defeat at Birmingham was followed by three draws on the spin that produced just one goal - although that was in a 1-1 at home to Leeds that left them frustrated at having two efforts harshly ruled out for offside.

BORO’S LAST FIVE

Dec 20 (a) IPSWICH L 0-2

Dec 13 (h) DERBY W 2-0

Dec 6 (a) MILLWALL W 5-1

Nov 29 (h) BLACKBURN D 1-1

Nov 22 (a) WIGAN D 1-1

Last five homes: W 2-0, D 1-1, D 0-0, W 4-0, D 1-1

FOREST’S LAST FIVE

Dec 20 (h) LEEDS D 1-1

Dec 13 (a) ROTHERHAM D 0-0

Dec 6 (h) CHARLTON D 0-0

Nov 29 (a) BIRMINGHAM L 1-2

Nov 22 (a) WOLVES W 3-0

Last five aways: D 0-0, L 1-2, W 3-0, L 0-3, L 1-3

Daniel Ayala in action for Boro at Ipswich

Both shirts

The following have played for both Boro and Forest: Daniel Ayala, Viv Anderson, Patrick Bamford, Nick Barmby, Mikkel Beck, George Boateng, Kris Boyd, Nathaniel Chalobah (pictured), Tim Coleman, Colin Cooper, Mark Crossley, David Currie, Peter Davenport, Robert Earnshaw, Phil Gilchrist, Jonathan Greening, Jack Hall, Bert Hasell, Sam Jennings, Mike Kear, Marlon King, Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, Brian Laws, Dick Le Flem, Richard Liburd, Arthur Lightening, Peter McCracken, Ishmael Miller, Thomas Niblo, Isaiah Osbourne, Mark Proctor, Dale Roberts, Paul Smith, James Suddick, John Surtees, Norman Thompson, Walter Tinsley, Andy Todd, Colin Walsh, Paul Wilkinson, Alan Wright.

Coaching connections: Brian Clough, Bob Dennison, Jimmy Gordon, Steve McClaren, Peter Taylor, Colin Todd.

Mosque of Bahmani Period turned into a temple in Gulbarga

Masjid Ismail Mokhis situated at Shahbazar Gulbarga has literally changed into a temple and Poja is going on. Archeological Survey of India has its complete record entered in Survey number 3. This mosque has 3 acres and 20 Guntas of Wakf land under it. Two Saffron flags have been hoist on the mosque. The local Muslim protested against it and they have also approached the court. Photo Journalist, Mr. Mirza Sarfaraz Baig told that local Muslims are not being permitted to enter the mosque premises. In its vicinity there is dargah of Hazrath Maula Ali Shah. The Mutawalli of this dargah, Ghudu Sahab told that it is an old mosque and its record is available in the Department of Archeology. He further told that it is due to the negligence of the local Muslim that it has been transformed into a temple. The mosque is situated adjacent to main road. The Muslims were careless right from the beginning and as a result of it, the Hindus gradually change it into a temple. The walls of this mosque have been painted with red colour.

–Siasat News

Spiders, pubs and Holly: The Gazette's 10 most-clicked online stories of 2014

As with every other year, 2014 has seen joy, pain and laughter on Teesside.

As ever, the Gazette has been reporting on news and sport throughout the year.

And our nostalgia and community stories have continued to strike a chord with readers.

Thank you to everyone who has clicked on GazetteLive over the course of 2014.

The list below shows the 10 GazetteLive stories of the last 12 months which produced the largest number of page views.

10. Massive spiders

308,000 page views

A warm summer and milder September saw a surge of large spider sightings across Teesside.

Our readers sent spider snaps in droves - and people loved clicking through our gallery to see the little critters.

9. Teesside’s favourite pubs of years gone by

369,000 page views

Drink up! You all had fun remembering your favourite boozers of the past in August.

We featured a rundown of readers’ much-loved Teesside pubs of years gone by.

8. Redcar Races Ladies Day

378,000 page views

Fashionistas donned their fanciest togs and headed out in force to the most fashionable date in Teesside’s calendar in June - Redcar Races Ladies Day!

And it seems that readers also enjoyed deciding who wowed with their style statement.

7. Crathorne Hall fire

473,000 page views

Possibly one of the year’s most dramatic days in Teesside was when a fire broke out at Crathorne Hall in Yarm in October.

We were there reporting throughout - and our live blog of the fire had almost half-a-million page views.

6. First Class pictures

493,000 page views

Awwww! We were there for our parents' proudest moment - including those adorable ‘first class’ pictures in October.

Our photographers were out across Teesside to take dozens of reception class photos.

5. Clubbing in Pictures

497,000 page views

If there’s one thing our readers love it’s reminiscing about nights out of the past.

And what better way to do it than recounting favourite bars, pubs and nightclubs in our area?

Our ‘Clubbing in Pictures’ series back in February had you clicking in force.

4. Boro fans watch the season opener

555,000 page views

Are you a Boro fan? If so, you may have spotted yourself amongst the crowds as 18,371 people watched on at the Riverside as Boro got their season off to a winning start.

The club kicked off against Birmingham City - winning the match 2-0.

3. Did you grow up on Teesside in the 1990s?

573,000 page views

Were you a '90s Teesside kid?

If so then you may have seen the memories in ‘Things you would know growing up in Teesside in the 90s’ - which went online in March.

From bagging your birthday prezzies at Romer Parrish’s to remembering Burger King being Wimpy...it was all here.

2. Holly Hagan's first music video

649,000 page views

A landmark moment...in July Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan released her very first music video!

People from across the world logged on to see her strut her stuff in the cover of Kelis’ Milkshake - with our story having more than 20,000 social media shares as well.

1. Crimestoppers appeal

657,000 page views

In July we ran one of our regular Crimestoppers appeals for men and women alleged to have committed thefts across Teesside.

Suspected stolen items ranged from bacon and chocolate to champagne and JCB drills.

Want local news and sport delivered to your phone or tablet? Download the Gazette’s FREE app here

Israel to drill for oil in occupied Syrian Golan

Israel has approved an exploratory oil drilling programme in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, at a time when the unrest in Syria has meant that no party is fully in control of the region.

Israel’s Makor Rishon newspaper yesterday revealed that recent explorations in the region exposed a high probability of oil reserves being present in the area.

The paper pointed out that a group of senior legal advisors in Israel issued a report asserting that, according to international law, Israel may exploit the natural resources in the Golan region.

Israel imposed its sovereignty over the Golan Heights a decade ago because of the region’s strategic importance.

The paper noted that the only obstacle that would prevent the drilling operations is an objection filed by environmentalists and campaigners in Israel. However, yesterday the High Court of Justice threw out a petition from environmentalist group Adam Teva V’Din to stop the oil exploration.

The appeal was thrown out because the current approval from the Planning Committee is for exploratory drilling only, not for commercial production.

The newspaper said Afek Oil and Gas, the company which is due to take over drilling operations, is owned by former minister Effie Eitam, a religious leader in the ruling Likud party who lives in Katzrin settlement in the occupied Golan Heights

Bangladeshis must leave or turn Hindu: Bajrang Dal

MEERUT: Balraj Dungar, convenor of the Bajrang Dal for Meerut, said on Tuesday that Bangladeshis living in India must either leave the country or convert to Hinduism. “Our first demand is that they must leave the country, as they are abusing our resources. However, if they wish to live here, they must convert to Hinduism and adapt to the ways of our life,” he said.

Commenting on the recent instances of ‘ghar wapsi’ in Uttar Pradesh, Dungar said, “We had been involved in ‘ghar wapsi’ campaigns even during the UPA regime. This is a continuous, ongoing process,” Dungar said.

Dungar said Bangladeshis have taken refuge in India, and continue to live here even 43 years after the Bangladesh war. “They now need to go back,” he said. Told that the illegality of the stay would not change with conversion, Dungar said, “At least they will add to our strength in numbers.”

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Bodos kill atleast 41 adivasis in India’s Assam state

India has imposed a curfew in parts of the northeastern state of Assam after suspected tribal guerrillas killed at least 50 people in a series of attacks in retaliation for an offensive against them.

Assam has a history of sectarian bloodshed and groups fighting for greater autonomy or secession from India.

“As of now 56 people are dead and 80 others are injured. At least 20 of them are in critical condition in hospitals,” SN Singh, Assam Police inspector-general, told AFP news agency.

Tuesday’s attacks in four places by fighters of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland within the space of an hour were the deadliest in months.

Indian security forces launched a campaign last month against the rebels in their remote hideouts, prompting a threat from them to target settlers.

Reports said the attackers opened indiscriminate fire at Saralpara village in Kokrajhar district and in Santipur village of Sonitpur district.

The attacks came after a joint team of Assam Police and the Indian army killed two Bodo fighters in the neighbouring Chiran district on Sunday.

Villagers told police the rebels came on foot, armed with assault rifles and wearing military uniforms.

“They didn’t even spare women and children,” said a police officer, adding there were at least 10 women among the dead in Tuesday’s violence.

At least 13 children were killed.

“There is a curfew imposed by the police in a number of districts of Assam,” Al Jazeera’s Karishma Vyas, reporting from New Delhi, said.

“Police believe that this attack was planned. The gunmen reportedly fired indiscriminately on these villages that are largely populated by people know as the Adivasis.”

Culture under threat

Some members of the Bodo community say their identity, culture and language are under threat of being overrun and the only way they can preserve it is through self-governance.

The rebels say they are fighting for a separate homeland for the indigenous Bodo people. They complain that the tea-growing state has been flooded with outsiders.

Police Inspector-General SN Singh said in Guwahati, Assam’s capital city, that additional forces were being sent in to chase down the attackers. He said villagers at risk would be evacuated to safer places.

Lalit Gogoi, deputy commissioner of the worst-affected Sonitpur district, said the army had been put on standby and a dusk to dawn curfew imposed.

The single hospital in Sonitpur was crowded with scores of people with bullet wounds.

Assam is one of seven states in India’s northeast, a region bounded by China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh. For long, residents have accused the central government of plundering its natural resources and ignoring development.

Narendra Modi, Indian prime minister, condemned the attacks in a Twitter post, saying that the killings of innocent people were an “act of cowardice”.

Modi has pledged to accelerate the development of roads and railways in the area

Source : Al Jazeera

Egyptian tortured to death in military prison

The family of Abdul Rahman Kamal are suing the National Security Services and the head of investigations unit at the 6 October City police station of kidnapping their son and torturing him to death in the Azuly military prison, local media reported.

Egypt’s Attorney General Judge Hisham Barakat is reported to have received the lawsuit in which the family claim that Kamal was subjected to brutal and continuous torture which led to his arm breaking and he died during surgery to repair the damage to his limbs

Kamal was arrested in his home in September and was taken to an unknown location. His family eventually located him in the Azuly military prison. Former prisoners informed them that Kamal had been brutally tortured and that his arm was broken and that he died during surgery to repair it.

Kamal’s father demanded the Attorney General hand his son’s body back for burial.

The lawsuit demands an investigation be undertaken into Kamal’s abduction, his incarceration in a military prison and the events that led to his death

Israeli forces suppress Christmas march in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Tuesday suppressed a peaceful march calling for “Christmas without occupation” in Bethlehem.

Demonstrators marched to the Israeli military checkpoint in northern Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas and hand out gifts to children in the area.

Marchers held up signs reading: “Jesus came with a message of: Peace, Freedom and Justice” and “We want Christmas without occupation.”

Israeli forces prevented demonstrators, some of whom were dressed as Father Christmas, from reaching the checkpoint and fired tear gas at the crowd.

Several people were treated at the scene for tear gas inhalation.

Mazen al-Azza, an activist with the Palestinian National Initiative, told Ma’an that the march had a peaceful Christmas message, but “Israeli soldiers did not miss the chance to suppress it by assaulting journalists and peaceful demonstrators.”

The ancient Palestinian city — said to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ — is now surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements on all sides.

Bethlehem is also cut off from Jerusalem, historically its twin city, by Israel’s separation wall, which runs along the northern side of the city

Algeria sends 200 tonnes aid to south Libya

The Algerian Red Crescent yesterday provided nearly 200 tonnes of food aid for the victims of the tribal conflict in southern Libya, the Director of the Libyan Red Crescent in Ubari Amod Al-Arabi said.

In statements to the Anadolu Agency, Al-Arabi said: “Aid arrived today at the Ghadames border crossing between Libya and Algeria and will be transferred to the cities of Ghat and Ubari, south of Libya, which are suffering from a shortage of food and medical supplies because of the fighting between the Toubou and Tuareg tribes in the city of Ubari which led to the displacement of a large number of residents.”

Al-Arabi added: “The food convoy includes milk, legumes and children’s supplies.”

“Medical supplies will soon arrive from Sabha, south of Libya, to Ubari city and its environs while the Red Crescent will soon launch a campaign to vaccinate displaced children.” No date has been set for this.

Fierce battles erupted between the Toubou and the Tuareg tribes in the city of Ubari more than a month ago despite the ceasefire agreement reached by the parties on September 22