Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The killer mediates for the mass murderer


Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, The killer mediates for the mass murderer


We are clearly living in a time when black comedy is prevalent; this was proven by the news that the Egyptian leadership is going to sponsor dialogue between the Syrian opposition and the regime of Bashar Al-Assad.


This means that the killer Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, responsible for the murder of thousands of Egyptians in the Rabaa Al-Adawiyya and Al-Nahda Squares, will mediate for the even more of a mass murderer Bashar Al-Assad, who has killed hundreds of thousands of his people and is still bombing the rest with aircraft and tanks.


What kind of dialogue will Al-Sisi conduct between the opposition group formed by the Syrian intelligence agencies which has arrived in Egypt amid great media attention from the coup-run outlets? His experience can bring nothing but more killing of the freedom-seeking Syrian people and more destruction to the country, which has become like a giant ghost town after millions have been displaced; Syrian (and Palestinian) refugees are suffering severely, living in tents where their children are freezing to death in this very harsh winter. They are being humiliated by countries which, sadly, claim to be Arab and Muslim states.


We must be extremely wary of this proposed dialogue and apprehensive of the true purpose behind it. From my reading of the Libyan scene, I believe that the coup leader Al-Sisi wants to create a Syrian “General Haftar” along the lines of the original in Libya who kills Libyan rebels.


Just as the Egyptian president interfered in Libya and helped to form a militia loyal to him which he trains and provides with supplies and weapons, he now wants to intervene militarily in Syria in the same manner; he already supplies the mass murderer’s army with Egyptian weapons. The Syrian rebels who seized Egyptian weapons have displayed them on television.


This is the dialogue that will be conducted by the killer under his sponsorship; it will be a dialogue of blood. Beware, for these militias will operate under the pretext of fighting terrorism, which is what Al-Assad’s regime calls the rebels in Syria. He has been able to benefit from the terrorism fever and Islamophobia that has swept the world, utilising it to serve his purpose, especially after the air strikes launched by the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) group in Syria and Iraq.


Al-Assad is now claiming that he is fighting terrorism and he will find support and help from the killer Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. They are two sides of the same blood-soaked coin.



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, Wednesday 21st January 2015.


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.



Carayol will be our 'best signing' says Boro manager Aitor Karanka


The imminent return of flying flanker Mustapha Carayol could prove to be Boro’s “best signing” this month, says Aitor Karanka.


The 25-year-old has been sidelined since March after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Boro’s goalless draw at Bournemouth.


Karanka confirmed Carayol is set to end his 10-month injury hell this month with the Under-21s, but despite training with Paul Jenkins’ side last week, the midfielder did not travel to Scunthorpe with the rest of the team yesterday.


However, with the winger only a matter of weeks away from first team action, Karanka believes Carayol could become a crucial player in Boro’s promotion push from now until the end of the season.


“I think if he comes in the way he finished last season he can be the best signing in this market,” Karanka said.


“But again we have to be careful with him because I don’t want to take risks and to get injured again like Rhys (Williams).


“With Rhys we did everything we had to do, but we were unlucky, and with Muzzy it’s the same.


“I think he’s going to play with us soon. He’s training but not with the first team yet.”


Carayol’s impending return means Boro have an embarrassment of riches on the flanks, with Albert Adomah, Adam Reach, Emilio Nsue, Yanic Wildschut and Emmanuel Ledesma all on the books.


Ledesma has been linked with a move away from the Riverside this month, with Rotherham manager Steve Evans last week claiming they had a bid for the Argentine knocked back by Boro.


But it is understood Ledesma is keen to fight for his future on Teesside, meaning Karanka has plenty of options on either flank.


Boro opted against risking Carayol in the freezing conditions yesterday as the Under-21s earned a 4-3 win at Scunthorpe, but fellow wide man Wildschut made a goalscoring return.


With the pitch passing an inspection at 9.30am, Boro’s youngsters blew away their opponents in a goal-filled first half to book their place in the Final Third Development League Cup semi-finals.


Bryn Morris bagged an early brace, while there were also goals for Wildschut and Mark Kitching.



How Mohammed’s Example Inspired the Charlie Hebdo Massacre — on The Glazov Gang


Charlie[Subscribe to the Glazov Gang’s YouTube Channel and LIKE it on Facebook .]


This week’s Glazov Gang was joined by Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book is Arab Winter Comes to America: The Truth About the War We’re In.


Robert discussed How Mohammed’s Example Inspired the Charlie Hebdo Massacre, analyzing the conduct of the prophet and the Koran’s command to follow it. He unveiled what drove the murderers – and what drives the deniers.


Don’t miss the week’s second episode with Dawn Perlmutter, the Director of the Symbol Intelligence Group and one of the leading subject matter experts (SME) in symbols, symbolic methodologies, unfamiliar customs and ritualistic crimes. She designed and developed Jihad-ID, a symbolic database of the signs, symbols and identifiers of global jihad.


Dawn discussed Charlie Hebdo and Blasphemy in Islam, analyzing “Murder by Ritual Purification.”


To watch previous Glazov Gang episodes, Click Here.


Subscribe to Jamie Glazov Productions and LIKE Jamie’s Fan Page on Facebook.



Benefits of growing a beard


Many men grow beards because they like the way they look or because it makes them feel rugged. Plus, there is no denying the fact that it saves a lot of your morning-routine time!

Most of the popular style icons like Ben Affleck and George Clooney have started growing one too. Be it to impress the ladies or to make a fashion statement, a beard does draw attention. However, did you know that growing a beard has actual health benefits as well? Researchers have suggested that growing beards have some absolutely unbelievable health benefits — including preventing skin cancer!



So, here are a few reasons to forget your razor for a while and why you shouldn’t wait until November every year to officially grow a beard.


Beards protect our Facial skin from harmful Ultraviolet rays: While most of our body is covered by clothes that protect our skin from the harmful UV rays of sun, our face is more vulnerable, as it is exposed. Chances are really high that when facial skin is constantly exposed to UV rays, one can develop skin rashes or even skin cancer. A beard covers most of your lower face and neck perfectly, thereby protecting the skin


Reduces allergies & infections: Your beard and moustache works as a filter that helps to keep allergens from entering your nose and mouth, thereby reducing chance of allergies and skin infections. Be sure to treat your beard right and ensure you wash it regularly.


Beards make the skin look smooth and younger: Blemishes and cuts are common among who shave on a daily basis, leading to roughness of the sensitive facial skin. While growing beard can automatically help you be blemish-free. What’s more? No more cuts either! Though having a beard can make one look significantly older, the skin still remains young!


Natural Moisturizer: For a person who regularly shaves, seasonal changes like heat and cold cause dryness to the skin. Additionally, heavy use of cosmetic products that claim to keep the moisture intact, can have an adverse effect on the skin. Your face has its own built-in moisturizing regimen (sebaceous glands) which secretes a natural oil that keeps skin moisturized. These glands tend to get eroded due to constant use of a razor. Growing a beard can help these glands function naturally and keep your skin smooth and young.


Prevents illnesses: Believe it or not, having a beard can help you keep illnesses caused by sudden climatic changes (like a cold or cough) at bay. Your beard often can serve as an insulation against outside temperature, trapping your body heat from escaping and keeping your face and neck warm. This is especially recommended for those who are constantly on the move.


— Contributed by Abhishek Suresh



Leader of Al Qaeda group in Iraq was fictional, U.S. military says


BAGHDAD — For more than a year, the leader of one the most notorious insurgent groups in Iraq was said to be a mysterious Iraqi named Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi.



As the titular head of the Islamic State in Iraq, an organization publicly backed by Al Qaeda, Baghdadi issued a steady stream of incendiary pronouncements. Despite claims by Iraqi officials that he had been killed in May, Baghdadi appeared to have persevered unscathed.


On Wednesday, a senior American military spokesman provided a new explanation for Baghdadi’s ability to escape attack: He never existed.


Brigadier General Kevin Bergner, the chief American military spokesman, said the elusive Baghdadi was actually a fictional character whose audio-taped declarations were provided by an elderly actor named Abu Adullah al-Naima.


The ruse, Bergner said, was devised by Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, who was trying to mask the dominant role that foreigners play in that insurgent organization.


The ploy was to invent Baghdadi, a figure whose very name establishes his Iraqi pedigree, install him as the head of a front organization called the Islamic State of Iraq and then arrange for Masri to swear allegiance to him. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy, sought to reinforce the deception by referring to Baghdadi in his video and Internet statements.


The evidence for the American assertions, Bergner announced at a news briefing, was provided by an Iraqi insurgent: Khalid Abdul Fatah Daud Mahmud al-Mashadani, who was said to have been captured by American forces in Mosul on July 4.


According to Bergner, Mashadani is the most senior Iraqi operative in Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. He got his start in the Ansar al-Sunna insurgent group before joining Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia more than two years ago, and became the group’s “media emir” for all of Iraq. Bergner said that Mashadani was also an intermediary between Masri in Iraq and bin Laden and Zawahiri, whom the Americans assert support and guide their Iraqi affiliate.


“Mashadani confirms that al-Masri and the foreign leaders with whom he surrounds himself, not Iraqis, made the operational decisions” for Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, Bergner said.


The struggle between the American military and Qaeda affiliate in Iraq is political as well as military. And one purpose of the briefing Wednesday seemed to be to rattle the 90 percent of the group’s adherents who are believed to be Iraqi by suggesting that they are doing the bidding of foreigners.


An important element of the American strategy is to drive a wedge between Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, other insurgent groups and the Sunni population.


Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, for its part, has engaged in its own form of psychological warfare. The Islamic State of Iraq recently issued two videos that were said to show an attack in Diyala Province on an American Bradley vehicle with a roadside bomb, as well as an assault on an Iraqi military checkpoint.


The recent American operation to clear western Baquba, the provincial capital of Diyala, of Qaeda fighters was dubbed Arrowhead Ripper. In a statement, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed that “the arrows have been returned to the enemy like boomerangs,” according to Site Institute, which monitors international terrorist groups.


Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official and a Middle East expert, said that experts had long wondered whether Baghdadi actually existed. “There has been a question mark about this,” he said.


Nonetheless, Riedel suggested that the disclosures made Wednesday might not be the final word on Baghdadi and the leaders of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. Even Mashadani’s assertions, Riedel said, might be a cover story to protect a leader who does in fact exist.


“First, they say we have killed him,” Riedel said, referring to the statements by some Iraqi government officials. “Then we heard him after his death and now they are saying he never existed. That suggests that our intelligence on Al Qaeda in Iraq is not what we want it to be.”


American military spokesmen insist they have gotten to the truth on Baghdadi. Mashadani, they say, provided his account because he resented the role of foreign leaders in Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. They say he has not repudiated the organization.


While the American military says that senior Qaeda leaders in Pakistan provide guidance, general direction and support for Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, they did not provide any examples of a specific raid or operation that was ordered by Pakistan-based leaders of Al Qaeda.


An unclassified National Intelligence Estimate on terrorist threats to the United States homeland, which was made public in Washington on Tuesday, suggested that Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia draws support from Al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan but also has some autonomy. It described Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia as “an affiliate.”


“We assess that Al Qaeda will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of Al Qaeda in Iraq, its most visible and capable affiliate and the only one known to have expressed a desire to attack the homeland.”


In the latest violence in Iraq, a series of roadside bombs exploded early Wednesday in separate areas of east Baghdad, killing 11 people and wounding more than a dozen, the police said, according to The Associated Press. The U.S. military reported that three more American soldiers had died in action in the Iraqi capital


Source:


http://nyti.ms/1BC0BfT;



Five Facts That Prove Paris Massacre is A False Flag Terror Op


By Feroze Mithiborwala


18 January, 2015

Medhajnews.com



Fact 1: ‘Terrorist Leaves ID CARD’ is part of an elaborate frame-up


Fact 2: The ‘Getaway car’ and the ‘Abandoned Car’ in which the ‘ID’ was found are two different cars of the same Citroen C3 model.


Fact 3: The 24×7 Police Security Provided to Charlie Hebdo had been withdrawn ~ Why? ~ When? ~ Who Issued the Order?


Fact 4: Eye-witness report from ‘France Info Radio’, Role of Police and suspicious character spotted 4 hours prior to the attack


Fact 5: All the four terrorists were police informers, terrorist recruiters known and working for French Intel



We begin by saluting the people of France for not surrendering to xenophobia and fear and for standing united at a moment of a grave national crisis. The ‘March for Unity’ has shown the way as to how nations should respond to mass psychosis and fear that are generated after massive terror attacks that are increasingly becoming the norm.


This despite the presence of an all-encompassing global security surveillance state like none other time in human history.


The marchers also reaffirmed their commitment to combat terror, religious fanaticism, racism and hate-mongering by the anti-immigrant Neo-Nazis and sections of the corporate media. We also condemn the terror attack on Charlie Hebdo and the Jewish Supermarket where 17 people lost their lives.


The following our detailed facts that have been garnered from various sources. The following Five Facts prove that Paris was a False Flag terror operation.


FACT 1: ‘Terrorist Leaves ID CARD’ is part of an elaborate frame-up


International Legal Expert, Prof Francis Boyle (8.1.15):


“CNN just reported that one of the Kouachi brothers left his ID card in the Citroen getaway car, which is how they “identified” them. You have to be an idiot to believe that.”



Note that the highly trained paramilitary killers go about their shooting in a very cool calm and calcualted manner, killing 10 journalists in the space of a mere five minutes, even as they methodically read out their names from a list.


The two mercenary-terrorists had their faces covered to hide their identities. This too is surprising as one would have expected them to remove their ski-masks after the massacre and proudly proclaim their evil deed to the world, so as to claim martyrdom and the 72 Hurs waiting for them.



But yet these highly trained professional killers ensure that they have carried their ID’s, which one of them leaves behind. Thus this ID-Card concoction is a sure giveaway and has been used and played over ad nauseum by Intelligence agencies.


As writes Kevin Barett, the Editor of Veterans Today –


“Since when did criminals leave their identification cards in abandoned getaway cars? What are the odds that skilled terrorists who have just carried out an ultra-professional special-forces style attack will accidentally leave their ID card in the abandoned getaway car? Answer: Effectively zero.


So why are police reporting an event that cannot have happened? Assuming that French police really did find “terror suspect” Said Kouachi’s ID card in an abandoned getaway car, that ID card must have been planted by someone wishing to incriminate Kouachi. Even the legendary French idiot detective, Inspector Clouseau, could not fail to make this thunderingly obvious inference. The discovery of Kouachi’s ID does not implicate him; it exonerates him. It shows that he is an innocent patsy who is being framed by the real perpetrators of the attack.”


This lead is a giveaway for any honest discerning person.


Fact 2: The ‘Getaway car’ and the ‘Abandoned Car’ in which the ‘ID’ was found are two different cars of the same Citroen C3 model (comparative photo below)


The ‘getaway car’ which headed for another destination was conveniently replaced by this ‘abandoned car’ in which the Said Kouachi ID card was already present. The frame-up is evident.



Also note that whilst the getaway car had silver side-mirrors, the abandoned car found by the police has black side-mirrors


This glaring anomaly is also being widely discussed and publicized as part of the expose’.


An analysis of this video will further seek to explain and further prove our position.


In this video you will notice that after having slaughtered 10 people in cold-blood, the terrorists come down and instead of immediately making a fast get-away choose to shout slogans to reaffirm their Muslim identity, once without revealing their own by unmasking themselves.


Here you can clearly see that their Citroen had ‘silver side-mirrors’, which you must then compare to the side-mirrors of the ‘abandoned car’ in which the ID-Card was found.


They are the same Citroen C3 model but two different cars, without a doubt.


Now it gets even more interesting and even laughably atrocious. Even as the terrorists begin to head out, just a 100 meters down the lane, we see a police car that approaches them. The terrorists get down from their car and fire at the police car. The police instead of firing back, decide to reverse down the road. Were the police by now yet unaware that a terror attack had struck the premise of Charlie Hebdo? They clearly had been notified by now.


Thus the police car reverses all the way down the lane.


But more interestingly, the terrorists – instead of reversing themselves, decide to move straight ahead, right in the direction of the police car parked at the end of the lane, which does not make any attempt to block their get-away. The terrorist car then takes a left-turn and disappears with no attempt by the police car to even chase the terrorists!


This is simply far too bizarre, revealing and astounding by all standards.


It appears as if the entire terror operation was conducted in a ‘controlled environment’. To me it certainly does.


Fact 3: The 24×7 Police Security Provided to Charlie Hebdo had been withdrawn ~ Why? ~ When? ~ Who Issued the Order?



This is a photograph of a police van right outside the Charlie Hebdo office on the 9th of January 2015. Why was this security cover ‘Pulled-Out’ prior to the attack, even as it was known that the Magazine was an obvious target for a terror attack for over eight years and a red-terror alert loomed over Paris?


This is another glaring anomaly on all counts, which further reveals the hand of pro-US-Zionist elements within French Intelligence, police and the security apparatus.


Since the Charlie Hebdo premises had been an obvious target for the last 8 years due to the satire cartoon issue, they had been provided with police security with a Police Van stationed right outside the premises on a 24×7 basis.


It is clear to all there was no presence of the police at all at the time of the attack. The point being that the two-terrorists barged right through the front door of the premises and they were let in by a journalist.


Who was responsible for this order?


Was it the Chief of Police of Paris or the Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve himself?


Who signed the order to withdraw the ‘24×7 security cover’ for the magazine?


Note, France, especially Paris has been on a state of high alert ever since Sydney and Peshawar, and all through the course of the last week over Christmas and New Year, where we were being told that an attack is imminent. Thus the absence of the police van outside the Hebdo Premises is not only a glaring anomaly, “not an intelligence failure”, but another part of the incriminating evidence against the French Intelligence.


Answers to these simple queries are only the starting point and no explanations to these simple straight-forward questions have still emerged from ‘official sources’


Fact 4: Eye-witness report from ‘France Info Radio’, Role of Police and suspicious character spotted 4 hours prior to the attack


A police car and a mysterious individual were seen outside Charlie Hebdo (CH) offices very early morning 4 hours before the terror attack took place.


Only one hour after the attack, ‘France Info’ succeeded in gathering testimony from witnesses and neighbours of the murdered journalists. On the public radio site, one of these testimonies entitled -


“What was said inside the building was we will avenge the Prophet” said a neighbour.


France Info’s written report also highlighted what it considers to be the most important piece of information reported by this witness working in the building: the fact that he heard (or it was reported to him) the statement made by one of the terrorists regarding the avenging of the Prophet.


Serious questions arise from the eye-witness testimonies


Another part of his testimony, also of great importance, has been ‘edited from the radio programme.’


According to this man, “a police car” was present at his arrival around 7:30am, four hours prior to the terror attack.


Curious detail but not amazing as Charlie’s team was deemed to be protected by the police.


BUT – his wife Jeannette Bougrab and his colleague Laurent Léger – have stated that ‘police protection for Charlie Hebdo had recently been told to stand down.’


It is also interesting that when questioned by France Info, this witness stated that he saw what he described as a ‘suspicious individual outside the offices, at the same time as the police car’.


This report compiled by France Info, further raises the following questions:


This confirms the fact that the ‘24×7’ police security cover had been withdrawn.


This even as the terror alert across Paris had been heightened as warnings had been issued due to the holiday season.


Who issued the order for the police security cover to stand down?


On which date was the order issued?


More remarkably, who was the suspicious person present surely undertaking a recce before the massacre, present at the very same time as the police car?


Fact 5: All the four terrorists were police informers, terrorist recruiters known and working for French Intel


Who were the Four Terrorists, their specific backgrounds?


Interestingly, all the four terrorists were known to French Intel and were being tracked, their mobile phones were tapped and thousands of pages of transcripts are reportedly available of the same.



The Said and Cherif Kouachi Brothers, Algerian French, were orphans and given to petty crime in the immigrant ghettoes where they grew up. It was from their journey as criminals, police informers to terrorist recruiters and terrorists to finally the patsy-fall guys.


They have both known to have flown to Yemen in 2011 and met Awlaki the Al Qaeda leader. Also note that Awlaki is very closely linked to the CIA and has visited the Pentagon frequently on their invitation.


Oops! Paris Attackers Funded by Awlaki, the Pentagon Dinner Guest! http://bit.ly/1C5T6gl


Abu Hamza, the hook handed hate preacher who recruited jihadist from his mosque in London, is said to be one of the mentors of Cherif Kouachi.


The Daily Telegraph in London reports that Cherif Kouachi was a follower of Djamel Beghal , a prominent Al Qaeda recruiter. The newspaper further reports that Cherif was mentored by Abu Hamza, the hook-handed hate preacher who was sentenced to life in prison in New York on terrorism charges on January 9.


Thus French Intel was clearly aware that the Kouachi Brothers were in contact and part of the top terror recruiters and operators and by no means small fry, that could have escaped and gone below the surveillance radar.


Both are on the No-Fly List of the Americans and the British as well. So how were they flying out to regularly to Turkey and from thereon to Yemen, Syria and Iraq?


The Associated Press reported in 2008 that Cherif Kouachi had been sentenced to three years in prison in Paris for helping to funnel prospective jihadi fighters from France to Iraq. He served 18 months, with the remainder of his sentence was suspended. In that case, Cherif was named as a member of the 19th arrondissement network, named for the mainly North African neighborhood where they were based. The reasons for the suspension of the terror-related sentence have never been stated publicly. Cherif had thus turned into an informer and a terror recruiter entrapping Muslim youth for ISIS ans Al Qaeda.


The New York Times first reported on Cherif in 2005. It was reported that he had become inspired to fight in jihad due to the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuses . Prior to the emergence of those abuses, the Liberation newspaper reported , Cherif was not a devout Muslim. He had girlfriends, smoked and drank alcohol. On January 8, the day after the Charlie Hebdo attack, a rap video apparently featuring Cherif Kouachi appeared.



Amedi Coulibaly and his ‘wife’ Hayat Boumedienne


In fact, the third terror suspect in the Paris terror attack, Amedi Coulibaby, met with French President Nicholas Sarkozy in 2009, when he was 27 years old. This only proves the extent to which Coulibaly was on the trsuted lits of informants and terror recruiters for French Intel.


Assuming all of the presentation’s participants would have been vetted by the President’s office prior to the event, one has to ask how come Sarkozy’s staff would have missed the fact that according to France’s L’Obs, Coulibaly had just been imprisoned at Fleury-Mérogis (2005 – 2006) and with co-suspect Cherif Kouachi. In addition, French Authorities were also aware at this time that Coulibaby had been ‘radicalized’ in prison.


The Guardian reports:


“French media reported that Coulibaly had converted and become radicalised in prison. After an initial spell in prison for armed robbery, he was reported to have then started drug-dealing and served another sentence.”


Was this event an audition, or was it part of constructing Coulibaly’s cover? It’s shocking to discover just how involved Coulibaly was in not one, but two of the French Security Service’s top-tier terror cases in recent years.


According to the Washington Post, only 10 months after his introduction toSarkozy, police searched Coulibaly’s apartment and found a large cache of weapons, including 240 rounds of heavy ammunition (240 7.62 mm caliber cartridges) and photos of him with one of France and American CIA’s top terrorist targets, radical Islamist Djamel Beghal Murat, who the US referred to as a “known al Qaeda recruiter in Europe” and who was planning an attack against the US Embassy in Paris in 2010


for more;


http://bit.ly/1AJrCIV



Full-time match report: Boro 2-1 Cardiff City


Boro once again made hard work of securing a precious three points at the Riverside – but it was enough to take them into second place.


They looked laboured in the first and after a bright start they started to falter up front.


They finally made a break through in the second half as Patrick Bamford stroked home a rebound when his first shot was blocked then Lee Tomlin looked to have sealed it with a second.


But Cardiff threw everything forward and snatched one back lat eon through Kenwyne Jones to set up a frantic finale.


It was a nervy finish but Boro did enough to win on a night that leaders Bournemouth slipped up at Leeds.


Boro made just one change to the side that laboured to beat Huddersfield 2-0 with Adam Reach starting in place of Albert Adomah, although club captain returned Jonathan Woodgate returned to the bench for the first time since September.


Boro threatened straight from kick-off as a perceptive Tomas Kalas ball sent Patrick Bamford down the right to beat his man and when he cut his cross back towards the edge of the box it found Kike but his low shot was charged down


Then a minute later another crisp move found Kike in the box and he twisted and turned but couldn't find an angle then when he tried to lay it back to meet Lee Tomlin's run a defender cut it out.


And on six minutes Boro had to soak up some pressure and Turner headed wide from a corner.


But Boro broke quickly on six minutes, Daniel Ayala clearing a ball up field after a cross was dealt with and Kike controlled, turned and swept a sublime ball down the right for Bamford to chase but he was closed down and crowded out.


Cardiff won a throw on the right on 11 minutes but although keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos fumbled the ball was quickly hoofed clear by Grant Leadbitter then when Noone pushed it back into the box George Friend cut it out before Revell could collect.


Boro had a strong shout for a penalty on 16 minutes as Bamford drilled in a low shot that took a deflection then skidded and bounced back off Moore's chest and as Kike pounced on the rebound the keeper stretched and appeared to trip the Spanish striker but the ref waved play on.


Boro threatened on 22 minutes as a neat Leadbitter back-heel sparked a crisp passing move that sent Friend down the left but his whipped cross to the near post was headed behind then the resulting corner was nervously scrambled away after Ayala had headed it goalwards.


Adam Clayton won a free-kick 25 yards out on 24 minutes and when Leadbitter cut it diagonally to the left hand corner of the box Friend whacked in a low effort that was deflected behind by a brave sliding block.


There was another free-kick on the half-hour as Reach was fouled wide on the left and when Leadbitter's ball in was bundled away it bounced to Kalas who sent a 25 yard effort curling well wide.


And as the pressure mounted Leadbitter fired a corner in from the left on 32 minutes for Ayala to dart in and power a stooping header through the crowd but it flew straight into the keeper's arms.


City's Brayford was booked for a foul on Kalas in the Boro box.


After a scrappy spell with a lot of high balls flying both way Boro threatened on 41 minutes as Clayton touched on a knock forward for Bamford to send a speculative 25 yard effort wide.


Then Leadbitter chipped in a free-kick from the right and when Friend flicked it goalwards Kike just failed to connect at the near post.


In stoppage time Cardiff made a rare raid forward as Noone darted through a gap onto a Whittingham ball but he put his low long range shot straight at Konstantopoulos.


HALF-TIME: BORO 0 CARDIFF 0


Boro were quickly on the attack after the restart as Bamford and Kalas combined to cut into the Cardiff box but the final ball was cut out.


Then Cardiff made a few probes but they were ended by strong tackles from Kalas and Clayton, the latter earning a booking on 56 minutes for a challenge on Revell.


The free-kick was cleared but Cardiff won a throw which caused a scramble before Gibson nodded back to Konstantopoulos.


And on 59 minutes Cardiff carved out their best effort so far as lively Harris cut in from the left to collect a ball from Whittinghanthen curled a shot towards the far post that sent Konstantopoulos full length to push away.


The crowd were getting nervous now at Boro losing their way.


Leadbitter was booked on 63 minutes after two challenges for loose ball left Brayford down injured after what looked a firm but fair tackle.


But Boro finally made the breakthrough on 63 minutes as Reach cut in from the left and squared for PATRICK BAMFORD and although his first effort was blocked it rebounded kindly for the striker to strike home from 10 yards at the second time of asking.


On 67 minutes Cardiff put on Kenwyne Jones for Revell.


Boro almost broke through for a second on 70 minutes as Clayton sent a quick ball behind the defence for Kike to dart onto but keeper Moore was quickly off his line to block the Spaniard's attempted angled slotted shot.


On 73 minutes Boro put on Albert Adomah for Kike.


Adomah was quickly into action on 76 minutes as he streaked forward onto a threaded past from Bamford and drilled in a low angled 18 yard effort that the keeper spilled.


Then two minutes late the winger wriggled down the right and crossed to the far post where a defender just got a touch to prevent Bamford making contact.


And Boro grabbed a second to seal it on 79 minutes as Reach got down the left to skip past Brayford then pick out LEE TOMLIN seven yards out and he calmly slotted home his third goal in a week.


On 83 minutes Cardiff put on Ralls for Adeyema.


On 85 minutes Boro put on Jelle Vossen for Tomlin.


Cardiff pulled one back against the run of play on 86 minutes as Ralls crossed in and former Sunderland man KENWYNE JONES put in a downward header at the far post.


Cardiff put on Macheda for Noone on 88 minutes and threw everyone forward.


In stoppage time Dean Whitehead came on for Kalas.


At the death Vossen was booked for stopping Cardiff taing a quick free-kick.


Boro: Konstantopolous, Kalas (Whitehead 90+2), Gibson, Ayala, Friend, Reach, Leadbitter, Clayton, Bamford, Tomlin (Vossen 85), Kike (Adomah 73). Sub: Mejias, Husband, Ledesma, Woodgate.


Cardiff: Moore, Brayford, Connolly, Morrison, Turner (c), Whittingham, Gunnarsson, Adeyemi (Ralls 83), Noone (Macheda 87), Harris, Revell (67, Jones) . Subs: Wilson, Fabio, John, Le Fondre.


Ref: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)


Att: 16,035 (149 away fans)



Israeli forces detain Palestinian woman at Aqsa

JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli police detained a Palestinian woman on Monday while leaving the al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Witnesses said that the Israeli police detained Hiba al-Husseini while leaving the al-Aqsa compound from the Cotton Gate and took her to a police station for interrogation.


Israeli soldiers also assaulted a group of women while in the compound as Jewish Israelis toured the area.


Witnesses said that an Israeli policeman pushed a woman while cursing at her.


The Al-Aqsa compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque and is the third holiest site in Islam.


It is also venerated as Judaism’s most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.


According to mainstream Jewish religious leaders, Jews are forbidden from entering for fear they would profane the “Holy of Holies,” or the inner sanctum of the Second Temple. However, some religious Zionist groups advocate the destruction of the mosques currently on the site in order to construct a third temple.


Al-Aqsa is located in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.



5 killed in US drone strike in Pakistan


The file photo shows a US assassination drone.


At least five people have been killed in a US assassination drone attack in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region.


Pakistani security officials said on Monday that the attack took place in North Waziristan’s Shahi Khel neighborhood of Shawal.


The officials said the attack targeted and killed pro-Taliban militants.


Seven other militants had reportedly been killed in a similar US drone attack on the same neighborhood on January 15.


The United Nations and several human rights organizations have identified the US as the world’s number one user of “targeted killings,” largely due to its drone attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.


This comes as Pakistan has intensified its anti-terror strategy following a December 16 attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, which claimed the lives of some 150 people, 134 of them children. Following the deadly attack in Peshawar, Pakistan lifted the moratorium on the death penalty, which had been in place for about six years.


The US carries out targeted killings through drone strikes in several Muslim countries, such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia.


SZH/HJL



Stockton firm donates much-needed minibus to Zoe’s Place baby hospice in Normanby


Staff at a baby hospice which lost its people carrier in an accident had their hearts warmed when a hire firm company donated a much-needed minibus to replace it.


The workers at Zoe’s Place baby hospice were devastated when their eight-seater Citroen people carrier, which the charity relied on to transport babies and children with life-limiting conditions, was written off in a hit and run in Darlington on December 30.


A member of staff was out collecting supplies when a white transit van collided with the people carrier which was so badly damaged that it was declared a write-off. Moments after the crash, the van reversed into a blue Astra convertible car before fleeing the scene - the culprit is yet to be caught.


When Transflex Vehicle Hire, based at Portrack, Stockton, heard about the hospice’s plight they decided to donate a free 14-seater mini bus valued at £25,000 complete with Zoe’s Place teddy bear branding.


Zoe’s Place general manager Mark Guidery said: “You can tell how I feel by my face - it’s fantastic. It’s got so much more room than the people carrier did.


“The nurses used the people carrier all the time. This means the nurses can take the children to the beach or the park or where ever they want to go. We have it on a long term loan - 12 months.


“To have this all the way through the summer. They can just go off, have a good time and enjoy themselves.”


After losing their people carrier Zoe’s Place put out an appeal on Facebook and help soon came pouring in. Within weeks, £1,200 had been donated and the post has been shared almost 3,000 times.


“Many of the children have very special needs. We’re going to use the money we raised to buy specialist seats for the minibus,” said Mark.


The minibus was handed over today, at the hospice, Crossbeck House, High Street, Normanby, Middlesbrough.


Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice offers end of life care to babies and toddlers and those facing life limiting illnesses.


Transflex managing director Peter Abdale said: “We had no hesitation offering a replacement vehicle when we heard what had happened. It’s the very least we can do. Our hearts went out to the hospice and it’s great to know the mini bus will be put to excellent use.”



Live: Boro v Cardiff City from the Riverside Stadium


Boro return to the Riverside just three days after their 2-0 victory over Huddersfield to take on Cardiff City in the Championship.


Cardiff come to Teesside in 13th place in the league having been beaten 3-2 by Norwich on Saturday.



Middlesbrough man who stored drugs at home was threatened by dealers


A drugs custodian was threatened by dealers after a police raid on his home robbed them of their £4,800 cocaine stash, a court heard.


Cash-strapped Kevin Begley, 51, let his Middlesbrough home become a safehouse for a package of the Class A drug for £100.


He has been jailed for three years and nine months after he was caught with 97g of cocaine worth about £4,800 in his home in Saltersgill.


He was not in when police went to the Ainsdale Way property with a warrant under the Theft Act on July 20 last year.


Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said officers found a small tent in a front bedroom containing four cannabis plants, with a bag of leaves.


They found a set of scales, a roll of plastic bags, a large white block and white powder in a bag.


A large amount of cash was found in a kitchen cupboard and a piece of cannabis resin on the kitchen table.


Begley said he was paid £100 to store the cocaine while the plants, said to have a street value of £450 to £900, were for his own use.


He admitted possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply and possessing and producing cannabis.


Rachel Dyson, defending, said he got into financial difficulties as he made regular visits to his son who lived “some distance away”.


She told the court: “As a result of the financial pressures he was feeling when he was given this opportunity to mind a package in return for some money, he took up that opportunity.


“He accepted the offer of this money due to his financial constraints.


“His house was used to store this package. People would come and go. He would let people come and go. He certainly wasn’t involved any further in cutting or distribution.


“Since these matters came before the court, he has received threats and demands as a result of the fact that this commodity that did once belong to somebody has been seized by police.”


She added that said he was a cannabis user for many years, particularly after he developed a bad back problem, and his only previous drugs convictions related to that Class B drug.


Judge Peter Bowers told Begley: “You’re no stranger to the courts for your cannabis habit. This is a first time for a Class A drug.


“You provided your house as a safe refuge for this Class A drug, just for money.”


He jailed Begley for two years and nine months for the cocaine offence, plus a year for the cannabis offences.



British PM hits out at UK Muslim Council over govt. letters


UK Prime Minister David Cameron has criticized the Muslim Council of Britain for comparing the government to the far right over its letters to the country’s mosques.


Cameron has said that the Muslim Council of Britain “has a problem” after it accused ministers of behaving like the “far right”.



This followed the Telegraph disclosure of official letters by the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles to 1,100 mosque imams and Islamic leaders, saying that they must do more to root out “men of hate” who preach extremism.


The Muslim Council of Britain responded by urging Pickles to clarify his request, asking if like “members of the far right”, he was suggesting that Islam is inherently apart from the rest of British society.


This was met by Cameron’s defense of the letters, where he said: “It’s absolutely right to write this letter, to say we all have a responsibility to fight extremism.”


Now Raza Nadim, member of the London-based Muslim Public Affairs Committee, says: “The concern of British Muslims has been quite ignored for the last couple of years, and specially after Charlie Hebdo, there seems to be an… amount of focus on the Muslim community, placing the blame of terrorism only at the door of Muslims, but when it has to do with foreign policy at large part.”



Nadim told Press TV’s UK Desk on Monday that “the rhetoric that we are seeing from the British government does not come to us as foreign. It’s to do with in my opinion with the counterterrorism bill, which is trying to be rushed through the parliament, and this bill was actually a very dangerous piece of legislation. If you actually look at what it contains, it’s actually very damaging for freedom in this country, how it can snoop on people’s private discussions etc. It is a curtailing of people’s personal freedom specially Muslims.”



He concluded that the UK’s and in general the West’s foreign policy in countries like those in the Middle East was to blame for the upsurge in radicalism.


RSH/GHN



'It's a feather in your cap you've avoided trouble all these years,' judge tells THIS toy gun-toting teen


A teenager pointed his six-year-old brother’s toy gun at a man who had confronted him with a knife and a hammer.


Ricky Corner, 19, said he was trying to protect himself and his sister when he took the fake pistol from his waistband.


He ended up at Teesside Crown Court facing a possible custodial sentence for brandishing the less-than-lethal weapon.


He argued with his sister’s partner at a home on Easson Street, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough at about 7.30pm on September 29 last year.


The other man went into the kitchen, took a knife from the draining board and chased Corner out of the house with it.


Corner returned to the home 20 minutes later saying he wanted to apologise, Teesside Crown Court heard today.


The man came out of the house holding a hammer and threatened Corner with it, said prosecutor Sue Jacobs.


She said: “At that stage the defendant produced from his waistband what appeared to be a gun and pointed it at (the man).


“It’s a plastic toy.”


He later said he took it because he was frightened he would be threatened again and was concerned for his sister.


He owned up to police and no one else made statements or complaints.


Corner, of Valley Road, Grove Hill, admitted possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, his first offence.


Rachel Dyson, defending, said Corner came back with his six-year-old brother’s toy plastic gun down his trousers in case there was any further threat to him.


He said he wanted to use it to stop the other man getting close enough to cause him injury.


In a character reference his father - for whom he is a carer - said he was sensitive person at heart.


“It seems that this incident stemmed from Mr Corner wishing to protect his sister,” said Miss Dyson.


His sister told police she did not believe the gun was real at the time.


Miss Dyson said Corner was of “exemplary character” with no previous convictions or cautions and no criminal associates.


She said: “He is embarrassed and ashamed that he is the first one of his group to be before the court.”


She added he was completely frank with police, accepted full responsibility and did not blame anyone else for his “foolish decision”.


He was now reconciled with the other people involved and had put the matter behind him.


Judge Peter Bowers told Corner: “This is your first visit to court, which is a real feather in your cap that you’ve avoided being in trouble all these years.


“You acted on a misguided impulse to frighten (the other man) if he threatened you again.


“When you were stopped by police you were honest and open and you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.”


A probation officer said a custodial sentence would have a “devastating” impact on him and his family.


“It would also introduce you to people and situations you’ve so far managed to avoid,” added the judge.


He gave Corner a community order with a year’s supervision, saying: “I think that’s all this offence requires.”



50 Shades-inspired lingerie range dreamed up by Tees designer who dressed Mariah Carey


Have you got things wrapped up for Valentine’s? If not, then these lingerie sets might be an option.


Inspired by the film 50 Shades of Grey, former Playboy lingerie designer Michelle Taylor has launched her latest Tallulah Love range in Middlesbrough’s Psyche.


The 39-year-old Teessider - who currently lives in Hartlepool - has dressed everyone from Mariah Carey to Kelly Rowland in her designs - and even partied with Hugh Hefner himself.


“I am chuffed that my range is included at Psyche," she said.


“I am just thrilled as I’ve always loved it - it’s like a mini department store and has so much respect in the area.”


The Temptress is one of the gift sets available in the range - and features an eye mask which Michelle says is a cheeky nod to the bestselling book 50 Shades, the film adaptation set for UK release on February 13.


Michelle worked as a designer for Playboy until 2008 - and pretended to by a Playboy bunny to party with Hugh at the launch of his casino in Las Vegas.


“He didn’t look twice as I wasn’t blonde!” said Michelle, who is set to showcase her designs at a major Paris trade show next week.


The designs can be bought from £22.50 from Psyche on Linthorpe Road or online.


Looking for love? Here's 10 Valentine's dates to impress in and around Teesside



The Vaccines heading for Teesside after release of new single


Platinum-selling indie rockers The Vaccines are coming to Teesside on their next tour.


The four piece, who have supported the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Rolling Stones since forming in 2010, will play Hartlepool Borough Hall on Saturday, March 28 - the second gig of a nine-date mini tour of the UK.


It coincides with their new single, Handsome, which is released on March 9 and was recorded in New York.


The video to the track - the first to be taken from their forthcoming third album - sees the band take on roles as trained martial arts vigilantes. Details of the album, and a proposed arena tour, are due to be announced soon.


Tickets for the Hartlepool gig are £20 and go on sale on Friday at 10am. Visit http://gigst.rs/TV



Richard Kilty, Chris Tomlinson and Rabah Yousif in Great Britain team for Glasgow International indoor meeting


Teessider Richard Kilty, who won World Indoor Championship 60m gold in a thrilling race with a personal best of 6.49 seconds last March, will compete indoors for the first time since his glorious triumph in Poland this weekend.


The Stockton sprinter is in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the Sainsbury’s Glasgow International Match on Saturday.


And he’ll be one of three Teesside athletes in action.


He’ll be joined by Middlesbrough long jumper Chris Tomlinson the 2008 World Indoor silver medallist, and Thornaby’s Rabah Yousif who runs in the 4x400m relay.


“To be at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow International Match as world champion is really exciting,” said Kilty, the current Gazette Sports Person of the Year.


“This is my first race back as world champion and I’m really excited to get back to Great Britain and perform.


“I’m pretty nervous to get out there, I haven’t competed for about four months.


“I’m sure the crowd will get behind me so I can run a pretty quick time and put in a good performance.”


Conrad Williams will captain a team that also includes former World Junior silver medallist Jessica Judd in the 1500m, Commonwealth Games pole vault silver medallist Luke Cutts and World Junior bronze medallist David Omoregie in the 60m hurdles.


Men’s team: 60m: Richard Kilty; 400m: Conrad Williams (captain); 800m: James Bowness; 1500m: Stephen Mitchell; 60m hurdles: David Omoregie; High jump: Chris Kandu; Pole vault: Luke Cutts; Long jump: Chris Tomlinson; 4x400m: Williams, Rabah Yousif, Richard Buck, Elliot Rutter, Jarryd Dunn.


Women’s team: 60m: Rachel Johncock; 400m: Kelly Massey; 800m: Shelayna Oskan-Clarke; 1500m: Jessica Judd; 60m hurdles: Serita Solomon; Long jump: Jazmin Sawyers; 4x400m: Massey, Seren Bundy-Davies, Emily Diamond, Victoria Ohuruogu.



Recap: Emergency services taking part in mock 'security van armed robbery' exercise


Cleveland Police and other emergency services are today engaged in a major training exercise across Teesside.


Residents may see Cleveland Fire Brigade, North East Ambulance Service, council staff and and NHS England workers responding to a mock breaking incident.


Our reporters and photographers will be providing live updates throughout the day. Also follow our Twitter and Facebook pages.



Man assaulted after being snowballed by a dozen teenagers


A MAN fell to the floor after snowballs were hurled at him by a dozen teenagers - and was then punched in the face.


A 55-year-old man was attacked with snowballs by a large group of teenage men at the foot and cycle pathway near Stainton Way in Middlesbrough which runs from Marton, through Coulby Newham and Hemlington.


Around 12 males in their mid to late teens threw snowballs at the man, who tried to leave but slipped on the snow and fell to the ground.


When he got back to his feet, he was punched to the face by one of the teenagers and was left with facial injuries.


The incident took place at around 5.30pm on Sunday.


Anyone with information is asked to contact Cleveland Police on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.



Knifeman who stabbed man in leg at ex's home loses appeal over 10-year sentence


A thug who was caged for randomly stabbing a man in the leg at his ex’s home today lost an appeal against his sentence.


Paul Christopher Gibson stabbed 25-year-old Craig Gibson twice at the Saltersgill house in October 2013.


The drunken criminal, 30, admitted intentional wounding and was jailed at Teesside Crown Court last June.


He was handed a seven-and-a-half year custodial term, with an extra two-and-a-half years to serve on licence after that.


Today, he complained that that was too harsh, but saw his case thrown out by Lord Justice Beatson, Mr Justice Globe and Mrs Justice Swift.


The Court of Appeal heard the victim had used a phone belonging to his attacker’s ex while at her home.


He accidentally called the thug, who was drunk and immediately headed around to the Forber Road house.


Inside, he threatened the victim with the knife before plunging it twice into his thigh.


The knifeman, of Sandling Court, Marton, already had a long list of convictions to his name.


They included serious assaults, one involving a stabbing at a party and another a bottling.


Lawyers for the attacker today argued that the sentence was too harsh as the crown court judge had wrongly found him to be a ‘dangerous’ offender.


Rejecting the appeal, Mr Justice Globe said: ‘The circumstances of this offence were extremely serious.


“There were numerous examples of violent offending in the past of varying seriousness.


“There were marked similarities between this offending and the other two offences of wounding with a weapon in the recent past.


“There were issues of binge drinking that had continued to cause him to offend in a variety of different ways.


“Not only was the recorder entitled to reach a conclusion that Gibson was a dangerous offender, but this conclusion was justified and correct.’


The sentence was upheld.



British spy agency mass harvested journalists’ emails


File photo of the GCHQ building


A new analysis shows the British spy agency, GCHQ has collected emails to and from journalists working for some of the largest media outlets in the UK and US.


The analysis of documents released by American whistleblower Edward Snowden reveals that emails from the state-run BBC, Reuters, the Guardian, the New York Times, Le Monde, the Sun, NBC and the Washington Post were saved by GCHQ and shared on the agency’s intranet as part of a test exercise by the signals intelligence agency.


The disclosure comes as the British government faces intense pressure to protect the confidential communications of reporters, MPs and lawyers from snooping.


The journalists’ communications were among 70,000 emails harvested in the space of less than 10 minutes on one day in November 2008 by one of GCHQ’s numerous taps on the fiber-optic cables that make up the backbone of the Internet, the Guardian reported Monday.


The communications, which were sometimes simple mass-PR emails sent to dozens of journalists but also included correspondence between reporters and editors discussing stories, were retained by GCHQ and were available to all cleared staff on the agency intranet. There is nothing to indicate whether or not the journalists were intentionally targeted.


The mails appeared to have been captured and stored as the output of a then-new tool being used to strip irrelevant data out of the agency’s tapping process.


New evidence from other UK intelligence documents revealed by Snowden also shows that a GCHQ information security assessment listed “investigative journalists” as a threat in a hierarchy alongside terrorists or hackers.


GHN/GHN



Your Club: Ragworth fight academy, Ragworth


VIEW GALLERY


Club name : Ragworth Fight Academy


Address : Ragworth Neighbourhood Centre, St John’s Way, Ragworth, Stockton-on-Tees


Tell us about your club : We are a dedicated club helping to give kids confidence, work as a team and also keep children off the streets and out of trouble. Adults and children enjoy the fitness and participate in competitions.


How often does your club meet ? Our club runs three days a week. Monday is for children and adults (7-8pm), Tuesdays for adults only (7-8pm) and Thursdays are for children and adults (6-8pm). It’s £2 per person.


No. of people in club : Two coaches Paul Bonnell and Shaun Willans.


When did the club start ? September 2014.


What are the club’s key achievements or have you or your members won any awards ? We have had four wins and a northern area title in the short time we have been open. We have a lot more coming up and we are travelling to Barnsley with five of the team. We are very proud of all our students, they come every week and train hard. We have a great team and support everyone who comes to our club.


Any other information you want to include ? The age group starts from the age of eight and we are sponsored by Ian Kerr Motors Ltd, Thornaby.


Contact number : 07856 212409.


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A66 westbound lane closed: Woman hurt after collision between lorry and car


A woman suffered head injuries after a lorry and a car crashed in Middlesbrough.


The Volvo HGV and a blue Volkswagen Passat estate were involved in the collision on the A66 westbound between the Cargo Fleet interchange and North Ormesby interchange.


The female driver of the Passat was treated for head injuries at the scene.


The accident happened at 11.04am today. One lane was closed, causing delays to traffic.


The Highways Agency has been informed about damage to the central barriers between the carriageways.



Global inequality staggering, wealth gap widening: Oxfam


A beggar is seen in a London street. (file photo)


Global inequality is on the rise as wealth at the disposal of the richest one percent will surpass that of the other 99 percent in 2016, charity organization Oxfam says.


“The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast,” Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima said early on Monday.


The share of the richest one percent in the global wealth rose from 44 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2014, the British organization said in a report, adding that it would be over 50 percent in 2016.


Among the richest, the average wealth per adult stands at USD 2.7 million (2.3 million euros), the report said.


Out of the remaining 52 percent of the global wealth in 2014, nearly all — 46 percent — belongs to the rest of the richest 20 percent, which means the other 80 percent own just 5.5 percent with an average wealth of USD 3,851 (3,330 euros) per adult, the report added.


Oxfam also urged countries to settle tax evasion, improve public services, and adopt living minimum wages, among other moves, in a bid to ensure a fair distribution of wealth.


MSM/NT/AS



Firebombs and pigs heads thrown into mosques as anti-Muslim attacks increase after Paris shootings



Twenty-six mosques around France have been subject to attack by firebombs, gunfire, pig heads, and grenades as Muslims are targeted with violence in the wake of the Paris attacks.




France’s National Observatory Against Islamophobia reports that since last Wednesday a total of 60 Islamophobic incidents have been recorded, with countless minor encounters believed to have gone unreported.


Amongst the incidents, a mosque in Le Mans was hit with four grenades, and gunfire directed through one of its windows.


While Islamophobic incidents are nothing new, there appears to have been a marked increase in attacks in the wake of the shootings at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.


French police stand guard in front of the entrance of the Paris Grand Mosque


Muslim-owned businesses including restaurants have also been targeted with bomb attacks.


Other incidents include racist graffiti, theats, and intimindation.


Senior French politicians have warned against linking the gunmen with peaceful Muslims, of which France has the biggest population in Europe.


French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said last week that the word “Islamist” should not be used to described the murderers, but rather “terrorist”.


For More:


http://ind.pn/1Cwf0qF




Live: Emergency services taking part in mock 'security van armed robbery' exercise


Cleveland Police and other emergency services are today engaged in a major training exercise across Teesside.


Residents may see Cleveland Fire Brigade, North East Ambulance Service, council staff and and NHS England workers responding to a mock breaking incident.


Our reporters and photographers will be providing live updates throughout the day. Also follow our Twitter and Facebook pages.



Wish: Grangetown Netball Club in Wish appeal to improve equipment


Netball fans are hoping for help in boosting their equipment.


Grangetown Netball Club meets three times a week where members train across a host of levels.


Now they have signed up to the Gazette Wish campaign in the hope of raising money to buy new equipment.


Geraldine Williams, from the group, said: “We are a netball club that play at national club level. We represent Middlesbrough all over the country.


“Also we have a thriving junior section that plays competitively and for fun.”


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


Each registered group will be guaranteed a share of our £40,000 fund.


The more tokens a group collects, the bigger its share of the prize pot. Tokens are now appearing daily in The Gazette. The last token will appear on Wednesday January 21.


Submissions for tokens will close at 5pm on Monday, February 23.


Grangetown Netball Club, which is based at Grangetown Youth and Community Centre, meets Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, usually from around 6pm till 10pm.


Last year the group raised money through the Wish campaign to buy a scoreboard for their premier league games.


To help them this year send your tokens to: Grangetown YCC, Broadway, Grangetown, Middlesbrough TS6 7HP.



US engaged in ‘constant destabilization’ of Middle East


Recent terror attacks in the Western world are a reaction to US wars in the Middle East and the “constant destabilization” of countries in that region, a former US Marine and journalist in California says.



“There are a lot of people with very, very sincere attitudes against the United States right now that are largely a response to the US wars in the Middle East, to the constant destabilization of Middle East nations,” Tim King said.


“When the United States wages attacks year after year after year after year, making reference to constant to terrorism, that eventually the chicken is going to come home to roost,” King told Press TV on Monday.


King, however, acknowledged “the problem is not as large as its being made out to be.”


He made the comments after a top Republican US senator said on Sunday the country has to assume there are some “sleeper cells” within the US that would like to carry out a terror attack.


Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, however, did not specify any specific cells and made the assumption based on recent attacks in France, Australia and Canada.


“What you’re seeing happen in Europe, you’re seeing how widespread that is,” the senator who is the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee said on Fox News. “I think you have to assume that that is a risk that we have to consider.”


AHT/GJH



Woman attacked police officers as they arrested her for attempted robbery


A woman attacked two police officers as they arrested her for an attempted robbery on a town centre street.


Rachel Allan pleaded guilty yesterday at Teesside Crown Court over the incident in Stockton on January 3.


The 25-year-old admitted attempting to rob a woman of her handbag and contents in Yarm Lane, Stockton, and assaulting two police officers in the execution of their duties.


Prosecutor Paul Lee said that there was 15 to 20 seconds of CCTV footage of the attacks which could be shown at a sentencing hearing.


Julian Gaskin, defending, said that Allan had a history of substance abuse, and she was keeping up with authorities who were involved, and she was also on a curfew.


Judge Peter Bowers extended bail for Allan for a pre-sentence report and he said that she would be sentenced on February 9.



Hardline Lanka Buddhists to launch party, say inspired by BJP, RSS


Within Sri Lanka, the BBS is largely viewed as a fringe element —- and even a sort of religious police —- that raises questions about the influence of minority vote banks, alleges illegal foreign funding in businesses run by minorities, levels allegations of religious conversions by minorities, and reportedly organises attacks on churches and mosques, particularly in neighbourhoods with a significant minority population.


Within a year of its formation, the group gained notoriety for its drive against Christians in the country. The Sena went on to target Muslims with a major clash in June 2014 in two Muslim-majority towns, on the Sinhalese-dominated southern coast, killing four people.




This is one overseas fan base that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party BJP would not wish to flaunt.


“We wish we had a leader like Narendra Modi,” says Dilantha Withanage, chief executive of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), the hardline Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist organisation that was accused of attacking Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka last year, which led to Mahinda Rajapaksa losing the votes of the minorities and the presidential elections this month.


Speaking to The Indian Express, Withanage said that his group, which is registered as a company in the island nation, is also inspired by the BJP and RSS and that it would soon launch “a party modelled on these Indian ventures to protect Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka”.


“We have a very positive understanding with Modi,” Withanage said. “We admire him as a leader. Unofficially, there have been personal relations and talks with RSS and BJP leaders…We will soon launch active political talks with our Indian counterparts.”


Claiming that the portrayal of BBS as a religious terrorist organisation was similar to the situation faced by Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots, Withanage said, “We are not against any religion. We don’t spread hatred against anyone. But it’s true that we do deliver hard speeches on certain truths that we believe in, to protect Buddhist values in Sri Lanka.”


He added that what his organisation does in Sri Lanka for the majority Buddhist religion “is inspired by what the RSS and BJP do in India”.


“There are lots of similarities between India and Sri Lanka,” Withanage said. “Both of us face threats from Muslims and minorities who are actively engaged in conversions. When Sinhalese families have a child or two, minorities have half a dozen or more. When foreign money plays behind such activities, we need to resist. So Modi and his party is a great inspiration for us,” he added.


BBS was formed by a group of hardliners who broke away in 2012 from the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), or the National Heritage Party, with the avowed aim of “protecting Buddhism”. The Sena has its headquarters in Colombo, at the Buddhist Cultural Centre that was opened by Rajapaksa in 2011.


According to local media reports, BBS members also



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Bargain Buys will open this week at Cleveland Retail Park creating 20 new jobs


Discount brand store Bargain Buys will open in Middlesbrough this week, creating 20 new jobs for the town.


The tills will start ringing at the store on Cleveland Retail Park on Friday.


The Poundworld Retail-owned chain, which also has a branch in Stockton, Newcastle and Leeds, is set to rival major discount chains Home Bargains and B&M.


The group claims the UK discount sector is currently worth an estimated £10bn, as value retailers including Lidl, Aldi and Poundworld continue to steal market share from the major supermarkets.


As part of opening celebrations Bargain Buys, which will open next-door to Marks and Spencer on the retail park, is teaming up with local children’s charity, Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice. Volunteers from the charity will be raising money to help the Middlesbrough hospice provide palliative, respite and end-of-life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years old suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.


Clare Freer, store manager at Bargain Buys said: “We’re really excited to be opening our first Middlesbrough store and we can’t wait to see how the new brand is received by savvy shoppers looking for an amazing deal.


“We’re anticipating a busy opening with thousands of bargain hunters expected across the opening weekend looking to make the most of the final January sale deals.”


Bargain Buys is a new value brand to join the UK market and the chain plans to open 20 stores in the next six months. Created by the same father and son team behind single-priced retailer Poundworld, the store at Cleveland Retail Park will be the 25th to open in the UK.



Motor neurone disease patients can receive free complementary therapies at Middlesbrough's Trinity Holistic Centre


Patients with motor neurone disease can receive free complementary therapies at the Trinity Holistic Centre in Middlesbrough.


The centre, which has previously only provided free treatments to cancer patients, has joined forces with the Mike Findley MND Fund to extend its services to anyone suffering from the progressive neurological condition.


“It’s a big thing because it could pave the way nationally,” said Mike Findley, who was diagnosed with MND 10 years ago.


“There has not been a lot of research into the benefits of complementary therapies for MND patients and at the end of the project a report will be shared with the MND Association.


“I’m genuinely excited, and hopefully it will open a few doors.”


Based at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, the Trinity Holistic Centre helps thousands of patients every year by providing therapies such as massage, acupuncture and reflexology to support their treatment. The centre also offers private clinics and classes to help raise much-needed funds.


“We have known for a while that what we do for people with cancer we could do for others and this is a brilliant opportunity for us to dip our toe in the water and see if we do have some impact,” said Heather McLean, the centre’s business manager.


The Mike Findley MND Fund, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this September, has raised £155,000 since its launch in 2005.


Last year it was named as one of the chosen charities of former Redcar and Cleveland Mayor Councillor Vic Jeffries and it is this extra funding that has enabled Mike and his wife Judith to approach the Trinity Holistic Centre and hand over a cheque for £2,500 to fund the first 100 complementary sessions.


“It’s a special year so it’s great that we can do something different,” said Mike.


“The majority of the money we raise goes to research but we also like to help local people and this will give people something to look forward to and a chance to relax.”


To find out more about the Trinity Holistic Centre visit http://bit.ly/1J6qVOh or for more details on the Mike Findley MND Fund go to mikefindleymndfund.com/