Students For Justice in Palestine Hides True Intentions

[The poster on the Left is part of the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s new “Jew Hatred on Campus” Campaign.]

Reprinted from The Huntington News.

Next week, our campus will be hosting Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), a series of events hosted by Students For Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters across the country. It is time that this event and this group are exposed for what they truly are. SJP does not stand for justice, instead they are a hate group and a more fitting definition of the acronym would be, “Students for Jewish Persecution.”

Let’s start with the naming of IAW. The use of the word “apartheid” in conjunction with Israel is not only false, but an insult to those who actually experienced true apartheid in South Africa. Most simply stated, there is no country in the Middle East that gives Arabs or other minorities more freedom than Israel does. Arabs can own land, vote, practice their chosen religion and speak their minds.

SJP uses IAW as an attempt to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish State. They promote what they refer to as “the Palestinian narrative,” which is nothing more than an attempt to rewrite history, where true historical facts are rendered irrelevant. All I can say to that is that narratives are what you want history to be. History is what actually happened. The close to 1 million Jews who were thrown out of the neighboring Arab countries at the time of Israel’s founding that are ignored in the “Palestinian narrative.”

In their campaign of terror, instead of advising civilians to take shelter, Hamas requires Palestinian civilians to stand on rooftops to increase their casualty counts. At the same time, Hamas leaders line their pockets with funds from international aid, while redirecting other resources to the construction of terror. Yet, when Israel fights back and defends itself, SJP shares gruesome pictures from other countries such as Syria, ignoring the flagrant violations of human rights. This is done to demonize Israel.

Earlier this semester I had the displeasure of sitting through an SJP chapter meeting. During introductions, everyone went around and said their name and preferred gender pronoun. This is ironic since homosexuality is a capital offense in Gaza and much of the Middle East, while Tel Aviv is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in the world. Sharing such facts has elicited accusations of “pinkwashing” from NU SJP in the past, the irrational idea that Israel hides human rights violations (that don’t actually exist) by promoting their great record of LGBTQ rights.

SJP tries to hide their naked anti-Semitism by partnering with groups with misnomers such as Jewish Voice for Peace. Throughout history, whenever a new group arises to try and destroy the Jews, there have been members of the tribe assisting them. For months, SJP had its Facebook profile picture in support of convicted terrorist Rasmea Odeh. Other chapters have held fundraisers for her.

Legitimate criticism of Israel is perfectly acceptable.

Israel is the Jewish State and Zionism is the belief in this state and the right to Jewish self-determination. When you are against the right of the only Jewish State to exist and survive and use all methods to delegitimize and demonize Israel, then you are against the Jewish people. No amount of verbal gymnastics by SJP can deny this fact. Let me be explicitly clear: anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.

It is here that I must commend Hamas. In their charter, they very clearly call for the destruction of the Jewish people. They do not shy away from what their real goals are. So I ask, when will SJP take off its mask and admit its true intentions?

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MPI could become UK hub for materials research

A centre for industrial materials research is positioning itself as a UK hub.

The Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in South Bank was first founded almost 70 years ago. It became the research and development (R&D) arm of British Steel and more recently Tata Steel, before returning to its independent status in November.

The Institute has opened its doors to companies outside the steel sector to make use of its top class R&D facilities, in its bid to become the go-to ‘Catapult’ centre in the UK for industrial materials R&D.

The MPI won the backing of an MP and a prospective parliamentary candidate during a recent visit.

Iain Wright, the MP for Hartlepool and Shadow Minister for Industry and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Anna Turley – whose Redcar constituency would cover the Institute’s South Bank headquarters – met with MPI Managing Director and CEO Chris McDonald.

Mr McDonald spoke in depth about plans to have the Institute developed as a Catapult Centre for UK industry.

Catapults, under Innovate UK - formerly the Government’s Technology Strategy Board - are technology and innovation centres where UK businesses, scientists and engineers can work side by side on research and development.

He said: “It was a very productive meeting. With the General Election looming I’m fully aware that they cannot make promises, but they both did repeatedly say throughout our meeting that the Institute is recognised locally, nationally and internationally.

“They see us as a big player, and Iain said we could prove to be very important in helping to shape Government policy on industrial supply chains.”

It specialises in challenging processes, particularly those involving high temperatures, hostile environments and high specification materials.

The centre’s work in providing innovation support to the UK’s foundation industries and materials producers was important, he added.

“The success of this sector is vital to generating growth in high value manufacturing and the Institute helps these industries to be globally competitive.”

Mr Wright said: “We need to step up and think about our economic future because other nations are snapping at our heels, and how we can use materials in a smarter way.

“I want the MPI to thrive, because locally, nationally and internationally it is vital.”

Anna Turley added: “It is always fantastic to come to the Institute and see the brilliant work that is being done here.

“I totally support the future of the processing industry in this area. It is the beating heart of the UK economy and I will do all I can to support it. There is so much potential in this field across the area, and the MPI is a key part of it.”

While the organisation still undertakes a substantial amount of project work for Tata Steel, it believes becoming an independent not-for-profit entity once again will not only benefit its customers, but UK trade in general.

RPD Builders bounces back from downturn to hit £1m turnover

Building and construction firm, RPD Builders, is celebrating after hitting the £1m turnover mark and tripling its workforce.

During the recession, construction suffered and the Billingham firm, which specialises in domestic and commercial building and construction projects, operated with only two members of staff as work stagnated.

However, the company has bounced back and now employs six permanent members of staff, with regular subcontractors and has hit the milestone turnover.

Established in 2002 by Peter Davison, an experienced builder and site manager, RPD Builders’ expertise ranges from domestic house modifications, such as extensions and conversions, to commercial projects of almost any scope or size.

Peter Davison, Managing Director of family-run RPD Builders, said: “When the recession hit, times were tough in the construction sector generally and we definitely took a hit.

“It’s taken a lot of determination and dedication to get things moving in the right direction again, but we have turned it around and our outlook is very positive, culminating in job creation and hitting £1m turnover.

“With falling inflation and an economy that is now growing, many home-owners have more in terms of disposable income and people are investing in their homes in a way we haven’t seen for several years. This is encouraging for job creation and it would be fantastic if I could help open doors for more young people looking to enter the industry, having come a long way from learning my trade as an apprentice in bricklaying.

“As a company, we have our sights set on completing more public sector contracts and we’re looking forward to reaching more milestones.”

Dad in court over lock knife and heroin - three days after birth of his child

A young dad caught with a lock knife and a wrap of heroin is now a prisoner in his own home at nights under a tagged curfew - days after the birth of his child.

Martin Peter Chambers was arrested “on the peripheries” of an incident in Brotton, searched and found to have the knife and Class A drug on January 31.

The 33-year-old told police he had forgotten he had the items in his jacket, prosecutor Alan Davison told Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

Chambers, of High Street, Brotton, admitted having a knife in a public place and possessing heroin in breach of a conditional discharge.

He had no violence on his record but numerous convictions for drugs possession.

The Probation Service said Chambers was prescribed anti-depressants following the death of his father from motor neurone disease two years ago.

He said the drugs were for his own use and admitted he did not consider the consequences of his actions when under the influence of drugs.

His partner gave birth to his daughter on Monday, the court was told today.

John Nixon, defending, said Chambers was entitled to have a penknife up to three-and-a-half inches long.

This knife was less than one-and-a-half inches long but fell foul of the law because of its locking mechanism.

“It’s quite exceptional really,” said Mr Nixon.

Chambers said he was able to do unpaid community work, but Mr Nixon doubted whether he had “the necessary resolve or ability or fitness”.

Mr Nixon added: “His personality is very fragile indeed. He has struggled enormously in the past.”

District Judge Stephen Harmes gave Chambers a community order with a three-month tagged curfew between 9pm and 7am.

Chambers is already under another community order with supervision and drug rehabilitation until December.

Connor Ripley may go out on loan next season after impressing coaching staff

Connor Ripley has impressed Aitor Karanka this season on and off the training pitch and hinted the young keeper may go out on loan next season.

The 22-year-old is a regular member of the Boro Under-21 development team but hasn’t played for the first team since January 2012.

It appears, though, that he’s impressed Karanka and the club’s goalkeeping coach Leo Percovich.

The Boro boss won’t make a decision about sending Ripley out on loan until the summer but the fact that he’s named him on the bench four times already this year suggests he’s in his thoughts.

“My thoughts are at the moment we need to know where we will be next season but as always we will take the right decision for everybody,” said Karanka when asked if, following Dimi Konstantopoulos’s new deal, he won’t need to bring in any more keepers.

Dimi Konstantopoulos and Aitor Karanka

“I can’t say anything now because next season I need to think about what is going to happen in pre-season because I don’t want to keep Connor here as a (third) keeper.

“I think he is a very good keeper, he has a lot of potential but he needs to play.

"So this season we thought that for him the way to get him better was to train with us in the first team squad but I think his next step is to play games.

“I trust 100% in him because he has improved a lot with us, his behaviour is very good, he is good character for the training room so we will have to think about the future.”

Staff at Eaglescliffe nursery feel 'lucky' after intruders broke in but stole nothing

Staff at a children’s nursery have spoken of their shock after intruders broke into the premises overnight but left empty-handed.

The incident at Glenfield Nursery School, on Albert Road, Eaglescliffe was reported to police at about 7.15am today when staff arrived to open up.

From the outside nothing appeared to have been disturbed but upon opening the front door and entering the hallway, staff immediately knew something wasn’t right.

Deputy teacher Joanne Rocks was the first member of staff to arrive at the nursery to discover evidence of the disturbance.

She said: “I saw the drawers open in the hallway first and I just knew. I knew that when we went out they were all closed. I phoned the police.”

The intruders gained access to the nursery from the back, through a small window of the staff room. They also gained entry through a window in the staff kitchen, which staff believe may have been forced open with a screwdriver.

Glenfield Nursey School, Albert Road, Eaglescliffe, broken into overnight, where they got in. Teesside. 26.02.15.

Principal teacher Jean Brown said: “I could not believe it when I found out there had been a break in.

“We have been here for 23 years and we have never had any trouble. It gave us a shock.”

Staff at the nursery, which looks after children from the age of six weeks to school age, also confirmed that nothing had been stolen.

Jean said: “We have been lucky because they have not touched the toys in the nursery. They have not taken anything.

“They have opened all the drawers. All of the paperwork has been pulled out. They have just messed everything up.

“I think they have been looking for money but we don’t keep any here. There is no cash on the premises.

“We have got security lights all around the building but we will be increasing security.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.

Watch: Driver has lucky escape near Lazenby after car caught fire following collision

A driver had a lucky escape after a car caught fire following a collision on a busy Teesside road.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the incident near Lazenby at the A174 Greystones roundabout.

The vehicle involved set on fire and the road was closed at about 6.30pm tonight causing traffic delays.

Cleveland Police confirmed that all occupants of the vehicle escaped, with minor injuries, before the fire took hold.

One lane remained closed in each direction for vehicle recovery work.

The circumstances of the collision will be investigated.

Any witnesses to the collision or to the driving before the collision are being sought by police.

Anyone with information can call 101 and contact PC Mark Pearson quoting incident CVP-15-032439.

Video credit: Christopher Hugill

Jewish settlers torch mosque in West Bank

A group of Jewish settlers on Wednesday morning torched a mosque near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, Anadolu news agency reported.

The news agency also reported that the Jewish settlers sprayed anti-Arab slogans on the walls of the mosque.

“The settlers stormed Al-Jabaa village at 4am and torched Al-Huda Mosque,” the head of the village’s council, Noman Hamdan, told Anadolu.

“The fire caused considerable damage to the mosque before it was put out by the local residents,” he said.

“The settlers also sprayed racist phrases against Arabs and Muslims, including ‘death to Arabs!’ on the mosque’s walls,” Hamdan added.

Several attacks, called “price-tagging”, of Jewish settlers targeting Muslim mosques and cemeteries and even private property such as cars, have recently been reported in areas across Israel and the occupied West Bank.

“Price-tagging” refers to a strategy adopted by extremist Jewish settlers who attack Palestinians and their property in retaliation for being driven out from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Such attacks have recently increased in in Israel and the West Bank.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said that the Israeli police received a note about the blaze and that police staff arrived at the scene later on in order to write a report and start an investigation into the incident.

Images from Anadolu Agency.

Young Middlesbrough boxer steps into the ring for headstone in memory of baby Teagan

A young boxer is throwing all his weight behind a championship effort to raise cash in memory of his girlfriend’s 15-month-old baby sister, who tragically lost her life to meningitis.

“Gorgeous” little Teagan Jones fell ill in November and died just a few days later at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.

Teagan’s parents, John Jones and Tracy Beedle, of Brambles Farm in Middlesbrough, and her brothers and sisters, were all left devastated by the tot’s death.

Now Liam Lillystone, the boyfriend of Teagan’s eldest sister Chloe Jones, 16, is stepping into the ring to raise cash for a headstone for the much-loved little girl.

Liam, 15, of Thorntree, will be heading up to Birtley in Tyne and Wear on Saturday, where he’ll be fighting for the junior title at the ABA (Amateur Boxing Association) championships.

He’s been sponsored by family, friends and acquaintances for the fight - and some have even said they’ll double their sponsorship if he wins.

Teagan Jones in hospital

Liam’s dad Anthony Lillystone, who helps coach his son at East Middlesbrough Boxing Gym, said: “He had this idea completely off his own back. It makes you so proud to hear him say he’s boxing for that little girl.

“It hit Chloe’s family really hard, and it’s hit us as well. Early last year, one of our twins, Liam’s brother, had something similar and we thought we were going to lose him.

“We’re lucky - he’s still here - but Teagan’s gone.

“We wanted people to know about what Liam’s doing because I think it’s important as well to raise awareness of meningitis, and to show that if a 15-year-old boy can do something like this, everyone else can do things as well.”

Liam, an Ormesby School pupil who also lives with step-mum Lisa Gill and siblings Tia, five, and three-year-old twins Harvey and Harrison, said: “I was already going to be boxing anyway, so I just thought it would be a good chance to raise some money.”

Teagan Jones in hospital

Teagan and Chloe’s dad John, who also has children Stacey, 14, Leon, eight, Paige, six and three-year-old Mason, said: “Our family thinks the world of Liam, and he thinks the world of Chloe.

“I think it’s fantastic what he’s doing.

“Teagan was a gorgeous little girl. If I ever woke up in a bad mood, as you do sometimes, she would always put a smile on my face.

“One day she was fine, the next day her breathing started going funny and she had a bit of a temperature.

“We were told to give her three days but she just got worse within that time.”

Teagan died on November 24 as a result of a combination of meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia.

“I think it’s a shame we don’t have an ECMO machine in this area - that’s why she was taken to Newcastle,” added John.

“It’s a machine that works the heart, lungs and liver.

“If we could raise some money and get one of those machines here that would be great as well.”

Anyone wanting to sponsor Liam can send him a message via Facebook http://on.fb.me/1Ax3HR1 .

Beamish in the Boro: Shoppers transported back to 1950s with retro caravan visit

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Shoppers were transported back to a 1950s caravan holiday when a part of Beamish museum was brought to Teesside.

Complete with stripey deckchairs and traditional bunting, visitors were welcomed to look around a 1950s-refurbished Wanda caravan, including through cupboards packed with pantry items from the era such as Omo washing powder and CMS Custard Powder.

There was even a game of Tiddley Winks on offer.

It was all part of a campaign by Beamish to encourage people to nominate their own homes, or their childhood homes, to be replicated in a planned 1950s town at the museum.

Beamish workers are also hoping to hear people’s memories of the decade as well as asking for help in building a collection of items to go inside the homes.

The caravan, which also visited Redcar earlier this month, was in Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, today and will be on Stockton high Street this Saturday.

Volunteers, Margaret and Frank Jefferson in the caravan

Visitors were shown around by Beamish volunteers Frank and Margaret Jefferson, and learned more about the “Remaking Beamish” build plans from workers Matthew Henderson and Lisa Peacock.

The Nominate Your House project is asking people to help decide which style of 1950s semi-detached social housing should be built in its planned town.

The winning house will be decided by a public vote and the person who made the nomination will even get the chance to stay overnight in the finished exhibit as part of the opening celebrations.

Lisa said: “People have been very interested in what we’re doing. It’s about living memory so hearing people’s stories is very important to us.”

Richard Evans, Beamish’s director, said: “We’re extremely excited to be offering people this unique chance for their home to become part of history, being recreated at Beamish.

“Our 1950s town will tell the stories of the North East’s communities during an important decade of change. What better way to do this than by recreating the real homes of real people, to be shared with more than half a million visitors each year?”

Beamish has received initial support of a £10.75m Heritage Lottery Fund grant for the project.

Visit http://bit.ly/1Ax3HQP .

US Gen. Breedlove concerned about Putin’s reaction over arming Ukraine

The head of US European Command is concerned about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reaction to Washington’s decision to send weapons to Ukraine.

“Clearly, we don’t know what Mr. Putin will do,” Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove said on Wednesday. “I think that we have to be cognizant it could cause positive results, it could cause negative results.”

The top US general in Europe also noted the Obama administration is considering whether to arm Ukrainian forces in fighting against pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

“Right now, we are not arming the Ukrainian with lethal weapons and what we see is Russia continues to build up its force,” Gen. Breedlove claimed. “What is clear is that right now, it is not getting better, it is getting worse every day.”

The NATO supreme allied commander in Europe, however, said sending heavy weapons would not help the Ukrainian forces.

The general said the Pentagon is planning to train 600 Ukrainian forces in the western part of the country next month.

Moscow would not remain indifferent to such “provocative actions” and “will have to respond appropriately,” said Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in reference to US plans to arm Ukraine.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been strained over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Washington accuses Moscow of arming and supporting pro-Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, calls the accusations “groundless.”

For More;

http://bit.ly/18qlm2j

Geordie Shore's Vicky Pattison tackles a parmo with Billingham man on Dinner Date

Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison wasn't quite won over by a parmo cooked up by Teesside oil rig worker during TV's Dinner Date.

But while Mike Thornton, of Billingham, failed to tickle the Geordie Shore star’s tastebuds, she nevertheless chose him from three Celebrity Dinner Date contestants for a follow-up date on the ITVBe show.

The show - “where people hope to find true love through their love of good food” - saw Vicky visit the homes of three single lads who each cooked her a three course meal.

Based on their food and company, she then had to choose only one for a follow-up date.

And it was offshore engineer Mike, 25, who Vicky plumped for, his take on Teesside’s signature dish having been beamed to the nation.

During the show, Vicky was tempted by Mike’s menu: offshore fish cakes with spicy salsa, Teesside chicken parmesan with cheeky monkey chunky chips and raspberry meringue bomb.

Vicky, 27, said: “It’s pretty straightfoward. It’s a chicken parmo, a North-east delicacy.”

Watch the show HERE on ITV Player

Viewers then saw Mike preparing his parmo - which included plenty of bechamel sauce - before serving it up to her.

But Mike, who admitted to being single for 16 months - largely because he spends so much time working away - reckoned Vicky was certainly to his taste.

“I definitely fancy her - dating a celebrity is right up my street!" he says in the show.

After the three-course meal, Mike and Vicky even enjoyed a snuggle on the sofa before their date night ended.

And the Billingham lad looked like the cat who’d got the cream when Vicky knocked on his door, having chosen him for a follow-up lunch date at Norton’s Cafe Lilli.

Explaining why she selected Mike, Vicky said: “It wasn’t the best food - at all - but I don’t think that’s what was important.

"There was enough banter for the parmo not to matter. I think there was a bit of chemistry between me and Mike.”

And Mike gave Vicky a three out of three “star” rating, saying: “She’s massively up my street.”

But one month later, Vicky and Mike had yet to have a third date - and Mike was back on the rigs.

Read more about Teesside fave the Parmo

Man, 63, verbally abused and punched taxi driver after drinking five pints

A 63-year-old widower has been given a £1,250 bill by the courts for attacking a taxi driver - an assault he still denies.

Thomas Petch, formerly of Guisborough, was with two other men who took a taxi from Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough at 2am on July 19 last year.

The cabbie said he was verbally abused during the journey until he got sick of it, parked the car and asked the men to get out.

He said he was punched in the face causing swelling and an injury to his lip, said prosecutor Alan Davison at Teesside Magistrates’ Court today.

Petch denied the assault and was found guilty by magistrates after a trial.

He was in breach of a conditional discharge imposed almost three weeks before the incident.

Kate Clark, defending, said Petch still denied the offence.

He told a probation worker he had drunk about five pints before the incident, his first drink in over a year as he only drank at celebrations and family gatherings.

Petch had moved from Guisborough when his wife died in October 2013 after a short illness and he now lived with his son and granddaughter.

He was self-employed and renovated properties to sell or rent.

District Judge Stephen Harmes told Petch: “This was a stupid mistake.

“You’ve been convicted of punching a taxi driver who was trying to do a public service. That makes it serious.”

Petch, now of Mill Lane, Brigg, North Lincolnshire, was fined £750 and ordered to pay £250 compensation and £250 costs.

Legal action after death of woman who washed husband’s asbestos-contaminated overalls

The family of a Skelton woman who used to wash her husband’s asbestos-contaminated overalls is taking legal action over her death.

Mary Pointer died last year after a short battle with mesothelioma - a cancer of the lung’s linings usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Before her death aged 86 in April 2014, Mary and her son Darryl instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate her asbestos exposure, which she claimed occurred when she washed her husband Ronald’s work overalls.

Ronald, to whom she was married for 45 years, died in 1999, aged 85.

He worked for the CEGB at Marchwood Power Station by the River Test in Southampton from around 1955 to 1970 in the boiler room before becoming a turbine operator.

Mary had explained how his overalls were often covered in dust, which she would regularly inhale when shaking them out and washing them.

The CEGB - Central Electricity Generating Board - was responsible for electricity generation in England and Wales from 1957 until privatisation in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Marchwood Power Station was allocated to Powergen, now E.ON, on privatisation of the CEGB in 1989/90.

The firm has now launched legal proceedings against energy firm E.ON on the family’s behalf.

Mary, Ronald and Darryl Pointer

Roger Maddocks, a partner in the asbestos-related disease team at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This is a tragic case in which a widow died of mesothelioma caused simply by inhaling asbestos dust as she cleaned her husband’s overalls and their bedding in the 1960s.

“Mary’s son Darryl is devastated by the loss of his mother, particularly as the disease was caused by her taking care of her family.

“Mesothelioma is an aggressive illness which causes a great deal of pain and distress for victims like Mary and we have now issued court proceedings and hope that we can finally find some answers for Darryl.”

Darryl Pointer, 50, of Leeming Bar, said: “I was absolutely distraught seeing my mum deteriorate so quickly and seeing her go through so much pain at the end of her life.

"She was a devoted wife and mother, but she was not warned of the dangers of asbestos and shouldn’t have been in a position to be exposed to the deadly dust.

“No amount of money will make up for the loss of my mum, but we hope that by issuing court proceedings we will be able to secure justice for her and honour her memory after losing her in such a terrible way.”

An E.ON spokesman said: “We can confirm that legal proceedings were received today.

"It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to discuss further details at this time.”

Man arrested in pink pyjamas during police drug raid avoids prison sentence

A man who was arrested wearing pink pyjamas during an early morning drug raid has avoided going to jail.

Thomas David Joyce was arrested after police carried out a raid at a property in Middlesbrough.

Officers broke down the door and searched the Grove Hill property before arresting the 22-year-old.

He was seen coming out of the property flanked by officers, in handcuffs and wearing pink pyjama bottoms and a red T-shirt with “Weekend Offender” on it.

Police also recovered cannabis worth £300-£400 from the property.

The raid was carried out on April 16 last year.

Joyce, of Harwell, Redcar, appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court last month, where he admitted a charge of possession of a Class B drug.

He was given a 12-month community order.

As part of the order he must carry out 40 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £165 costs.

The raid was part of a drugs operation in the Grove Hill estate.

Several raids were carried out after police received information about suspected drug activity from members of the local community.

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Police Constable James Gallafant said: “We will always act upon information that we receive from the local community regarding drug activity and we will work together with our partners, using all the powers available to us, to bring to an end the misery that drug activity brings with it.

“We would continue to encourage people to come forward on 101 or contact Cleveland Community Drug Enforcement Team on 0800 0929 702.”

Officers from Middlesbrough integrated neighbourhood team took part in the raids and they were joined by colleagues from Specialist operations, the motorcycle section, dog section and the community drugs enforcement team.

Sergeant Peter Graham, who led the raid said at the time said: “I think it is good for residents to see us doing operations like this and hopefully it will give people more confidence to tell us about any criminal activity.

“We are particularly keen to encourage people to contact us through our social media pages on Twitter and Facebook.”

Supermassive black hole swallows accepted theories

Astronomers have discovered a black hole that is 12 billion times more massive than the sun.

The new finding, described in a study published in science weekly Nature on Wednesday, could challenge a generally accepted theory about how black holes are formed.

The supermassive black hole, estimated to have been formed only 875 million years after the big bang, is the largest black hole ever spotted for that period, when the universe was just six percent of its current age.

This questions the rate at which the black holes grow as they do so relatively slowly by vacuuming gas and other stars that get too close.

“Forming such a large black hole so quickly is hard to interpret with current theories,” said Dr. Fuyan Bian, from the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University, and author of the paper that appeared in the journal.

As they absorb mass, black holes create radiation pressure, which pushes away the mass, setting a limit for growth.

The fact that the newly-found black hole has so much mass questions the limit factor.

“How do you build such a big black hole in such a short time?” asks Xue-Bing Wu of China’s Peking University, the lead author of the study.

The team that spotted the black hole used telescopes in China, Hawaii, Arizona, and Chile.

NT/AS/MHB

Man died from multiple injuries after fall from ninth floor Fleet House window - inquest hears

A man died from multiple injuries after falling from a ninth floor window at a block of flats, an inquest heard.

Michael “Mick” Douglas Sykes was found outside Fleet House tower block on Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough, four days before Christmas.

An inquest into Mr Sykes’s death held at Teesside Coroner’s Court today heard that the 36-year-old had been drinking and taken prescription drugs before falling from the open window of his flat at 6.47pm on Sunday, December 21, last year.

The inquest heard that Mr Sykes’s body was found in the garden of Fleet House by another resident who was returning home from Middlesbrough town centre at about 9.30pm the same day.

An ambulance was called but a paramedic at the scene confirmed that Mr Sykes had died.

A police investigation found there were no suspicious circumstances.

Fleet House

A post-mortem examination concluded that Mr Sykes had died as a result of multiple injuries.

Acting Teesside coroner Clare Bailey said: “Mick suffered internal injuries that he wasn’t able to survive.”

Turning to members of Mr Sykes’s family who were present, Mrs Bailey confirmed that there had not been any indication that Mr Sykes was having suicidal thoughts around the time of his death.

A toxicology report revealed that Mr Sykes had alcohol levels in his blood equivalent to being three times the drink driving limit as well as “therapeutic levels” of prescription drugs in his system.

Mrs Bailey said: “This would have played a part in his behaviour.

“It’s all worked together and would have impacted on Mick and what he was doing.”

Because Mr Sykes was alone when he fell, Mrs Bailey explained that she couldn’t be sure that Mr Sykes had intended to take his own life.

Recording a narrative verdict, she concluded that Mr Sykes had died as a result of the fall.

Flashback: The sale of Emerson during Boro's Promotion Campaign of 1997-98

These are marvellous times to be a Boro fan in the second tier, inarguably the greatest in more than a decade and a half.

The buzz that Aitor Karanka and his men have restored to the area, culminating in the late, late table-topping win on Blackpool's Displeasurable Beach, have sent the Parmo Army into a state of ecstasy.

The late goals in that game were proof, if proof were needed, how success from the least likely and most unexpected of sources can define a promotion campaign – a Jonathan Woodgate goal, a Kike header. It's as much about unpredictability as efficiency.

And a certain Emerson was full of the former.

In January, The Gazette's own Eric Paylor named the famous curly-haired star as one of the contenders for Boro's Greatest Ever Player. The third of Boro's three famous “Samba Kings” (although Branco was king in size only), Emerson was described as the kind who would (take) to the pitch like a powerhouse, dominate games from start to finish and leave us all gobsmacked.

At the time, I concurred, commenting that he was the perfect midfielder, an anchorman, playmaker, destroyer and match-winner rolled into one... on his day.

Emerson celebrates his goal

Therein lay the problem. Building the team around him during a season when his off-days were more likely than his on-days was never going to be healthy. It's documented that his move to Tenerife came about because of his off-field activities, but it's also been said that the best of Emerson's league form for Boro deserted him after his troublesome trip home to Brazil. This is simply not the case.

Eyebrows were raised when, for whatever reason, Emerson chose to commit himself to Boro when we were relegated in 1997, even though Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli would soon depart. Yet it would appear that Ravanelli's move away enabled both Paul Merson and Emerson to find both form and an understanding. With the moody, broody White Feather gone, back came the defence splitting passes, thunderous blockbusters and the kind of energy we had only seen in fits and starts from the trip to Rio onwards.

Still etched in the memory are his superb through ball for Merson away to Ipswich, his deadlock-breaking drive in Boro's first ever match at the Stadium Of Light from a Merson pull-back, and a full-hearted farewell display at home to Reading that prompted a flood of Christmas cards from Boro fans wanting him to stay.

He had that knack of popping up at the right place at the right time to give Boro the extra element of magic they needed to truly look a class above their opponents. Essentially, he did in half a season what Fabio Rochemback did in one match – delivering the goods at the very moment we were resigned to him hopping off.

And when he got ready to hop off, in December 1997, Boro initially found it hard to adjust, losing 2-0 at then-struggling Manchester City before entering one of their more laboured phases of 1997-98. The loss of a maverick unreliable had robbed us of a creative edge and made the season more problematic. But had it really?

With Emerson in the squad, Boro's record was: 13 wins, 6 draws and 3 defeats, with 39 goals scored and 17 conceded.

Without him, Boro's record was: 14 wins, 4 draws and 6 defeats, with 38 goals scored and 24 conceded.

The difference is minute: 45 points vs. 46 points with one extra game played. That also includes a relatively bad period for Boro in March and early April 1998, which saw the team take just seven points from seven games and suffer four league defeats in five away matches.

Among those defeats was a truly bizarre nine-goal leakage in the first week of March which saw 4-0 and 5-0 losses to Nottingham Forest and QPR respectively.

The presence of Andy Dibble in goal for those two games was symptomatic of one of Boro's real failings during the Bryan Robson years: poor decisions at the wrong times. Dibble played like the temporary stop gap he ultimately was; he looked unreliable despite making a number of fine saves.

18/10/1996 Boro v Port Vale reserve match Emerson cousin Fabinho in action photo by Terry Reed. 26/10/07

Talent and squad depth are all very well, but where a club finishes also has much to do with attitude, organisation and choices.

That seemed especially true back then, where rotation and over-complication were less a trend and more a rarity. Essentially, if you had a strong spine, the right amount of match-winners and a dependable, classy strike force, you were all but guaranteed the right result.

Nottingham Forest had just that with Pierre Van Hooijdonk and Kevin Campbell, ditto Sunderland, with Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips. Boro had... well... Merson, and whatever forward was in form enough to play with him. Nowadays, of course, Boro rotate their forwards regularly, but the mid-to-late 1990s were a different decade.

And at times, unfortunately, egotism and misguided tactics would trump sense and sensibility during the second half of 1997-98.

What was the true purpose of Robbo signing a fading Paul Gascoigne so close to both the League Cup final and the crucial end of the season, apart from to try and maintain a big club image by signing a big name player?

It had a slightly destabilising effect, and dependable midfield heroes like Neil Maddison and Craig Hignett had proven more than capable of magic moments themselves. Particularly Hignett, who was dropped from the cup final squad and was soon to leave Boro altogether.

The possibility that Robbo was dealt an unlucky hand with Emerson leaving and Mikkel Beck's loss of form doesn't wash with the money he spent and the match-winning skills of Madhouse, Higgy, Merse, Marco Branca and Alun Armstrong.

One suspects Robbo was exceptionally grateful – as we were – when future Irish international hero Matt Holland inspired Ipswich to the 2-0 win over Sunderland that handed promotion to Boro.

Of course Emerson's departure made a difference, but it was hardly a serious one. Saying it was so would be unjust on the men who bravely saw Boro over the finish line, albeit a little later and less comfortably than we hoped. No, it wasn't easy, but whatever is with Boro?

Stockton RAF high-flyer swaps trips to Afghanistan for Tasty Tarts cakes business with her sister

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When Jenny Kirschmann decorates cakes for her sister Lilly’s catering business, she lets her imagination run riot.

But her fondant flights of fancy are in stark contrast to her previous, very real career as a loadmaster on huge C17 cargo planes, ferrying supplies and troops to and from Afghanistan.

During six years in the RAF, Jenny, of Stockton, was a real high flyer, passing out from RAF Halton as top cadet before her selection as the first female C17 loadmaster.

But her time on C17s ferrying tanks, supplies and soldiers to and from the Afghanistan war zone - including many seriously injured service personnel - was about as far away from catering and cake decorating as it gets. And for 18 brave servicemen, including five in one journey, the planes she helped crew were bringing them home for the final time.

Jenny, 34, of Hartburn, said: “When we flew repatriation missions to RAF Brize Norton, it was up to us to make sure everything was coordinated to the last second. The biggest honour was to make sure I got the lads backs to their families.

“What was shown on the news, and even what I saw, was nothing compared to what the lads I brought back went through. There is nowhere near enough accolades and respect for what they achieved, and what they’ll put up with for the rest of their lives.”

But by 2012, Jenny, who like sister Lilly, 30, is a former Ian Ramsey School pupil, knew the time was right to leave the RAF, with one incident sticking in her mind.

“I was sat at the back of the C17 next to an 18-year-old army lad. As we prepared for landing, he was shaking from head to toe - towards the end, they knew there was a chance they might not come back from what they were going in to.

“I felt like I’d done what I needed to do - and I missed my sister.”

Sine returning to Stockton, Jenny has joined Lilly in catering firm Tasty Tarts, on Stockton’s Yarm Lane. And for sisters who have always been close, the business, which opened last July, is proving the perfect recipe, with delicious celebration cakes baked by Lilly and amazingly decorated by self-taught Jenny their latest offshoot.

Not that it’s all been plain sailing for Lilly. When she was 14, she dislodged veterbrae in her back while jumping on a sleeping bag during a party, leaving her unable to bend ever since and in daily pain from inoperable back condition spondyloloptosis.

But after years honing her catering skills, including running Redcar’s Copper Kettle Tea Rooms with mum Elaine, it seemed the perfect time to team up with the girl she’s always been best friends with - her sister.

And the laughter that rings around the room when they talk is testament to their unbreakable bond.

Lilly said: “We’re a good team, we always have been. When she was in the RAF, I hated it - I couldn’t sleep when I knew she was flying to Afghanistan, just waiting to hear she was safe. So when she came back, it was like it was meant to be.”

Jenny laughed: “The only time we’ve had an argument in 30 years is when Lil was 14 and I told her her rabbit was overweight!

“I miss the camaraderie of the RAF and there is a certain glamorous aspect to the life. To be honest, this is a lot harder - it’s seven days a week, with no days off or gallavanting to exotic places.

“I saw the world, but home is where the heart is. And now I’ve found my calling working with my sister and edible Play-Doh!”

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Closed community centre could become classrooms for Middlesbrough pupil referral units

A community centre in Middlesbrough could become classrooms for children unable to go to mainstream school due to illness.

A planning application has been submitted to Middlesbrough Council to turn Charlbury Road Community Centre in Pallister Park into classrooms for Ashdale, Parkwood and Oaktree pupil referral units.

A decision will be made on the change of use of the premises in April.

Linda Harries, Middlesbrough Council’s head of Complementary Education, said: “If the application is approved the site would be used to teach young people who have been referred to the home and hospital educational service.

“Currently this service, which caters for pupils who for medical reasons spend a significant time away from their school, is provided between the Sulby Avenue site, James Cook University Hospital, other medical facilities and in the home environment.

“The Charlbury Road building has been identified as premises in a quiet location which is both in close proximity to Sulby Avenue and is also an appropriate size to provide the service.”

A maximum of 25 pupils will be taught at the site with up to eight staff at any one time.

Children are taught on a mainly one-to-one basis or two teachers to six pupils ratio to help them continue their education while they are unwell and out of school.

Middlesbrough Council’s Complementary Education Service has three schools - Ashdale, Parkwood and Oaktree - and the home and hospital education service.

Charlbury Road Community Centre closed in March 2014 as part of the ongoing cuts being implemented by Middlesbrough Council.

A decision on the change of use of the premises and whether to refer the matter to committee will be taken by the council’s planning department by Thursday, April 9.

Boro set for pitch woe with Hillsborough's battered surface 'on par' with Blackpool

Boro could find themselves embroiled in another pitch debate this weekend after Hillsborough’s surface was compared to Blackpool’s battered turf.

Aitor Karanka’s side travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday knowing a win could take them back to the top of the Championship table.

The Boro boss was incensed by the state of Blackpool’s pitch earlier this month, branding the Bloomfield Road surface “a disgrace” and “impossible to play on”.

The Spaniard’s remarks led to the Football League demanding an explanation from Blackpool for the club’s shoddy surface.

And the pitch debate could come to the fore again this weekend, with Sheffield Wednesday boss Stuart Gray saying the Hillsborough surface is “on par” with Bloomfield Road.

“The pitch is such a leveller. We trained on it the other day and it’s probably one of the worst pitches that I’ve ever had to train on and the players have had to play on,” Gray told the Sheffield Star earlier this month.

“The last thing we want to be known up and down the country for is not having one of the best pitches. I think Blackpool’s is probably on par with ours at the moment.”

The surface certainly hasn’t helped the Owls’ home form, without a win at Hillsborough since Boxing Day.

Four weeks ago Birmingham drew 0-0 at Hillsborough, but it was the condition of the playing surface that riled Blues manager Gary Rowett after the match.

“I think the pitch had a complete bearing on the game, probably a 100% bearing on the game,” Rowett said.

“I’m not going to sit here and berate Sheffield Wednesday for that pitch but you can’t play football on it and you can’t get the ball down and play.

“I almost embarrassingly said to the players at half-time: ‘Listen, just kick the ball as far as you can down the pitch and just play for seconds and see if you can land on something and break’.

“There was no way you were going to be able to pass the ball up the pitch with any sort of control.

“There were was that much sand, the players might have been better of playing in bare feet or in flip-flops rather than boots.”

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The recent comments will hardly be music to the ears of Boro boss Karanka, who was scathing of Blackpool’s playing surface after Boro’s 2-1 win earlier this month.

That match saw defender Daniel Ayala limp off with a muscle injury - something that further irked the Spaniard.

It’s unbelievable,” Karanka said after the match.

“We played on a pitch that was impossible to play on and I think it’s a lack of respect to everybody who plays for a ticket to watch games here.

“My players can feel it in their backs and their legs. The Championship is amazing but it is difficult to understand that teams have to play here.”

Mam or Mum? Watch youngsters tackle the big question ahead of Mother's Day

There are hundreds of different words for mother across the world.

Here on Teesside there are two clear favourites - but are you in the mam or mum camp?

In the run up to Mother’s Day - on Sunday, March 15 - we are looking to find the most popular way to address your mother.

And here children from Lakes Primary School, in West Dyke Road, Redcar, battle it out to find their fave name for the most important lady in their life.

And there is only one clear winner...

Watch the video to find out what takes the title!

You can leave a FREE message in The Gazette to show how much your mother means to you on our special Mother’s Day supplement out on March 14. Visit this link for more info.

Mangalore church attacked, after Mohan Bhagwats comments on Mother Teresa

A week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he strongly condemned violence against any religious group, a church located some kilometres away from Mangalore was vandalised. However, the police have not yet registered a case because they are yet to determine whether the incident, which occurred on Tuesday, was religiously motivated.

The incident comes amidst a rising sense of communal polarisation in the area. Four mosques have been vandalised since the beginning of this year, one of them, in the wake of a Hindu Hrudaya Sangama organised in January in Puttur, a small town near Mangalore.

One indication of the tension in Mangalore was evident in the reaction to a playful photo of a group of students on February 18, the day after Modi’s statement.

The photo showed a group of students horsing around in a classroom, with one boy lying across the laps of five girls. All of them are smiling into the camera. But the image caused a storm when it began to be passed around on Whatsapp and other social media networks. It turned out that the boy was Muslim and the girls were Hindu.

It didn’t take long for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad, to demand that the college management should take action.

On February 22, one of the boys in the photograph, Mohammed Riyaz, was abducted near his home and assaulted in an isolated spot. His attackers demanded to know the whereabouts of the boy who had been lying on the girls’ laps. As it turns out, the boy is being hidden in a safe location with the help of the police. He has not been home for more than a week.

A few days after Riyaz was beaten up, a Hindu woman and a Muslim man, former colleagues at a call centre in the city, were roughed up a group of people suspected to belong to a Hindutva organisation. The group assaulted the man and brought the two friends to the police station, claiming the man was carrying out “love jihad”. The police scolded the assaulted man, and refused to file an FIR against his attackers.

The Mangalore unit of People’s Union for Civil Liberties said that since the beginning of 2014, there have been 36 reported cases of “moral policing” in the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts of coastal Karnataka. Six instances occurred in January alone.

Middlesbrough boxer John Green takes on English champion on short notice

Middlesbrough boxer John Green will take on English super featherweight champion Andy Townend in a non-title 10-rounder on Saturday night.

Green’s March 8 Northern Area title fight against Dougie Curran was scrapped last Friday after the Geordie marauder failed an eye test.

But the Berwick Hills super-featherweight now has the chance to put his name in a wider frame if he beats Townend at Doncaster Dome.

The 25-year-old has stepped in on short notice for injured Bradford veteran Femi Fehintola, although the Board of Control were always unlikely to sanction the contest as an English title fight as Green has only had five bouts.

“I was devastated when I heard that the Curran fight was off,” Green said.

“But I’ve done nine weeks’ hard training and this is a big opportunity for me.”

Green fell short when he boxed Hartlepool southpaw and common Townend opponent Peter Cope for the Northern Area title in his fourth fight last October.

The former docker rebounded with a win over Jamie Quinn however and says he is all the better for the experience he gained from the Cope setback.

Townend chinned Cope in four rounds after he beat Green, but one of his three defeats came against the Boro man’s original opponent Curran.

“I’ve learned from the mistakes that I made in the Cope fight”, Green added.

“That was my first 10-rounder but I’ve improved from it and won’t hold back.”

SENIORS take centre stage on Wellington Amateur Boxing Club’s 12-bout show at Top Corner Sports on Longlands Road in Middlesbrough next Monday night.

Among those boxing are Tom Riley, Peter Martin, James Thompson and Lee Hatfield.

Tickets are £10 on 01642 230141 or 07871 507573.

Aitor Karanka: New Boro deal for Dimi Konstantopoulos was an 'easy' decision

Aitor Karanka has revealed that it was an “easy” decision to award Dimi Konstantopoulos a one season contract extension .

The veteran Greek goalie's deal was due to lapse in the summer but his form in the Championship has convinced the Boro boss to tie the 36-year-old to the club for another year.

Asked about the deal, Karanka said: “It was easy because I have said before that Dimi is the kind of player I would like to have in my career because he is the kind of player who when I arrived here he was the third choice keeper and now he is the first.

“His behaviour is the same no matter what happens, he is always supporting the team, it doesn't matter if he is in the team or if he is injured or if he is fit and apart from that he is doing a very good job.”

It's been a remarkable couple of years for former Hartlepool keeper Konstantopoulos, who was signed by Tony Mowbay in 2013 primarily to take some of the training ground workload off the other keepers.

He broke into the first team almost one year ago and, apart from the first month of the current season when Tomas Mejias was selected in the starting XI, has been the first choice goalie.

Karanka admits Konstantopoulos could even stay beyond next season but at the moment he is just happy to have tied down such a reliable professional for a further 12 months beyond the end of the current campaign.

He said: “He is 36 and he knows me and I know him so if he is (playing) the same way next season we can speak about the future but the most important thing is he is here for one more season.”

Meanwhile, Karanka has confirmed that Jelle Vossen won't play at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday as a result of the concussion he suffered in the Leeds game last weekend but he could be passed fit to play on Tuesday against Millwall.

Dani Ayala has still not recovered from the thigh strain that has sidelined him and still requires another week of rest while Damia Abella could be back from his long-term knee injury in late March or early April.

Your Pub in pictures: Camra award-winning Turners Mill, Redcar

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Pub name:  Turners Mill

Address:   Greenstones Road, Redcar TS10 2RA

Website:   http://bit.ly/1vC5ELG

Landlord/manager:   Chris Ozelton

How long have you been at the pub?  16 months

What’s your recent history as a landlord?  Won Cleveland Camra Pub of the season for our excellent selection of Real Ales.

Tell us three of your best selling drinks?  Black Sheep, Coors Light, Pinot Grigio

Tell us why you think your pub is one of the best on Teesside?   We are a genuine local pub offering a fabulous traditional British menu and we serve a superb selection of real ale, wines and spirits.

What’s your most popular meal?   Gourmet burgers, fish and chips, steak and Doombar ale pie.

What is your most popular night and why do you think it is?  Friday evening we are very busy for our Fizz Fridays where prosecco is only £8 per bottle and champagne is £25 per bottle.

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