Arab League condemns Israel attacks on mosque, church

CAIRO (Ma’an) — Secretary-general for Palestinian affairs in the Arab League, Muhammad Sbeih, on Friday called for the United Nations to hold Israel responsible for recent attacks on Palestinian holy sites.

The attacks were a result of an environment of “extremism and racism” and would likely increase in the run-up to Israeli elections, he added.

PLO official Saeb Erekat strongly condemned the recent attacks, labeling them “a direct consequence of the calls for recognition of Israel as a ‘Jewish State’ and Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish people.”

On Thursday suspected Jewish extremists set fire to part of a Christian seminary in East Jerusalem’s Old City and sprayed “Jesus is a son of a whore” and “Redemption of Zion” on the walls.

A day earlier, extremist Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in the southern West Bank town of al-Jaba and sprayed racist slogans calling for killing Arabs and Muslims on the walls in Hebrew

Foreign intervention ‘100 times more likely’ in oil-rich states – study

Cutting-edge research from British universities has confirmed a belief long held by conspiracy theorists, realists and hawkish neoconservatives alike: oil drives foreign intervention and war.

Foreign governments are 100 times more likely to intervene in civil wars if the troubled state is home to hydrocarbon reserves, according to a new report by academics from the universities of Warwick, Portsmouth and Essex.

Following systemic analysis, the academics found that economic incentives are major drivers of foreign intervention.

One of the report’s authors, Dr. Petros Sekeris of the University of Portsmouth, told the Independent he and his colleagues had uncovered “clear evidence that countries with potential for oil production are more likely to be targeted by foreign intervention if civil wars erupt.”

“Military intervention is expensive and risky. No country joins another country’s civil war without balancing the cost against their own strategic interests,” he added.

The report, published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, examined 69 civil wars between 1945 and 1999. It said civil wars amount to 90 percent of all militarized conflicts since the close of World War II, and almost 67 percent of these have been characterized by foreign intervention.

The research frames oil as a dominant motivating factor in conflicts, and argues hydrocarbons heavily influenced the West’s military intervention in Libya. It also suggests oil plays a noteworthy factor in the US-lead war against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

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UK policies radicalized infamous ISIL executioner

The infamous British-accented ISIL militant, who is seen in a number of videos beheading foreign hostages and is known as “Jihadi John”, was radicalized as a result of the UK government’s wrong policies, the head of research at a London-based advocacy group says.

On Thursday, Asim Qureshi, the research director of the group CAGE, slammed British authorities for radicalizing young British Muslims by policies that authorize extreme actions against the young people.

He further said that the heavy-handed policies of the British authorities alienate young British Muslims.

“When we treat people as if they are outsiders, they will inevitably feel like outsiders – our entire national security strategy for the last 13 years has only increased alienation. A narrative of injustice has taken root,” Qureshi (pictured below) said.

The ISIL executioner was identified on Thursday as Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born British citizen.

Qureshi, who personally knew Jihadi John and helped identify him, said the latter was “extremely kind, extremely gentle, extremely soft-spoken, was the most humble young person that I knew.”

Emwazi is said to be a man in his mid-20s, who was born in Kuwait and raised in an area of west London.

Qureshi said that Emwazi contacted the advocacy group in 2009, when he complained about the way British intelligence services treated him over suspicions that he had attempted to join al-Shabaab militants in Somalia during one of his trips to Africa.

In 2010, Emwazi told the advocacy group that the British intelligence services had prevented him from returning to his homeland, where he planned to find a job and marry, Qureshi added.

“I had a job waiting for me and marriage to get started. But now I feel like a prisoner, only not in a cage, in London,” Emwazi reportedly wrote in an e-mail to CAGE.

“A person imprisoned and controlled by security service men, stopping me from living my new life in my birthplace and country, Kuwait,” Emwazi further wrote.

Qureshi denounced the way young people are treated by the British intelligence services, saying when they face extreme action by the intelligence services, “they will look for belonging elsewhere.”

Identifying Jihadi John

Jihadi John was initially identified by reporters working for The Washington Post.

“I was trying to pick up pieces of information, data points, scraps,” said Adam Goldman, the Post reporter who discovered the identity of Jihadi John in association with colleague Souad Mekhennet.

Goldman said that intelligence officials in the US and the UK had known the real identity of Jihadi John but refused to reveal it.

“I was annoyed by the fact that he had anonymity and that US and British officials knew who he was but didn’t disclose it,” he added.

BBC steals from Washington Post?

He also said that state-funded British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) tried to claim that it is the first media outlet to learn the identity of Jihadi John while it in fact knew nothing about the story beyond militant’s real name.

“I think they learned it from us. What did they have? They had the name, we had the full story,” the Washington Post reporter said.

Two US officials and two US congressional sources also confirmed the identity of Jihadi John, but London police and British officials declined to either confirm or deny reports on his identity, CNN reported.

“We have previously asked media outlets not to speculate about the details of our investigation on the basis that life is at risk,” said Commander Richard Walton of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, adding, “We are not going to confirm the identity of anyone at this stage or give an update on the progress of this live counter-terrorism investigation.”

“We will neither confirm nor deny the current reporting as to the identity of Jihadi John,” a UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

Jihadi John has appeared in seven videos by the ISIL Takfiri group since August 2014, when he beheaded US journalist James Foley.

He also appeared in two videos in September 2014, when he beheaded US journalist Steve Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines (seen below in an orange jumpsuit next to Jihadi John).

Jihadi John was also shown in two other videos in October and November 2014, when he killed British aid worker Alan Henning and a Syrian soldier as well as US aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, also known as Peter Kassig, respectively.

In January 2015, Jihadi John was shown in another video in which he beheaded Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.

The ISIL terrorist group, with members from several Western countries including the UK, Canada, France, Australia and Germany, controls parts of Syria and Iraq, and has been carrying out horrific acts of violence, such as public decapitations and crucifixions, against all communities including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

IA/HJL/MHB

Three points: Gamble backfires, inconsistency setting in and a point to prove - what we learnt from the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday

Quite how Boro are sitting pretty in second place in the Championship and still looking primed for an automatic promotion spot must be an absolute mystery to Sheffield Wednesday fans and players.

Twice they've come up against Aitor Karanka’s side this season.

Twice they’ve had the better of a below-par, off the pace outfit who fell way short of the standards they’ve set themselves throughout the campaign.

Fortunately the displays seen against the Owls have been rarities and the defeat at the Riverside earlier in the season came shortly before a superb run of form that saw Boro establish themselves as genuine contenders for a spot in next year’s Premier League.

How Aitor Karanka’s men need to kick-start another run like that some time soon.

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While last week’s defeat at Leeds was a kick in the teeth, Boro were the best team by far on the day, only lacking a cool head in front of goal.

But the no-show against the Owls offered no branch of optimism. For the 4,500 who left Hillsborough, the only saving grace was Derby’s defeat at Fulham.

But that in itself is a reminder that unpredictable results in the Championship are no anomalies.

It’s a setback, the “worst performance of the season”, according to the boss, who was quick to point the finger in his own direction, but Boro are still clinging on to that second automatic promotion spot.

That said, they can’t afford many, if any, more performances or results like this if they want to be one of the two sides avoiding the lottery of the play-odds.

Here’s what we learnt from the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday:

Aitor Karanka’s selection gamble backfired

Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.

The relentless nature of the Championship will undoubtedly take its toll on Boro’s players. Rotation is a necessary evil, a requirement to keep players fresh.

But to leave Leadbitter, Lee Tomlin, George Friend and Ryan Fredericks out of the starting XI and to change the system was a gamble that backfired for the boss.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka talks to Dean Whitehead as Sheffield Wednesday manager Stuart Gray looks on

He made similar changes at Blackpool and Boro got away with it - just. But Wigan Athletic won 3-1 at Bloomfield Road this weekend, the team directly above the Tangerines in the table, an indicator of just how poor Blackpool are.

Sheffield Wednesday were a different proposition all together. But they’re a limited side, that’s why they’re languishing in mid-table, and Boro should have had more than enough to cope with the Owls.

They didn’t and for the second time this season they were out-battled and out-thought by Stuart Gray’s organised side.

Aitor Karanka took the blame after the game, saying he will learn from the mistakes.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka

But even after he made wholesale changes, the players who he selected are not exactly strangers to each other. They under-performed, did themselves no justice whatsoever and missed an opportunity to impress the boss.

Finger pointing doesn’t change the result. Rather than dwell on the defeat, Boro need to put it right on Tuesday and convincingly beat a team who aren’t far away from tumbling into a crisis at the bottom of the Championship.

Inconsistency is creeping in at the wrong time

As well as a side that’s been easy on the eye this season, Karanka has built a team with a steely core and an ability to grind out a result when the chips are down.

Yet suddenly Boro find themselves with just one win in four in the league in what has arguably been the kindest run of games for some time.

It’s concerning and the inconsistency has crept in just at the wrong time.

Atdhe Nuhiu of Sheffield Wednesday scores their first goal with a penalty

Kenneth Omeruo looks a shadow of the player who was head and shoulders above the majority of defenders at this level last year while at the other end Boro’s strikers are in desperate need of the goals that will provide a much-needed injection of confidence.

But while Boro may well be stuttering through a slight blip - it’s expected of teams at the top - is it just pressure beginning to take hold?

A look at results elsewhere would suggest so.

Bournemouth, so frustratingly efficient throughout the campaign, now find themselves without a win in five, Brentford have slipped up regularly in recent weeks, Ipswich have stuttered and Derby came unstuck at out of form Fulham.

Yet Boro can’t continue to rely on results elsewhere going their way. It’s still in their hands and Karanka’s men need to keep it that way.

The players have a point to prove against Millwall ahead of a season-deciding run of games

A quick glance at the unsavoury images of Millwall fans following their side’s defeat at Rotherham shows all you need to know about the state of play with the struggling Lions at the minute.

One win in six and six points adrift in the relegation zone. Millwall’s life support machine is in danger of going out and Boro can provide a fatal blow on Tuesday night.

Patrick Bamford

Aitor Karanka made five changes ahead of the game at Hillsborough. Judging by his reaction post-match, his side will have another makeover before the visit of the relegation favourites.

Regardless of who gets the nod, they’ll feel like they have a point to prove.

A convincing home win to banish any of the doubts creeping in is exactly what the doctor’s ordered and it would be the perfect way to set-up a crucial run of games coming up.

Middlesbrough fans at Hillsborough for the game against Sheffield Wednesday

Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Derby and Bournemouth follow. Should Boro still occupy a top two spot after that difficult flurry of fixtures, they’ll be confident of finishing the job.

The defeat at Hillsborough would also be a distant memory.

University of London SOAS favors academic boycott of Israel

Students and staff at the SOAS school of the University of London have approved an academic boycott of Israel during a week-long referendum.

The Friday vote, which was open to all students, academics, and management, ended with 73 percent voting for and 27 percent voting against the ‘Yes’ campaign to boycott Israel.

The voters were asked whether they agree with the School of Oriental and African Studies, commonly abbreviated as SOAS, joining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign to impose an academic boycott on Israel based on the instructions of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).

The BDS is a global campaign which uses economic and political pressure on Israel to comply with the goals of the movement — the end of Israeli occupation and colonization of Palestinian land, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and respect for the right of return of Palestinian refugees.

The PACBI says academic boycott of Israel is based on the fact that the academic institutions are massively complicit in Israel’s persistent denial of basic Palestinian rights, including academic freedom and the right to education.

The SOAS Students’ Union has also endorsed the BDS campaign since 2005. The union ratified a motion in October 2014, urging its leaders “to take the BDS campaign to the university” through a referendum.

Proposals for the academic boycott of Israel have been inspired by the historic academic boycotts of the Apartheid regime of South Africa that were an attempt to pressure the regime to end its abuse of the majority black inhabitants.

Suggestions for the boycott of Tel Aviv have also been made by academics and organizations in other countries including South Africa and Australia.

The goal of the boycotts is to isolate Israel in order to force a change in its oppressive and discriminatory policies towards the Palestinians.

MSM/AS/MHB

Picture gallery: Boro fans at Hillsborough for the game against Sheffield Wednesday

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Boro were backed by a superb 4,500-strong following at Hillsborough but gave the fans nothing to cheer about on a miserable afternoon.

The away-end was packed out but puzzled fans looked on with disappointment as a below-par Boro were comfortably beaten by a side who hadn't won on home turf since boxing day.

Two goals in a two-minute spell in the second half was enough for the Owls to pick up all the points.

A livid Aitor Karanka blamed himself after the game after making a string of changes to his team selection and setting Boro out in a 3-5-2 formation.

Were you at Hillsborough? See if you can spot yourself in our gallery of Boro fans at the game.

Northern League review: Guisborough strengthen title challenge with 1-0 win

Guisborough further strengthened their Northern League title challenge as they took over at the top of the league with a well-deserved 1-0 win at West Allotment Celtic.

Marske gave their own title push a much-needed jolt following back-to-back defeats, coming from a goal down to win 6-1 at rock-bottom Crook with captain Craig Gott scoring a hat-trick as they climbed up a spot to fifth.

Billingham Synthonia also came from behind to claim three valuable points in their fight for first division survival as danger man Michael Sweet struck twice in a vital 2-1 win at fellow strugglers Newton Aycliffe.

Second division action saw Norton move back up to second with half-time substitute Matty Hawkins scoring twice and the returning Karl Charlton on target in their 5-0 win at Birtley.

Ben Bonner scored twice against his old club as Billingham Town celebrated a seasonal derby double with their 3-0 home victory against Stokesley, who fall to third-bottom.

Thornaby suffered an unexpected setback as they lost 2-1 at lowly Esh Winning.

Guisborough now lead the league by a point after Curtis Round scored in their 1-0 win at West Allotment and previous table-toppers West Auckland were held to a 2-2 draw at 10-man Shildon.

The winning goal came in the 39th minute and it was a highlight reel one as Round fired home from 25 yards while West Allotment were being forced to defend in numbers.

The victory extended Guisborough’s tremendous current unbeaten run to an impressive 16 games.

West put Guisborough under more pressure in the second half, but although they had the ball in the net 10 minutes from time the goal was ruled out for a push on Priorymen keeper Nick Liversedge.

Apart from their 16-match unbeaten run, Guisborough are still unbeaten so far in 2015 with 10 wins out of as many league and cup matches.

Marske surprisingly fell behind at hard-working Crook to a goal just before the half hour point.

But they turned on the style in the second half to spare their blushes after returning front man Jamie Owens brought it back to 1-1.

Gott scored from the penalty spot shortly after half time following a foul on Owens, then Sam Garvie made it 3-1 before Gott struck twice more.

Substitute Danny Brinskill completed the rout as he scored the sixth.

Billingham Synthonia fell behind to a 16th minute Dennis Knight free-kick at Aycliffe, but got back on level terms straight away when Sweet knocked in a Tommy Marron cross.

The same duo linked up again as Synners scored the winner eight minutes before half-time, Sweet firing home on the turn after Marron lifted a pass into the striker’s path.

Synners are now 17th, a welcome eight points clear of the bottom three.

Norton were poor last week in being held to a goalless draw by Whickham, but a lengthy post-match inquest in the dressing room paid off as they rediscovered their killer instinct in a ruthless display of finishing at Birtley.

Nicky Martin set the Ancients on their way and fit-again Charlton added the second.

Hawkins came off the bench to replace Rocky Andrews in the Ancients' engine room, and the second goal of his brace was a belter as he fired low into the bottom corner from 25 yards after driving forward from midfield.

Gary Mitchell scored Norton’s fifth and manager Andy Campbell was delighted with a clinical job well done.

“We were excellent on a poor pitch,” the former Boro striker said. “And it was pleasing to see Matty get his first goals of the season.

“He hasn’t played much, so it was good to see him do what he shows in training in a match situation.”

Joel Callender marked his first start for six weeks with Billingham Town’s 21st minute opener against Stokesley, thumping a left-foot volley into the roof of the net after the visiting defence failed to clear Gary Redman’s scooped pass.

The game opened up with half-time approaching, with Josh Keogh and Callam Brown going close for the hosts in between Stokesley efforts from Jack Bradbury and Wilf Dinsdale.

But it was Town who did more scoring after the break as Bonner punished his old side twice.

Bonner got the hosts' second with a soaring back post header from Brown’s inswinging free-kick, moments after he had gone close with an acrobatic bicycle kick.

Bonner’s second and Town’s third arrived in the final minute when substitute Alan Taylor picked him out with a superb diagonal ball and he coolly lobbed Stokesley keeper Dan Bowman.

Town are 17th in Division Two while Stokesley now only have Tow Law and Brandon below them in the table.

Thornaby fell behind to a Ben Sanderson goal at lowly Esh Winning, and they looked out for the count when Paul Basey put the hosts 2-0 up as the visiting defence was caught square.

Central defender Stephen Morrison pulled a goal back following an exchange of passes with Matthew McQueeney and Thornaby had chances to equalise.

Former Boro winger Nathan Porritt squandered the best of them when he went for a fancy finish which allowed the Esh keeper to save.

Thornaby are eighth in the second division table.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Stuart Gray admits he was surprised by Aitor Karanka's team selection

Sheffield Wednesday boss Stuart Gray admitted Boro's 3-5-2 formation played into his team's hands.

Aitor Karanka made five changes to the side that beat Bolton on Tuesday, reverting back to a 3-5-2 system which was successful at Blackpool earlier this month.

The battered Hillsborough pitch may have entered Karanka's thinking, and his Owls counterpart admitted he was shocked when he saw Boro's starting line-up.

"It threw me a bit but I knew it would allow me to get my full backs into the game more.

"They are a good side and they'll be up there when promotion is happening at the end of the season, but we closed them down and forced errors out of them.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka talks to Dean Whitehead as Sheffield Wednesday manager Stuart Gray looks on

"We put them outside of their comfort zone , pressed them high up the pitch, forced errors and won second balls that allowed us to be more creative.

"I was pleased with the way we forced them back and controlled the game in their half, rather than in our own."

After branding Blackpool's Bloomfield Road surface "a disgrace" a fortnight ago, Karanka will not have been too impressed with the pitch at Hillsborough - and his side struggled to find their feet afternoon.

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Gray admitted the pitch is far from ideal, but was more concerned with his side's own performance.

"We have to play on this pitch 23 times," Gray added.

"We definitely need a new pitch but the most important thing was that we got two goals and personally I feel we could have maybe got that third goal to give us breathing space.

"One thing you know playing against a Middlesbrough side with some power and some pace and they can do you on the counter attack, but that's where I thought we defended very well today."

Aitor Karanka: 'It was awful, I don't have words to explain what happened but it was my mistake'

Aitor Karanka was scathing in his assessment of Boro's display in the 2-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

He pulled no punches in his post match interviews and was equally critical of himself, admitting he made mistakes.

Ahead of kick-off, the Boro boss made five changes from the side that started Tuesday's edgy 1-0 victory over Bolton and also switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

Things didn't go to plan however with Wednesday taking the lead through a 52nd minute Atdhe Nuhiu penalty before adding a second just two minutes later when Will Keane headed home from close range.

Boro rarely looked like scoring on an afternoon to forget, though the club remain second in the Championship table because other results went their way.

Karanka couldn't find any positives to take from the defeat, Boro's second in three games.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka talks to Dean Whitehead as Sheffield Wednesday manager Stuart Gray looks on

“It was worse than Bolton,” he said. “I said after Bolton that was the worst performance but now this is the worst performance of the season.

“It was awful, I don't have words to explain what happened but we know have a game on Tuesday we have to learn from this game very quickly.

“I have to learn a lot of things from the last two games and we have to keep going.

“It was my mistake,” he added. “I made mistakes and I have to learn from my mistake and I need to fix things for the future.”

Karanka was naturally quizzed on the wisdom of making five changes to a winning team and on his formation switch.

“I thought the squad was the best to play here,” he answered. “Against Blackpool I made six changes and we won the game so I don't think about how many changes.

“Maybe yes about the quality of some of them but that is now in the past and I have to think about the future.”

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Boro were denied an early penalty when Albert Adomah appeared to be tripped inside the box by Claude Dielna.

With Wednesday later winning a spot-kick when Kenneth Omeruo handled the ball, Karanka was quick to point out that his side have suffered rough justice in the same fixture last year when a Jacob Butterfield shot crossed the line but wasn't awarded.

“It's curious,” said the head coach. “I don't know what happens here but last season it was the same.

“Last season we scored a goal but the linesman didn't see it.

“They see the bad things that we might do but don't see when bad things happen against us.”

There was an flashpoint in the 65th minute when Grant Leadbitter and Jose Semedo clashed with the Boro player appearing to claim he'd been spat at but both managers later said they didn't see the incident.

Karanka, meanwhile, refused to use the state of the Hillsborough pitch as an excuse for Boro's poor display.

“The pitch is not in a good condition but I said before Blackpool game that if we had lost the game I would not have blamed the pitch and I don't want to make excuses today,” he said.

Picture gallery and five observations from Philip Tallentire after Boro stumble to 2-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday

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Boro suffered their second defeat in three games after going down 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday.

Two goals in the second half ensured the Owls picked up all three points against a disjointed Boro side who were well short of their best.

The Gazette's Boro editor Philip Tallentire offers five observations from the game:

1. Like he did at Blackpool, Aitor Karanka opted for a three man defence behind a five man midfield, no doubt because Hillsborough's heavy pitch resembled Bloomfield Road's.

The change from a back four was also influenced by the fact that Boro couldn't cope with Wednesday's giant attackers in the corresponding game at the Riverside in August. It didn't work, Boro failed to threaten Wednesday and still looked vulnerable defensively.

2. In the first half, Boro were simply unable to retain possession inside the Wednesday final third. More often than not, Patrick Bamford and Kike Garcia found themselves surrounded by four Wednesday players. There was little change in the second half, with Karanka sticking with 3-5-2 until Wednesday were 2-0 up and in total control.

3. Kike Garcia looks worryingly bereft of confidence. Bamford set him up with a 79 minute tap in but he fatally delayed his shot fractionally, allowing Liam Palmer to block his effort.

4. This performance resembled the away game at Ipswich back in December. Boro knew they would be in for a battle but didn't appear to be up for the fight.

5. The lack of goals is becoming a serious issue. Boro have scored just twice in five games and have taken four points out of 12. Not a disaster but a cause for concern.

All day Mod music festival in Redcar raises funds for the Pete Quaife Foundation

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The brother of founding member of The Kinks Pete Quaife rocked into town for an all day Mod music festival.

Held at Redcar’s Coatham Memorial Hall, the 12-hour festival started at 11am today and included 11 acts and three DJs.

Bands scheduled to perform at the All Day and All of the Night festival include The Universal, Jacques and the Giants, The Last Fakers, King Mojo, Heavy Mod, The Transmitters, The Clashed, Alistair Sheerin, Acoustic Weller, The Whodlums and The Lemontops.

And keeping the music going in between were DJs Alan May - known as Glory Boy - and Mick the Mod playing the best in ska, mod and Northern Soul.

About 250 people were expected to be at the music event which was held to raise funds for the Pete Quaife Foundation, which gives children on dialysis treatment entertainment while undergoing their four hours of treatment three times weekly - providing equipment such as portable DVD players and Kindles that can be sterilised.

David Quaife, Pete’s brother, said he was thrilled to be at the music event and was enjoying a weekend in Teesside.

“The money raised will go towards children in this area. We’re going to organise an event in June or July, take them on a trip out in a bus wherever they want to go and I’ve even twisted the arm of the dietician at Newcastle so they can have a picnic too.

“The guys who organised this event are the tops.”

DJ Alan May said: “Once you’re on the Mod scene you’re in it for life.”

Mark Simpson, a member of event organisers The Collective Few, said: “This is the first all day event we’ve held and we’re hoping to hold more in the future.

“We’re hoping to raise £4,500 for the foundation.

“Tesco has donated lots of raffle prizes and Redcar Development Trust have helped us so much too.”

Did any of Boro's players perform on a miserable afternoon at Hillsborough?

Did any of Boro's players do themselves justice on a disappointing afternoon at Hillsborough?

Two quick-fire goals in the second-half stunned Boro as Sheffield Wednesday strolled to three points - their first home win since Boxing Day.

Boro did improve ever so slightly after falling two goals behind but never looked capable of dragging themselves back into the game.

Who was the best of a bad bunch on an afternoon to forget? Give us your verdict and rate the players.

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Pictures: Middlesbrough Does Vintage holds debut event at Town Hall

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It was a case of out with the new and in with the old at a special vintage event in Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough Does Vintage held its debut event in the town hall at Centre Square today.

Visitors had the opportunity to scour rows and rows of vintage stalls and listen to live music from Claire Louise.

There was also afternoon tea served in the Whistling Bunting tea party and a vintage inspired workshop.

For those wanting a vintage look, Hepcat Vintage was on hand ready to curl, quiff and roll hair.

“We’re delighted to bring our vintage fair to Middlesbrough Town Hall, it’s such a stunning building steeped in history, and we love the North-east because everyone is so friendly,” said Sam Agnew from Britain Does Vintage.

Recap: Sheffield Wednesday v Boro at Hillsborough

Boro are having 'a wobble.' The 'wobble' actually amounts to one defeat in 10 league games and has left Boro still in second spot.

One concern is that the defence has creaked in the absence of Daniel Ayala. After five clean sheets in six games, the Bolton shut out was the first in five - but Boro still have the best record in the league with just 22 leaked in 33 games.

The Owls’ midweek 3-1 win at Millwall was their first in eight games during a long New Year slump that saw them slip into the bottom half. Their only other win in 2015 was a 2-0 victory away at then fast-fading Forest early in January.

Sheffield Wednesday 2 Boro 0: Full time match report

CLICK STATS TAB ABOVE FOR MATCH OVERVIEW (desktop website only)

Two goals in two minutes saw Boro slip to a dismal 2-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on an afternoon when their promotion rivals also dropped valuable points.

Quick-fire goals from Atdhe Nuhiu (pen) and Will Keane saw the Teessiders slip to a seventh league defeat of the season on an afternoon to forget at Hillsborough.

The defeat was less costly than it could have been as table-topping Derby were beaten at Fulham, but it was an opportunity after a lacklustre Boro display.

Aitor Karanka made five changes from the team that beat Bolton 1-0 win at the Riverside on Tuesday, with left-back James Husband making only his second league start of the season.

There were also starts for Kenneth Omeruo, Dean Whitehead, Adam Forshaw and Kike in a surprise 3-5-2 formation, with George Friend, Grant Leadbitter and Lee Tomlin named on the bench.

It was the same system that saw Boro clinch a late 2-1 win against Blackpool on a battered Bloomfield Road surface earlier this month, and the equally-poor Hillsborough pitch surely forced Karanka's hand again.

There was no place in the Boro squad for trio Ryan Fredericks, Mustapha Carayol or Adam Reach, with Boro perhaps wanting to keep some players fresh for Tuesday's home match against Millwall.

Boro started on the front foot and had a penalty appeal turned down inside three minutes when Albert Adomah was seemingly fouled by Claude Dielna, but referee Stephen Martin waved away the protests.

On 10 minutes it was Sheffield Wednesday on the front foot, attacking the Leppings Lane End that housed 4,500 travelling Teessiders.

Striker Atdhe Nuhiu caused panic in the Boro ranks and fed left winger Jacques Maghoma, but the sting was taken out of his shot by Adomah and the ball fell nicely into Dimi Konstantopoulos' hands.

The hosts continued to threaten moments later as Lee's shot cannoned out for a corner, before right-back Liam Palmer fired wide from 25 yards.

With Kike and Patrick Bamford increasingly isolated up front, the Owls came close on 23 minutes as Palmer hit a long diagonal towards Nuhiu on the penalty spot, and the big man in turn teed up Will Keane - but his header landed on the roof of the net.

On the half hour mark Boro poured forward and Adam Clayton hit a speculative 25-yard shot wide, before looking down to the crumbling Hillsborough pitch in disgust.

The game was stopped on 33 minutes when Bamford clashed heads with Wednesday defender Kamil Zayatte, and the tackles started to fly in once it was restarted with Whitehead and Forshaw both making their presence known in midfield.

With both sides struggling to find their feet on a worn surface, the Owls came close on 42 minutes as the ball was fed to front man Nuhiu, but Husband came in with a vital challenge before the striker could set himself.

Then on 44 minutes Ben Gibson's raking pass over the top set Forshaw free, but the former Brentford man's attempted lob bounced over the top of the crossbar - much to the relief of Owls goalkeeper Kieren Westwood.

At the other end Dielna called Konstantopoulos into action before the break, firing a left-footed shot towards goal that was well held by the Greek stopper.

HALF TIME SHEFF WED 0 BORO 0

Boro carved out a great chance on 48 minutes as Adomah fed Bamford, and the on-loan Chelsea man put a wonderful low delivery across the face of goal - but the ball was just in front of Kike, who was lurking at the back post.

At the other end Dielna scooped a high cross into the Boro box, but with Nuhiu looking lively, Tomas Kalas hacked clear before Lewis McGugan lashed wide of the target.

On 52 minutes Wednesday were awarded a penalty as the ball appeared to bounce up and hit Omeruo on the arm, after good work from Nuhiu.

And it was Nuhiu who converted from 12 yards, drilling the ball low into the corner beyond Konstantopoulos' grasp.

That was Nuhiu's fourth goal against Boro in his last three matches, and Hillsborough was up in celebration again two minutes later.

Omeruo gave away cheap free-kick near the corner flag, and Nuhiu headed McGugan's free-kick off the post - but Will Keane reacted quickest in a goalmouth melee to nod the Owls further in front.

On 57 minutes Tomlin and Leadbitter came on to replace Omeruo and Whitehead, while Wednesday brought on Sam Hutchinson to replace Keiran Lee.

The home side should have extended their lead even further on 63 minutes when Keane was played through on goal by McGugan, but the striker's tame shot was easily saved by Konstantopoulos.

There was a brawl inside the Owls box on 64 minutes after Bamford was fouled just outside the box, with Tomlin and Jose Semedo both shown a yellow card for their role in the melee.

Boro spurned another opportunity on 70 minutes when Forshaw beat his defender on the left and put a ball towards the back post, but Bamford's downward header was held by Westwood.

On 72 minutes Yanic Wildschut replaced Forshaw and slotted in on Boro's left wing.

Then on 79 minutes the Owls came close to adding a third, with Nuhiu turning in the box but Kalas came in with a vital block at the final minute.

Moments later Boro should have pulled a goal back when Bamford teed up Kike, but with the open goal gaping, Palmer somehow got back to divert the Spaniard's shot wide of the post.

On 87 minutes Boro were again chasing towards their own goal when Nuhiu held the ball up and passed it to Chris Maguire, but his cross missed everyone and went out for a throw.

Then two minutes later Stevie May caused chaos within the Boro defensive ranks, with Konstantopoulos and Gibson managing to hack the ball out for a corner.

The resulting corner by Maguire was punched away by Konstantopoulos, before Dielna's swinging cross looped dangerously over the top.

With the clock ticking down Bamford wriggled away from his marker but his cross was headed clear by Zayatte, before Tomlin found Kike - but the Spaniard lost his feet and the ball dribbled out for a goal kick.

On 92 minutes Kike sent Westwood sprawling across his goal with a right-footed shot, but it crept wide as Boro limped to a second defeat in three matches.

FULL TIME SHEFF WED 2 BORO 0

Boro: (3-5-2) Konstantopoulos; Kalas, Omeruo (Leadbitter 57), Gibson; Adomah, Whitehead (Tomlin 57), Clayton; Forshaw (Wildschut 72), Husband; Bamford, Kike. Subs not used: Ripley, Friend, Nsue, Woodgate.

Attendance: 23,774

All 6 accused acquitted: Gujarat 2002 riots

Citing lack of evidence,a special trial court here today acquitted all the six accused in a case related to the killing of three British nationals during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

The deaths of the British nationals near Prantij town in Sabarkantha district had prompted the UK government to take a policy decision not to have active engagement with Gujarat government. UK resumed the engagement only in October 2012.

Representatives of the British High Commission to India were present in the court today.

“It seems there is no evidence on record from which it can be believed that the accused were members of the unlawful assembly and involved in commission of offence,” said principal district and sessions judge I C Shah in the order.

The case had been probed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team. The accused were charged with

murder and other relevant offences under the Indian Penal Code.

Three eyewitnesses produced by the prosecution (SIT) turned hostile, the court noted, adding that though the crime did take place, there was no one who could confirm the presence of the accused at the site.

It was the duty of the investigating officer to record statements of all the witnesses before the magistrate under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code (such statements can not be retracted later), but this was not done, it added.

On February 28, 2002, as riots engulfed Gujarat a day after the Godhra train-burning incident, Imran Dawood and his UK-based uncles Saeed Dawood, Shakeel Dawood and Mohammad Aswat were attacked by a mob on the highway near Prantij.

Saeed, Shakeel, Mohammad Aswat and their car driver Yusuf Piraghar, a local, were burnt alive, while Imran managed to save himself with the help of police.

Those acquitted in the case today are Mithanbhai Patel,Chandu alias Prahlad Patel, Ramesh Patel, Manoj Patel, Rajesh Patel and Kalubhai Patel, all residents of Prantij.

———————PTI

New housing and renewable energy park could be built on Billingham wetland

A wetland area of Billingham is being scoped as a potential site for new housing and a renewable energy park.

A feasibility study has been carried at Norton Bottoms, next to the A19, by environmental and engineering consultancy Wardell Armstrong, under the instruction of Billingham Valley Developments.

The report describes the 35 hectare site as “currently unoccupied, comprising principally of open land vegetated by rough grasses and bushes”.

Areas adjacent to Billingham Beck “are densely vegetated with reeds”, the report, which is available on Stockton Council’s website, goes on.

The proposed development is bound by the A19 Fleet Bridge Road along its southern and western edges. To the north the site is bound by the residential area of New Road Estate and to north east the site is bound by Lucite International.

The scoping report identifies the development areas as:

• Residential development to the northwest of site;

• Renewable Energy Park with potential for a number of technologies;

• Landscaping and wildlife enhancement to the north west and south of site

• Recreation area to the north east of site; and

• The existing reedbeds to the east of site.

Land near New Road, Billingham which developers want to build houses on

The Environment Agency has identified areas around the site boundaries as Flood Zone 3 - an area likely to be flooded by a one in 100 year event.

But the scoping report says “the proposed areas for development on the site are all outside the areas likely to flood”.

The Civil Aviation Authority commented that if wind turbines were proposed as part of the energy park - although they are not specifically mentioned - it would then want to offer advice:

Tees Archaeology backed a suggestion to use a surviving World War II pillbox as part of a heritage trail.

Labour Billingham councillor Evaline Cunningham, said she had not yet heard about the plans, but added: “To my mind it’s a swampy area. It would really have to be closely looked at before they built on it.”

Watch: Roy 'Chubby' Brown talks retirement, cancer and dying on stage

Comedian Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown has revealed he has no plans to hang up his microphone . . . despite his recent ill health.

The controversial comic is now in his 70s but has vowed to carry on entertaining until his body “no longer allows it”.

But despite a recent battle with throat cancer he “doubts” he’ll replicate fellow comedian Tommy Cooper and spend his very last moment on the stage.

Chubby, real name Royston Vasey, said: “You have days when you’re really tired and don’t feel anything, but other days you’re like: ‘Come on, let’s get on with it’.

“You can’t be up there all the time. Sometimes I’ve got to stand behind the door when the music starts and psyche myself up, but other times I’m ready.

“I know my job, I’ve been doing it for that long.

“People say I’ll be like Tommy Cooper and drop dead on stage, but I don’t know whether I will or not.

“I want to go as long as I can. As long as I can walk, talk, dance and sing.

“I’ll know, my body will know. Your body tells you when you have to go on a diet, or when it’s time to get out of bed.

“And when you get old, your body will say you can’t do this anymore.”

Roy 'Chubby' Brown

Carving a career out of political incorrectness, the 70-year-old, from Teesside, is known for his risqué, blue humour, often dividing opinion.

But his popularity is there to see and he was famously dubbed the most important comedian of the past 25 years in the book A National Joke.

He is still selling out venues on his UK tour, most recently at City Hall in Newcastle, and his DVDs are flying off the shelves, enough to convince him to carry on doing what he loves.

“We plod on and plod on and I still work because I enjoy working,” said Chubby.

“I’m not doing it for money; I don’t want to be the richest person in the graveyard.

“You can be in Southampton one night, Inverness the next. You go where they’re willing to laugh at you.

“You know when you retire and people say: ‘I’m retired and I’m going to go on long walks, paint pictures and go fishing?’

“I don’t want to do any of that. I just want to tell jokes and I want people to laugh, because that’s my environment.”

Roy 'Chubby' Brown

Chubby showed a softer side when diagnosed with throat cancer in 2002, admitting he passed out when told by doctors.

And away from the stage he is working to raise awareness and cash for research.

He said: “They say within five years it’ll all be cured but I don’t know whether it will be or not. They’re striding towards new things all the time.

“But I feel really lucky because the day they told me I had cancer it feels as though you’ve got a week to live, and you’re wondering how you’re going to spend that week.

“Then the reality kicks in. You think: ‘God, I’ve got a wife, young kids. How are they going to manage?’

“That’s why I’m passionate about raising money to help beat it.”

Iraqi Army Downs Two British Planes Carrying Weapons for ISIL Terrorists ?

GR editor’s Note

There are no reports in the Western mainstream media pertaining to this issue.

This report is based on statements emanating from the Iraq parliament, with photographic evidence. We have not been in a position to corroborate this report by FARS News.

Iraq’s army has shot down two British planes as they were carrying weapons for the ISIL terrorists in Al-Anbar province, a senior lawmaker disclosed on Monday.

“The Iraqi Parliament’s National Security and Defense Committee has access to the photos of both planes that are British and have crashed while they were carrying weapons for the ISIL,” Head of the committee Hakem al-Zameli said, according to a Monday report of the Arabic-language information center of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.

He said the Iraqi parliament has asked London for explanations in this regard.

The senior Iraqi legislator further unveiled that the government in Baghdad is receiving daily reports from people and security forces in al-Anbar province on numerous flights by the US-led coalition planes that airdrop weapons and supplies for ISIL in terrorist-held areas.

The Iraqi lawmaker further noted the cause of such western aids to the terrorist group, and explained that the US prefers a chaotic situation in Anbar Province which is near the cities of Karbala and Baghdad as it does not want the ISIL crisis to come to an end.

Earlier today, a senior Iraqi provincial official lashed out at the western countries and their regional allies for supporting Takfiri terrorists in Iraq, revealing that US and Israeli-made weapons have been discovered from the areas purged of ISIL terrorists.

“We have discovered weapons made in the US, European countries and Israel from the areas liberated from ISIL’s control in Al-Baqdadi region,” the Al-Ahad news website quoted Head of Al-Anbar Provincial Council Khalaf Tarmouz as saying.

He noted that the weapons made by the European countries and Israel were discovered from the terrorists in the Eastern parts of the city of Ramadi.

Al-Zameli had also disclosed in January that the anti-ISIL coalition’s planes have dropped weapons and foodstuff for the ISIL in Salahuddin, Al-Anbar and Diyala provinces.

Al-Zameli underlined that the coalition is the main cause of ISIL’s survival in Iraq.

“There are proofs and evidence for the US-led coalition’s military aid to ISIL terrorists through air(dropped cargoes),” he told FNA in January.

He noted that the members of his committee have already proved that the US planes have dropped advanced weaponry, including anti-aircraft weapons, for the ISIL, and that it has set up an investigation committee to probe into the matter.

“The US drops weapons for the ISIL on the excuse of not knowing about the whereabouts of the ISIL positions and it is trying to distort the reality with its allegations.

He noted that the committee had collected the data and the evidence provided by eyewitnesses, including Iraqi army officers and the popular forces, and said, “These documents are given to the investigation committee … and the necessary measures will be taken to protect the Iraqi airspace.”

Also in January, another senior Iraqi legislator reiterated that the US-led coalition is the main cause of ISIL’s survival in Iraq.

“The international coalition is only an excuse for protecting the ISIL and helping the terrorist group with equipment and weapons,” Jome Divan, who is member of the al-Sadr bloc in the Iraqi parliament, said.

He said the coalition’s support for the ISIL is now evident to everyone, and continued, “The coalition has not targeted ISIL’s main positions in Iraq.”

In late December, Iraqi Parliamentary Security and Defense Commission MP disclosed that a US plane supplied the ISIL terrorist organization with arms and ammunition in Salahuddin province.

MP Majid al-Gharawi stated that the available information pointed out that US planes are supplying ISIL organization, not only in Salahuddin province, but also other provinces, Iraq TradeLink reported.

He added that the US and the international coalition are “not serious in fighting against the ISIL organization, because they have the technological power to determine the presence of ISIL gunmen and destroy them in one month”.

Gharawi added that “the US is trying to expand the time of the war against the ISIL to get guarantees from the Iraqi government to have its bases in Mosul and Anbar provinces.”

Salahuddin security commission also disclosed that “unknown planes threw arms and ammunition to the ISIL gunmen Southeast of Tikrit city”.

Also in Late December, a senior Iraqi lawmaker raised doubts about the seriousness of the anti-ISIL coalition led by the US, and said that the terrorist group still received aids dropped by unidentified aircraft.

“The international coalition is not serious about air strikes on ISIL terrorists and is even seeking to take out the popular (voluntary) forces from the battlefield against the Takfiris so that the problem with ISIL remains unsolved in the near future,” Nahlah al-Hababi told FNA.

“The ISIL terrorists are still receiving aids from unidentified fighter jets in Iraq and Syria,” she added.

Hababi said that the coalition’s precise airstrikes are launched only in those areas where the Kurdish Pishmarga forces are present, while military strikes in other regions are not so much precise.

In late December, the US-led coalition dropped aids to the Takfiri militants in an area North of Baghdad.

Field sources in Iraq told al-Manar that the international coalition airplanes dropped aids to the terrorist militants in Balad, an area which lies in Salahuddin province North of Baghdad.

In October, a high-ranking Iranian commander also slammed the US for providing aid supplies to ISIL, adding that the US claims that the weapons were mistakenly airdropped to ISIL were untrue.

“The US and the so-called anti-ISIL coalition claim that they have launched a campaign against this terrorist and criminal group – while supplying them with weapons, food and medicine in Jalawla region (a town in Diyala Governorate, Iraq). This explicitly displays the falsity of the coalition’s and the US’ claims,” Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said.

The US claimed that it had airdropped weapons and medical aid to Kurdish fighters confronting the ISIL in Kobani, near the Turkish border in Northern Syria.

The US Defense Department said that it had airdropped 28 bundles of weapons and supplies, but one of them did not make it into the hands of the Kurdish fighters.

Video footage later showed that some of the weapons that the US airdropped were taken by ISIL militants.

The Iranian commander insisted that the US had the necessary intelligence about ISIL’s deployment in the region and that their claims to have mistakenly airdropped weapons to them are as unlikely as they are untrue.

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VHP mulls re-conversion of Christians in Goa

Panaji: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) plans to re-convert Christians in Goa and is in the middle of an expansion drive in the state, a VHP leader said here Friday.

Ahead of VHP’s golden jubilee function in the state, Dada Bedak, secretary in-charge of the Satsang (Spiritual Discourse) division, told media that the senior leaders would discuss issues like re-conversion, love jihad, etc. and how to approach them in next 50 years.

“Goa has so many Hindus who were converted during the Portuguese rule… We will look to re-converting them back to Hinduism,” Vedak said.

Goa, a former Portuguese colony, has a population of 1.5 million of which 26 percent are Christians.

Watch: Piano gift from Wildcats of Kilkenny brings sound of music to Ingleby Barwick care home

A piano donation to a Teesside care home struck the right note with grateful residents.

The sound of music filled the air at the Ingleby Care Home in Ingleby Barwick thanks to an electric keyboard gift from Teesside band The Wildcats of Kilkenny.

It all stemmed from a Christmas Eve violin concert at the home given by musical maestros James Chen, 11, and his nine-year-old brother Jeremy. They proved so popular, residents hoped the boys, who live in Ingleby Barwick, could return, only this time playing their favourite instrument, the piano.

James Chen, 11, playing the piano for residents

Just one problem - the home didn’t have one. And that’s where the Wildcats came in.

Hearing about the home’s piano search, Wildcats frontman and Stockton ambassador Mike McGrother got in touch to offer a spare. And today, James and Jeremy returned to the home to tickle the ivories kindly provided by Mike and the band.

The home’s activities coordinator Christine Wilson said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Wildcats of Kilkenny for donating this wonderful piano so that our residents can enjoy music - not only performed by James and Jeremy, but other cats too.

“Music is such an important part of our activities plan here and is often a time for people to get together and reminisce - or simply just enjoy listening.”

Drink-crazed former boyfriend who terrorised woman jailed and banned indefinitely from contacting her

A drink-crazed former boyfriend who terrorised a woman has been jailed and banned indefinitely from contacting her again.

She ended her relationship with Jamie McCarrick, 26, from Stockton, who she described as paranoid and jealous, after just three months.

Last October he went berserk in her home in Stockton smashing a 42-inch television into pieces, he punched a hole in a wall, smashed a bannister with a kick and wrecked another TV, brandished two knives threatening to slash a sofa, and he bit her bottom lip.

She got an injunction banning him from contacting her, but on November 23 a day after he was released from custody with a suspended prison sentence he turned up at a woman friend’s house in the town where she regularly spent Saturday nights.

He banged at the front door at 4.45am demanding to be let inside but she talked to him through the door for 15 minutes.

He started to kick and shoulder-charge the door, and she grabbed her phone and called the police. He burst through the door as she was talking to the police and he threw her phone onto the floor, and he flung her onto the floor.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court that McCarrick fled from the house when police blue lights appeared outside the window, but he reappeared inside the house while they were searching the area for him. Officers returned and he ran into the back garden smashing a neighbour’s fence as he tried to escape.

His ex said in a victim impact statement: “He appears to be ignoring what the courts say and he will continue to harrass me.”

Andrew Turton, defending, said that McCarrick had been in custody since November 23 and he accepted that his behaviour was intolerable.

Mr Turton added: “He left home at the age of 14 but before going into custody he was in full-time employment.

“He understands that alcohol is a big part of his offending behaviour.”

Judge Tony Briggs told McCarrick: “You behaved in an appalling and terrifying manner and you are lucky not to be facing charges more serious than this one.”

McCarrick, of Consett Close, Stockton, was jailed for 14 months and given a restraining order banning him indefinitely from contacting his ex after he pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order, assault by beating, two charges of criminal damage and using violence to enter property.