Northern League: Marske crash out of FA Vase but Norton, Thornaby and Guisborough pick up league wins

Teesside involvement in the FA Vase was ended today as Marske lost 3-2 following extra-time at Consett, but Norton went back to the top of Northern League Division Two and Thornaby and Guisborough hit the Billingham clubs for six.

A storming second half performance proved in vain for Marske as they were beaten in an epic two-hour tussle at Consett.

Consett led 2-0 at half-time thanks to two goals from former Hartlepool United striker Michael Mackay.

But the Seasiders came barging back after the interval with Jamie Owens scoring twice to take his goal tally for the season to 26.

Owens halved the deficit in the 59th minute when he got his head to Josh MacDonald’s cross.

The former Billingham Town striker then had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar before he turned the ball home when Craig Gott’s free-kick was spilled in the last minute of normal time.

Consett snuffed out Marske's comeback once and for all in the 109th minute however as Danny Craggs curled a free kick past Seasiders keeper Robert Dean and into the top corner.

There was still time for late drama at the other end of the pitch when Gott’s 20-yard strike shaved the post.

Billingham town (blue) v Thornaby (red) at Bedford Terrace, Billingham. Daniel Lofts on the ball for Thornaby.

Norton now have a one-point lead at the Northern League second division summit after Rocky Andrews and Harrison Davies scored in their lively 2-2 draw at Darlington RA.

Andrews thundered home from 30 yards to equalise after RA had gone ahead with a shot which bobbled past Ancients keeper David Knight.

Substitute Davies continued his run to make it 2-1 while the RA defence appealed for offside, but the hosts came back to take a point even though they had their keeper sent off late in the game for throwing punches at Andrews.

Former Boro and Darlington midfielder Curtis Edwards scored a classy hat-trick as Thornaby cruised to their biggest win of the season in battering Billingham Town 6-1 at the Evolution Arena, a win which moves them up to seventh in Division Two.

Thornaby got off the mark after only five minutes with a well-worked team goal.

On-loan Shildon winger Craig Ruddy checked back on his left foot and floated a cross to the far post which Jamie Clarke nodded down for Edwards to tap in.

Edwards doubled the lead just before the half hour mark with a stunning strike from 25 yards, and put Thornaby 3-0 up with three minutes of the second half gone when he scored with a free-kick from outside the box.

Billingham town (blue) v Thornaby (red) at Bedford Terrace, Billingham. Clayton McDonald (red/left) and Andrew Lambert Captain for Billingham (blue/right)

Town captain Drew Lambert gave the otherwise outplayed home side a glimmer of hope when he crashed a 64th minute penalty into the roof of the net after Conna Jones went through the back of Connor Lowes.

But it was all Thornaby after that as they scored three goals in the last 10 minutes after Ruddy saw his shot come back off the base of a post.

Substitute Matthew McQueeney made it 4-1 when he fired home after outpacing the Town defence, Ruddy rounded keeper Michael Thackeray to slot the fifth and former Town winger Richie Walker got a late sixth after coming off the bench as he scored a low drive.

Paul Edwards was an understandably happy Thornaby manager after the game and has high hopes for his team for the rest of the season.

He said: "We played some of our best football of the season in the first half.

"We drifted and had a bit of a lull for the first 20 minutes of the second half, but after that we were well on top.

"There were some standout performances from players like Curtis, Ruddy and our keeper Michael Duff.

"It’s a long old season, but I’d like to think we can hit our target of finishing in the top eight to get in the FA Cup next season, and maybe finish in the top six.

"We’re taking it game by game - I know it’s the old cliche - but the mood around the club is good."

Sixth in Division One Guisborough completed a seasonal treble against slumping Billingham Synthonia as they breezed to a 6-0 home win at the KGV Stadium.

The Priorymen had already beat Synners in the Vase last month and in the league last Saturday, but really turned it on this afternoon as they struck three goals in either half to make it a hat-trick of victories against their neighbours.

Goals from former Synners striker Danny Earl, Andrew May and Luke Bythway gave Guisborough a firm grip at the break, and further goals from Peter Bulmer, Leon Carling and Anthony Hume tightened it as they wrapped up a one-sided derby victory.

Stokesley suffered their fifth defeat in a row, going down 2-1 at Northallerton after taking the lead through a Dave Edwards free-kick.

Wearside League Results: Hartlepool 0 Stockton Town 5 (Hannah 3, Johnson, Ward), Easington Colliery 5 Redcar Athletic 2 (Anderson, Woodhouse), Wolviston 1 (Hebb) Horden 3.

Ian Holloway describes Boro's hammering of Millwall as his 'worst day in football'

Millwall boss Ian Holloway endured his 'worst day in football' thanks to Boro's super show at The Den.

Holloway altered the set-up of his side for the visit of Boro, starting with three defenders - a system that backfired as the free-flowing visitors thumped four past Millwall in the first half.

The Lions have now won just once in their last 14 games and the under-pressure boss took full responsibility for the horror-show against Karanka's inspired side.

"I don't blame people – I blame myself and that's what I'm going to do. I want to get it right but today it didn't go right. I don't blame my players, I blame me," said Holloway.

"I have got far too many people to pick from at the moment and some of them don't know what Millwall's all about – they haven't had days like this.

"It was an awful day but what it does do is make you strong. I apologise to the fans because that was unrecognisable from how we've been in training the last couple of days."

VIEW GALLERY

Millwall never looked like getting anything from the game from the minute Jelle Vossen fired Boro ahead.

The Belgian striker helped himself to two more goals before the break to complete his hat-trick with Patrick Bamford also getting on the scoresheet.

Kike added a fifth after a Scott McDonald consolation but Holloway was the first to admit Millwall couldn't have grumbled if Boro had scored even more.

"Boro were crisp, sharp and confident, and everything they hit went in. If David Forde wasn't on form, the scoreline could have been a lot worse than that," Holloway told the Southwark News.

He added: "I do apologise to the fans, so blame me. It's not an issue. We've got to roll our sleeves up, accept responsibility and do better.

"I'm shocked and horrified. It was horrendous. It was an awful day – probably my worst in football to be honest because I can't explain the choices we made."

Aitor Karanka: 'Today was an unbelievable performance after a difficult week for everybody'

Aitor Karanka believes Boro's stunning 5-1 victory at Millwall was the perfect ending to a difficult week.

The Spaniard was charged with improper conduct by the Football Association on Tuesday, just hours after it was confirmed that assistant head coach Craig Hignett had left the club.

Karanka, who was sent to the stands by referee Mark Clattenburg after reacting angrily to Blackburn's stoppage time equaliser last weekend, was hoping for a positive reaction from his players at the New Den.

What he got was beyond his wildest dreams.

"I am very pleased," he said, "but more about the reaction of my players, rather than the score.

"It's been a difficult week for everybody, especially for me, and the players have been brilliant.

"I can't say in English how good the performance has been.

"We are a team that always has a very good reaction when something happens.

"I remember when we lost against Wolves, we played very, very well in the next game.

"So we always have a very good reaction and that shows the spirit we have in the team."

Millwall found Boro too hot to handle in a one-sided first half.

Karanka's decision to keep faith with Jelle Vossen in attack paid dividends with the Belgian scoring three goals in 23 incredible minutes.

© CameraSport

Middlesbrough's Jelle Vossen celebrates scoring his side's first goal

The opener came in the 21st minute when the transfer deadline day loan signing from Genk executed a superb half-volley, lashing the ball across keeper David Forde and into the net.

Patrick Bamford scored Boro's second, showing good skill to create space for himself before drilling a low shot home.

The visitors' third stemmed from Adam Reach's low cross into the box from the right which Vossen steered coolly out of reach of the keeper.

He then completed his hat-trick by sweeping home a loose ball after Bamford was denied on the edge of the Millwall box just before the half-time break.

The hosts manfully tried to find a way back into the game and eventually pulled a goal back in the 78th minute when Boro failed to clear a ball into box from sub Matthew Gueye and Scott McDonald belted a powerful shot into the net on the turn to score against his former club.

But normal service was resumed when Emilio Nsue raced down the right before pulling a cross back into the path of sub Kike, whose deadly first time shot hit the post before crossing the line.

Karanka rated his side's performance as one of the best he's seen since taking charge in November 2013.

"Today was an unbelievable performance in a very difficult stadium because it is very difficult to win here," he said.

The Boro boss's decision to keep faith with Vossen, who had failed to score in open play in any of appearances, was vindicated.

Karanka says he was convinced the 25-year-old would come good.

"I knew how good he is and when you are a very good player, a very good striker, the goals are going to arrive."

Engineer uses Gaza soil to replace cement for rebuilding

World Bulletin/News Desk

Since the July-August war, in which more than 2,100 Palestinians and 70 Israelis were killed, barely any progress has been made rebuilding the shattered territory, despite donors pledging $5 billion.

Israel tightly monitors the import of construction materials and equipment into Gaza, arguing that otherwise it could be used to rebuild tunnels used by Hamas who control the strip.

Palestinian officials and critics of Israeli policy say that has made it impossible to rebuild, leaving 40,000 of the strip’s 1.8 million residents in temporary shelter and thousands more facing winter in barely habitable ruins.

Palestinian journalist Mohammed Othman reported for Al-Monitor that, Gaza engineer Imad al-Khalidi found an alternative to cement to build destroyed houses using natural materials in construction, and succeeded in creating a new technique.

Khalidi, a soil expert in organic architecture, said that the search for alternatives was based on materials found in Gaza according to the report. “We wanted to use local materials as an alternative, to save ourselves and provide the displaced with shelters, as nearly 5,000 housing units were destroyed in the 2008-2009 war. We examined various types of soil in Gaza, and found a suitable type rich in natural welding materials, such as potassium carbonate, magnesium, metal oxides, limestone and sand,” he explained.

He pointed out that the natural materials he found act like cement in its different stages, but they are more solid and can last hundreds of years.

Khalidi explained the process to Al Monitor: “We compose a homogeneous mixture by conducting a soil treatment through pressure, to which we add welding natural materials such as potassium carbonate, ground limestone powder and a small quantity of gypsum, to form an initial coherent product in the brick production. Yet, the strong cohesion begins after it is used and continues to solidify for hundreds of years, and to harden dozens of times more than its initial form. This means that the brick increasingly hardens with time, and has its own characteristics.”

Khalidi established in 2009 his own private factory to produce local bricks in different sizes. At first, he designed machinery operated manually, then he created hydraulic machinery.

Khalidi started working in small workshops, now he owns another factory.

Khalidi has kept the price the same as cement for locals looking to build homes, while upping the price for commercial projects.

Gaza’s Housing Minister Mufeed al-Hasayna said Gaza needs 8,000 tonnes of cement a day to meet demand. A new system set up with the United Nations to comply with Israeli requirements lets through at most 2,000, he said.

At that rate, reconstruction would take more than 30 years, said Hasayna, one of four members of the unity government based in Gaza rather than the West Bank.

“We have 18,000 fully destroyed buildings and about 50,000 partially destroyed ones,” he said. “Gaza before the war needed about 70,000 apartments a year to keep pace with population growth. Now after the war, Gaza needs 150,000 new apartments.”

Since the war, electricity has been partially restored so that power is now cut for only eight hours a day. Sewage and water treatment plants are mostly working again, although there is still almost no drinking water.

But in terms of clearing the vast mountains of rubble and mangled steel, rebuilding homes and patching up smashed roads, bridges and other infrastructure, next to nothing has happened.

The biggest difficulty is moving reconstruction materials and other equipment into Gaza. Egypt has largely kept its border with Gaza closed, so any goods must be transferred from Israel, which has two crossings open: one for goods, one for people.

To satisfy Israeli demands for precise tracking of all cement, the United Nations came up with a strict mechanism that involves video and GPS monitoring of materials, which can only be transferred to vetted suppliers.

For ordinary Palestinians who do not have access to the official supplies, if they can find any cement at all, they can buy it only from the black market at more than $50 a bag, more than seven times the normal price

Player ratings: Rate Boro's players on their performance against Millwall

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  Dimi Konstantopoulos

  
  

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  Emilio Nsue

  
  

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  George Friend

  
  

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  Kenneth Omeruo

  
  

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  Daniel Ayala

  
  

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  Adam Clayton

  
  

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  Grant Leadbitter

  
  

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  Albert Adomah

  
  

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  Jelle Vossen

  
  

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  Patrick Bamford

  
  

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  Adam Reach

  
  

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• Substitutes


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  Milos Veljkovic

  
  

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  Kike

  
  

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  Yanic Wildschut

  
  

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• Submission / Results

Boro smashed five past a helpless Millwall as they brought to an end a run of three games without a win in stunning fashion.

Jelle Vossen got off the mark for Boro before helping himself to two more to complete his hat-trick in the first half, while Patrick Bamford continued his fine run to put the game out of Millwall's reach by the end of the first period.

Kike added a fifth immediately after a Scott McDonald consolation to cap off a fantastic afternoon in the capital for Boro.

Everybody played their part but who was the pick of the bunch for Boro? Give us your verdict.

Recap: Millwall v Boro at the New Den

Boro have lost some momentum but not too much ground after a run of three successive draws.

Taking just three points out of nine should have cost Boro dear but the teams around them in a cut-throat Championship promotion pack have also slipped up so Aitor Karanka’s team remain well placed in fifth spot and just two points off the top.

If you think Boro are drawing a lot of games, spare a thought for Millwall. They have shared the points in three of their last four games and six of their last 10 - and won just one - as they have slipped towards the drop zone.

But the Lions have shown a fighting spirit and have become ‘comeback kings’ in those draws.

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

NEWS: Police are introducing a new policy to reduce the need for stop and search powers.

Cleveland Police have fully launched the Government’s Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme. The voluntary scheme, which was announced by the Home Secretary in April, is part of a range of measures that will contribute to a reduction in the overall use of stop and search, lead to better and more intelligence-led stop and searches and more effective outcomes.

Cleveland Police is one of 35 forces that will be implementing all aspects of the scheme to introduce measures to record all outcomes of stop and search and to examine whether there is a connection between the grounds for the search and the outcome.

As part of the measures, the force will be restricting the use of Section 60 “no suspicion” powers and give members of the public the opportunity to observe stop and search in practice while introducing a community complaints trigger – ensuring complaints are properly monitored and scrutinised.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Stop and search powers are vital in the fight against crime when used correctly. However, they must be applied fairly and only when needed – and in a way that builds community confidence rather than undermining it.

“Cleveland Police are dedicated to reforming their use of stop and search powers, saving officers’ time and increasing transparency within the local community. I’m delighted they have now fully implemented the Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme.

“Stop and search reforms are working. The number of searches are down under this government, by 15% in the last year alone. But we cannot be complacent and must ensure that the public can hold the police to account for their use of these powers.”

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Nickless said: “Stop and search powers are vital in today’s policing landscape in order for officers to reduce crime, prevent re-offending and identify those committing crime on Teesside.

“We must however do this in a way that maintains the trust and confidence within communities and strengthens the ability for the public to challenge us about how we use stop and search. We have launched a scrutiny panel to hold the Force to account, improved information to those who are subject to a stop and search and are increasing training to officers.

“Fully implementing this voluntary scheme is a step in the right direction for Cleveland Police, and supports recent HMIC findings that the Force is using stop and search powers appropriately to disrupt crime.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger said: “The public should have nothing to fear about the use of stop and search powers within communities, but in order for people to have confidence in its use, the process must continue to be as open and transparent as possible. I’m pleased the voluntary scheme has been fully implemented by Cleveland Police and shows that the Force continues to look for ways to improve the service it delivers.”

The Home Secretary also announced today that British Transport Police will be joining the scheme before the end of the year. The Home Office is working with BTP to ensure that they are able to implement the scheme’s requirements early in the new year.

From today West Mercia and Nottinghamshire police will begin a pilot scheme that will digitally map stop and searches, identifying locations where stop and searches take place using geo-mapping technology. The data will be uploaded to Police.uk so the public can monitor the use of stop and search powers.

And following an eight-week public consultation on revising the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) Code A, which governs the police’s use of stop and search, the Home Secretary will lay a revision to Code A in parliament this week. This revision will make clear to officers what constitutes ‘reasonable grounds for suspicion’ and to emphasise that the misuse of stop and search powers would lead to performance or disciplinary procedures.

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Tuesday 2nd December, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Wednesday 3rd December, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

Government espionage on people, not privacy violation: UK court

Britain’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) has ruled that the UK espionage program on individuals, including through mass surveillance of the internet, does not amount to violation of the privacy rights of citizens.

The case, prompted by revelations from the US whistleblower Edward Snowden, was filed at the IPT by Privacy International, Liberty, Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union and a number of other overseas human rights groups against UK’s espionage agency, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

According to leaks by Snowden, the British spying agency collects and stores vast quantities of global email messages, Facebook posts, internet histories and calls, and shares them with the US National Security Agency (NSA).

The rights organizations argued that their private communications have been probably monitored under GCHQ’s electronic surveillance program, Tempora.

They also claimed that information obtained through the Prism and Upstream programs of the NSA may have been shared with British intelligence services.

However, the court ruled on Friday that the British intelligence agencies “are not seeking, nor asserting that the system entitles them to seek to carry out what has been described as ‘mass’ or ‘bulk’ surveillance.”

“Save in one possible (and to date hypothetical) respect, we have ruled that the current regime, both in relation to Prism and Upstream [intercept programs]…when conducted in accordance with the requirements which we have considered, is lawful and human rights-compliant,” the IPT concluded.

The IPT has never upheld any complaint against GCHQ since the judicial body was established 14 years ago.

Since there is no right of appeal against the IPT’s rulings in the British courts, the human rights groups which filed the complaint said they would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.

The human rights court will consider appeals from the IPT only if the complainants have exhausted all domestic remedies.

“We will now appeal to Strasbourg, who might not be as inclined to put their trust in the UK government given what we know so far,” said Amnesty UK’s legal adviser, Rachel Logan.

“The government has managed to bluff their way out of this, retreating into closed hearings, and constantly playing the ‘national security’ card. The tribunal has accepted that approach. We have had to painstakingly drag out every detail we could from an aggressively resistant government,” she added.

The UK government has lauded the ruling with Home Secretary Theresa May, saying, “I welcome this judgment from the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.”

ASH/HMV/SS

'They said my 'northern' business wouldn't work... they were wrong': Ingleby Barwick mum's casting agency success

From her Ingleby Barwick home, Sue Francis runs a small empire.

The mum-of-three is the founder of casting agency, Kreative Talent.

And frequently landing roles in major television and film work, Sue says people are often surprised her company is a one man band based up North.

“When I set up Kreative Talent in 2009, I was told it wouldn’t work.

“Nobody wanted to know what I was telling them. It was hard work.

“I was trying to acquire actors and started ringing around companies to say who I was and would they give me their casting break downs.

“One of the people I rang, quite high up in the industry, asked if I was Northern.

“She said ‘I’m afraid it’s not going to work. We don’t do Northern’.

“Well that was it - it was like lighting a fire. I thought I will show you.

“I bought a London number, used a different address and when I would ring people, I’d use a voice changer.

“Then all of a sudden, I started getting the casting briefs in.”

And with today being Small Business Saturday, a campaign to highlight small business success, Sue is keen to promote what she does to put Teesside on the map.

She has landed some of the 300 children and adults she represents roles in shows such as Inspector George Gently, Emmerdale, Eastenders and Games of Thrones, to name just a few.

Her son Elliott Francis has been in Harry Potter films and plays one of the lead roles in CBBC’s Splatalot!

But Sue has also had great success with films and adverts, and has worked with companies such as Citroen, Hovis, Samsung and John Lewis - landing roles in the department store’s popular Christmas commercial every year since 2009.

This year, 13-year-old Isabel Foster, who is originally from Stockton but now living in Lincolnshire, has a part in the Monty the Penguin advert - playing the sister of the lead role.

“I do have to pinch myself,” said Sue, who manages Jeff Stewart, formally of The Bill, and Tricia Ford, of Coronation Street fame.

“What I have done has been because of gritted determination. People now ring me for my talent and I no longer hide where I am from.

“I am proud and when people ask me where I am based, I say the big smoke - my big smoke.”

“When people ask about setting up a small business, I say it is not easy but anything is possible. You just have to go for it and try your best.”

Live: Millwall v Boro at the New Den

Boro have lost some momentum but not too much ground after a run of three successive draws.

Taking just three points out of nine should have cost Boro dear but the teams around them in a cut-throat Championship promotion pack have also slipped up so Aitor Karanka’s team remain well placed in fifth spot and just two points off the top.

If you think Boro are drawing a lot of games, spare a thought for Millwall. They have shared the points in three of their last four games and six of their last 10 - and won just one - as they have slipped towards the drop zone.

But the Lions have shown a fighting spirit and have become ‘comeback kings’ in those draws.

Protestors say 'elderly, vulnerable and disabled will lose out' if Park End Post Office is closed

Elderly, vulnerable and disabled residents would lose out if a Middlesbrough Post Office is closed, protesters have said.

The Post Office has consulted on plans to close the Park End branch, in Langley Court, Penrith Road, and relocate it to Ormesby, where another branch at Cargo Fleet Lane already exists.

But local ward councillors are unhappy at the proposal and question why Ormesby needs a second Post Office.

Cllr Mick Saunders said: “While some residents of Park End will find the closure an inconvenience there are residents who are elderly, disabled and vulnerable who depend on the Post Office.

“There has been a Post Office at Langley Court for at least 50 years that I can remember and to lose it would be another blow to the estate after losing the Community Centre and the doctors surgery,

“The papers the Post Office sent me state the new local style branch, as they call it, will be situated 600 metres from the current Post Office.

“That distance is a long way to an old or disabled person. I think if this proposal goes ahead, it will only benefit Royal Mail shareholders and not the residents of Park End.”

The Post Office is proposing to move the branch to Lealholme Crescent in Ormesby.

But ward councillor for the Beckfield Ward which includes Ormesby, Cllr Brian Hubbard, said he thought the Park End branch should remain open.

He added: “Although it doesn’t seem that far, Ormesby already has a Post Office and I think the Park End branch should remain open and stay where it is.”

A Post Office spokeswoman said: “The Post Office is investing in new models of Post Office branches which will help improve their profitability and also benefit our customers through longer opening hours and modern retail environments.

“With regards to accessibility, there is a car park within 50 metres of the proposed premises and there is also a frequent bus service between the current branch and the proposed premises. The nearest bus stop is within 50 metres away.”

The Post Office say now that public consultation has ended, they “will consider all feedback received before a decision is made” which should take four weeks.

Kerry warns about release of US torture report

US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein about the expected release of a report criticizing US torture techniques.

In a phone call between Kerry and Feinstein on Friday, the top US diplomat asked the senator to delay the release of the report.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement that Kerry called his former colleague and made clear that the timing was of course her choice.

“He wanted to make sure that foreign policy implications were being appropriately factored into timing,” she said. “These include our ongoing efforts against ISIL and the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”

The release of the report about the CIA’s use of torture methods could complicate Washington’s foreign policy issues.

The United States says the ISIL terrorist group and other groups that hold American hostages would execute them once the report is released.

At least three Americans, including one woman, are believed to be held by terrorist groups.

The torture program was launched under former president George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

The report had been scheduled to be released next week.

According to legal experts, the CIA’s use of waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and other harsh techniques used on detainees in overseas secret prisons constituted torture.

The document has reportedly ignored the role of Bush and his administration officials in approving the torture program.

AGB/AGB

Caroline Grace School of Dance wishing for your support

Dancers are hoping to limber up support so they can keep on their toes.

The Caroline Grace School of Dance, which is based just outside of Guisborough, has signed up to The Gazette’s Wish campaign.

The dance school regularly enters the scheme to boost the funding it needs.

And this year, the group hopes to purchase new items for the studio, as well as decking out the dancers with new outfits.

“Any funds raised will be used to purchase mirrors and floor mats for the dance studio plus costumes for performances,” said Caroline Grace, the group’s leader.

The dance school has been running now for over 10 years and teaches children from 18 months to adults.

Based in Charltons Community Centre, it offers classes in tap, modern, ballet, acrobatics, street dance and the performing arts. The children participate in exams and competitions if they wish, as well as in regular shows.

Last year, Caroline Grace School of Dance, successfully managed to raise funds to buy ballet barres.

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

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

The more tokens a group collects, the bigger its share of the prize pot.

Tokens are now appearing daily in The Gazette. The last token will appear on January 21.

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

To help the Caroline Grace School of Dance, send your tokens to: 57 Brocklesby Road, Guisborough, TS14 7PX

Pervert whose persistent abuse left young victim fearful of men jailed for over nine years

A pervert whose persistent abuse left his victim fearful of men has been jailed for almost a decade.

Ian Vincent targeted the vulnerable girl when she was just eight years old and his depraved assaults continued until she was 12.

On the final occasion he assaulted her, he tried to have sex with her and stopped only when he was disturbed. In a statement read out at Teesside Crown Court, the victim said, at the time, she presumed the abuse she was suffering was “normal”.

“It was when I got older that it really started to affect me,” she said.

“I now have a trust issue with men.

“I avoid situations where I am alone with men.

“I have been having nightmares recently, waking up and crying and crying and sweating. When I think about him I have the nightmares.”

She contacted police after seeing Vincent “out and about”, prosecutor Sue Jacobs told the court.

He did not admit to his crimes, which were carried out in Teesside, until the day of the trial, when he changed his plea to guilty.

Defending, Yvonne Taylor, told the court he had suffered issues in his own childhood but added this was “no excuse” for his offending.

“His father committed suicide and his best friend died and his way to deal with that was to go down the ragged way of alcohol and drugs,” she said.

Vincent, 47, of Cameron Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and indecency with a child.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Simon Bourne-Arton QC, said the “dreadful offending” was “a gross breach of trust”.

“You offended against her repeatedly and consistently,” he added.

He jailed Vincent for nine years and three months and issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Consistency the key for Billingham Stars ahead of Solway clash

Billingham Stars hope to continue their recent league form when they face reigning champions Solway Sharks tomorrow at the Forum (face-off 6.30pm).

The Ultimate Windows-sponsored Stars return to National Ice Hockey League (North) Moralee Division One action desperate to stay in touch with leaders Blackburn Hawks.

However, with both Billingham and tomorrow’s visitors yet to find any consistency this season, Stars general manager Allen Flavell admitted he can see parallels between the two sides.

“Solway are struggling this season – they have been missing crucial players in the big games”, Flavell said.

“We have the same problem – inconsistency is costing us. We get a result one week then the next we switch off for spells and we’re back to square one.

“That’s the difference and that’s why Blackburn are top right now, because they are the only ones putting together a string of results.

“The Sharks are still a very good side and we’ll need to be right on top of our game to get a result.

“We’ve worked hard in training this week and looked at certain areas that need improvement. On our day we’re capable of getting a win and we need it to stay in touch at the top.”

Solway find themselves in unfamiliar territory, languishing in fifth position after a slow start.

The Dumfries-based outfit had limited success in recruiting new blood over the summer, and consequently their short bench has been punished.

However, as Billingham have already found out to their cost, a Sharks team with their backs against the wall can be dangerous, and since the two teams last met head coach Martin Grubb has finally managed to get the bodies he needs to put up a serious challenge.

New faces include two imports in New Zealander Joshua Hay and imposing Belgian defenceman Jens Engelen, plus Frazer Goldie has returned after a prolonged absence.

Recent results have shown some improvement, but their loss in Blackburn last weekend means the reverse fixture in Dumfries tonight will have a big say in whether Solway will be in the mix to retain their title.

Meanwhile the Stars find themselves looking to bounce back from another poor result in the British Challenge Cup last weekend, when a final period switch-off saw Blackburn record their third win over the Teessiders this season.

Although the Hawks are favourites for the league title, Billingham more than matched their Lancashire rivals for two periods, but defensive errors in the final session were clinically punished.

Billingham expect to be missing Garry Dowd tomorrow after he broke a bone in his hand palming the puck out of mid-air against Blackburn, while Callum Davies is doubtful after he took a stick in the back in the same game.

On the plus side, both Paul Windridge and Scott Ward should be available, and long-term back injury victim Jack Davies has resumed training. Jamie Pattison is also nearing a return to action from his shoulder injury.

Humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic among world’s worst: UN

United Nations : The humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), with over 187,000 refugees fleeing over the last year, is one of the world’s worst, the UN Refugee Agency has said.

This has brought the total number of refugees and internally displaced people to over 850,000, which is about a fifth of the CAR’s entire population.

The figure was half a million less than that at the end of Dec 2013, after the capital Bangui was captured by the anti-Balaka militia, an event that triggered fresh violence and displacement, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Xinhua reported Friday.

Insecurity quickly degenerated into chaos, displacing close to one million people inside the country and across its borders.

“The security situation in the country remains volatile, with sporadic incidents of violence (being) witnessed in October, when clashes broke out between militias and international forces,” UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said Friday.

“Some 430,000 people remain internally displaced,” he said.

UNHCR and its partners presented a Regional Refugee Response Plan in 2014 that included financial requirements of $209 million. The response is currently only 51 percent funded.

Spindler urged donors and the international community “to provide continued support and hope to the beleaguered citizens of the CAR”.

“Nearly two years of violence in the CAR has affected more than two million children and plunged the country’s formal education system into a state of crisis,” said Sarah Crowe of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

UNICEF had launched a campaign in November to help hundreds of thousands of children return to school after deterioration in the security situation forced many teachers and students to flee.

The “Back to School” initiative aimed to help a total of 662,000 children resume their studies, and the UNICEF is delivering “school in a box” kits that contain essential equipments, such as exercise books, pencils and school backpacks to enable children to resume their education.

Currently, 300,000 children were reported back in school and this has been a significant development.

Ethnic tensions in the north of the CAR and the presence of the Lord’s Resistance Army, an armed group known for its brutal tactics, have added to the instability.

Plagued by decades of instability and fighting, the CAR witnessed a resurgence of violence last December when the Seleka rebels launched a series of attacks, culminating in March when the then President Francois Bozize was forced to flee as the rebels seized control of the capital

UN human rights experts urge US to end racial profiling

A group of human rights experts of the UN has urged the United States to put an end to racial profiling in the country amid police killings of black men.

In a statement on Friday, the experts criticized grand juries after they decided in recent weeks not to indict two police officers for killing two African-Americans.

White police officer Darren Wilson shot dead black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August and white officer Daniel Pantaleo killed Eric Garner in New York City in July.

The chokehold death of Garner was recorded on videos that have been widely seen and have contributed to the public outrage. In the video, Garner repeatedly told police officers “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!”

The experts said that sending the two cases to trial would have brought all evidence to light and allowed justice to take its course.

Rita Izsak, UN special rapporteur on minority issues, voiced concerns over the decisions of the grand juries.

“The decisions leave many with legitimate concerns relating to a pattern of impunity when the victims of excessive use of force come from African-American or other minority communities,” she said.

Mutuma Ruteere, UN special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, slammed discriminatory practices including racial profiling by American police officers and said that those practices must be eradicated.

The use of lethal force is only allowed by international law where it is absolutely necessary to protect life, according to another official.

“The laws of many of the states in the US are much more permissive, creating an atmosphere where there are not enough constraints on the use of force. A comprehensive review of the system is needed,” Christof Heyns, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said.

AGB/AGB

Mark Proctor: I was surprised by Higgy's departure - and the pressure is now on the manager

It was a massive surprise to see Higgy leave Boro this week. What surprised me most was the quickness of the decision.

I’ve obviously read everything that’s since come out in the paper but it was only the week before that Aitor and Higgy were praising each other.

But between them they’ve decided a parting of the ways is best for the club - and that’s a big call.

It looks like it’s the manager who has made the final decisiion and if things start going wrong on the pitch as a result it lands on his shoulders.

Boro are sitting fifth in the league and going along nicely, but if things now start to go pear-shaped then it will be the manager under pressure.

But I’m sure Aitor is well aware of that. The relationship between the manager and an assistant is so important - it’s probably the most important relationship in football.

I think it’s even more important than that between the manager and chairman.

The manager and his assistant need to be totally comfortable with each other, share the same football philosophy and understand how each other works.

The communication between the two is vital and they rely on each other at any given time.

But also the assistant is someone who the players can come up to and talk to and ask for his advice before going to the manager.

Aitor obviously thinks he has made the right decision for Boro, and time will tell.

It’s clear to see that Aitor is a very focused manager who is in his first managerial job. He’s meticulous in his planning and he’s had the courage to make that big call.

A backroom staff has to be together as one. They are all singing from the same hymn sheet but all the people can have different personalities.

I was very different to Mark Venus and I think I was probably the balance between Mark and Tony (Mowbray).

I’m not sure exactly what the personalities are in terms of Aitor’s backroom staff, but it’s always good to have a difference in personality to balance the group.

For Higgy himself I think it must have been difficult for him returning to Boro.

When he was appointed as Aitor’s assistant the manager had already been in the job for four months and brought in his own staff.

In that sense the wheels were already in motion and the philosophy set out. I’m not saying Higgy was an after-thought, but he came into an environment where things were already moving.

I suppose that difficulty was probably heightened by he and Aitor coming from different cultures and things can easily get lost in translation.

But looking at his time at Boro and certainly the way the team performed on the pitch, it appeared that Higgy and Aitor worked well together and they jumped over the initialy hurdles.

The reason Higgy was brought to Boro by Aitor was because he was familiar with Boro and the league.

He had all that inside knowledge of English football, and he’s been in that domain for 20 years.

The interesting thing now will be who will replace Higgy as assistant. I know Aitor said he wants someone who knows the league and what Boro is all about, but he’s been here for a year now so has learned a lot himself.

He is more clued up than he was when he first arrived, so it will be interesting to see who he chooses.

Middlesbrough Football Club is a massive part of the community. If the club is doing well then the town is doing well.

I think Aitor knows that and he understands the Boro crowd. He is incredibly receptive to the fans, and they are responding to that.

He has done a great job at Boro and it’s going to be interesting what happens next.

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It’s been a difficult week for Aitor Karanka and I’m sure he’ll be delighted to have the attention turned back onto the pitch today.

But it’s no easy game for Boro as they head to the New Den to face Millwall.

It’s a really volatile place to go, the crowd can be vociferous and they can be intimidating to the opposition players.

I played Millwall on a number of occasions and I was always up against some real hard men in midfield.

They always had tough reputations - the likes of Terry Hurlock - and you had to stand up to that physicality and overcome that intimidation.

But that’s nothing new to Boro, and they’ve played at Millwall before and come away with the three points.

Boro go into the game on the back of three straight draws and I’m sure everyone at the club will be keen to get back to winning ways.

Getting that one win then means you can put a run of victories together, and especially at this time of year, that could be massive in the Championship.

If you’re still in that top six after the New Year then you have a good chance of launching a promotion push in the second half of the season.

And a positive result for Boro at Millwall today could be the start of that.

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ON Monday Boro will find out their opponents in the FA Cup third round.

It’s always a day full of anticipation and the smaller teams will be hoping for the plum draw against one of the big boys, which will be very lucrative.

It’s always great to see lower league players pitting themselves against Premier League regulars for one week only.

I remember when I was at Boro in 2011 and we were beaten 2-1 at Burton Albion in the third round of the FA Cup.

They were in League Two at the time and I remember we absolutely annihilated them - it could have been double figures, yet we still lost the match.

You get those freak results all the time. The underdogs always raise their game and play above themselves, and if the bigger team has an off day or isn’t focused then you can become unstuck.

It’s difficult to say what Boro fans hope for in Monday’s draw.

On the one hand you want an exciting tie, maybe a tie against the likes of Newcastle and Sunderland, or one of the Premier League giants.

But equally if you do get one of those teams then it’s a much more difficult tie and you could find yourself being knocked out early doors.

Some people would want to see Boro go as far as they can in the competition, so a nice home draw against lower opposition would be good in their eyes.

We’ll all be watching with great excitement - let’s hope for a good draw.