News Rush: 12/28/14

Sunday, December 28, 2014

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, Monday 29th 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.

Egypt prepares to destroy 1,200 homes for Rafah border zone

CAIRO (Ma’an) — An Egyptian committee has finished surveying the homes of individuals living between 500-1,000 meters of the Gaza border in preparation for the extension of a buffer zone on the border to a width of 1,000 meters, Egyptian military sources said Friday.

The move comes after the destruction of hundreds of homes inside the 500-meter area previously, as part of a wider effort to ensure that the joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip be fully carried out.

The technical engineering committee that carried out the survey examined around 1,200 homes in the area in preparation for their demolition in the 13-kilometer long stretch of border territory.

Work on the buffer zone on the Egyptian side began in Feb. 2014, but was at the time slated to extend only about 300 meters in urban areas and 500 in rural areas.

After a bombing killed more than 30 Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai in October, however, the military stepped up the campaign to build the buffer zone amid accusations of Hamas support for the group that carried out the attack, which Hamas has strenuously denied.

Both sides of the border are densely populated as the city of Rafah originally extended in both directions, a growth that was the result of the Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula for more than a decade following the 1967 war.

In the early 2000s Israeli authorities demolished thousands of homes in Palestinian Rafah in order to create a 300-meter buffer zone on the Egypt border, but after the pull-out in 2005, many moved back into the area.

The Egyptian government, which has actively destroyed smuggling tunnels underneath the border and directly targeted Hamas since a military coup in summer 2013, has now promised to uproot as many as possible to ensure the creation of a buffer zone on its side.

The border area used to be host to hundreds of tunnels which Gazans used to import goods to get around the seven-year-old Israeli siege of the territory

Wedding of the Week for Danielle Calvert and Phillip Walton

VIEW GALLERY

Bride and groom: Danielle Calvert, 26, and Phillip Walton, 34, both of Stockton.

Married at: Bannatyne Hotel, Darlington.

When? July 12, 2014, at 1pm.

Where did you meet? Through friends in 2006.

The proposal: At our family home in 2010. It was very romantic.

The wedding ring: We went for 18ct matching plain white gold bands.

What did the bride wear? A Victoria Kay Swarovski crystal dress.

Bridesmaids: Maid of honour Hayley Graham, 30, and bridesmaids Rachael Denning, 27, Kay Walton, 41, and Jodie Brown, 28.

Ushers/page boys: Dave Thomas, 31, Gavin Hawdon, 37, Richard Paylor, 35, and page boys Cody Walton, three, and James Walton, five.

Best man: Mark Graham Elmore, 31, of Stockton.

The reception: Daytime for 54 guests and 100 guests on the evening.

The honeymoon: Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.

Wedding of the Week for Samantha Jayne Booth and Mark Christopher Hall

Wedding of the Week for Emily Smith and Lewis Turton

Wedding of the Week for Liam Preston and Laura Allaway

Wedding of the Week for Kimberley Anne Jones and Dale Thomas

Wedding of the Week for Simon Konya and Lyndsey Hinnighan

Wedding of the Week for Stephanie Whittingham and Russell James Bellerby

Wedding of the Week for Bernadette Jones and Ben Sansom

Wedding of the Week for Christopher David Wilkinson and Emily Megan Nicola Lewith

Wedding of the Week for Karen Dawn Savage and Paul Stephenson

Wedding of the Week for Mario Antoiou and Sinead Louise McVeigh

Wedding of the Week for Alexander James Stagg and Melissa Charlotte Rose Hartley

Wedding of the Week for Marty Mendum and Sarah Higgins

Wedding of the Week for Andrew Willows and Catherine Beaubien

Wedding of the Week for Glen Dalgarno and Laura Marshall

Wedding of the Week for Chantelle Standley and Marc Temke

Wedding of the Week: Toni Matthews and Liam McGlone

Wedding of the Week for Yarm couple Rachel Louise Preston and Adam Sebastian Hall

Wedding of the Week for Hardwick couple Claire Peers and Christopher Thompson

Wedding of the Week for former Billingham couple Ashley Hickman and Alex Smallwood

Wedding of the Week for Eston couple Donna Hare and Steven Middleton

Wedding of the Week for Stockton couple Laura Bowes and Joel Jordison

Wedding of the Week for Stockton couple Deborah Heselwood and Daniel Whitehouse

Wedding of the Week for Middlesbrough couple Andrew William Gordon and Charlotte Anne David

Wedding of the Week for Billingham couple Sarah Hoare and Craig Fenny

Wedding of the Week for Sedgefield couple Carolyn and Michael Duffy

Pictures and five observations from Philip Tallentire on Boro's 0-0 draw with Blackburn

VIEW GALLERY

Boro had the best of the chances but had to settle for a point as the festive flurry of fixtures came to an end at Ewood Park.

Inspired Blackburn keeper Simon Eastwood made a string of saves, as he did in the reverse fixture at the Riverside in November, to prevent Boro from breaking the deadlock as the game finished 0-0.

Our Boro editor Philip Tallentire offers five observations from the game:

1. Milos Veljkovic made his first start for Boro and looked at home in the Championship occupying a central midfield role. He has excellent control, an eye for a pass and could be one to watch.

2. Kike Garcia has fantastic feet and can spot a defence-splitting pass but, on several occasions at Blackburn, opted to go it alone with team-mates occupying dangerous attacking positions.

3. Making six changes may be understandable when viewed in the context of two games in three days but Boro did lack their usual fluidity throughout much of the game. Aitor Karanka eventually switched from 4-4-1-1 to 4-2-3-1 with sub Lee Tomlin occupying the No.10 position.

4. Yanic Wildschut failed to make the most of his first start since November 8. He struggled to impose himself on the game and was subbed in the 59th minute.

5. What a season Grant Leadbitter is having. His stoppage time goalmouth clearance denied Rovers the win that would have put them within five points of Boro. As it is, the gap remains eight points.

Who were Boro's best performers at Ewood Park? Rate the players after the 0-0 draw against Blackburn

Dimi Konstantopoulos

0

Dean Whitehead

0

George Friend

0

Daniel Ayala

0

Ben Gibson

0

Milos Veljkovic

0

Grant Leadbitter

0

Yanic Wildschut

0

Kike

0

Jelle Vossen

0

Adam Reach

0

Substitutes

Patrick Bamford

0

Lee Tomlin

0

Adam Clayton

0

Submission / Results

The fantastic following of 7,000 fans put in a stunning performance in the stands but who were Boro's best performers on the pitch?

Boro couldn't make it two wins in three days but still picked up another point with a 0-0 draw at Ewood Park.

Jelle Vossen, Adam Reach, Kike and Patrick Bamford all went close for Boro but they were unable to break the deadlock while the back-line notched another clean sheet at the other end.

Boro climbed to third in the Championship with Derby not in action until Tuesday.

Give us your verdict and rate Boro's players on their performance against Blackburn.

Saffron outfits burn copies of Tamil novel, seek ban

Nearly 50 people from right-wing outfits, headed by local BJP and RSS leaders, burnt copies of Tamil writer Perumal Murugan’s novel Mathorubagan, at Tiruchengode on Friday. The protesters claimed that the book portrays Lord Shiva and women devotees in a bad light.

They also filed a police complaint, demanding a ban on the 190-page book and the arrest of the publisher and author. However, it was unclear why the book, published in 2010, triggered protests now. Murugan, who has already approached the Namakkal police following alleged threat calls from right-wing outfits, said he had no clue why the book was being targeted four years after being published.

The author, a professor of Tamil at Namakkal Government Arts College, said it is unfortunate to face threats from people who have not even read the book fully. “Most of the threat calls were anonymous while all of them sounded abusive. As a writer, I would welcome any kind of criticism.

But burning copies of the book is really saddening. After all, what I have written is a fiction and like all my other works, the plot of Mathorubagan revolves around my native place, Tiruchengode, and its beliefs and myths,” he said.

Mathorubagan tells the story of Kali and his wife Ponna, and a conflict between them over attending a ritual for free and consensual sex on the last day of a 14-day long festival at the historic Kailasanathar temple in Tiruchengode. Kali tries to stop Ponna from attending the ritual meant for childless women. But Ponna goes missing.

Mathorubagan was translated and published in English by Penguin India titled “One Part Woman” in 2013. Kannan, publisher of Kalachuvadu, which brought out the book, said it does not defame any religion. “But people get hurt by many things including the narration of uncomfortable truths.

The Constitution does not safeguard anyone’s sentiments from getting hurt. Kalachuvadu will not withdraw Mathorubagan. We will not cease publishing his (Murugan’s) novels in print. We are prepared to fight this atrocity,” he said

– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/saffron-outfits-burn-copies-of-tamil-novel-seek-ban/#sthash.pZ4RDTem.dpuf

Man taken to hospital after chip pan fire in Priestfields area of Middlesbrough

A man was taken to hospital following a chip pan fire in a Middlesbrough property.

Cleveland Fire Brigade were called to Carmarthen Road in the Priestfields area at around 9pm last night after reports of a fire.

One appliance from Coulby Newham and another from the Marine fire station attended the blaze, which was out on arrival.

A man was taken to hospital by ambulance suffering from smoke inhalation.

A chip pan was destroyed by the fire and five rooms in the property were also slightly damaged by smoke.

Steve Bruce: 'Boro's offer was unbelievable, I couldn't stand in Steve Agnew's way'

Steve Bruce says he was unable to stand in the way of his former assistant Steve Agnew after Boro offered him an "unbelievable" deal to return to the Riverside.

Agnew joined up with Boro last week ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest after agreeing to become Aitor Karanka's new No.2.

It was quite a coup for Boro who tempted Agnew out of the Premier League with Hull City but Bruce claims it was an offer that his assistant couldn't refuse.

"Steve Agnew came to see me last Friday and he'd had an unbelievable offer to go back there," Bruce told the Hull Daily Mail.

"I gave him the weekend to think about it and believe me, because it was such an unbelievable offer I couldn't stand in his way.

"Financially and security wise, they blew what we were paying him out of the water.

"Steve Gibson obviously thinks a lot of him, like I do."

Aitor Karanka and Steve Agnew

Agnew was part of the coaching staff under Gareth Southgate, Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray at Boro before moving on to Hull City, but Karanka confirmed he was always his number one choice to replace Craig Hignett as his deputy at the Riverside.

Steve Bruce didn't want to lose his right hand man, but admitted: "Sometimes you have to shake him by the hand and say 'Well done, Steve, thanks for your help.'

"He's got nothing but my best wishes.

"I didn't want it to happen, I assure you of that, but I couldn't stand in his road."

Live: Blackburn v Boro at Ewood Park

Boro will be looking to wreak revenge on Blackburn as the two sides lock horns in the Championship for the second time in four weeks.

With a red army of 7,000 fans set to make the pilgrimage to Lancashire, Boro will have plenty of motivation for the clash - and revenge may well be an added goal after last month’s controversial 1-1 draw between the two sides at the Riverside.

VHP plans ‘ghar wapsi’ for 40 Gaya families today

The Gaya wing of VHP has planned “ghar wapsi” for the 40 Manjhi families, whose conversion to Christianity came to light this Christmas, on Monday. Local BJP MP Hari Manjhi, who had visited Atiya village on Friday, would likely attend the event, even as the party asserted that it has nothing to do with the VHP’s plan.

Local VHP leader Mani Barik, who visited the village again on Saturday to persuade the converted Dalits for “ghar wapsi”, told The Indian Express: “We have already held discussions with villagers and most of them are willing for purification function to become Hindus again. Though we are not forcing anyone to reconvert, we are facing resistance from the Gaya administration.”

“We have been working with the villagers to know what had gone wrong and what they expected from the government. Manjhi families are simple, plain-hearted and gullible. The families were misguided by the Christian missionaries,” he said.

Gaya DM, who had been asked by Bihar Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi to file a report on the conversions, reportedly submitted that no Manjhi family was forcibly converted.

Most of the 40 Atiya families, who converted between 2007 and 2010, however, had told The Indian Express team that a Christian missionary had opened a school at the village, carried out deaddiction programmes and provided healthcare, thus wooing them.

Despite its MP’s active participation in persuading the villagers, BJP’s state unit maintained that it has no connection with the Monday event. Its legislature party leader Sushil Kumar Modi, however, told The Indian Express that there was “nothing wrong with reconversion without inducements”.

“We have been against both forced conversion and reconversion. Though we have nothing to do with the Gaya matter, there is nothing wrong with reconversions without inducements and allurements.”

– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/vhp-plans-ghar-wapsi-for-40-gaya-families-today/#sthash.4A3Mkpjn.dpuf

Police appeal for information after Christmas Eve house fire in Middlesbrough

A suspicious Christmas Eve house fire has led to a police appeal for information.

As reported, two women and two children were rescued by firefighters and treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation following the blaze at the terraced house in Percy Street, Gresham, Middlesbrough, at 3.18am on Christmas Eve.

Police suspect the fire was started deliberately and today appealed for anybody with information to come forward.

Three fire appliances attended the blaze, with firefighters battling flames for nearly an hour using six breathing apparatus and three hose reels.

After the fire was extinguished, the ground floor of the terraced house was found to be badly fire damaged and a bottom window and the front door were smashed. Scene of crime officers arrived at the house to gather evidence on Wednesday morning.

A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, but has since been released on bail.

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

Police arrests man for vandalizing Islamic center

A man has been arrested for vandalizing an Islamic center in the US state of California, authorities say.

On Saturday, Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the perpetrator, identified as 28-year-old Asif Mohammad Khan, caused more than $10,000 in damage at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno (ICCF).

Khan broke a number of windows, bleached an American flag, and vandalized a nearby medical office among other things, said the police chief.

Police suspects the case might be a hate crime as a mosque has been targeted, Dyer noted.

Samia Khan, the suspect’s sister, said his brother was suffering from a mental illness and therefore not guilty.

Fresno police investigators will notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whether the move was a hate crime after they interrogate the suspect, Dyer said.

Khan’s family has apologized for desecration of the mosque, Samia said adding the family was part of the city’s Muslim community.

NT/NT

Missing AirAsia flight QZ8501: Latest updates as plane disappears with 162 people on board, including British national

The Gazette

Join us on social media.

For the latest local news straight to your Twitter, Facebook feed or e-mail inbox.

Facebook: The Gazette; Gazette People
Newsletters: Sign up to our daily newsletter

Twitter: @EveningGazette; @GazetteBoro; @GazetteCourt; @Gazettepeople; @Gazettebusiness

The Editor

Chris Styles

Editor, The Gazette

Email: chris.styles@trinitymirror.com
Twitter: @chrisstyles16

Chris was appointed editor of the Gazette in January 2012. He is also a former Gazette news editor. Chris has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has previously worked in senior positions in Newcastle, Exeter and Nottingham.

Israeli digging causes collapse near Western Wall

Israeli excavations under the al-Aqsa Mosque have caused collapse just meters away from the Western Wall of East al-Quds (Jerusalem), Press TV reports.

The wall is located at the foot of the western side of Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, one of the most important religious sites in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The collapse came about on Friday in an area in Silwan south of al-Aqsa where the tunnels dug by the Israelis start. Following the incident, the Israeli police sealed off the site and forbade anyone from approaching it.

The Palestinian archeological community has accused Tel Aviv of purposefully damaging Islam’s third-holiest mosque.

“The strong can force their will. Look at the Roman Court in Jerusalem al-Quds. The Israelis turned it into a temple, although, it is not related to Judaism,” said Palestinian archeologist Ibrahim al-Fanni.

“The Israelis invented their own history and the Palestinians failed to look into their own past. Israelis continue with their excavations to create historical identity for themselves.”

Palestinian officials are worried about the political implications and how the excavations could affect the Palestinian main street. They have warned about outburst of violence should anything happen to al-Aqsa Mosque.

“This was expected. Experts have always warned of such an outcome and there is a real possibility of damage to al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Esmat Mansour, expert on Israeli affairs.

“If these activities harmed the mosque in any way, the entire region will be set on fire because protecting al-Aqsa is a duty for every Muslim and Arab citizen.”

HN/NN/AS