News Rush: 02/21/15

Saturday, February 21, 2015

UN Secretary General seeks action on Syria sieges, barrel bombs

Ban Ki-moon

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Thursday for urgent action to lift sieges on civilians and to end barrel bomb attacks in Syria, denouncing a business-as-usual approach to the war-torn country.

The appeal was included in a report by the Secretary General to the UN Security Council that also insisted upon stepped-up efforts to reach a political solution and end the war which has entered its fourth year.

“This conflict has become business as usual,” Ban wrote in the report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

The UN chief listed five priorities for action, including the lifting of siege on 212,000 people, ensuring access to medical aid to all of Syria and rebuilding the education system.

He also said the 15-member council must address the issue of barrel-bomb attacks on civilians, as well as finding a way to end the practice of denying services as a weapon of war.

The report was the 12th to the Council, which has been deeply divided over the war that has left more than 210,000 dead and displaced 12 million Syrians.

Ban reported a significant escalation of violence and attacks by Assad’s forces during January in Damascus, rural Damascus and in eastern Ghouta.

Assad’s forces conducted aerial bombardments including with barrel bombs, shelled the area of eastern Ghouta and launched surface-to-surface missiles, the report said.

Ban said barrel bombs were used against civilians in Aleppo, where the UN is seeking to freeze fighting as part of its peace efforts.

The report stated that Assad’s forces are besieging 185,500 people in eastern Ghouta, Darayya and Yarmouk, while armed opposition groups in Nabul and Zahraa are preventing 26,500 people from gaining access to food and other supplies.

Ban said the crisis is worsening for Syrians after nearly four years of war and issued fresh appeals for a political solution.

“Defining a political solution will involve tough decisions and compromise, with everyone putting aside their preconditions for launching talks,” Ban declared

Gazan lady operates NASA’s Orion Spacecraft

Soha Alqeshawi - NASA Engineer from Gaza

A Palestinian lady from the Gaza Strip is a leading figure in operating NASA’s Orion Spacecraft and is responsible for software/hardware integration and testing to ensure the spacecraft is functioning properly.

The story of engineer Soha al-Qeshawi was published on NASA’s Arabic Facebook page as a success story. The Facebook page’s administrator referred to her as an intelligent Palestinian lady.

Speaking about herself, she said, “As a senior software engineer working on Orion, I am responsible for software/hardware integration and testing to ensure all the spacecraft’s computer commands perform as expected for America’s next generation spacecraft designed for deep space exploration.”

Al-Qeshawi described her role within NASA’s programme. “Working with bits and bytes all day is much cooler than you might think. I get to simulate Orion missions almost every day, just as if we are flying in space. I test the systems from launch, through flight and back to Earth.”

Regarding her role in the system, she explained, “If I find any issues, I resolve them and retest to ensure a smooth and safe flight for our future crews.”

Al-Qeshawi explained the reason behind her inclination towards spacecraft. “As a young girl growing up in Gaza City, Palestine, watching the space shuttle take off and come back to Earth always amazed me. That is what inspired me to become part of the space programme.”

She discussed the initial steps taken to pursue this career. “I came to Houston to pursue my degree in engineering from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. Soon after graduation, I started work on the Space Shuttle Program.

“When the shuttle retired, I saw Orion as the new beginning for the next human spaceflight programme, and I wanted to be part of it.”

A final word of advice from al-Qeshawi with regard to pursuing ambitions was, “My advice to young girls around the world: always have a dream, dream big, and work really hard to make your dream come true. Mine did.”

Source: MEMO

Palestine shuts down as snow, frigid rain pummel Holy Land

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Shops and offices in cities across the West Bank were closed Friday after a major winter storm pummeled the region and left nearly half a meter of snow in some places.

Snowfall began late Thursday and continued into the early morning Friday, blanketing hilltops across the region with a thick layer of snow that shut streets and major thoroughfares.

Frigid rain continued to pummel the region Friday night, and was expected to continue into Saturday as temperatures slowly rise from the storm — named “Jenny” by meteorologists — as it continues south.

Emergency services said that as of the afternoon there had been 16 storm-related car accidents and that rescue services had been involved in at least 215 cases since the beginning of the storm. The majority of those cases involved individuals being brought to the hospital.

Snow plows roamed the streets of the West Bank’s major cities opening up roads, but the Ministry of Public Works and Housing said that in many areas the vast majority of roads were still shut.

The ministry said in a statement that in the Hebron region, 80 percent of internal roads were closed by the snow, while Israeli-controlled Route 60 was open but extremely difficult to navigate.

In Bethlehem, meanwhile, all major roads were open but the ministry asked residents to stay in their homes as the majority of roads remained in precarious or difficult condition.

In Ramallah, similar conditions prevailed, although the road east toward Silwad remained mostly closed, the ministry said.

In occupied East Jerusalem, the heavy snowfall had also shut down major roads. Due to the reported failure of the Israeli municipality to clear roads in Palestinian neighborhoods, locals in many places had ventured out to re-open streets.

At the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard, meanwhile, hundreds gathered to take part in a massive snow fight, taking advantage of the unusually cold weather and fresh white blanket covering the third-holiest site in Islam.

Snowfall also hit Palestinian communities inside Israel where it is rarely seen, including Nazareth in the Galilee, Abu Ghosh west of Jerusalem, and Beersheba and Bedouin communities in the Negev desert in the south.

Power even went off in the southern Israeli city of Arad as Israeli crews struggled to cope with the storm’s impacts on the country’s infrastructures. Several major highways, including Highway 1 and 443 to Jerusalem, were still closed shut as of Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, frigid rain and hail pounded Gaza and the Palestinian coast overnight and into Friday, without at least 1.8 million in the Strip struggling to survive amid the usual power cuts and limited access to fuel for generators.

Around 110,000 people were left homeless by Israel’s summer assault on the Strip that left around 2,200 dead as well, and tens of thousands of those are still being housed in substandard, unheated dwellings

History, statues and sport: See the work of photographer Barry John Hall

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Every day The Gazette features the very best of pictures sent to us from readers around Teesside.

We’ve been so impressed we launched Camera Club, a regular feature in which we profile different photographers, find out a bit more about them and share a selection of their latest shots.

To have your pictures featured visit http://bit.ly/1ITUzYX

Name: Barry John Hall

Where are you from: Thornaby

Tell us a little bit about yourself: I enjoy football, photography and keeping fit.

What do you like taking pictures of? Anything that will make a good picture such as things to do with history, statues and sports pictures.

To be featured in Camera Club click on this link

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Northern League round-up: Guisborough batter Bishops to stay second as Marske and Synners suffer setbacks

Guisborough kept the heat on West Auckland at the top of the Northern League as they stayed second with a thumping 5-0 win at Bishop Auckland, but fellow title hopefuls Marske lost 1-0 at Jarrow Roofing and Billingham Synthonia suffered a 2-1 defeat to Bedlington.

Second tier high flyers Norton still have the only unbeaten home record in both divisions, but the Ancients had to settle for a goalless draw against Whickham and finished with 10 men as they remained third.

Thornaby put their North Riding Senior Cup battering by Scarborough Athletic behind them as they thrashed rock-bottom Brandon 4-0 on their travels, despite having Stephen Morrison sent off.

But Billingham Town suffered a lacklustre 1-0 reverse at Ryton and Stokesley lost 3-1 at Broughton Road to Heaton Stannington.

Guisborough made it nine wins in as many matches in 2015 as they bashed Bishops, with Nathan Steel netting the man of the match award.

Three slickly-worked first half goals from Callum Martin (17 minutes), Steel (28) and James Risbrough (41) laid the foundation for another impressive Priorymen victory.

Bishops’ cause became a lost one soon after the interval when Kyle Davis was sent off after an ugly incident with blameless Guisborough midfielder Chay Liddle.

The visitors assumed complete control and added further late goals from Curtis Round and Andrew May in the closing five minutes to cap an excellent all-round performance.

Marske still have games in hand on their fellow title contenders but have now lost two in a row and drop a spot to fifth following their single-goal defeat at Jarrow.

Kick-off was delayed for 18 minutes after one of the referee’s assistants arrived at the ground late, and the Jamie Owens-less Seasiders missed a great chance to go in front when Glen Butterworth sliced wide.

Roofing scored their winner on the counter attack following a Marske free-kick as Lewis Teasdale nodded in a right-wing cross on 36 minutes.

Marske gave it their best shot after the break but a Josh MacDonald shot that was tipped onto the post was the closest they came to scoring.

Billingham Synthonia fell to fourth-bottom after Stephen Young’s brace gave Bedlington victory at Central Avenue.

Dan Dillon was sent off in Billingham Synthonia's defeat to Bedlington

Synners started without Michael Sweet after the top scorer turned his ankle in their midweek League Cup defeat at Shildon.

Sweet's injury meant John Alexander made a second start up front, but it was the Terriers who took a 10th minute lead when Young controlled a first-time cross from the right and rounded Peter Burke in the home goal.

Bedlington should have doubled their lead on the stroke of half time through Dylan Williamson, but the winger scuffed his shot straight at Burke after holding off Matty Osmond.

Young added his and Bedlington’s second three minutes after half-time when he rolled the ball into an empty net from the left-hand side of the penalty area.

Synners did much more pressing after Sweet came off the bench to replace Alexander, but midfielder Dan Dillon did them no favours when he was shown a straight red card for a needless kick on Williamson right in front of the referee.

Synners had to make an injury-enforced change when right-back Chris Dodds was stretchered off with ankle ligament damage.

Sweet pulled a goal back with a belting volley following a Kris Hughes corner, but only three minutes of added time were played despite a lengthy delay while Dodds was being tended to.

Norton were below their best for a second week in a row in a scrappy game of few chances against Whickham.

Ancients shot-stopper David Knight kept out a Chad Collins effort and opposite number John Mordey denied Tom Bligh after he was set up by John Seaton.

Further chances were limited and Ancients defender Luke Johnson received a second yellow card five minutes from time. Elsewhere in Division Two, Thornaby got over their 11-1 North Riding Senior Cup mauling by Scarborough Athletic as they blitzed Brandon, with their substitutes playing starring roles.

Ged Livingstone converted Morrison’s 19th minute cross to give them the lead, but the central defender was sent off five minutes into the second half for a stray elbow.

New signing from Synners Theo Furness came off the bench to make his Thornaby debut after Morrison walked and was involved in the build-up which led to fellow sub Richie Walker heading in the second.

Curtis Edwards supplied the assist for Danny Lofts to score Thornaby’s third and Walker turned provided for Joe Melvin - another sub - to complete the scoring with a tap-in. Thornaby are seventh.

Billingham Town were poor in their defeat at Ryton and failed to manage a shot on target until the 92nd minute when Gary Redman saw his effort saved.

Ryan Burnyeat bobbled in Ryton's scruffy winner following a first half corner.

David Edwards equalised with a header on the stroke of half time after Stokesley had fallen behind at home against Heaton Stannington.

Richard Hoggins scored his second of the afternoon to put The Stan back in front and Ben Telford added their third.

Three points: Regret of missed chances, the pack bunch again and the defence looked shaky - what we learnt from the defeat against Leeds

A let-off for Boro or a massive opportunity missed? Both.

Positives of an early kick-off on a Saturday are hard to come by but the benefit of being able to open a four point gap at the top was the pressure being piled on promotion rivals.

The possibility of Boro dropping points wasn't really considered. The attention instead centred on the delightful thought of breathing space at the summit.

It’s that which made the defeat to Leeds hard to take. That and the fact it was a game Boro dominated from start to finish.

Had Boro gone in at the break 5-1 up Neil Redfearn couldn’t really have had any complaints. Instead, the hosts trailed 1-0. Remarkably, that’s how it finished.

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Frustration. Sheer frustration.

One point out of six. A blip? Not quite. The point at Birmingham was a good one given the circumstances and Boro barely froze on the small screen against an in-form Leeds side.

Aitor Karanka described the first half performance as one of the best of the campaign so far. It’s hard to disagree.

But no points out of six against Leeds this season quite simply isn’t good enough. We can only hope it’s not decisive come the end of the season.

Derby took their chance to open a two-point gap at the top but both Bournemouth and Ipswich let Boro off the hook.

It's no straight road as we look ahead to the end of the season. The defeat to Leeds was one of many twists and turns still to come.

Here’s what we learnt from the frustrating 1-0 loss.

Chances must be taken.

Remember Simon Eastwood? Apologies, nobody wanted his name bringing up again after his two inspired displays against Boro earlier this season.

As if you need reminding, the Blackburn stopper, only starting due to Jason Steele’s ineligibility to play against his parent club at the time, made world class save after world class save to deny Boro picking up all three points against Blackburn both home and away.

That wasn’t the case against Leeds. As impressive as Marco Silvestri was between the posts for the visitors, the countless saves he made were all stops you would expect a keeper at this level to make.

But they were all from chances you would expect strikers at this level to put away.

Kike in action against Leeds

Aitor Karanka explained his decision to leave Patrick Bamford out of the starting line-up, pointing to the fact the form striker put in a shift on his own up top for 45 minutes after Jelle Vossen was pulled off following Dimi’s dismissal at Birmingham.

Jelle Vossen and Kike caused the Leeds defence no end of problems, particularly in the first half, but you can’t help but think Bamford would have dispatched at least one of the many chances that the starting duo missed in the opening period.

For long periods it was a game of attack v defence. Defence somehow came out on top.

Jelle Vossen in action against Leeds

Chances came and went. The tally of Boro shots on goal constantly rising. But the goal tally didn’t budge.

Players and fans will be scratching their heads as to how at least one of the chances created wasn’t stuck in the back of the net.

Opportunities missed. A golden chance spurned.

After a week of three games without a win in all competitions, Boro will be itching for Tuesday to roll around. A win against Bolton is paramount.

It’s tight at the top - it’s anyone’s title once again

A couple of weeks back it looked like Boro, Derby and Bournemouth were beginning to pull away, that the other sides would have to settle for a lottery ticket in the play-offs.

That’s not the case anymore.

Boro may well have been let off the hook somewhat by Bournemouth and Ipswich who both failed to win but the results have allowed the other promotion chasers to pull themselves right back in the mix for an automatic promotion spot.

Middlesbrough. manager Aitor Karanka

Talk ahead of the Leeds game was focused on Boro’s chance to open up a four point gap at the top. Instead, just five points now separates second-place Boro and seventh-place Brentford.

Alex Neil appeared to be a slight gamble of an appointment at Norwich when he replaced Neil Adams. Now it seems inspired. The Canaries, like Ipswich and even Watford, despite their heavy defeat, will still believe they’re capable of forcing their way into the top two.

As the boss and players have stressed on so many occasions, it doesn’t matter what’s happening elsewhere, Boro just need to focus on their own results.

But they’ll be all too aware that with the pack bunching around, any slip-ups from now to the end of the season will be punished.

The rock solid defence looked a little shaky

Granted, Boro had to commit bodies as they chased the game against Leeds. They even committed Tomas Mejias forward in one final punt in the dying seconds.

But Boro’s rock solid defence, the most reliable back-line in the Championship, looked a little shaky throughout against a goal-shy Leeds attack.

As Boro’s missed chances dominated discussions after the game, the opportunities Leeds had to wrap the game up were demoted to minor mentions.

Tomas Kalas in action against Leeds

But Sol Bamba’s glorious opportunity on the stroke of half-time and Scott Wootton’s header against the bar should both have made the net ripple.

For a 10-minute spell after the goal Boro’s defence looked stunned. Leeds, no doubt surprised by their early opener, looked a real threat on the break. In truth, they did throughout.

None of Boro’s defenders had a particularly bad game. In fact, Kalas looked classy and assured throughout.

But Boro were far more charitable than they usually are, especially on home turf.

Daniel Ayala is a big miss and Ryan Fredericks was a surprise absentee.

George Friend

As for Tomas Mejias. Questions will be asked of the Spanish stopper’s role in the opener, his throw was intercepted in the middle of Boro’s half, but otherwise he was solid enough, making one smart stop to tip a Rodolph Austin over in the late stages.

A remarkable run of seven clean sheets in eight games has been followed by a run of five matches without a shut-out.

After the game Karanka hailed Boro’s ability to bounce back from setbacks.

Now more than ever it's vital they do exactly that and a win and a clean sheet against Bolton would be the perfect way to kick-start another unbeaten run.

Three fans arrested during and following Boro’s clash with Leeds United

Three fans were arrested during and following Boro’s clash with Leeds United, but a heavy police presence prevented major trouble between fans.

There were two arrests during the game and one after the final whistle.

A 39-year-old man was arrested in connection with an offence involving a flare being lighted, a 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in a designated sports ground, and a 37-year-old man was arrested following the game on suspicion of a public order offence. All three remain in police custody.

But a heavy police presence in and around the Riverside Stadium before, during and after the match managed to prevent any major disturbances.

Leeds fans who had travelled to Middlesbrough by train were escorted to and from the Riverside Stadium by police officers on the ground.

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Cleveland Police’s helicopter hovered overhead for the duration of the match and following the crowds into Middlesbrough town centre afterwards.

Following the match, which ended with Boro losing 1-0 to Leeds, police officers with video cameras filmed the supporters of each team which were chanting towards each other while separated by steel fencing.

During the pre-match build-up, Cleveland Police had put out a message on social media that read: “Not long now folks until Boro vs Leeds. Cops enjoying a vibrant, positive atmosphere from home and away fans outside the ground. Enjoy the game!”

Afterwards Cleveland Police thanked home and away fans and a police spokeswoman said: “Officers on the ground enjoyed a vibrant and positive atmosphere, which was in keeping with the family friendly approach taken by Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Football Club.”

Leeds and Boro fans square up to each other

Commenting on the positive response from fans, operational commander, supterintendent Mark Thornton said: “The majority of fans have been fantastic today and have worked with us to ensure that the match goes ahead safely and that the focus was on football, not disorder.

“We police football based on the intelligence we receive, and our response today was proportionate. I’m extremely proud of all involved, especially officers on the ground who have been engaging with fans from early this morning.

“I would like to thank Middlesbrough Football Club for their ongoing support, and Leeds United Football Club and fans for their co-operation.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger spent the day with officers to see the scale and scope of the policing operation around today’s match.

Leeds and Boro square up to each other outside the Riverside Stadium

He said: “From the briefing at 8am this morning and throughout the day I have been really impressed with the level of skill, dedication and meticulous planning that our officers put into operations of this nature.

“A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes, just to keep the streets of Cleveland safe. It’s testament to our officers, with support from Middlesbrough Football Club, who have made sure that today’s game passed without serious incident.”

Picture gallery: Boro fans at the Riverside for the game against Leeds United

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The second biggest home crowd of the Riverside watched on as Boro dropped points at home to Leeds United.

It was a huge opportunity for Boro to open a gap at the top of the Championship in the early kick-off but Alex Mowatt's early goal was enough for the visitors to pick up all three points.

Red Faction unfurled a brilliant 'Fit & Proper' Steve Gibson banner before kick off and the Boro fans were fantastic throughout but were left frustrated as Aitor Karanka's dominant side couldn't find the finishing touch to their excellent build-up work.

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

Picture gallery and five observations from Philip Tallentire after Boro suffer 1-0 defeat to Leeds

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Boro suffered a promotions setback after losing at home for the first time since August.

Alex Mowatt's first half goal was enough to secure the points for Leeds , who held on for the win to complete the double over Boro.

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

1. The Red Faction took the moral high-ground with their fantastic 'fit & proper' Steve Gibson banner, which they unfurled before kick-off. Compare the stability behind the scenes at Boro with the recent turmoil at Leeds and there's only one winner. Boro may have lost a battle but will certainly win the war.

2. Aitor Karanka has got his team selections spot one more often than not, but perhaps he missed a trick in not starting with in-form Patrick Bamford, who scored a crucial equaliser at Birmingham. Karanka said after the game that he named him on the bench because he'd had a tough 90 minutes at St Andrew's.

3. Boro may have dominated the match but they did look vulnerable to the counter-attack and Leeds could have added to their solitary goal with better finishing.

4. While Boro were clearly the better team on the day, it was hard to pick a man of the match. There were no stand-out performers for the hosts.

5. Tomas Mejias has yet to convince the Riverside faithful that he's the ready to be the Boro No1. After impressive performances on the road in the FA Cup, he didn't help his claims for regular league starts by gifting Leeds possession with a poor throw that led to the only goal of the game.

Middlesbrough woman's nose broken by Newcastle man in violent assault in her own home

A woman was left cowering in her bathroom fearing she had a fractured skull after she was viciously attacked by a so-called ‘friend’.

Teesside Crown Court heard how John Nicholson broke his pal’s nose in a violent assault during a drunken row.

Now, the 23-year-old has narrowly avoided a stint behind bars.

The court heard how the thug pushed the woman’s face into the ground and then stole her Kindle from her Middlesbrough home.

Recorder Michael Slater told the thug: “At the time she was a friend of yours.

“In the course of an argument fuelled by drink you pushed her to the ground and then pushed her once more so that her face impacted with the surface.

“She suffered a fracture to her nose. That caused her considerable pain and discomfort at the time.

“There were fears that she could have fractured her skull. You’re probably very fortunate that she did not do so.”

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said the woman fled to a bathroom for safety and called for help.

But Nicholson, of Grosvenor Road, Jesmond, Newcastle, stole the woman’s Kindle before he left her home on the night of August 25 last year.

“It certainly seems that within a few hours of having done this, you weren’t particularly remorseful about what had happened,” said the judge. “The theft offence was despicable.”

He accepted that Nicholson’s attitude had now changed after he pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and theft, his first criminal offences.

Jessica Slaughter, mitigating, said: “She was a friend of his. He was particularly ashamed of himself after the incident. He struggles to explain how it happened.

“This is the first time he’s been in court. It certainly has been a sobering experience.

“He was under the influence of alcohol at the time and taking drugs. He was acting completely out of character.

“This gentleman is the type of person that doesn’t often come before the courts.

“He is extremely motivated to undergo any sentence or punishment that the court sees fit so that he can avoid custody.”

She added Nicholson reduced his drinking dramatically and had not taken any drugs since the attack, and he worked long hours in a full-time job.

The judge told Nicholson: “The sentence I’m about to pass upon you will bring it home, if it wasn’t needed already, to show how narrowly you’ve avoided going to prison today.

“The court takes this very seriously indeed.”

Nicholson was given a 15-month jail term suspended for two years with a four-month curfew between 11pm and 6am.

Aitor Karanka: 'Today is the kind of day that you can't explain how we lost the game'

Aitor Karanka refused to criticise his players following Boro's 1-0 home defeat to Leeds United.

The visitors took advantage of a wayward Tomas Mejias throw to grab an early lead with Alex Mowatt's shot taking a deflection off Ben Gibson to wrong-foot the keeper.

Boro then completely dominated a one-sided derby but couldn't find a way past Leeds goalie Marco Silvestri, made several outstanding saves to earn his team all three points.

The hosts suffered a further blow late on when Jelle Vossen was stretchered from the field with concussion and is almost certain to miss Tuesday's home game against Bolton.

A mystified Karanka admitted he couldn't understand how his team lost to Leeds.

“Today is the kind of day that you can't explain how we lost the game,” he said.

“I don't know how many chance we created but football is about goals, football is about points and we have lost today.

“Today, the Leeds keeper today was brilliant. It's not the first time that when we play a team the keeper is the man of the match but I can't say anything bad about my players because they have done everything.

Middlesbrough's Kike misses a chance against Leeds

“The changing room atmosphere is very bad,” he added.

“I used to be a player and I can understand their disappointment because when you have done your best and you can't win the game it is the worst situation.

“Sometimes you don't play your best but you win games but when you have done everything and you have played at your best and you don't win it is bad for everybody.

“But we are doing really well and we are in this position because all of the players have worked very well since the end of the season, I am very proud of them and we have to keep going.”

Ahead of kick-off, a few eyebrows were raised at Karanka's team selection, especially as in-form Patrick Bamford, who scored Boro's 1-1 midweek draw at Birmingham, was named on the bench along Lee Tomlin.

Explaining his thinking, the head coach said: “Last Wednesday we played 45 minutes with 10-men and we have to manage the squad and I need to know how the players are.

“We have another game on Tuesday and another game on Saturday and I always try to choose the best XI.”

On Vossen's condition, he added: “I don't know how he is but I hope it is nothing serious. The main thing is the player's health and I hope Jelle is well as soon as possible.”

Karanka confirmed that Ryan Fredericks was fit and available but he decided not to include him in the squad.

Rate the players after Boro do everything but score and suffer a frustrating defeat to Leeds United

A frustrating afternoon all round.

Boro dominated from start to finish against Leeds United but somehow came out of game without even a point for their efforts.

Alex Mowatt's early goal proved crucial as Leeds pulled off an unlikely double on Karanka's table-toppers.

Who were the pick of Boro's players in a game in which the home side were on top throughout?

Give us your verdict and rate the players here.

Tomas Mejias

0

Emilio Nsue

0

George Friend

0

Tomas Kalas

0

Ben Gibson

0

Adam Clayton

0

Grant Leadbitter

0

Albert Adomah

0

Kike

0

Jelle Vossen

0

Adam Reach

0

Substitutes

Lee Tomlin

0

Patrick Bamford

0

Adam Forshaw

0

Submission / Results

Recap: Boro v Leeds United at the Riverside Stadium

The point at Birmingham means Boro are now unbeaten in their last nine league matches, losing two of their last 18 duels in the Championship.

That form has seen Aitor Karanka’s side soar to the summit, and a sixth straight home victory would see them go four points clear before the 3pm matches.

There was a time when Leeds United looked set for a relegation scrap this season, but head coach Neil Redfearn has since steered the club safely into mid-table.

They have won four of their seven league matches in 2015 - including their last two.

Steve Gibson match day banner on display at the Riverside

A new match day banner was on proud display during Boro’s clash with Leeds Utd.

Depicting the face of Boro chairman Steve Gibson along with the words Fit and Proper, the banner appeared in the South ‘Boys End’ stand.

More than 24,000 tickets had been sold for the clash by mid-afternoon yesterday.

Boro 0-1 Leeds United: Full time match report

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

Blunt Boro missed a golden opportunity to open a four point gap at the top as they looked toothless in a televised tussle with Leeds.

Aitor Karanka's side lost 1-0 in their first home defeat since August and surrendered a nine game unbeaten run.

And it left them deeply frustrated after taking just one point from two promising games after nudging level at the top.

Boro were behind after three minutes as Alex Mowatt's deflected shot squirted in. After that Boro bossed the game for long spells and carved out chances into the double figures without scoring.

Leeds keeper Silvestri made a stringof good saves and another effort was cleared off the line but that will be no consolation to Boro who ended up empty-handed.

Boro made six changes from the side that battled back to draw 1-1 at Birmingham and claim top spot.

Tomas Mejias came in for Dimi Konstantopoulos, banned after picking up a red card at St Andrews, while Tomas Kalas, Adam Clayton, Albert Adomah, Adam Reach and Kike all returned to the starting line up.

Midweek goal-getter Patrick Bamford was on the bench along with Lee Tomlin, Kenneth Omeruo and Adam Forshaw from the midweek team.

There was a fantastic pre-match build-up and the Red Faction unveiled a new Steve Gibson 'Fit and Proper' banner

Boro suffered an early set-back as Leeds plundered an opener.

A poor throw out by Mejias was cut out by Cook who skipped past Leadbitter and darted to the edge of the box and squared for ALEX MOWATT who fired in a low shot that deflected off a sliding tackle by Ben Gibson and squirted into the far bottom corner.

Boro were quickly back on the attack and soon had Leeds pinned in their own box.

They had a golden chance on five minutes as Albert Adomah won a free-kick on the right and Grant Leadbitter cut it to the edge of the box where unmarked Jelle Vossen took a swing but missed completely and then the loose ball was scrambled away.

Then on 10 minutes there was moment of excitement as Kike wriggled past his man to get into the box but his angled 12 yard drive was palmed away then when he got to the rebound his chip was headed away.

Boro were pressing forward urgently and in numbers but that left space at the back and twice Leeds threatened on the break befor first Gibson then Kalas tidied up.

After a lull in the action Boro went close as a corner was cut back to the edge of the box and Reach fired over.

Then Boro went close on 19 minutes as Nsue took a quick throw and exchanged passes with Adomah then played a dipping cross into the box for Vossen to fire in a shot on the turn that brought a good save from the keeper.

And a minute later they almost scored as Reach surged into the box from the left and squared at a tight angle under pressure and Vossen did well to poke a shot goalwards that the keeper got a touch to before it was cleared off the line by Bellusci.

On 24 minutes Bellusci was booked for a foul on Vossen.

From the free-kick Leadbitter's poor free-kick looped up off the wall and Vossen got in a hopeful backwards header that looped straight into the keeper's arms.

Boro were back on the attack on 28 minutes as a Vossen ball sent Kike into the box and when his snapshot came back of Bellusci it fell to the Belgian who failed to connect properly with his shot.

Then on the half-hour Boro attacked again as Clayton sent George Friend surging down the left to collect and square back to the midfielder who sent to the right for Adomah to cross in but then Vossen's shot was charged down.

Soon after Leadbitter carried forward then fired a weak low 25 yard shot that skidded wide.

And Boro went close again on 32 minutes as Kike rifled in a powerful shot that took a deflection off Wootten but alert keeper Silverstri made a superb one handed reaction save to push it wide.

Then as the frantic action continued a ball bounced awkwardly to Adomah in a scramble and he couldn't get a good contact and his shot was charged down.

Then soon after Leadbitter curled a free-kick to the far post but although Friend peeled away free he couldn't make contact.

Then when a Reach cross was nodded away it fell to Clayton just outside the box and his first time low effort sent Silvestri full-length to save.

Boro almost snatched a freak goal on 43 minutes as Vossen played a ball into Kike's path as he burst into the box and it clipped his shin and squirted just wide.

And on the stroke of half-time Kike wriggled into the box and fired under the keeper and against the post but the flag was already up.

In stoppage time Leeds won a corner and Bamba burst through the crowd to send a glancing corner well wide.

HALF-TIME: BORO 0 LEEDS 1

Boro were quickly on the offensive after the break as a neat Reach flick sent Adomah down the right to cross in and when Friend laid the ball back Kike fired a 12 yard angled shot on the turn that sent the keeper full-length to push beyond the far post.

But Leeds almost grabbed a second on 48 minutes as Friend conceded a free-kick wide on the right for a foul on Austin and when Murphy curled it in Wootten headed against the bar.

Straight up the other end Kike skipped into the box but his shot was saved and then after a furious scramble a Leadbitter piledriver was charged down on the edge of the box.

Then on 52 minutes Adomah drilled in a shot from a tight angle on the right that keeper Silvestri palmed high into the air and when it dropped at the far post Reach stretched to put in alooping header that landed on the roof of the net.

Leeds caused a scare on 55 minutes as high-ball into the box was nodded down by Morison and as the Boro backs failed to react Mowatt nipped in but could only scoop it over.

On 57 minutes Bamba was booked for pulling back Kike while Boro also put on Lee Tomlin for Reach.

Boro kept on picking their way to the edge of the box then losing possession in a scramble in crowded final third.

Leeds broke out on 61 minutes as Morison chased a long ball forward but as Kalas caught him on the edge of the box the Leeds striker barged him over and the whistle went.

On 66 minutes Boro put Patrick Bamford for Nsue.

The striker was quickly in action, laying back an Adomah cross for Vossen to fire in a low shot that brought a diving save from Silvestri then from the corner Friend sliced wide.

Boro carved out a golden chance on 68 minutes as Bamford back-heeled an Adomah ball and Vossen pushed it on into the box and Kike skipped through to stab in a shot that was blocked by Bamba.

The pressure continued on a shaky looking Leeds defence as Boro won a series of corners that were scrambled away nervously.

A deep cross from Adomah on 72 minutes sailed over the defence towards unmarked Vossen at the far post but Morison popped up to get a glancing header and divert the danger away.

Adomah fired in low ball to the near post on 75 minutes but the keeper dived in to smother before Bamford could pounce.

Boro almost broke through as a ball forward deflected off a Leeds man and Bamford flicked the rebound forward for Kike to chase and cut past Bamba but although the defender stumbled he somehow away with the ball leaving home fans screaming for a handball.

Then a string of shots were blocked in a crowded box then Gibson headed over from a Leadbitter corner.

On 78 minutes Boro put on Adam Forshaw for Leadbitter with the new boy booked within a minute for a foul on Murphy.

Leeds almost broke through from the quickly taken free-kick as Byram got to the byline on the left and drilled across the face of goal but unmarked Wootten screwed well wide at the far post.

Then on 82 minutes a flick on found Austin but his shot was well held by Mejias.

There was a long hold up after Vossen went down after a clash of heads and after lengthy treatment he was stretchered off and Boro, having used all their subs, were down to 10 men for the finale.

In the final minute Leeds put on Cooper for Bellusci as the fourth official indicated NINE minutes added time.

On 94 minutes Cook was booked for a foul on Bamford.

Boro almost broke through on 95 minutes as Bamford back-heeled into the box towards unmarked Kike but he ball bounced off his shins and was scrambled away.

Then Kike sent Adomah down the right to cross in and Friend's header was deflected over for a corner and neat work by Bamford after a scramble won another flag-kick and even Mejias came up and almost got a touch to it.

Then deep in stoppage time – the 100 minute - Kalas pumped a long ball forward and Friend pushed it wide for Adomah who had drifted offside.

BORO: Mejias, Nsue (Bamford 66), Kalas, Gibson, Gorgeous; Leadbitter (Forshaw 78), Clayton, Adomah, Reach (Tomlin 57); Vossen, Kike Subs: Ripley, Whitehead,Omeruo, Husband.

LEEDS: Silvestri, Wootton, Bamba, Bellusci (Cooper, 90), C Taylor, Byram, Austin, Murphy, Cook, Mowatt, Morison. Subs: S Taylor, Berardi, Sloth, Sharp, Cani, Antenucci

Ref: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)

Att: 25,531 (2,960)

Wanted: Man caught with Andrew Corfield funeral flowers hunted after sentencing no show

A man who was caught with the stolen funeral flowers of popular dad Andrew Corfield is being hunted by police after he failed to appear at court.

Jonathan George Gregory failed to show up for sentencing today at Teesside Magistrates’ Court after he previously admitted handling a stolen flower arrangement meant for the funeral of Andrew Corfield.

Gregory was due to appear at court at 2pm to be sentenced for the offence which involved the “Pops” flower arrangement from Mr Corfield’s granddaughter.

But a warrant was issued for his arrest by prosecutor Robert Moore after the court heard there was no sign of Gregory at 3.15pm. The warrant was not contested by Danielle Wild, defending.

Back on February 9, Teesside Magistrate’s Court heard that the flowers meant for Andrew Corfield’s funeral were stolen from outside Middlesbrough’s Alstro’s Florists on November 30 last year, just hours before the 39-year-old’s funeral.

Alan Davison, prosecuting, told the court that Gregory and his friend had spotted the flowers but that he had told his acquaintance not to touch them.

Ian Cooper

Funeral of Andrew Corfield held at Teesside Crematorium. Andrew died in a car crash in Hemlington.

But the 39-year-old claimed that he later found them inside his Jubilee Street home and handed them back - adding his head was “all over the place” at the time.

However the court was told how florist, Darren Hunter, had already started making inquiries in the area and had been directed to the defendants address where he spotted them through a window.

Peter Harris, defending, said his client “made some admissions in interview” and “is a gentleman who has had a number of issues.”

“The flowers were only out of the owners hands for a short period of time,” he added. “It didn’t cause any issues for the funeral.”

Mr Corfield died just seconds after leaving his Hemlington home on October 28.

He and his 17-year-old daughter Alice, who is in hospital, were travelling in a car when they were involved in a crash at the junction of Fordyce Road and Cass House Road.

His untimely death has left his loved ones and many friends heartbroken - with hundreds of mourners turning out to bid him an emotional farewell.

Speaking to the Gazette previously, Darren Hunter, said he was “disgusted” at what had happened at his Kings Road, North Ormesby, shop.

“I just can’t believe someone would do it,” said Darren, 48, who had to repair some damage on the arrangement before the funeral.

“I didn’t tell the family what had happened until after the funeral because I didn’t want to cause even more upset,” he added.

“They were disgusted and rightly so.

“People can’t go about doing this kind of thing.”

Gregory pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods, breaching a community order and failing to answer bail.

Elaine Whitehead, chairwoman of the bench told the court that she was “not happy” to deal with the case then and there and adjourned sentencing to allow for a report to be prepared by the probation service.

Teenager Jake McCabe was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in December for causing the crash which killed Mr Corfield.

McCabe, 18, pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, handling stolen goods and driving while not licensed or insured.

WhatsApp starts rolling out voice calling feature to Android users

NEW DELHI: After testing the feature with select users, it appears mobile messaging service WhatsApp is now rolling out the much awaited internet calling functionality to a wider set of people.

Earlier on Friday, a number of users of WhatsApp’s Android app were able to get the voice calling feature activated by simply receiving a call from a user who had the service turned on. This meant that initial testers were able to extend it to their friends who further helped other WhatsApp users join the club. However, this invite system is not working for all users.

We were able to get the voice calling feature activated on our Android phone after receiving a WhatsApp call. Although, we were able to make voice calls to other Android and BlackBerry 10 users with the latest version of the app, the feature was not being activated for all users. It’s possible that WhatsApp may have set a limit to the number of users one could invite or is only allowing a limited set of users at this time to test its networks.

The feature is not available yet on the iPhone although WhatsApp’s recent iOS update had introduced a calling button within the chat window. The feature also doesn’t work on Windows Phone hadsets, at the moment.

After activation of the feature, WhatsApp’s user interface changes to feature separate screens for dialing a voice call to WhatsApp contacts, call logs and ongoing calls. The chat window also displays a calling button (represented by a phone icon). The active call screen sports buttons for turning on the loudspeaker, switching to the chat window and for muting the call

It’s worth pointing out that WhatsApp has not officially announced the rollout of the feature yet.

The voice calling feature will bring WhatsApp in direct clash with apps like WeChat, Viber and Line that already allow users to make calls and send messages. WhatsApp is the biggest instant messaging app in the world, with 700 million active users in January 2015

Four-point haul is Billingham Stars' weekend target

Billingham Stars continue their quest to secure a play-off place with four National League points on offer this weekend.

This afternoon they travel west to take on basement club Manchester Minotaurs at Altrincham Ice Dome (5pm face-off).

The Lancastrians are guaranteed a last-place finish after a miserable campaign that has yet to yield a point.

They have struggled to ice a full squad all season and suffered the consequences, however they have shown some flashes of potential on the rare occasions they have had a larger bench at their disposal.

Then the Stars welcome Solway Sharks to the Forum tomorrow evening (6.30pm face-off), the Scots being one of the five teams scrapping it out for the three remaining play-off places in Moralee Divcision One (North).

A single point separates the two sides, with Sheffield Spartans and Whitley Warriors waiting to pounce on any slip-ups from the teams above them.

Last year’s champions Solway have had a patchy campaign and last Sunday they saw their league title go to Blackburn Hawks.

Their one remaining trophy – that of play-off champions – remains in the balance, and as hosts failure to make the end-of-season showpiece is not seen as an option.

Again lack of personnel has hurt the Sharks, but with bodies returning in recent games the Dumfries-based outfit are sure to provide a stern test and a tough game is in prospect.

Billingham dropped to third place following last weekend’s loss to Sutton Sting.

But they have been buoyed by the return of Thomas Stuart-Dant and James Moss from injury for an important weekend.

Ben Davison and captain Paul Windridge have trained despite carrying knocks and should start, while netminder James Flavell could be available for the crucial tie with Solway.

The mood in the camp is positive, with the team recognising that a four-point weekend would put them in pole position in the race to Dumfries.

However director of coaching Terry Ward is looking ahead no further than the Manchester game.

“It really is just one game at a time for us,” he said, “we can’t do it any other way. We have to concentrate on the Minotaurs first.

“We want to take two points out of Manchester before we even think about Solway.

“But certainly the target has to be a four-point weekend, we want to make sure that we’re in those play-offs and the sooner the better.

“Every game from now until the end of the regular season is critical.

“The great news is that it looks like we’ll have some guys back – we have missed both Thomas and James from our top two lines, so if we can get them both back and playing that stands us in good stead.

“Paul has trained despite a couple of broken fingers, and having Ben also on the ice is an unexpected bonus as he looked doubtful after the Sting game.

“At this stage of the season injuries tend to hit every team, sometimes the difference can be who manages their treatment room the best.”

Teesside heart charity SCHF celebrates 20 years of service in style

A Teesside charity has celebrated 20 years of service in style.

Since it was founded in 1995, the South Cleveland Heart Fund (SCHF) has raised well over £1m to support the Cardiothoracic unit at James Cook University Hospital.

The charity has provided money for equipment, training and research not been available through NHS funding - the latest campaign is to raise £1m to fund the major upgrade of an MRI scanner so it can deliver state-of-the-art scanning and a full Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR) service.

Now, after 20 years of fundraising and countless lives helped, SCHF has celebrated its birthday at the Thornaby Sports and Leisure Club.

Amy Oxley, clinical matron at the Cardiothoracic unit at James Cook University Hospital, believes that the work of the SCHF is indispensable.

South Cleveland Heart Fund 20th Anniversary Bash, Thornaby. Ruth Shick (L) a 20 plus volunteer and Amy Oxley a clinical matron in cardiology

She said: “I think the SCHF is really important. It provides additional support that isn’t normally funded.

“That extra money keeps us competitive with the other regions meaning we can attract the consultants with the best skills.

“The new scanner would put us at the leading edge of cardiac services nationwide.”

Staff nurse Elaine Lawrence agreed.

She said: “The SCHF gets us the added extras that we need to make the patients’ journeys that bit better.

“The scanner would speed up the care we give. If we had it on our doorstep it would be better for everyone in the area.”

James Cook University Hospital

On the night, energetic indie-rock outfit Here’s Jonny made sure the night went off with a bang and delighted the packed function room.

The SCHF is made up entirely of a committee of volunteers who meet regularly, chaired by Dr Adrian Davies, the retired consultant cardiologist who set up the Cardiothoracic unit at James Cook University Hospital.

Last year the Cardiothoracic Unit at James Cook carried out around 3,000 angiograms, 1,700 Coronary Angioplasty interventions, 60 TAVIs (Transcutaneous Aortic Valve Implantation) over 300 electrical Ablations, and 900 implantable devices, as well as 1,300 open heart operations, and over 500 lung operations.

Tests on patients using equipment funded by SCHF included 15,245 echocardiograms and 16,611 ECGs.

The charity is audited by and reports to the Charities Commission annually.

Wanted: Man who stole Andrew Corfield funeral flowers hunted after sentencing no show