Plans to transform derelict White Rose pub in Middlesbrough into restaurant and takeaway approved

Plans to transform a derelict pub into a restaurant and takeaway have been given the green light.

Middlesbrough Council’s planning committee has granted permission for the proposals at The White Rose on Marton Road, near Middlesbrough town centre.

The pub became vacant in January and work has now started on site.

But the building is now set to be converted into a restaurant and a single storey extension constructed to accommodate a takeaway and kitchen area.

Another extension will also be added on the north side of the building for toilets.

The application, which could now create up to 30 jobs, was recommended for approval with conditions.

However, there were some neighbour objections to the proposals from Ali Mourzzam.

Concerns included the “unsociable hours”, increased traffic and the visual impact.

As previously reported, The Gazette reported how the once-popular pub had been sold to a new owner. It had been offloaded by then owner Spirit Pub Company.

The substantial building, at the junction of Marton Road and Egmont Road in Longlands, extending to 0.4 acres, was sold for the asking price of £375,000.

The sale was handled by leisure property specialists Fleurets.

Man taken to hospital after A19 car crash in which vehicle burst into flames

A man was taken to hospital after the car he was driving ended up on its side and burst into flames.

The single-vehicle collision happened on the A19 at Crathorne at 12.23am yesterday.

The vehicle landed on its side and then caught fire.

Luckily the sole occupant was not trapped and was able to get himself out of the car before emergency services arrived.

Police, ambulance and fire crews from Coulby Newham, Stokesley and Northallerton attended the scene.

The man was taken to hospital by road ambulance with injuries not believed to be serious.

Israel destroys seven story government building in Gaza

The Israeli Air Force bombed a seven story government building Saturday evening in Gaza Strip; no casualties or injuries have been reported.

Anadolu news agency correspondent quoted eye-witnesses as saying that the Israeli warplanes bombed the seven story Zourob compound in the centre of Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip which included commercial shops and government offices belonging to the Palestinian Interior Ministry.

The witnesses said the Israeli warplanes levelled the building and severely damaged dozens of homes in the surrounding area.

A spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry, Ashraf Al- Qudra told Anadolu that “the Israeli bombardment of the Zourob compound in Rafah did not result in any casualties since the building included commercial shops and government offices that do not work during the night hours”.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli air force bombed a residential building consisting of eleven floors in the southern Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City; which led to its complete destruction and partial damage to dozens of surrounding homes.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 12 Palestinians were killed since Saturday in a series of Israeli raids on different parts of the Gaza Strip. The new deaths brings the number of victims who fell in the Israeli war to 2,102 people, including 565 children, 265 women and 99 elderly, as well as to injuring 10,597 others, including 3,189 children, 1,994 women and 388 elderly.

Israeli forces resumed on Tuesday evening its aggression on the Gaza Strip, in response to what it claims “Hamas breaking of the ceasefire”, which the Islamic movement denies.

Israel claims that 64 soldiers and four civilians were killed during the war on Gaza and more than 530 were wounded, mostly civilians, but the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing claims it had killed 161 Israeli soldiers and captured another.

New Marske U9s hoping for a good Wish Sport result

A team of keen young footballers are hoping to net plenty of tokens in this year’s Wish Sport campaign.

New Marske Under 9s football team is now in its third year, having been a team since Under 7s, the club’s first league.

The friendly team of boys are trained by four volunteer FA qualified coaches.

The team also receives a lot of help from the children’s parents who support their fundraising efforts.

Having entered the Wish Sport campaign before, the team used the money they received to buy new pieces of equipment such as balls and bibs. The money was also put towards the cost of a fun day out which the team all enjoyed.

Gary Pursley, of the club, said: “Any money we receive from this year’s campaign will also be put towards more new equipment as well as kit for the team.

“If possible, we would also like to put some money towards the cost of another fun day for the children.”

The Gazette has teamed up with Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, which is providing £30,000 to share between groups across Teesside.

Tokens are being printed in the Gazette every day for groups to collect. The more collected, the greater the share of the prize pot.

This year the tokens collected will be worth a share of £25,000, with the remaining £5,000 up for grabs during online bonus days.

All groups will be in with a chance during the bonus days to win a share of the additional money pot. The five groups that receive the most votes on http://ift.tt/1md60Qe will get the cash.

Andy Preston, Chairman of Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, said: “Supported by some very special businesses and individuals who care passionately about this region and believe in supporting their community, our charitable movement has raised more than £700,000 for Teesside good causes in just three years.

“Those funds have allowed the Foundation to achieve some truly amazing things and made a real difference across Teesside.

“Wish Sport stands out as one of our best in many ways, not least because we are helping local sports clubs to shape their own financial destiny and continue the outstanding work that they do.

“I know from experience that these clubs survive and thrive because several enthusiastic volunteers generously dedicate much of their spare time to running the organisation and fundraising.

“I was delighted to see so many sports clubs from such a wide range of activities take part in previous Wish Sport campaigns. Improving on what we achieved over the last two years will take some doing but Teesside is such a hotbed of sport that I am sure we can do it.”

To help New Marske U9s, send your tokens to: 3 Folland Drive, Marske by the Sea, TS11 6NJ.

Musician Roger Waters compares Israelis to Nazis

Remarks by the musician Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd, comparing the modern Israeli state to Nazi Germany have put him at the centre of a furious dispute.

The veteran rock star’s argument that Israeli treatment of the Palestinians can be compared to the atrocities of Nazi Germany has buffed many zionists. “The parallels with what went on in the 1930s in Germany are so crushingly obvious,” he said in an American online interview last week.

Waters, 70, a well-known supporter of the Palestinian cause, has frequently defended himself against accusations that he is antisemitic, claiming he has a right to urge fellow artists to boycott Israel.

Speaking to the leftwing CounterPunch magazine, the musician criticised the US government for being unduly influenced by the Israeli “propaganda machine”.

The former Pink Floyd frontman, who has recently toured the world with a show based on the influential 1979 album The Wall, went on to describe the Israeli rabbinate as “bizarre” and accused them of believing that Palestinians and other Arabs in the Middle East were “sub-human”. Waters suggested the “Jewish lobby” was “extraordinarily powerful”. On the subject of the Holocaust, he said: “There were many people that pretended that the oppression of the Jews was not going on. From 1933 until 1946. So this is not a new scenario. Except that this time it’s the Palestinian people being murdered.”

Speaking from New York on Saturday night, Waters strongly rejected Rabbi Boteach’s characterisation of his views. He said: “I do not know Rabbi Boteach, and am not prepared to get into a slanging match with him. I will say this: I have nothing against Jews or Israelis, and I am not antisemitic. I deplore the policies of the Israeli government in the occupied territories and Gaza. They are immoral, inhuman and illegal. I will continue my non-violent protests as long as the government of Israel continues with these policies.

“If Rabbi Boteach can make a case for the Israel government’s policies, I look forward to hearing it. It is difficult to make arguments to defend the Israeli government’s policies, so would-be defenders often use a diversionary tactic, they routinely drag the critic into a public arena and accuse them of being an antisemite.”

Waters continued: “The Holocaust was brutal and disgusting beyond our imagination. We must never forget it. We must always remain vigilant. We must never stand by silent and indifferent to the sufferings of others, whatever their race, colour, ethnic background or religion. All human beings deserve the right to live equally under the law.”

In August Waters used his Facebook page to respond to allegations that he was an “open hater of Jews”, made by Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in an interview with an American weekly Jewish newspaper, the Algemeiner .

“Often I can ignore these attacks, but Rabbi Cooper’s accusations are so wild and bigoted they demand a response,” Waters wrote, adding that he had “many very close Jewish friends”.

Picture gallery: Boro fans at the Riverside for the home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday

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

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Boro fans who chose to spend their Saturday afternoon at the Riverside headed for home disappointed following Sheffield Wednesday's fully deserving victory.

Almost 16,000 Boro fans were joined by 1,848 loud travelling supporters who made the trip to Teesside for Saturday's game.

But Boro slumped to their first home defeat of the season after handing Wednesday a three-goal headstart.

Two late Grant Leadbitter penalties made the score more respectable from Boro's point of view but it was a game Karanka's men never looked like taking anything from.

Were you at the Riverside for the match? Take a look through our picture gallery of fans and see if you can spot yourself or your mates in the stands.

Libyan Dawn forces accuse Egypt and UAE of bombing Tripoli

A spokesman of Fajr Libya (Libyan Dawn) troops accused Egypt and the United Arab Emirates of involvement in the airstrikes that hit military bases in Tripoli last Friday leading to the death of 12 Libyan fighters.

At a press conference in Tripoli on Saturday, Ahmed Hadiya, the Fajr Libya spokesman, said that preliminary information indicate that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are “complicit” in the bombardment of Libyan military bases in Tripoli this week.

“Fajr Libya forces reserve the right to respond to this aggression,” he told reporters.

Airstrikes on Fajr Libya military bases in Tripoli killed at least 10 people on Friday, Anadolu reported.

Hadiya called on the international community, including the UN, EU, Arab League, and African Union, and all countries which supported the17 February revolution to “undertake their responsibility in preventing any violation of Libyan sovereignty.”

He held the members of parliament convening in Tobruk and the interim government responsible for the “aggression,” warning them that they would be brought to justice