Vandals daub swastikas on Jewish gravestones in Moldova
CHISINAU, June 12 (Reuters) - Vandals daubed swastikas and other Nazi symbols and damaged more than 50 gravestones in the Jewish cemetery in Moldova's capital, officials said on Thursday.
Forensic experts and prosecutors on Thursday sealed off the cemetery in Chisinau, once a thriving centre of Jewish culture in the Russian empire. A criminal case was opened on grounds of desecration and inciting racial hatred but no further details were provided on the incident.
The cemetery was also vandalised in 2020, when 42 headstones were damaged and 30 daubed with paint.
Home to 200,000 Jews a century ago, Moldova now has about 5,000. A notorious anti-Jewish pogrom in Chisinau in 1903 killed 49 people, injured 600 and destroyed hundreds of Jewish homes and shops in the city.
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The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Palestine Action to be banned after vandalism of planes at RAF base
The Home Secretary is preparing to ban Palestine Action following the group's vandalism of two planes at an RAF base. Yvette Cooper has decided to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. The incident is being also investigated by counter terror police. A spokesperson for Palestine Action accused the UK of failing to meet its obligation to prevent or punish genocide. The spokesperson said: 'When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.' The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'. Proscription will require Ms Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida, far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company Wagner Group. Another 14 organisations connected with Northern Ireland are also banned under previous legislation, including the IRA and UDA. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Friday's incident at Brize Norton, described by the Prime Minister as 'disgraceful', prompted calls for Palestine Action to be banned. The group has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the news that Ms Cooper intended to proscribe the group, saying: 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' CAA chief executive Gideon Falter urged the Home Secretary to proscribe the Houthi rebel group and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, adding: 'This country needs to clamp down on the domestic and foreign terrorists running amok on our soil.' Former home secretary Suella Braverman said it was 'absolutely the correct decision'. But Tom Southerden, of Amnesty International UK, said the human rights organisation was 'deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protest groups'. Mr Southerden said: 'Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn't be used to ban them. 'Instead of suppressing protest against the UK's military support for Israel, the UK should be taking urgent action to prevent Israel's genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it.'
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Terror cops probe RAF security bungle after pro-Palestine fanatics break into Britain's biggest air base
TERROR cops were last night probing a security shambles after pro-Palestine fanatics on scooters broke into Britain's biggest air base. The thugs hurled red paint into two planes' engines after cutting fencing at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. 7 7 PM Keir Starmer called the attack 'disgraceful'. The group, Palestine Action will be outlawed as a terrorist organisation after the brazen paint stunt at Britain's biggest air base. The Government was last night under huge pressure following the security shambles at the high-security base. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded by saying she will put forward legislation on Monday to make being a member of the group illegal. Two fanatics on electric scooters were thought to have cut a section of the base's eight-mile perimeter fence in rural Oxfordshire, early yesterday. Palestine Action posted a 34-second video of the pair riding up to two Airbus Voyagers in the dark. They then used converted fire extinguishers to spray paint on to the turbines and fuselages of the planes in a bid to ruin the engines. The fanatics fled and were being hunted by counter-terror cops. PM Sir Keir Starmer condemned the action as 'disgraceful' and 'an act of vandalism'. The group also targeted commercial sites in Manchester and Chelmsford, Essex, yesterday which they claimed had links to Israel. Security alert as man seen climbing up Big Ben sparking huge emergency response Checks were under way on the aircraft, which cost £750million over their lifetime. Sources said damage to the engines could run into 'seven figures'. The RAF does not expect the incident to affect wider operations. Brize Norton — home to 6,000 military staff, 300 civilian workers and 1,200 contractors — is the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. 7 Palestine Action said: 'By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against Palestinians.' But a defence source said the group was 'confused and misguided' in its mission. The source said: 'These planes were for air transport and air-to-air refuelling. Trying to link the Voyager fleet to Gaza is ridiculous.' An MoD spokesman confirmed that Voyager aircraft had not been involved in refuelling or supporting Israeli Air Force jets. They have been used to refuel RAF Typhoons fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, and against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Retired Col Richard Kemp said: 'Brize was attacked not by external forces but the enemy within. It was a deliberate act of sabotage.' Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, described the breach as 'shocking'. He added: 'Bearing in mind the very real risks of attacks from terrorists and Russian proxy state actors, it's unbelievable that such lax protection should be afforded to vital equipment and, in the final analysis, our people.' Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called it 'deeply concerning'. She said: 'This is not lawful protest, it's politically-motivated criminality.' A defence source said it was impossible to patrol the base '24/7, 365'. They said: 'We do have fences, cameras and barbed wire but to patrol with dogs all the time costs a huge amount of manpower and some of it comes back on spending to the Armed Forces.' 7 7 After the stunt, Defence Secretary John Healey said he had ordered an investigation and a review of wider security at our bases. Counter-terror police were investigating along with Thames Valley Police and the MoD. Palestine Action has previously focused attention on Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems Ltd. In March the group claimed to have shut down its Bristol HQ using a cherry picker. Four people were charged over damage caused. Hunt for missiles as Israel blitzed By Nick Parker, in Tel Aviv ISRAELI fighter-bombers were racing against time to smash Iranian missile launchers last night as ballistic rockets rained down on the Jewish state. It came as a mushroom cloud hung over Israel's northern port city of Haifa where a blast left 17 people injured, three seriously, yesterday afternoon. Shrapnel tore into a 16-year-old boy's upper body, and two other victims, aged 54 and 40, had blast wounds to their legs. An overnight lull in the attacks — in which just one Iranian rocket penetrated Israel's Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow missile shields — ended with a rare nationwide alert. Sirens sounded from Galilee in the north, Tel Aviv in the west, the capital Jerusalem, and the southern city of Beersheba where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Huge blasts were heard as interceptors streaked into the sky and explosions were reported across the nation as about 25 missiles homed in. The worst damage was reported in Haifa as Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei crowed that Israel was getting its 'comeuppance'. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said last night that Haifa's Al-Jarina mosque 'was struck by an Iranian missile, injuring Muslim clerics and worshippers'. And the IDF said an Iranian missile which hit Beersheba was fitted with a cluster bomb warhead. These weapons — banned by 112 nations — explode above ground, scattering bomblets to cause maximum damage and casualties. Israeli warplanes were yesterday mounting constant missions to knock out Iran's 300 rocket launchers. Officials claimed two thirds of them had been hit.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Palestine Action to be banned after RAF base break in
The Home Secretary is preparing to ban Palestine Action after the group vandalised two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. Yvette Cooper has decided to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Palestine Action said two of its activists infiltrated Britain's largest RAF base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft before escaping without being caught. Shocking footage shared by the group this morning shows protesters storming across the RAF runway in Oxfordshire on electric scooters . The bodycam footage then shows them spraying red paint into the turbine engines of the air-to-air refuelling tankers which the RAF say are 'vital for enhancing the operational reach and flexibility of Britain's military air power'. Palestine Action claims to have used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray the paint, while they say they caused further damage with crowbars. The activists said they sprayed red paint across the runway and left a Palestine flag behind before fleeing the base undetected. The incident is also being investigated by counter terror police. The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'. Proscription will require Ms Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. It comes just days after Palestine Action activists brazenly filmed themselves breaking in and vandalising the warehouse of a firm that supplies military items to Israel. Brize Norton is the largest RAF base in the country with approximately 5,800 service members, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. Voyagers, described as a 'petrol station in the sky', can carry up to 109 tonnes of fuel and are used to refuel fighter and compatible heavy aircraft. RAF Brize Norton hold a core fleet of nine voyagers, while five others are available for commercial use but can be recalled for military purposes. The RAF is reportedly planning to send Voyager aircraft to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates. One of the Voyagers, which has a Union Jack on its tail, has previously been used as a VIP aircraft to transport prime ministers and Royal Family members to engagements abroad. But MailOnline understands this was not one of the Voyagers targeted. Palestine Action claimed they damaged the planes at Brize Norton as it is the base 'where flights leave daily for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus' - the base used for military operations in the Middle East. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed last week that fighter jets were being scrambled to RAF Akrotiri amid threats from Iran and its conflict with Israel escalating. Iran and Israel have been firing missiles at each other for more than a week now after Tel Aviv launched an unprecedented attack on Tehran, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites and killing senior military figures. Sir Keir said in a post on X: 'The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. 'Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. 'It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.' Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'The security breach at Brize Norton is deeply concerning. 'This is not lawful protest, it is politically-motivated criminality. 'We must stop tolerating terrorist or extremist groups that seek to undermine our society. The full force of the law must come down on those responsible.' A spokesman for Palestine Action said the activists evaded security and claimed they had put the air-to-air refuelling tankers "out of service". In a statement, the spokesperson added: 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. 'Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. 'By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.' Campaign Against Antisemitism recently wrote to the Home Secretary, calling for the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000. Gideon Falter, chief executive of the group, said: 'We are pleased that the Home Secretary has listened to our representations over the last week. 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' On Saturday, Palestine Action also targeted Permoid Industries Ltd, in Newton Aycliffe, Durham, which is a warehouse that supplies military items to Israel. According to the group, the incident occurred 'under cover of darkness' and involved the activists destroying equipment, spraying red paint over the floors and walls and smashing glass windows. One activist with a spray can was filmed daubing 'Free Gaza' on the walls, while another walked into another part of the warehouse carrying a fire extinguisher filled with paint. Permoid Industries describes itself as an engineering firm that has supplied the Ministry of Defence for more than 80 years, as well as the automotive sector. Products manufactured by the firm include ammunition containers suitable for belted heavy machine-gun ammunition, and cartridge, mortar, and shell munitions. A No 10 spokesman said: 'A full security review is under way at Brize Norton. 'We are reviewing security across the whole defence estate. 'We treat all breaches of security very seriously, and where there is suspected criminal activity, we will take the necessary steps to investigate and prosecute in line with longstanding principle.' He said the incident had not cost any planned aircraft movements or stopped any operations.
