Three British aid workers killed in Israeli strike named

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Written by Super User

Category: Europe

Published: 03 April 2024

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LONDON - Three British aid workers among the seven killed in an Israeli strike while working for an aid charity in Gaza have been identified as Israel voiced “sincere sorrow” over the deaths.

British victims John Chapman, 57, James "Jim" Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, were part of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) security team.

They died alongside American-Canadian dual citizen Jacob Flickinger, 33, Australian national Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, 43, who was the leader of the relief team, Polish national Damian Sobol, 35, and Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25.

Paying tribute to them, the charity remembered them as “heroes”.

The charity's chief executive Erin Gore said: "These seven beautiful souls were killed by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) in a strike as they were returning from a full day's mission.

"Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories. And we have countless memories of them giving their best selves to the world. We are reeling from our loss. The world's loss."

The World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid taken to Gaza on the maritime route.

Announcing the results of a preliminary investigation early Wednesday, IDF spokesperson Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said: “It was a mistake that followed a misidentification - at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn't have happened."

He added that an independent body would conduct a "thorough investigation" which is to be completed in the coming days.

The deaths have caused outrage among Israel’s allies, with Britain summoning the Israeli ambassador to London to express its “unequivocal condemnation”.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has said he was "outraged and heartbroken" by the deaths and called for a swift and transparent investigation.

During a phone call with Israel's prime minister, Rishi Sunak said he was appalled by the killings and demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister spoke to Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu this evening.

"He said he was appalled by the killing of aid workers, including three British nationals, in an air strike in Gaza yesterday and demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened.

"The Prime Minister said far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable.

"The UK expects to see immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks.

"The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel's rightful aim of defeating Hamas would not be achieved by allowing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza."

Rishi Sunak did not mention the thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children who have lost their lives since October.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the killings were "completely unacceptable" as he pressed Israel for "major changes" to ensure the safety of aid workers.

US President Joe Biden said he was "outraged and heartbroken" by the deaths and said he had spoken to WCK founder Jose Andres.

"This is not a standalone incident," he said. "This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed.

"This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult - because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians.

"Incidents like yesterday's simply should not happen."

He said an Israeli investigation "must be swift, it must bring accountability and its findings must be made public".

"I will continue to press Israel to do more to facilitate that aid," he said. "And we are pushing hard for an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. I have a team in Cairo working on this right now."

Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer also called for international law to be upheld as he described the deaths as "outrageous and unacceptable".

The Labour leader said the deaths were "horrifying" and his thoughts were with the families of those killed.

"We condemn this strike. There must be a full investigation and those responsible must be held to account,” he said.

"Humanitarian workers put their lives in danger to serve others. Their deaths are outrageous and unacceptable and it is not the first time aid workers have come under fire in Israel's campaign.”

It is ironic that the leaders of the US and UK did not mention the slaughter of thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children since October 7.

Isis claims responsibility for 115 people shot dead at Moscow concert hall

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Written by Super User

Category: Europe

Published: 23 March 2024

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MOSCOW - Eleven people suspected of being involved in a deadly attack on concertgoers near Moscow have been detained, Russia’s security service said on Saturday.

At least 115 people were killed and 145 wounded on Friday when gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at the Crocus City Hall near the Russian capital. Isis claimed responsibility for the attack.

Russia’s FSB told president Vladimir Putin that 11 people had been detained following Friday’s attack, including four who were directly involved, Interfax cited the Kremlin as saying.

Further work was underway to identify more accomplices.

Earlier, lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein cited "preliminary information" to say that two people suspected of carrying out the attack were detained after a car chase.

Mr Khinshtein said the attackers were in a Renault vehicle that was spotted by police in Bryansk region, about 340 km (210 miles) southwest of Moscow on Friday night, but disobeyed instructions to stop.

“During the pursuit, shots were fired and the car overturned. One terrorist was detained on the spot, the rest fled into the forest. As a result of the search, a second suspect was found and detained at approximately 3:50 a.m. The search for the others continues,” the lawmaker said.

Three children were among those killed in the attack, the RIA news agency cited the regional healthcare ministry as saying on Saturday.

Mr Khinshtein said a pistol, a magazine for an assault rifle and passports from Tajikistan were found in the car.

Several gunmen dressed in camouflage sprayed bullets at a crowd waiting to see a rock gig at the Crocus City Hall.

Video from the scene showed the gunmen firing indiscriminately at screaming people as they tried to flee.

Explosions were also heard from the venue, whose roof collapsed following a fire outbreak, with pictures showing flames and thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

“Suddenly there were bangs behind us – shots. A burst of firing – I do not know what,” one witness, who asked not to be identified by name, told Reuters. “A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator,” the witness said. “Everyone was screaming; everyone was running.”

Russian authorities said they managed to evacuate 100 people hiding in the basement.

The country’s national guard said it was hunting for the attackers, whose identity was yet to be verified.

Isis later claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel. A statement from the group read: “Islamic State fighters attacked a large gathering of Christians in the city of Krasnogorsk on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow, killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely.”

It was not immediately clear exactly how many attackers were involved and what happened to them. Reports said that at least four people were involved.

Russia changed the course of the Syrian civil war by intervening in 2015, supporting President Bashar al-Assad against the opposition and Isis. The group has claimed deadly attacks across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Europe, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Russian politicians and security services referred to the incident as a terrorist attack while it appeared to still be ongoing and launched an investigation.

The attack targeted the large music venue on Moscow’s western edge, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service, the main domestic security and counterterrorism agency, which provided the figures on the dead and wounded.

The assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,000, according to Russian news outlets.

Video from outside showed the building on fire, with a huge cloud of smoke rising through the night sky.

The street was lit up by the blinking blue lights of dozens of firetrucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles, as several helicopters buzzed overhead to dump water on the blaze.

The attack took place as crowds gathered for a performance by the famous Russian rock band Picnic.

Russian news reports said concertgoers were being evacuated, but that an unknown number could have been trapped by the blaze.

The prosecutor’s office said several men in combat fatigues entered the concert hall and fired on concertgoers.

Repeated volleys of gunfire could be heard in videos posted by Russian media and on Telegram channels.

One showed two men with rifles moving through the venue. Another showed a man inside the auditorium as gunshots rang out incessantly in the background.

Other videos showed up to four attackers, armed with assault rifles and wearing caps, who were screaming at people.

Guards at the concert hall didn’t have guns, and some could have been killed at the start of the attack, Russian media reported.

Some Russian news outlets suggested that the assailants fled before special forces and riot police arrived.

As the blaze continued to rage late into the night, statements of outrage, shock and support to those affected streamed in from around the world.

Some commentators on Russian social media questioned how authorities, who relentlessly surveil and pressure Kremlin critics, failed to identify the threat and prevent the attack.

Russian authorities said security has been tightened at Moscow’s airports, railway stations and the capital’s sprawling subway system.

The Kremlin didn’t immediately blame anyone for the attack, but some Russian lawmakers were quick to accuse Ukraine of being behind it and called for ramping up strikes.

Hours before the attack, the Russian military launched a sweeping barrage on Ukraine’s power system, crippling the country’s biggest hydroelectric plant and other energy facilities and leaving more than a million people without electricity.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, said that if Kyiv’s involvement in the attack on the concert hall is proven, all those involved “must be tracked down and killed without mercy, including officials of the state that committed such outrage”.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied Ukraine’s involvement in the concert hall attack.

“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X. “Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.”

Two weeks ago, the US embassy in Russia warned that “extremists” had imminent plans for an attack in Moscow. The embassy issued its warning several hours after the FSB said it had foiled an attack on a Moscow synagogue by an Isis cell.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said that he couldn’t yet speak about all the details but that “the images are just horrible. And just hard to watch.”

“Our thoughts are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack,” Mr Kirby said.

“There are some moms and dads and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters who haven’t gotten the news yet. This is going to be a tough day.”

Catherine, Princess of Wales: I am having treatment for cancer

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Written by Super User

Category: Europe

Published: 23 March 2024

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LONDON - The Princess of Wales is undergoing treatment for cancer, she has announced in a personal video message, but told the world: “I am going to be ok.”

The Princess is undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy and has said she is focused on making a “full recovery”.

The cancer was identified during tests after her abdominal surgery on Jan 16, and she began treatment in late February.

Since then, she and the Prince have been focusing on sharing the news with their three young children and allowing the family to process it in private.

The Princess has now chosen to share the diagnosis in a video message filmed at Windsor on Wednesday, in which she thanked the public for their support and shared her “huge shock” at the news.

In recent weeks, she and the Prince of Wales have been subjected to worldwide conspiracy theories about her health and whereabouts.

She said the Prince had been a “great source of comfort and reassurance” as she has come to terms with her diagnosis.

The couple chose to announce it on Wednesday after Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis broke up for their school Easter holidays and could be sheltered from the public reaction at home.

The Princess said it had taken her and the Prince “time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok”.

In her message she said: “As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits.”

The Princess received her diagnosis in late February. It is the reason the Prince of Wales missed the memorial for his godfather on Feb 27.

Addressing the public in the video, filmed by BBC Studios, the Princess said: “I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery.

“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.

“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

The Princess is now said to be on a “recovery pathway”. Kensington Palace is not sharing the type of cancer, or the stage at which it was found, citing the Princess’s right to medical privacy.

Speaking on the video, which was released by the Palace directly for the public to see on its social media, the Princess said of the news: “This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time.

“It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.

“As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits.

“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.”

In a renewed plea for privacy, and a message of hope for others who are also facing cancer treatment, the Princess added: “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.

“My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.

“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”

The Princess has been away from public duties since Christmas Day, when she was seen walking to Sandringham church with her family.

She was admitted to the London Clinic on Jan 16, with the Palace issuing a statement the next day to confirm that she would be in hospital for up to two weeks and recovering in private until after Easter.

At the time, it was specified that the condition was non-cancerous and that the operation had been a success.

It was only in post-operative tests that cancer was identified. She began preventative chemotherapy in late February.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: “The Princess is now on a recovery pathway having commenced a course of preventative chemotherapy.”

He added that the Princess had wanted to share this information “when she and the Prince felt it was right for them as a family”.

The family will not be attending church at Easter. The Princess will return to official duties when she has clearance from her medical team. The Prince will be back to a schedule of public engagements in mid-April, after the Easter holiday.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace said: “The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.

“The Prince will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties, as he has done since the start of the year.”

Asked for further details about the condition or operation, the spokesman said: “We will not be sharing any further private medical information. The Princess has a right to medical privacy, as we all do.”

The Princess’s cancer diagnosis follows that of the King. His diagnosis was also made in post-operative tests, and confirmed in a public statement on Feb 6. He had had a procedure for the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

The King and Queen are aware of the Princess’s diagnosis, and that she was releasing a message to the public.