London attacker interested in jihad but 'no evidence of Isis link' - police

The scene of the attack at Westminster last week (Left: Attacker Khalid Masood)

A young girl lights a candle during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square. Photo: GETTY

Westminster attacker Khalid Masood receives treatment after being shot during the attack. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

While Khalid Masood was shot by police just a few yards inside the gate, unfortunately five precious lives were taken and dozens of others were injured.

Estelle Shirbon

March 27 2017 8:12 PM

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• London attacker interested in jihad but 'no evidence of Isis link' - police

  Independent.ie

  British police said on Monday they had found no evidence that Khalid Masood, who killed four people in an attack on Britain's parliament last week, had any association with Islamic State or Al Qaeda, but he was clearly interested in jihad.

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British police said on Monday they had found no evidence that Khalid Masood, who killed four people in an attack on Britain's parliament last week, had any association with Islamic State or Al Qaeda, but he was clearly interested in jihad.

Masood drove a car through a crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing three and injuring about 50, then ran through the gates of parliament and fatally stabbed a police officer, before he was shot dead by police.

Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said there was no evidence that Masood had been radicalised in prison in 2003 and it was pure speculation janto suggest that had happened.

Masood, 52, was British-born and had several previous convictions for offences such as grievous bodily harm, possession of a knife and public order offences. He had not been convicted of any terrorism offence.

Westminster attacker Khalid Masood receives treatment after being shot during the attack. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

“His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low tech, low cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others," Basu said in a statement.

"I know when, where and how Masood committed his atrocities, but now I need to know why," he said, appealing to anyone who may have been in contact with him on the day of the attack to come forward.

A young girl lights a candle during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square. Photo: GETTY

• Read more: 'I have shed many tears' - Mother of Westminster killer says she is 'deeply shocked, saddened'
• Read more: Tourist killed in London terror attack 'would not have borne ill feelings towards attacker', family claim

Masood was born Adrian Russell Ajao and on Monday his mother Janet Ajao issued a statement saying was "shocked, saddened and numbed" by his actions.

"I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity," she added.

Interior minister Amber Rudd said on Sunday that technology companies should cooperate more with law enforcement agencies and should stop providing "a secret place for terrorists to communicate" using encrypted messages.

Media have reported that Masood sent an encrypted message moments before the attack.

"There has been much speculation about who Masood was in contact with immediately prior to the attack," Basu said. "All I will say on this point is that Masood’s communications that day are a main line of enquiry."

Reuters

Pictured: Dunnes worker awarded €25k after slipping on gravy at deli counter

Vera Biskupova,with an address at Stepaside, Dublin, but who now lives in Killarney, Co Kerry, pictured leaving the Four Courts after she was awarded €25,234 damages following a Circuit Civil Court action. Pic: Collins Courts

Vera Biskupova,with an address at Stepaside, Dublin, but who now lives in Killarney, Co Kerry, pictured leaving the Four Courts after she was awarded €25,234 damages following a Circuit Civil Court action. Pic: Collins Courts

Saurya Cherfi

March 27 2017 1:42 PM

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• Pictured: Dunnes worker awarded €25k after slipping on gravy at deli counter

  Independent.ie

  A 54-year-old catering assistant, who claimed she has ongoing back pain since she slipped and fell on a gravy spillage two years ago, has been awarded more than €25,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court against Dunnes Stores.

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A 54-year-old catering assistant, who claimed she has ongoing back pain since she slipped and fell on a gravy spillage two years ago, has been awarded more than €25,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court against Dunnes Stores.

Vera Biskupova told the court that on January 13, 2015, she had been cleaning the deli counter at Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt, Bray Road, Foxrock, Dublin, when she suddenly slipped and fell while.

Biskupova, with an address at Strollers Place, Ballyedmonduff Road, Stepaside, Dublin, but who now lives in Killarney, Co Kerry, said she fell heavily on her back and banged her head off the floor.

She told her barrister, Paul Gallagher, that she managed to get up and noticed that her hair, shoulder and back had been wet. She said the large spillage smelled like gravy. She had not seen it on the floor before falling.

Vera Biskupova,with an address at Stepaside, Dublin, but who now lives in Killarney, Co Kerry, pictured leaving the Four Courts after she was awarded €25,234 damages following a Circuit Civil Court action. Pic: Collins Courts

The court heard that she finished her shift that day but had not been able to get out of bed the next day. She had headaches, pain in her head, neck, shoulders and lower back.

Biskupova said she later attended her GP who prescribed her anti-inflammatory medication. She had been out of work for several weeks and had needed to attend physiotherapy sessions.

Mr Gallager, who appeared with Mannion Solicitors, said Ms Biskupova had ongoing intermittent pain in her back. She sued ex-employer Dunnes Stores for negligence, breach of contract and breach of duty.

Biskupova claimed the gravy had leaked from a bin bag. She alleged the bin bags had been unsuitable or unfit for purpose and were likely to allow gravy to leak onto the floor.

She also claimed that Dunnes Stores had failed to have any appropriate system of cleaning and inspection in place to ensure that employees walking in the premises were not put at risk of slipping.

Dunnes had denied all her allegations in a full defence. They claimed that she had been trained “extensively” in relation to health and safety procedures and had not been vigilant that day.

The company alleged that following her accident Biskupova had not mentioned that she had slipped on gravy. They also claimed that she was guilty of contributory negligence.  

Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke said he was satisfied the system of training had been one of a high standard but he believed that Ms Biskupova’s account of what had happened was correct.

“It is quite an interesting feature that the accident report documentation filled in after Ms Biskupova’s incident has no question as to how or why it happened.  That is rather curious,” Judge Groarke said.

“I would expect this question to be in the documentation to make sure that steps are taken so that this type of accident does not occur again,” he said.

Judge Groarke said he could not be blind to the fact that a witness to the accident who was present in court today had not been called by Dunnes Stores to give evidence.

He said the person who spilled the gravy must have been aware of it and decided not to follow the company’s cleaning protocol.

Awarding Biskupova €25, 234 damages, the judge said the place of work had been unsafe. He said she could not be expected to be constantly looking at the floor and he therefore could not find any contributory negligence against her. 

Online Editors

Coalition cannot survive the loss of another Garda Commissioner

Garda Commissioner Noírín O’Sullivan has reiterated that the force’s trust and integrity is on the line, and has called on individual gardaí to step up to the mark with the highest standards Picture: Mark Condren

John Downing Twitter

March 27 2017 2:30 AM

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• Coalition cannot survive the loss of another Garda Commissioner

  Independent.ie

  Last time Taoiseach Enda Kenny began moves which led to the replacement of a Garda Commissioner, it started a chain reaction. It was followed by the loss of a secretary general in the Department of Justice, and later the departure of the Justice Minister, with controversies which still resonate.

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Last time Taoiseach Enda Kenny began moves which led to the replacement of a Garda Commissioner, it started a chain reaction. It was followed by the loss of a secretary general in the Department of Justice, and later the departure of the Justice Minister, with controversies which still resonate.

This time, in any moves concerning the future of Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, the chain reaction could go all the way back to Government Buildings and Mr Kenny's own office. Questions will even be asked about whether this minority hybrid Coalition can survive the loss of Commissioner O'Sullivan.

The Government, especially Mr Kenny and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, have continued to express their confidence in Commissioner O'Sullivan. Fianna Fáil, which has been more equivocal in its support up to now, has finally kicked over the traces.

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Tesco worker who injured ankle in forklift accident awarded €66k

Jakub Neuzil from Santry, Dublin, suffered a loss of amenities of life and was out of work for six months as a result of the accident. Photo: PA

Independent.ie Newsdesk Twitter Email

March 1 2017 9:51 PM

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• Tesco worker who injured ankle in forklift accident awarded €66k

  Independent.ie

  A TESCO warehouse operative who injured his right ankle in an accident at work has been awarded over €66,000 by the High Court.

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A TESCO warehouse operative who injured his right ankle in an accident at work has been awarded over €66,000 by the High Court.

Jakub Neuzil from Santry, Dublin, was out of work for six months as a result of the accident and suffered a loss in the quality of life, Ms Justice Bronagh O'Hanlon said.

But the judge, who made a total award of €83,606, found Mr Neuzil 20pc responsible for the accident and reduced the award to €66,884.

Mr Neuzil (31) had sued Tesco Ireland Ltd as a result of the accident at its distribution warehouse at Donabate, Dublin on December 22, 2014.

Ms Justice O'Hanlon said she accepted Mr Neuzil's evidence and he did not exaggerate his circumstances at all.

The judge said Mr Neuzil had described how the accident occurred at the busiest time of the year.

He and a colleague were unloading cages containing goods from a trailer.

Mr Neuzil  was driving a forklift-type vehicle and checking the load behind when he hit another machine. His leg was pulled out and he suffered an injury to this right ankle.

Ms Justice O'Hanlon said the other machine was parked right in the  path of Mr Neuzil and as a matter of pure logic it should have been parked safely in a parking space given the speed  at which the exercise was being conducted.

Tesco, she said, was liable for the actions of the driver who left a vehicle stationary in the path of Mr Neuzil.

However, when driving forward, the judge said Mr Neuzil ought to have been looking forward to a greater degree and as a result she found him 20pc responsible.

Online Editors

Tourist killed in London terror attack 'would not have borne ill feelings towards attacker', family claim

Kurt Cochran, who was killed in the Westminster terrorist attack, and wife Melissa who was also injured Photo: PA Wire

Independent.ie Newsdesk Twitter Email

March 27 2017 3:59 PM

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• Tourist killed in London terror attack 'would not have borne ill feelings towards attacker', family claim

  Independent.ie

  The family of US tourist Kurt Cochran who was killed in last week's assault on the British parliament said on Monday he would not have borne any ill feelings towards the attacker.

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The family of US tourist Kurt Cochran who was killed in last week's assault on the British parliament said on Monday he would not have borne any ill feelings towards the attacker.

Cochran, 54, and his wife, Melissa, were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were mowed down on Westminster Bridge by a car driven by British man, Khalid Masood, who went on to fatally stab an unarmed policeman at the parliament building.

The couple from Utah had been due to return to the United States the day after the attack took place last Wednesday. Melissa remains in hospital where she is recovering from a cut to the head, a broken rib and badly injured leg.

"We know that Kurt wouldn't bear ill feelings towards anyone and we can draw strength as a family from that," Clint Payne, Cochran's brother-in-law, told a __news conference at police headquarters, just yards from where the attack took place.

Angela Still (left) and her mother Sandra Payne (right), sister and mother of Melissa the wife of US tourist Kurt Cochran in the Westminster terrorist attack attends a press conference at New Scotland Yard in London, where they said they had been through a "humbling and difficult experience" Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

"His whole life was an example of focusing on the positive. Not pretending that negative things don't exist but not living our life in the negative - that's what we choose to do."

Cochran was one of four people killed in the assault, Britain's deadliest attack since the 2005 London underground bombings, and his family said they had since been overwhelmed by the "love of so many people" in London and around the world.

Celebrating their anniversary, the couple had left the U.S. for the first time to visit Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and parts of Britain before visiting London last week to see the neo-Gothic parliament building on the banks of the River Thames.

The couple, who had a recording studio business, were visiting Melissa Cochran's parents, who are missionaries in London for the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormon church.

"They loved it here and Kurt repeatedly said that he felt like he was at home so thank you for that, thank you for being such good people," Melissa's father Dimmon Payne said.

Shantell Payne, Melissa's sister and one of 13 family members to attend the __news conference, said it was "awful, horrible and gut wrenching" that the attack had been carried out in the name of religion, but that the family would focus on the positive's of Cochran's life.

"We’re thankful in a sense that everyone can know what an amazing person he really was," she said.

Reuters

Search begins for lucky €500k Euromillions winner 22:51Gareth McAuley feared worst two days after Seamus Coleman suffered broken leg 19:01Garda commissioner resisting pressure to quit over fake figures 19:01Polish minister questions legality of Tusk's EU re-election 22:51Gareth McAuley feared worst two days after Seamus Coleman suffered broken leg

Staff members Aine Byrne and Damien Kenny celebrate selling the €500,000-winning Euromillions ticket in O’Reilly’s Londis store in Hackets town last Friday

Deborah Coleman

March 25 2017 12:00 AM

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• Search begins for lucky €500k Euromillions winner

  Independent.ie

  Tongues are wagging on both sides of the Wicklow and Carlow border after a local shop sold a €500,000 winning Euromillions ticket on St Patrick's Day.

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Tongues are wagging on both sides of the Wicklow and Carlow border after a local shop sold a €500,000 winning Euromillions ticket on St Patrick's Day.

Speculation is rife as to the identity of the lucky winner following the purchase of a Quick Pick ticket in O'Reilly Stores, Moffat Street, Hacketstown last Friday.

The winning ticket was picked up on the day of the draw and store owner PJ O'Reilly couldn't believe it when the __news was announced.

However, he is experienced in such things, as sister store O'Reilly Stores in Baltinglass also sold a €500,000 winner last November.

'I got the phonecall at 9.45 a.m. and I thought someone might be calling in sick. I was delighted when it was the Lotto rep to tell me we had sold a winning ticket,' he said.

'We don't know who won it yet, but we hope it is a local. This is the main road through to Arklow, Tinahely, Gorey so it the winner could be from anywhere.'

It's actually the third time lucky for O'Reilly Stores, as the Hacketstown branch also previously sold a €100,000 winning ticket.

An O'Reilly Stores Facebook post for St Patrick's Day was spot on when it encouraged customers to drop in and play Euromillions, as the 'third time lucky' prediction came true.

The timing is perfect for a celebration, as the branch is also approaching its second anniversary in April.

Wicklow People

'I have shed many tears' - Mother of Westminster killer says she is 'deeply shocked, saddened'

The scene of the attack at Westminster last week (Left: Attacker Khalid Masood)

Luck played a part: Extremist Khalid Masood is thought to have been shot by a member of the close protection team of UK defence secretary Michael Fallon, whose car only happened to have been parked in New Palace Yard because a vote was taking place at the time

Attacker: Khalid Masood. Photo: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

Westminster attacker Khalid Masood receives treatment after being shot during the attack. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Police leave flowers outside parliament in London in tribute to the victims of Khalid Masood Picture: PA

Emergency services bid to save the life of Khalid Masood after his murderous terror attack was ended by an armed policeman at the Palace of Westminster, London

Police officers conduct a fingertip search at Carriage Gate near to the Houses of Parliament in London. Photo: PA

A young girl lights a candle during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square. Photo: GETTY

Independent.ie Newsdesk Twitter Email

March 27 2017 5:44 PM

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• 'I have shed many tears' - Mother of Westminster killer says she is 'deeply shocked, saddened'

  Independent.ie

  The mother of Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood has said she is "deeply shocked, saddened and numbed" by the actions of her son.

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The mother of Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood has said she is "deeply shocked, saddened and numbed" by the actions of her son.

Janet Ajao said she did not condone the attack or the beliefs which had led Masood to commit the "atrocity".

In a statement released through the Metropolitan Police, she said: "I am so deeply shocked, saddened and numbed by the actions my son has taken that have killed and injured innocent people in Westminster.

"Since discovering that it was my son that was responsible I have shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident.

Westminster attacker Khalid Masood receives treatment after being shot during the attack. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

"I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity.

"I wish to thank my friends, family and community from the bottom of my heart for the love and support given to us."

Muslim convert Masood killed four people in an 82-second rampage in Westminster on Wednesday.

He was shot dead by armed police after fatally knifing Pc Keith Palmer in the Palace of Westminster's cobbled forecourt.

Emergency services bid to save the life of Khalid Masood after his murderous terror attack was ended by an armed policeman at the Palace of Westminster, London

• Read more: Tourist killed in London terror attack 'would not have borne ill feelings towards attacker', family claim
• Read more: Former security chief says Government is 'using' Westminster attack to grab unnecessary spying powers

Scotland Yard said it had found "no evidence" Masood was linked to Islamic State or al Qaida but said he "clearly" had an interest in jihad.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack and called Masood "a soldier of the Islamic State".

Attacker: Khalid Masood. Photo: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

But the announcement was greeted with scepticism by commentators who noted the terror group has a record of opportunistically claiming attacks.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said: "His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low tech, low cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS (Islamic State) leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others.

"There is no evidence that Masood was radicalised in prison in 2003, as has been suggested; this is pure speculation at this time.

"Whilst I have found no evidence of an association with IS or AQ (al Qaida), there is clearly an interest in jihad."

Press Association

Strike takes out a vital rural lifeline

Tickets please: A woman waits for a Bus Eireann bus in Busaras in Dublin Photo: Damien Eagers

Wayne O'Connor

March 26 2017 2:30 AM

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• Strike takes out a vital rural lifeline

  Independent.ie

  The 21 Bus Eireann coach out of Athlone isn't one of those roadliners you see on the TV ads populated by attractive students with a Red Setter galloping across pristine meadows emblazoned on the side.

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The 21 Bus Eireann coach out of Athlone isn't one of those roadliners you see on the TV ads populated by attractive students with a Red Setter galloping across pristine meadows emblazoned on the side.

It's an altogether more functional affair. There's no loo, the seats are tight and there are no fancy recliners.

There were only eight of us taking the 11.05am out of Athlone heading to Westport - a route which brings you across the heartland of the west.

Most 'flashed the pass' and minded dodgy knees and creaky hips as they got on board.

Strike action at Bus Eireann will enter a third day today and there is no end in sight. Transport Minister Shane Ross has refused to get involved and no talks are planned to resolve a row that escalated after the company made plans to enforce cost-cutting measures without union agreement.

These plans will see 300 job losses and routes linking Dublin with Derry, Limerick, Galway and Clonmel close as management look to address massive deficits that could see the company marked insolvent within three months.

The 21 is earmarked to go on April 16, leaving thousands of Bus Eireann customers in a transport purgatory.

Among them is Maureen Taylor, a pensioner from Westport, who uses the threatened 21 route to access a connecting bus in Claremorris. This then carries her to Galway for cancer treatment.

"These buses help me get to where I need to go.

"I leave at 7.05 in the morning and I am usually able to get home in the evenings depending on how long the treatment takes."

She was one of 42 passengers to hop on board the service with the Sunday Independent at various stages on a recent trip from Athlone to Westport.

"God knows how I would cope without it."

The majority of customers I met on the 21 were travel-pass holders. These are problematic for Bus Eireann. To generate more money, Bus Eireann needs to draw more customers but there are few incentives to use the service.

The small car park next to Athlone's bus station was choked by 10.40am. The next nearest car park charges €8 per day to use their facility, inflating the cost of leaving the car behind. A single ticket to Westport is already €12.50.

The journey takes more than three hours but travelling by car saves an hour and 15 minutes.

Taking the 11.05am bus as far as Westport means an overnight stay because there is no direct service back to Athlone after arrival.

"You won't get caught short on the train," said one elderly passenger, pointing to the lack of a toilet on board.

The bus is warm and clean but the seats are a bit too snug for my 6'3" frame. The scenery is reminiscent of the Saw Doctors vision of the N17, "stone walls and the grass is green".

However, the issues plaguing rural Ireland are also clear to see. The land is scarred with standing water from recent floods - the region was the worst hit by storms last year as the Shannon burst its banks.

Gardai work with customs officials at a checkpoint outside Knockcroghery village taking fuel samples from passing motorists as part of a clampdown on fuel laundering that previously caused havoc in the area.

The bus is waved on and the driver is happy to chat with passengers along the way. The route's closure is the main topic of concern.

In Ballinlough, a blink-and-you-miss-it village near Roscommon's border with Mayo, Brian Quinn is welcomed on board.

The retired farrier has been waiting patiently outside the Whitehouse Hotel, a stop where many moons ago a bus driver would come in and round up the last few stragglers finishing off the evening's few pints before giving them a safe passage home.

Brian uses the bus several times a week to attend dances, meet friends in Ballyhaunis and run errands.

"I haven't a car and I was an athlete and did a lot of cycling in my day but when you get on in years, and I have had my hip done as well, you can't always do that."

Everybody on board knows him and the driver looks particularly pleased to see him. Today he is too busy talking about football to entertain the other passengers with his usual singing.

"I'm the last of four generations. There were eight of us in the family and all the others got married but I was the one who stayed at home to mind the farm.

"I am going to Ballyhaunis today to do a bit of shopping and I'll come home then at 3.30pm. I'll do my shopping, call in to the bookies and have a bit of craic with the lads to get out of the house."

The National Transport Authority has reacted to Bus Eireann's decision to withdraw its service by looking at maintaining and expanding the route's Public Service Obligation status. No definitive plan has been announced.

Should Bus Eireann become insolvent in May, it will mean even more uncertainty for Brian and Maureen, for whom the bus is vital.

"If the weather was good I'd dust off the aul' bike again or depend on lifts," said Brian, "but it's like they are closing the country down."

Sunday Independent

Renters beware: Scam artists advertising unavailable properties on rental websites

Pictures of the apartment advertised

Amy Molloy Twitter Email

March 27 2017 1:46 PM

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• Renters beware: Scam artists advertising unavailable properties on rental websites

  Independent.ie

  Tenants looking to rent accommodation are being warned to beware of scam artists who are asking for rent to be transferred before the property has even been viewed.

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Tenants looking to rent accommodation are being warned to beware of scam artists who are asking for rent to be transferred before the property has even been viewed.

A number of these suspicious advertisements have appeared on rental portal pages for apartments in Dublin city centre.

One prospective tenant who made contact with the purported property owner was informed that the transaction would be carried out through an 'Airbnb agent'.

The 'landlord' claimed he lived in Italy and could not arrange a viewing in person but said the 'Airbnb agent' would handle all the financial transactions.

The bedroom which is being advertised

However, he said a deposit and one month's rent would have to be transferred before the viewing.

• Read More: 'There is such huge demand out there that it is perfect for scammers' - bogus landlords are targeting desperate renters with online fraud

Independent.ie visited the apartment in question, which is located on Church Street in Dublin 7.

The pictures in the advertisement portrayed a high-end apartment.

The two-bed apartment was sold in 2016 for €190,000. However, it is not clear who owns it as it is currently not registered with the Land Registry.

When we spoke to a tenant living on the floor below this apartment and showed him pictures of the flat being advertised, he confirmed his apartment looked "nothing like that", saying it looked a lot nicer than his.

The sockets in the pictures advertised also appear to be two-prong which would indicate the property is not based in Ireland.

The person advertising the flat said via email: "Right now I'm currently living in Italy and for the moment I cannot come in person to show you the apartment. I used to come to Ireland every once in a while but for now I am very busy with my work and I really don't have enough time to come there in person to rent it. 

"However, I hope this will not change your intentions to rent my apartment because we can do the transaction through Airbnb (www.airbnb.com). I have used this company in the past and I was very happy with them. You can inspect the apartment in the presence of the Airbnb agent."

He claimed rent would be €1,300 per month and asked for proof of financial stability.

The advertisement initially appeared on Rent.ie but was soon taken down.

Another Independent.ie reader got in touch to say they had been targeted by the same scam.

The property they were interested in was based in Ballsbridge.

They were informed it was a one-bed apartment, however when they looked up the property price register, it was listed as a two-bed apartment.

Martin Clancy of Daft.ie said: "I'd advise that this person ceases all contact with this person and as we suggest in blog posts around security and also our safety tips we recommend that no one transfers money before viewing a property as this sounds very much like a 'long distance' landlord scam."

A spokesperson for Airbnb said that they do not advertise any properties in this manner.

"This website has nothing to do with Airbnb. Airbnb provides a secure platform for people to find, book and list unique accommodation around the world. We encourage users to report fake emails or websites to our trust and safety team on report.phishing@airbnb.com, who will investigate. "

Online Editors

News Irish News Plans to raise Rescue 116 helicopter wreckage suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions

Keeping a vigil: A member of the Irish Coast Guard looks out towards a misty Achill as the search continues for Rescue 116 along the Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo Photo: Steve Humphreys

The Garda Sub Aqua Unit leave Blacksod Co Mayo to continue in the search for Rescue 116 and its crew. Pic Steve Humphreys 25th March 2017

The body of Captain Mark Duffy is borne gently ashore at Blacksod, Co Mayo, by some of his colleagues from the Coast Guard service for formal identification. Photo: Chris Radburn, PA

The Garda Sub Aqua Unit leave Blacksod Pier to continue in the search for Rescue 116 and its crew. Pic Steve Humphreys 25th March 2017

Members of the Irish Coast Guard at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 25th March 2017

Members of the Irish Coast Guard at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 25th March 2017

The Garda Sub Aqua Unit at Blacksod Pier as they continue in the search for Rescue 116 and its crew. Pic Steve Humphreys 25th March 2017

A member of the Irish Coast Guard looks out towards Blackrock Lighthouse as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Family liaison officer Garda Sinéad Barrett brings flowers to Blacksod Pier as the search continues for the Rescue 116 crew Photo: Steve Humphreys

The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

An Irish Coast GuardHelicopter lifts off from Blacksod Pier next door to the house where family members of the missing crew are watching from as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 25th March 2017

The Irish Coast Guard land at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo Picture: Steve Humphreys

Robin Schiller

March 27 2017 9:25 PM

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• Plans to raise Rescue 116 helicopter wreckage suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions

  Independent.ie

  Plans to raise the wreckage of the Rescue 116 helicopter to allow dive teams to search for two missing Irish Coast Guard members have been suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions.

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Plans to raise the wreckage of the Rescue 116 helicopter to allow dive teams to search for two missing Irish Coast Guard members have been suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Rescue workers had hoped to partially lift the main section of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter this evening with the help of flotation devices.

A Naval Service dive team would then be deployed and carry out searches for the two missing crewmen-winch operator Ciaran Smith (38) and winch man Paul Ormsby (53).

However, weather conditions have forced the operation to be postponed with the hope of raising the aircraft at 2pm tomorrow.

Investigators said that flotation devices have been placed underneath the airbag and a Naval Service dive team will be deployed at 11am tomorrow to carry out inspections before searching for the two missing men.

Their colleague, Capt Mark Duffy (51) was brought to shore on Sunday afternoon after Naval Service divers recovered his body from the cockpit of the helicopter wreckage.

(Clockwise from top left): Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby

A post mortem examination was completed by the State Pathologist this morning and Capt Duffy's remains were returned to Co Louth ahead of his funeral on Thursday morning at St Oliver Plunkett Church, Blackrock.

The fourth crew member, Capt Dara Fitzpatrick (45) was recovered by an RNLI lifeboat but was later pronounced dead.

Supt Tony Healy said that flotation devices would be used to slightly raise the aircraft allowing for examinations of the seabed underneath the wreckage in the hope of locating the missing Irish Coast Guard members.

If the remains are not located then the search area- involving divers from the Garda Water Unit- will be expanded.

The hearse carrying Capt Mark Duffy to Mayo General Hospital is escorted by rescue workers. Photo: PA

Investigators have also revealed that the aircraft's flight recover has suffered corrosive damage but hope to have the information made available to them by the end of this week. 

The recorder, commonly refereed to as the 'black box' will form an integral part of the investigation and help the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) determine what led to the tragic collision.

The body of Captain Mark Duffy is borne gently ashore at Blacksod, Co Mayo, by some of his colleagues from the Coast Guard service for formal identification. Photo: Chris Radburn, PA

Chief Inspector of the AAIU Jurgen Whyte said that information from the recorder would be available by the end of this week.

"There is some slight corrosion damage to some of the contact points of the recorder. Our English colleagues are consulting with the manufacturer of the recorder but we're confident that by some time towards the end of he week we will be able to extract data from the recorder itself," Mr Whyte said.

Asked if the damage would interfere with retrieving the data, the senior investigator said: "We don't think so. We will have all the connectors in the right place at the right time to ensure that we get a 100pc download.

"We won't do any download until we're fully confident that it's in the right condition to do so."

Online Editors

Body in suitcase 'taller than wife missing from cruise', says lawyer

Missing mother Li Yinglei with her husband David Belling Photo: Kyran O’Brien

Conor Feehan and Ryan Nugent

March 27 2017 2:30 AM

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• Body in suitcase 'taller than wife missing from cruise', says lawyer

  Independent.ie

  The solicitor of a man currently in prison on suspicion of murdering his wife while on a cruise believes a body discovered in a suitcase floating in an Italian bay is not that of the missing woman.

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The solicitor of a man currently in prison on suspicion of murdering his wife while on a cruise believes a body discovered in a suitcase floating in an Italian bay is not that of the missing woman.

Italian police are investigating if the remains found in the port of Rimini are those of Dublin-based woman Li Yinglei.

A passer-by raised the alarm on Saturday after they noticed a blue, locked suitcase in the water off the north-east coast of Italy on the Adriatic Sea.

Police discovered the remains of a woman wrapped in a bin-bag in the suitcase. Some reports said the remains were dismembered.

Authorities are due to carry out a post-mortem today, and while there was an immediate suspicion the body might be that of Ms Li, there are some factors - such as the height of the body discovered - which make Italian police now believe it may be a different person.

Ms Li disappeared from a luxury cruise in the Mediterranean and was last seen on February 11. She was with her husband Daniel Belling (45) and their children when she vanished.

The couple, who live in Clare Hall, Dublin, had set off on the 11-day cruise with their two children aboard the MSC Magnifica. The ship set sail from the Italian port of Civitavecchia on February 9 and continued on to Genoa, Malta, Greece and Cyprus.

Ms Li's husband was arrested by police in Italy after he tried to catch a Ryanair flight to Ireland with his two young children.

Earlier, the cruise company found that Ms Li was unaccounted for when it did a head count at the end of the cruise and contacted the authorities.

Row

Mr Belling, who was born in Germany, denied killing her but said she had quit the trip after they had a row. He said he expected her to travel to either Ireland or her native China.

Today, Mr Belling's solicitor said he believed the body found in the suitcase was not that of the missing mother of two.

Luigi Conti said he has heard the body that has been recovered does not match the description of Ms Li.

"The body in the suitcase is 170cm in height, but Daniel Belling's wife is smaller than that," he said. "I am also told it is a different type of body than that of Mr Belling's wife."

It was not clear whether this meant the body found was of a different nationality or of a different description to the missing Chinese woman.

Mr Conti said he would be visiting Mr Belling in prison today. Last week, an Italian judge ruled that Mr Belling must remain in custody in Rome's Regina Coeli prison after attempts were made for him to be freed on bail.

Sources close to the investigation say the corpse found in the suitcase would initially appear to be a taller person than Ms Li, and was at a level of decomposition that would appear to be more recent than the time she went missing.

"DNA samples of Ms Li's children or mother may have to be taken and compared with the DNA from the body to see if they match," the source said.

Irish Independent

News Irish News Thousands of passengers facing chaos as strikers get support from Dublin Bus and Irish Rail drivers

Bus Éireann staff on strike outside Busáras in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Anne-Marie Walsh

March 27 2017 2:30 AM

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• Thousands of passengers facing chaos as strikers get support from Dublin Bus and Irish Rail drivers

  Independent.ie

  Public transport passengers face severe disruption this week as Dublin Bus and Irish Rail drivers plan to stay out of work in support of their Bus Éireann colleagues during an all-out strike.

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Public transport passengers face severe disruption this week as Dublin Bus and Irish Rail drivers plan to stay out of work in support of their Bus Éireann colleagues during an all-out strike.

Sources revealed industrial action is set to escalate as workers at all three CIÉ companies may attend a protest at the Dáil on Wednesday when Transport Minister Shane Ross is due to appear before an Oireachtas committee.

It is understood that workers are considering a protest as a show of solidarity with those on strike at Bus Éireann over its decision to impose cuts that would reduce their earnings without agreement.

Unions have claimed that changes to work practices that are being imposed will cut pay by up to 30pc.

Bus Éireann wants €12m in payroll cuts as part of a €30m cost-cutting plan that it will present to its board today, as it faces the threat of insolvency by May.

It will discuss a management plan to cut 300 jobs through a voluntary redundancy programme. However, the company could go bust within a fortnight as it has roughly €7m in cash reserves but is losing €500,000 a day during the strike.

Some Irish Rail drivers took unofficial action on the first day of the strike last Friday by refusing to pass pickets at shared depots, hitting intercity services.

Complex

It is also understood that they failed to show up to work at a depot in Cork in solidarity with colleagues from Bus Éireann who turned up ahead of shifts.

But so far, their colleagues at Dublin Bus have not taken supportive action, while school bus drivers will not take a decision until later this week.

Services ground to a halt on Friday as the 2,600-strong workforce mounted an indefinite all-out strike. Siptu transport organiser Willie Noone said Mr Ross should appoint an industrial relations troubleshooter to help resolve the complex dispute as he said there were too many staff to reach agreement on efficiencies within a very short time frame.

He said a voluntary redundancy plan was the only solution if efficiencies meant there was a surplus of staff, but it must not be funded by cuts to earnings.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of Irish Rural Link, Seamus Boland, said it had been inundated with phone calls from passengers who were unsure how they could travel to work during the strike. He said many people were concerned that rail services would be hit again.

Mr Boland said he had seen a young man plead with a bus driver on Citylink to get home on a bus last Friday, which passed many passengers afterwards on the side of the road because it was too full.

• Read More: Bus Éireann to cut 300 jobs as workers mount indefinite all-out strike

"I don't know how they managed," he said last night. "One couple got on with a bus pass and it never occurred to them that they should pay, but the driver was very decent and waved them on.

"There is a lot of anger and people are trying to figure out what way they're going to travel.

"It's still not clear tonight whether trains will be running tomorrow. People need to get to work somehow. I've to be in Dublin for meetings in the morning from Tullamore on the Galway train, and there's no clarity about whether it's coming.

"It's a vital service. It's not just workers at Tesco that have gone on strike. Those who use it don't have a lot of choice."

He said he expected traffic to be congested today as many people arranged lifts to get to appointments.

Solidarity TDs this morning said Bus Eireann should hire more workers than promote redundancy packages.

Deputy Mick Barry said: "Last week we heard the IDA state that it costs them €10,500 to create a job and that it costs Connect Ireland €4000 to do the same. The same Government that funds the IDA and Connect Ireland stands idly by while mass redundancies are planned in the semi state sector. The double standard is glaring."

Irish Independent