
Defence Forces monitor Russian vessel off Irish coast
An Irish Air Corps maritime patrol aircraft was dispatched from Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel to the southeast coast of Ireland to investigate the vessel.
Between 5pm and 5.20pm yesterday evening, the Air Corps monitored the vessel in the Celtic Sea.
The Airbus C-295 is one of two new patrol aircraft which were delivered to the Defence Forces last year.
The Russian general cargo ship 'BARENTS' made its way through the Celtic Sea and sailed north to the Irish Sea overnight.
Marine trackers forecast that the vessel is headed towards Murmansk in Russia.
Data shows that the ship passed near undersea cables which run through Irish waters.
A spokesperson for the Defence Forces said it cannot comment for "operational security reasons".
The vessel was sanctioned by the United States in May 2024 and is known for turning its transponder off, which is a characteristic of Russia's shadow fleet.
According to MarineTraffic, the BARENTS' signal data disappeared just after midnight off the northwest coast of France and reappeared at 10.20am this morning near Ireland's south coast.

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Sunday World
35 minutes ago
- Sunday World
Indian community celebrates independence day in Dublin
The free event at Merrion Square came despite a separate celebration being called off following concern over recent attacks on the Indian community Hundreds of people have participated in an event marking India Day in Dublin, as gardai and the Government sought to assure the community it was taking action against racially motivated crime. The free event at Merrion Square came despite a separate celebration being called off following concern over recent attacks on the Indian community. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has expressed concern over 'totally unacceptable' attacks on the Indian community, adding that the majority appear to have been carried out by young people. Mr O'Callaghan said he engaged extensively with the Garda commissioner on the matter, and senior investigating officers had been assigned to investigate all reported incidents. Event organizer Sanjeeb Barik with a statue of the Indian deity Jagannath as people attend the India Day Festival at Merrion Square Park, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Sunday's celebration, organised for India's 79th independence day, featured music, dance, food stalls, exhibition stands and a range of cultural activities. Sanjeeb Barik, the secretary of organising group the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland, said the event had gone well amid 'fantastic and beautiful weather'. 'Lots of people are here, there's food and dancing and lots of fun.' Asked about the engagement with Government and gardai, Mr Barik said the event had received 'good support'. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: 'Naturally, because there has been so many incidents there was some concern. 'We have been actively discussing with ministers, junior ministers and the Minister of Justice and they have all assured us that appropriate safety measures would be in place – and they are. 'We're working very closely to make sure everyone would be safe and, importantly, that it would be enjoyable for everyone.' Mr Barik said they wanted to go ahead with the celebrations to send a message about the importance of standing together. 'It has been a challenging time but the main thing is to come together as a community and celebrate our heritage 'There are people from all backgrounds here – Indian, Irish and others – from all over the the island. 'It is about the strength of bonding and sowing the richness of India and Ireland's multicultural spirit.' From left, Areet Kaur Chandi, seven, Japleen Kaur, 10, and Preety Singh, eight, join the festivities for India Day in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) He added: 'We are saying come together, stand together. Celebrate unity and diversity – and I hope that will continue.' Inspector Ciaran Nunan from the Garda diversity unit said hate crimes are attacks on the whole community. 'The mission statement of An Garda Siochana is keeping people safe, and this refers to individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. 'It also now includes hate crime. Hate crime is not just an attack on a person, it's an attack on the community. 'An Garda Siochana is very aware of the impact that hate crime has upon individuals and communities, and we take it very, very seriously. 'Since our last India Day celebration last year, we now have hate crime legislation in force and we're applying that legislation at every opportunity – but we need people to report incidents of hate crime to us so that we can then take them on board and react to those.' Entertainment was part of the festivities in Merrion Square Park (Niall Carson/PA) He added: 'So I would encourage everybody or anybody that perceives to be a victim of a hate crime to please report it to An Garda Siochana, and allow us to continue what we're doing and work with our communities to keep people safe. 'The Dublin event was attended by Akhilesh Mishra, ambassador of India to Ireland, and Minister of State Emer Higgins. The Ireland India Council, a separate group, said there had been an organised social media campaign against the Indian community in the country and the number of violent attacks has intensified since January. Last week, it said it took the 'difficult' decision to postpone its planned event at Farmleigh House over concerns for the safety of the community. People celebrating at the India Day Festival at Merrion Square Park, Dublin. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Today's News in 90 Seconds - 17 August


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Indian community celebrates independence day in Dublin
Hundreds of people have participated in an event marking India Day in Dublin, as gardai and the Government sought to assure the community it was taking action against racially motivated crime. The free event at Merrion Square came despite a separate celebration being called off following concern over recent attacks on the Indian community. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has expressed concern over 'totally unacceptable' attacks on the Indian community, adding that the majority appear to have been carried out by young people. Mr O'Callaghan said he engaged extensively with the Garda commissioner on the matter, and senior investigating officers had been assigned to investigate all reported incidents. Event organizer Sanjeeb Barik with a statue of the Indian deity Jagannath as people attend the India Day Festival at Merrion Square Park, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Sunday's celebration, organised for India's 79th independence day, featured music, dance, food stalls, exhibition stands and a range of cultural activities. Sanjeeb Barik, the secretary of organising group the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland, said the event had gone well amid 'fantastic and beautiful weather'. 'Lots of people are here, there's food and dancing and lots of fun.' Asked about the engagement with Government and gardai, Mr Barik said the event had received 'good support'. It has been a challenging time but the main thing is to come together as a community and celebrate our heritage Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: 'Naturally, because there has been so many incidents there was some concern. 'We have been actively discussing with ministers, junior ministers and the Minister of Justice and they have all assured us that appropriate safety measures would be in place – and they are. 'We're working very closely to make sure everyone would be safe and, importantly, that it would be enjoyable for everyone.' Mr Barik said they wanted to go ahead with the celebrations to send a message about the importance of standing together. 'It has been a challenging time but the main thing is to come together as a community and celebrate our heritage 'There are people from all backgrounds here – Indian, Irish and others – from all over the the island. 'It is about the strength of bonding and sowing the richness of India and Ireland's multicultural spirit.' From left, Areet Kaur Chandi, seven, Japleen Kaur, 10, and Preety Singh, eight, join the festivities for India Day in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) He added: 'We are saying come together, stand together. Celebrate unity and diversity – and I hope that will continue.' Inspector Ciaran Nunan from the Garda diversity unit said hate crimes are attacks on the whole community. 'The mission statement of An Garda Siochana is keeping people safe, and this refers to individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. 'It also now includes hate crime. Hate crime is not just an attack on a person, it's an attack on the community. 'An Garda Siochana is very aware of the impact that hate crime has upon individuals and communities, and we take it very, very seriously. 'Since our last India Day celebration last year, we now have hate crime legislation in force and we're applying that legislation at every opportunity – but we need people to report incidents of hate crime to us so that we can then take them on board and react to those.' Entertainment was part of the festivities in Merrion Square Park (Niall Carson/PA) He added: 'So I would encourage everybody or anybody that perceives to be a victim of a hate crime to please report it to An Garda Siochana, and allow us to continue what we're doing and work with our communities to keep people safe.'The Dublin event was attended by Akhilesh Mishra, ambassador of India to Ireland, and Minister of State Emer Higgins. The Ireland India Council, a separate group, said there had been an organised social media campaign against the Indian community in the country and the number of violent attacks has intensified since January. Last week, it said it took the 'difficult' decision to postpone its planned event at Farmleigh House over concerns for the safety of the community.


RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Lawyer: 'Extraordinary' if DNA test links Bailey to death
The solicitor who represented the late Ian Bailey, the chief suspect in the killing of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has said he would find it "extraordinary" if a new DNA test linked him to the murder scene. Frank Buttimer was speaking after it emerged that a garda cold case team is awaiting a report on whether the new advanced method of DNA collection has yielded results. The method, called M-VAC, has helped solve decades-old cold cases in the United States. Ms du Plantier's body was found on the laneway leading to her isolated holiday home near Schull in Co Cork on the morning of 26 December 1996. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been bludgeoned to death with a rock and a concrete block. Nobody has been charged in Ireland in connection with her murder. The rock and block as well as Ms du Plantier's dressing gown, leggings, vest and boots have been analysed by new technology, according to The Irish Times. Mr Buttimer represented Mr Bailey for over 20 years. Mr Bailey was the chief suspect in the murder of the French woman before his death last year. Commenting on the attempts to use new DNA techniques to advance the case, Mr Buttimer said that "before he was even obliged to do so" that Mr Bailey had voluntarily provided DNA to establish his innocence. Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, he said: "Where it to be extraordinarily now 28 years or whatever it is later that there was some alleged link or connection being proposed then I would have regarded that as being something extraordinary. "Second of all, somewhat worrying, bearing in mind the passage of time and, of course, thirdly, Mr Bailey is deceased and is not around to defend his name." Investigators are hoping that any DNA evidence obtained will enable Forensic Science Ireland to make comparisons with DNA samples obtained from some 10 people identified as suspects during the initial garda investigation, including Mr Bailey. Mr Buttimer said that if the DNA points towards the involvement of another suspect, then this is something that should be kept in mind by the French courts. Mr Bailey was convicted of Ms du Plantier's murder by a court in France in 2019 in a case that he did not attend. "Insofar as Ian Bailey is concerned, we have this thing in Irish law called the presumption of innocence," he said, adding "Ian Bailey is presumed innocent by the State of Ireland". Mr Buttimer said Mr Bailey was "never prosecuted, except for a completely spurious case that was taken against him in France, where he was found guilty - but that was a predictable event". "Where it to be the case that DNA points the finger in some other quarter, perhaps the French who were so vigorous in their pursuit of them, might take time to reflect upon that and what had happened badly during his life," he said. He added that Mr Bailey had been "pursued for over 27 or 28 years from the time of that dreadful crime to the time of his death", adding "it destroyed his life". The new DNA testing, from the US, has helped solve decade old cases, including the 1995 case of Crystal Lynn in Utah. She was 17 years old when she was killed with granite rocks and her death remained a cold case for 18 years. After the traditional methods of swabbing failed to deliver answers, M-VAC was applied to the bloodied rock. It got 42 times more than needed to generate a full profile, and subsequently led to the arrest and prosecution of a suspect in the case. Mr Buttimer said he was not familiar with M-VAC DNA testing method, adding it is important to remember that while DNA testing can assist a cold case, it has to be properly tested in court. "I do not think that it has been tested in the Irish courts," he said. "It seems to have had some success in the United States," he added. Regarding Mr Bailey, he said: "The one thing that would be of concern to me is that he is not around to defend himself. "I would have to say that DNA evidence in certain circumstances has also been challenged. "So, it is not the be all and end all of criminal investigation and forensic assessment." Mr Buttimer added such evidence can "be challenged, but absolutely every avenue should be pursued of any inquiry to get to the truth of this appalling crime", When asked if Mr Bailey's DNA is found, should that information be made public, Mr Buttimer said: "I am sure that in certain quarters there would be a rush to provide such information because in my belief, and certainly you know in my experience, within certain sections of the police, there is still this ongoing belief that there is a link or connection between Mr Bailey and the crime, which he has denied throughout his life". "Ian Bailey was identified as the suspect even while he was in Bandon police station in February 1997, there was a rush at that point in trying to expose him," he said. "There's always been a rush to put Mr Bailey's name out there as being connected with this offence," he added. In a statement to RTÉ's This Week programme, gardaí said the investigation into the murder of Ms du Plantier remains active and ongoing. It added that An Garda Síochána makes operational decisions on the release of information on a case-by-case basis.