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COPS have shot dead a knifeman in France after he tried to set fire to a synagogue. Armed police opened fire on the suspect in the Normandy city of Rouen on Friday morning after he charged at officers during the dawn attack. bfmtvThe incident happened in the Normandy city of Rouen[/caption] Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said police “neutralised early this morning an armed individual who clearly wanted to set fire to the city’s synagogue”. The ministry confirmed the suspect was shot and killed as the area was put into lockdown. Officials said the attacker was armed with a knife and an iron bar and threatened a police officer – who fatally shot him. The dead man was not immediately identified, a police source said. Cops were called to the scene after smoke was spotted coming from the synagogue just before 7am local time, local reports say. The fire has been brought under control, a Rouen city hall official said. The mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, said: “Through this attack and this attempted fire at the Rouen synagogue, it is not only the Jewish community that is affected. “The entire city of Rouen is bruised and in shock.” He made clear there were no other victims other than the attacker. Elie Korchia, the president of France’s Consistoire Central Jewish worshippers body, said police had “avoided another anti-Semitic tragedy”. Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France, said: “Attempting to burn a synagogue is an attempt to intimidate all Jews. “Once again, there is an attempt to impose a climate of terror on the Jews of our country. “Combating anti-Semitism means defending the Republic.” France has the largest Jewish community after Israel and the US, as well as Europe’s largest Muslim community. Against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East and the Israel-Hamas war, France recently raised its alert level to the highest level. Rouen public prosecutor’s office said two investigations have been launched into the attack. Rouen prosecutor Frédéric Teillet said: “There are two separate investigations: a first on the arson targeting a place of worship and on intentional violence against persons holding public authority, and a second on the circumstances of the death of the individual.” An investigation by France’s police inspectorate general is automatic when an individual is killed by the police. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said it is currently assessing whether it will take up the case. Earlier this week, red graffiti was sprayed onto France’s Holocaust Memorial – sparking widespread fury. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “odious anti-Semitism”. In 2016, Rouen was rocked by an ISIS attack when a priest was killed with a knife during service in the town of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.

UKRAINE hit Russia with one of the heaviest bombardments of the war so far as over 100 drones blitzed three key ports. Explosions lit up the sky last night in Novorossiysk, Sevastopol and Tuapse as the cities were plunged into darkness and fires still raged this morning. East2WestA huge inferno rages in the key port city of Novorossiysk[/caption] Russia failed to repel the mass attack on its energy infrastructureEast2West East2WestA drone is seen flying towards the oil refinery in Tuapse as it burns[/caption] East2WestThe blitz was Ukraine’s biggest air and sea drone attack to date[/caption] There was a near-total failure of Russian air defences to stall the mass attack on Novorossiysk. Locals reported the sounds of at least 40 explosions, while a top official ordered residents: “No one leaves the house. Neither to school, nor to work.” Remarkable footage showed multiple loudly-buzzing Ukrainian kamikaze drones attacking an oil depot and port facilities in Novorossiysk at around 3am. Reports suggested public transportation was not running, with traffic closed on some streets and local schools temporarily shut. One observer said: “The port was blown up! Our port was blown up!” Both the Novorossiysk fuel oil terminal and the Transneft terminal were attacked. Novorossiysk is Vladimir Putin’s premier naval port in the Black Sea after most of his warships were driven out of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea by Ukrainian attacks. Russian defenders appeared to have been surprised by the attack. Sevastopol was also under attack as drones buzzed above the city and explosions were heard as a power plant was hit, causing partial power cuts. A major oil refinery was blitzed in the port and resort of Tuapse causing a large inferno. Footage showed the moment in the early morning light as a drone flew across the sky and struck the refinery which was already burning from an earlier hit. The state-owned Rosneft facility is Russia’s only oil refinery on the Black Sea, and one of the ten largest in the country.  Bursts of machine gun fire were heard in a failed bid to stop the kamikaze drones – followed by three explosions as they hit the target. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Kremlin-appointed governor of Sevastopol, claimed to have “successfully repelled a massive enemy attack” on the naval port, which serves as headquarters of Russia‘s Black Sea Fleet. He said “dozens” of aerial drones and “more than five sea drones were destroyed.” Power cuts in Sevastopol plunged the port city into darkness and Mr Razvozhaev declared classes in all schools, secondary vocational education institutions, and kindergartens were cancelled. Russia admitted it faced more than 100 drones in the overnight onslaught which came as Putin, 71, was on his official visit to China along with his new defence minister Andrey Belousov, 65. In an inauspicious start for the new defence chief, satellite evidence has shown Ukrainian claims made this week over the substantial destruction of Belbek airbase in Crimea were correct. Two days of MGM-140 ATACMS cluster missile attacks by Ukraine destroyed Russian jets – including MiG-31s and one Su-27 – and a military warehouse for fuel and lubricants. Reports indicated an aerial missile store was also targeted. The successful blitz of Belbek has led to fury among Russian war-backers over the back of air defence at the key base. It came as Kyiv was under pressure from Russian territorial gains in the Kharkiv region. The US is rushing military aid to Ukraine to ramp up its defence after Putin amassed more than half a million troops on the frontline. Ukrainian fighters had to withdraw in some parts of the country as Putin’s forces advanced on two fronts deep inside Ukrainian territory. Kyiv’s military said it was sending more troops to Kharkiv to stave off Russian advances, where the Kremlin claims to have captured a number of villages. The military previously admitted it was struggling to contain Russia’s advance in the northeast of the country – but there are now some signs the progress of Putin’s forces has slowed. Moscow has claimed without proof that 35 Ukrainian officers and 20 soldiers were killed in an Iskander missile strike on a camouflaged command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kharkiv. It showed footage of its helicopter battles to halt Ukrainian marine drone attacks on occupied Crimea. In Tuapse, regional head Sergei Boyko said: “Early in the morning of May 17, the Kyiv regime attempted a terrorist attack using two UAVs on civilian infrastructure in Tuapse. “As a result of the fall of the device, a fire occurred at the oil refinery. “Special services began extinguishing the fire. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties.” In Belgorod, also under Ukrainian fire, a petrol station was hit. A drone reportedly hit a car, killing a woman and her child. East2WestNovorossiysk is plunged into darkness after several key sites were hit[/caption] East2WestA Ukrainian sea drone attack strikes an oil depot in Novorossiysk[/caption] A major oil refinery in Tuapse continues to burn this morningTwitter East2WestSatellite images show the aftermath of ATACMS strikes at Belbek airfield[/caption] East2WestTuapse, and Sevastopol and Balaclava are left without electricity[/caption] East2WestRussia hits Kharkiv region with an Iskander missile strike[/caption]

KHARKIV has been hit with a missile barrage after Vladimir Putin launched a hellish new onslaught in the Ukrainian city just days ago. Residents were urged to take cover during the longest air raid alert since the war began as Vlad’s army pelted civilians with rockets. GettyRussia launched a brutal new ground offensive in the city of Kharkiv last Friday[/caption] GettyFire sparked by a drone on Thursday evening in Kharkiv[/caption] ReutersA damaged block of flats after a Russian strike on Kharkiv just days ago[/caption] A journalist on the ground said he had “lost count of the number of explosions”. He said at least a dozen or more had hit in just an hour on Thursday evening. The air raid alert lasted for more than 16 and a half hours, making it the longest in Ukraine for over two years. Mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, said the Osnovyanskyi district specifically was struck sparking a fire. Osnovyanskyi stretches from the centre of Kharkiv, home to 1.5 million people, to the south. Moscow’s forces had pushed several kilometres into the north of the region in recent days – marking a shift in tactic with the southern target. Putin’s brutal armies pummelled over 30 villages and towns in the region after moving in last Friday. Military experts told The Sun that the new move in northern Ukraine is designed to distract Kyiv’s forces so Putin can seize the Donbas. Ukrainian president Zelensky had been in Kharkiv just hours earlier on Thursday to try and boost morale. Meanwhile Chinese despot Xi Jinping was rubbing shoulders with Mad Vlad as the two dictators shored up a long-standing anti Western alliance. Osnovyanskyi governor Oleh Synehubov said at least five Russian drones specifically hit his area – marking a southern shift for Russian targets. More than 6,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of Russia’s fresh onslaught. Kyiv had suspected an attack of some kind would hit there after seeing almost 40,000 soldiers and 500 tanks massing at the border. But even under Putin’s relentless attempts to crush Ukraine – Kyiv’s forces continue to hold strong. On Sunday, just days after launching the Kharkiv plan, Putin lost 1,740 troops with countless tanks. Russia is sticking to the attrition battlefield technique; sending hordes of troops to wear out Ukrainian soldiers and ammo stock. Despite this, Nato’s top commander doesn’t believe Vlad has sent enough troops to make any significant breakthrough. General Christopher Cavoli said on Thursday he doesn’t think they have the “numbers”, “skill” or “capability” to exploit any kind of advantage there. Ukraine’s allies are also rallying round to ship more supplies and ammunition into the hands of the armies in need. Cavoli confirmed that ammunition, short-range air defence systems and “significant amounts” of armoured vehicles are on their way. The news comes after footage showed Ukraine blitzing a row of five Russian tanks from above as they tried to push further into Kharkiv. Putin’s armies have pelted villages and towns in Kharkiv in recent days ReutersA local resident evacuates the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv on May 14[/caption] AlamyVladimir Putin and Xi Jinping rubbed shoulders at a summit on Thursday[/caption]

A BRITISH man described by his loved ones as “supremely popular” has been found dead in Thailand. Simon Brown, 47, was discovered in his hotel room on Saturday and his family have asked for help to bring his body home. Simon Brown, 47, was found dead in Thailand on Saturday Known affectionately as “Browny”, friends and family have said his unexplained death comes as a huge shock. The machine operator from south Wales was “outgoing” and enjoyed travelling, particularly to Thailand. His close friend Mark Davies said: “It’s just a total shock, it was so unexpected. He wasn’t ill. There was nothing wrong with him. “Everyone knew him. He was a crazy bloke – really outgoing and always up for a laugh.” He added: “We don’t know anything at the moment as to the circumstances around it. It only happened on Saturday so we know very little.”  Simon, from Trallwn in Pontypridd, was described as “supremely popular” by friends. His family are trying to raise the funds to get his body back to the UK following Saturday’s tragic discovery. A Go Fund Me page set up in his name has so far raised just over £2000 of its £10,000 target. The page says his family have to “arrange transport from Thailand to the UK, which is a costly process”.  It reads: “As a family, we are now trying to bring Simon back home so that we can lay him to rest at his home at Swansea.” Simon travelled to Thailand “several times a year” according to the tribute. Mark said of his friend: “He was a really hard worker as a machine operator and when he wasn’t working he was always on holiday. In particular he loved going to Thailand.” Simon’s family thanked those who had donated to help bring him home, writing: “Thanks to all those who have reached out and sent messages of condolence, and we appreciate any help you can give.”

A JUDGE yesterday forced the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case to let her look closely into his eyes — to see if they matched a rape victim’s description. Ute Insa Engemann gave Christian Brueckner the order at the end of the day’s session at Braunschweig regional court in Germany. A judge forced Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, to let her look closely into his eyes — to see if they matched a rape victim’s descriptionDan Charity PAChristian Brueckner is the prime suspect over Madeleine McCann’s disappearance in 2007[/caption] It had heard former tour guide Hazel Behan, 40, from Dublin, tell how she was repeatedly raped by a masked attacker at her holiday apartment in Portugal in 2004. Ms Behan, who waived anonymity, said she recognised Brueckner’s piercing blue eyes from photos when he was linked to Madeleine’s disappearance nearby in 2007. When asked how she was able to identify Brückner by his eyes alone, she said: “When you spend time in this situation and there is nothing else you can see on this human, it is the only thing which you can remember, they bored into my skull and I will never forget it.” She added that his bright blue eyes were completely illuminated against the black mask and skin-tight clothing he wore. “They were just so blue… everything was so dark… so they just worked like lights, they were so bright, and I just know them.” She said she was convinced that her rapist was Christian Brückner, the man who German investigators believe abducted and killed 3-year-old Maddie from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007. At the end of today’s court session, presiding judge Ute Insa Engemann said to Christian Brückner, 47, “Mr Brückner, come to the front so we can look at your eyes.” Brueckner, 47, is accused of sex crimes uncovered in that investigation. He denies the claims. Trial continues.