ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Greek officials said Sunday that the man suspected of carrying out the deadly shooting spree in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, visited Greece briefly in 2016. The news came after neighbouring Bulgaria and Turkey each announced investigations into visits that Brenton Tarrant had reportedly made to the Balkan region. Tarrant visited the Greek island of Crete, and Santorini — a nearby island in the southern Aegean — in March 2016, […]
International
Black boxes show ‘clear similarities’ with Indonesia crash, Ethiopia says
by Chris Stein ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AFP) — Black box data recovered from an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week show “clear similarities” with a recent crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, Ethiopia’s transport minister said on Sunday. While declining to give details, Dagmawit Moges told journalists the parallels would be the “subject of further study during the investigation,” with a preliminary report issued in “30 days”. The announcement came a […]
Boeing ‘finalizing’ anti-stall update after Ethiopia crash
CHICAGO, United States (AFP) — Boeing is finalizing a software update and pilot training linked to the MCAS anti-stalling feature, under scrutiny after two 737 Max 8 crashes, the company’s CEO said on Sunday. “Boeing is finalizing its development of a previously-announced software update and pilot training revision that will address the MCAS flight control law’s behavior in response to erroneous sensor inputs,” the US-based aircraft manufacturer’s president and CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, said in a […]
More than 120 dead after cyclone hits Mozambique, Zimbabwe
by Adrien BARBIER with Zinyange AUNTONY in Chimanimani BEIRA, Mozambique (AFP) — More than 120 people have died and many more are missing in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe on Sunday after tropical cyclone Idai barrelled across the southern African nations with flash floods and ferocious winds. Authorities in Mozambique said the toll there had risen to 62 in the centre of the country, while Zimbabwe said 65 people were killed in affected eastern areas, after […]
Death toll rises to 50 as New Zealand mourns victims
by Jerome Taylor Agence France Presse New Zealanders flocked to memorial sites to lay flowers and mourn the victims of the twin mosque massacres Sunday, as testimony emerged of epic heroism and harrowing suffering in the gun attack that has claimed 50 lives. Police Commissioner Mike Bush said officers had finally been able to share a list of victims with families, something delayed by the need for careful police work and the sheer scale […]
At least 24 dead, dozens missing in Zimbabwe after cyclone
by Fanuel JONGWE Agence France Presse HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — At least 24 people have been killed and dozens are missing in parts of eastern Zimbabwe hit by the peripheral effects of tropical cyclone Idai which lashed neighbouring Mozambique, government said Saturday. Zimbabwe’s ministry of information announced on Twitter that so far the “number of deaths is confirmed at 24 mainly from Chimanimani East,” including two students, while at least 40 other people […]
‘He leaped on someone to save them’: stories of New Zealand massacre victims
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AFP) — A right-wing extremist has been charged over Friday’s horrifying gun attacks on two New Zealand mosques, which left 49 people dead and dozens more injured. The worshippers and their families caught up in the attacks in the normally peaceful city of Christchurch came from around the world. Here are some of their stories: The Afghan who ran into gunfire An Afghan man, thought to be in his 60s or […]
Boeing upgrades software on crisis-hit 737 MAX after deadly crash
by Heather Scott and Delphine Touitou with Luc Olinga in New York WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Boeing is upgrading the stall prevention software on its 737 MAX, industry sources said Friday, as French investigators scoured black box data from the latest of two deadly crashes involving the aircraft in recent months. The MAX has been grounded worldwide following Sunday’s Ethiopia Airlines disaster that killed all 157 on board, and the fallout has left the […]
Iran accuses West of fuelling Islamophobia after New Zealand massacre
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused Western governments of encouraging Islamophobia on Friday, after the attacks on two mosques in New Zealand that killed 49 worshippers and wounded dozens. In a statement carried by the official government website Rouhani said the shootings showed the need for “all out confrontation against… the Islamophobia pervasive in the West which is unfortunately encouraged by some Western governments.” Rouhani promised Iran’s foreign ministry would “diligently” follow […]
Trump signs first veto to secure funding for border wall
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump signed the first veto of his presidency Friday, overriding congressional opposition to secure emergency funds to build more walls on the US-Mexico border. Trump declared in the Oval Office that he was “proud” to sign the veto. It came after he suffered an embarrassing defeat on Thursday when senators, including fellow Republicans, voted to terminate his declaration of an emergency on the Mexican border. Surrounded by law enforcement […]
Imam of attacked New Zealand mosque says ‘we still love this country’
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AFP) — An imam who was leading prayers at a Christchurch mosque when a gunman brandishing semi-automatic weapons mowed down his congregation said Saturday that the Muslim community’s love for New Zealand would not be shaken by the massacre. “We still love this country,” said Ibrahim Abdul Halim, imam of Linwood Mosque, vowing that extremists would “never ever touch our confidence”. Halim gave a harrowing account of the moment during Friday prayers […]
New Zealand PM vows gun reforms after racist mosque massacre
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand’s prime minister vowed to toughen the country’s gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man charged with murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre. Jacinda Ardern said the gunman, a 28-year-old Australian, obtained a “Category A” gun licence in November 2017 and began purchasing the five weapons used in Friday’s attacks in the southern city of Christchurch the […]





