World briefs

SOUTH CHINA SEA Two former Philippine officials have taken the bold step of filing a complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing Chinese President Xi Jinping of crimes against humanity over his government’s assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea. 

INDONESIA’s transportation safety board denied that it leaked details from its probe into the crash of a Lion Air flight in October. The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Committee, Soerjanto Tjahjono (pictured), disputed reports describing conversations as the pilots panicked just before their Boeing 737 Max 8 plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff.

TERRORISM Authorities in Austria say the alleged Christchurch mosque gunman visited the country, but are declining to provide further details. Earlier this week Hungarian authorities said the suspect, Brenton Tarrant, visited Hungary as a tourist last November by train from Romania. 

USA President Donald Trump will sign an executive order today requiring U.S. colleges to certify that they protect free speech on their campuses or risk losing federal research funding, White House officials said.

BREXIT European Union leaders said yesterday they were likely to grant Britain a short delay in its departure from the bloc if May’s cabinet wins parliamentary support next week for its EU divorce deal. But warned that both Britain and the EU are heading toward a disruptive no-deal Brexit if lawmakers spurn the agreement again.

AFRICA A week after Cyclone Idai hit coastal Mozambique’s city of Beira (pictured), and swept across the country to Zimbabwe, the death, damage and flooding continues in southern Africa, making it one of the most destructive natural disasters in the region’s recent history.