VIENNA (AP) — As construction crews churned up dirt to renovate a Vienna soccer field last October, they happened upon an unprecedented find: A heap of intertwined skeletal remains in a mass grave dating to the 1st-century Roman Empire, likely the bodies of warriors in a battle involving Germanic tribes.
On Wednesday, after archaeological analysis, experts at the Vienna Museum gave a first public presentation of the grave — linked to “a catastrophic event in a military context” and evidence of the first known fighting ever in that region.
The bodies of 129 people have been confirmed at the site in the Vienna neighborhood of Simmering. The excavation teams also found many dislocated bones and believe the total number of victims tops 150 — a discovery never seen before in Central Europe.
“Within the context of Roman acts of war, there are no comparable finds of fighters,” said Michaela Binder, who led the archaeological dig. “There are huge battlefields in Germany where weapons were found. But finding the dead, that is unique for the entire Roman history.”
People work on the excavation of a Roman mass grave from the end of the 1st century AD, in the Simmering district of Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. PHOTO: AP
Soldiers in the Roman Empire were typically cremated until the 3rd century.
The pit where the bodies were deposited suggests a hasty or disorganised dumping of corpses. Every skeleton examined showed signs of injury — to the head, torso and pelvis in particular.
“They have various different battle wounds, which rules out execution. It is truly a battlefield,” said Kristina Adler-Wölfl, head of Vienna city archaeological department. “There are wounds from swords, lances; wounds from blunt trauma.”
The victims were all male. Most were aged 20 to 30 years old and generally showed signs of good dental health.
Carbon-14 analysis helped date the bones to between 80 and 130 A.D. That was cross-checked against known history of relics found in the grave – armor, helmet cheek protectors, the nails used in distinctive Roman military shoes known as caligae.
An armoured shed lays between bones at an excavation of a Roman mass grave from the end of the 1st century AD, in the Simmering district of Vienna, Austria, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. PHOTO: AP
The most indicative clue came from a rusty dagger of a type in use specifically between the middle of the 1st century and the start of the second.
The research continues: Only one victim has been confirmed as a Roman warrior. Archaeologists hope DNA and strontium isotope analysis will help further identify the fighters, and whose side they were on.
“The most likely theory at the moment is that this is connected to the Danube campaigns of Emperor Domitian — that’s 86 to 96 A.D.,” Adler-Wölfl said.
City archaeologists said the discovery also reveals the early signs of the founding of a settlement that would become the Austrian capital of today.
KATHMANDU (ANN/THE KATHMANDU POST) – High pesticide residues have been found in major vegetables sold in the Kathmandu Valley—and government lab tests confirm they are serious health risks.
On Tuesday, tests conducted on yardlong beans revealed dangerously high levels of harmful chemicals. Over 32 kg of the beans were disposed of after being deemed unfit for consumption.
The Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residue (RBPR) Analysis Unit tested samples of long beans from Chitwan and found them to contain organophosphate pesticide at a concentration of 92.45 per cent, making them unsafe for consumption.
Officials noted that vegetable growers have used toxic chemicals to accelerate growth and ward off pests, potentially leading to serious health issues for consumers.
The emergence of new insects caused by climate change has prompted farmers to use pesticides more extensively, contributing to an alarming rise in pesticide imports.
Carbamate and organophosphate pesticides are highly damaging to human health and the environment, as they are neurotoxic, which means they harm the nervous system.
The lab report indicates that most vegetables sold at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market, the country’s largest vegetable wholesale market which caters to the demand in Kathmandu Valley, are grown using organophosphate pesticides rather than carbamate.
The Central Agriculture Lab has banned 50-60 per cent of pesticides under the organophosphate group in Nepal.
However, due to the easy availability of these pesticides at agro-vet stores across the country, most farmers continue to use them, leading to their presence in vegetables. Most vegetables sold in Kalimati come from Kavrepalanchok, Sarlahi, Bara, Chitwan, and Dhading districts.
Farmers use pesticides to protect crops from insects, weeds, fungi, and other pests. Recent lab tests have detected high pesticide use in seasonal vegetables such as green leafy, broccoli, tomatoes, and cauliflower.
In January, 600 kg of leafy greens were disposed of at Kalimati after lab tests revealed excessive pesticide levels, making them unsafe for consumption.
Officials have noted a rise in the use of hazardous pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers in Nepal in recent years. PHOTO: ANN/THE KATHMANDU POST
According to the World Health Organisation, pesticides can be potentially toxic to humans, causing both acute and chronic health effects, depending on the level of exposure.
Officials have noted a rise in the use of hazardous pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers in Nepal in recent years.
Manjushree Aryal Bhattarai, information officer and senior crop development chief at the Central Agriculture Lab, stated that farmers often bring vegetables to the market without observing the required waiting period after pesticide application.
She also observed that farmers have been raising pesticide dosages above the suggested levels to control pest impact. She emphasised the importance of educating farmers on the safe use of pesticides.
Officials indicated that climate change greatly impacts agriculture, with severe weather conditions like heavy rainfall and prolonged drought contributing to the rise of new pests and diseases affecting crops and vegetables. Consequently, farmers have been using more pesticides.
The expansion of commercial vegetable farming has also contributed to high pesticide levels in seasonal vegetables such as green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and beans.
Mahesh Timilsina, information officer at the lab, reported an increase in pesticide imports in recent years, indicating rising pesticide use.
The Central Agriculture Lab plans to begin testing two additional pesticide groups—synthetic pyrethroids and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT)—across all RBPR labs nationwide this fiscal year.
Officials have advised consumers to soak vegetables in salt or vinegar for approximately half-an-hour before cooking to minimise pesticide residues.
Refrigerating vegetables 12-14 hours before consumption might also reduce insecticide presence.
Doctors caution that prolonged intake of vegetables and fruits with high pesticide levels may result in kidney failure, heart and lung diseases, mental health issues, and cancer. Additionally, consuming such contaminated produce could negatively impact pregnant women and harm fetuses.
BANGKOK (ANN/THE NATION) – Thailand’s economy has suffered a staggering THB60 billion loss in 2024 due to widespread online fraud, with millions of citizens falling victim to sophisticated telephone and SMS scams.
A recent report highlighting these concerning figures has prompted a national seminar focused on enhancing media literacy and fact-checking efforts to address the growing economic repercussions.
The “International Fact-Checking Day 2025” seminar, organised by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Cofact Thailand, and a coalition of 20 partner organisations on Wednesday, underscored the urgent need to address the rampant spread of disinformation.
The event, themed “The Battle for Truth: Reclaiming Information Integrity in the Age of Distrust,” revealed that Thai citizens were targeted by 38 million fraudulent phone calls and 130 million deceptive SMS messages in the past year, marking a five-year high.
Supinya Klangnarong, co-founder of Cofact (Thailand), stressed the economic repercussions of these scams, stating, “This level of fraud not only undermines public trust but also inflicts severe economic harm.”
To counter this, Cofact Thailand, in collaboration with ThaiHealth and 11 media organisations, is intensifying its efforts to combat disinformation.
Initiatives include the “Donate Fake News” campaign, aimed at analysing and verifying false information, and the promotion of awards for journalists and content creators who actively engage in fact-checking.
Benjamaporn Limpisathian, deputy manager of ThaiHealth, warned that the rapid and borderless dissemination of fake news and distorted information poses a significant threat to both social stability and economic well-being.
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) reported over 400,000 online fraud cases in the first quarter of 2024 alone, contributing to the staggering THB60 billion loss.
Assoc Prof Dr Preeda Akarachantachote, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, emphasised the importance of responsible information sharing.
The seminar also featured discussions on the evolution of disinformation from the telegraph era to the age of artificial intelligence, with experts highlighting the need for flexible approaches to tackle evolving threats.
The “International Fact-Checking Day 2025” seminar, organised by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Cofact Thailand, and a coalition of 20 partner organisations on Wednesday, underscored the urgent need to address the rampant spread of disinformation. PHOTO: ANN/THE NATION
SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia expressed puzzlement Thursday over Donald Trump’s decision to slap a 29-per cent trade tariff on its tiny Pacific territory of Norfolk Island.
The island — home to many descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers — has a total population of a little over 2,000 people and lies 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) northeast of Sydney.
Its main industry is tourism.
The island’s chamber of commerce says it ranked as the world’s number 223 exporter in 2019, shipping goods worth AUD2.7 million (USD1.7 million) led by soybean meal and sowing seeds.
Yet a global tariff list brandished by Trump showed it was being punished with a tariff nearly three times higher than the Australian mainland’s 10 per cent.
“I’m not sure what Norfolk Island’s major exports are to the United States and why it’s been singled out, but it has,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.
Merchandise is displayed in a kitchen and restaurant supply store in New York, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“I’m not quite sure that Norfolk Island, with respect to it, is a trade competitor with the giant economy of the United States,” he added.
It “exemplifies the fact that nowhere on Earth is exempt from this”.
In any case, the prime minister could not say why the island would not face the same US tariff as the rest of the country.
“Last time I looked, Norfolk Island was a part of Australia,” he later told public radio ABC, describing it as “somewhat unexpected and a bit strange”.
Even harder to explain, perhaps, Trump imposed a 10-percent tariff on imports from Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands territory in the sub-Antarctic — which are uninhabited by humans but provide a home to large numbers of penguins.
“Due to the extreme isolation of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, together with the persistently severe weather and sea conditions, human activities in the region have been, and remain, limited,” an Australian government website explains.
(AP) – The new tariffs announced Wednesday by US President Donald Trump were met initially with measured reactions from key trading partners, highlighting the lack of appetite for a full-fledged trade war.
Trump presented the import taxes, which he calls “reciprocal tariffs” and range from 10 per cent to 49 per cent, in the simplest terms: the US would do to its trading partners what he said they had been doing to the US for decades.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said they are a “major blow to the world economy,” while a Japanese official called them “extremely regrettable” and Korea’s prime minister called for emergency measures to support industries affected by the tariffs. Asian markets tumbled in Thursday morning trading.
President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. PHOTO : AP
Here’s the latest:
Thailand says it is ready to negotiate with US over trade balance
The Thai prime minister says her country is ready to negotiate with the US to find a fair trade balance for both sides, after Trump announced 36 per cent tariffs on Thailand.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra said Thursday that Thailand is committed to working with the US to achieve sustainable economic growth.
She added that Thai exporters should also look for additional markets for their products to reduce their risk of relying on one main market.
Indian analysts see opportunity in supply chain realignments
Indian exporters and analysts say Trump’s new tariffs are a mixed bag for the country.
Trump announced a reciprocal tariff of 26 per cent for India, as compared to 34 per cent for China, 46 per cent for Vietnam, 37 per cent for Bangladesh and 36 per cent for Thailand.
Observers said Thursday the move will likely impact Indian industry and pressure jobs, but that there is room for new business to come in since India is in a lower band than its Asian peers.
“These tariffs do present challenges, but India’s position remains comparatively favorable,” said S.C Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Exports Organisations.
Ajay Srivastava, a former Indian trade official and founder of the New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said the protectionist tariff regime could be a catalyst for India to gain from global supply chain realignments.
South and Southeast Asia are targeted with some of the highest tariff rates
Vietnam, Sri Lanka and other countries across South and Southeast Asia are the targets of some of the highest tariff rates.
Trump imposed 46 per cent “reciprocal” duties on goods from Vietnam, 49 per cent on products from Cambodia, 37 per cent on Bangladesh and 44 per cent on Sri Lanka.
The duties will affect domestic exporters to the US but also Chinese, Japanese and South Korean companies that have over the past few years shifted production to Southeast Asian nations to escape the trade frictions during Trump’s first term in office.
Automaker Stellantis will shut down its assembly plant in Windsor, Canada, for 2 weeks
Automaker Stellantis will shut down its assembly plant in Windsor, Canada, for two weeks from April 7, the local union said late Wednesday.
The president of Unifor Local 444, James Stewart, said more scheduling changes were expected in coming weeks.
“The company said there are multiple factors at play, with the primary driver behind the final decision being this afternoon’s announcement from US President Donald Trump of the US tariffs,” Stewart said. “This has and continues to create uncertainty across the entire auto industry. This is not just affecting our plant—it’s impacting facilities in the US and Mexico as well.”
Merchandise is displayed in a kitchen and restaurant supply store in New York, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. PHOTO: AP
EU leader says tariffs are a major blow to the world economy
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the tariffs are a “major blow to the world economy.”
“The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe,” von der Leyen said. Groceries, transport and medicines will cost more, she said, “And this is hurting, in particular, the most vulnerable citizens.”
Von der Leyen acknowledged that the world trading system has “serious deficiencies” and said the EU was ready to negotiate with the US.
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary has called the tariffs “extremely regrettable,” saying officials thought the country deserved an exemption, after Trump slapped 24 per cent additional tariffs on Japan.
Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday also questioned whether the tariffs are compatible with Japan-US bilateral trade agreements and said the move would likely impact their economic ties, as well as the global economy and multilateral trade system.
He said Japanese officials are continuing to negotiate with Washington seeking an exemption. Asked if Japan would consider retaliatory tariffs or file complaints with the World Trade Organization, Hayashi declined to comment.
Asian markets tumble following Trump’s tariff announcement
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index dipped more than 3.4 per cent, while the Kospi in South Korea dropped 1.8 per cent. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 also sank 1.8 per cent.
US stocks whipped through another dizzying day before Trump’s unveiled the tariffs Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.7 per cent, and the Dow gained 0.6 per cent. The Nasdaq composite surged 0.9 per cent.
Tesla swung from a sharp loss in the morning to a gain later in the day to help pull the market higher. Treasury yields also veered from lower to higher following a better-than-expected report on the job market.
South Korea prime minister calls for emergency measures to support industries affected by tariffs
South Korea’s acting leader called for swift emergency measures to support the auto industry and other businesses potentially affected by the Trump administration’s new tariffs, pledging full government efforts to address what he described as a looming “global tariff war.”
During an emergency government meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also instructed officials to work with business groups to analyse the impact of the US tariff increases and actively engage in negotiations with Washington to “minimise damage” to South Korea’s economy, the trade ministry said.
Han, serving as South Korea’s acting leader while President Yoon Suk Yeol remains impeached over his December imposition of martial law, convened the meeting with trade and foreign policy officials after Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on South Korea.
LONDON (AP) — A desiccated 110-year-old lemon that played a key role in espionage history is one of the star attractions of a London exhibition drawn from the files of MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence agency.
Compact spy cameras, microdots in a talcum powder tin and a briefcase abandoned by fleeing Soviet spy Guy Burgess are also part of the show at Britain’s National Archives, which charts the history of a secretive agency that is – slowly – becoming more open.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum told journalists at a preview on Tuesday that the organisation’s work “is often different from fiction, whether that fiction is George Smiley or Jackson Lamb” – the brilliant spymaster of John le Carré’s novels and the slovenly supervisor of MI5 rejects in Mick Herron’s “Slow Horses” series.
National Archives staff members look at facets of a recreation of the double cross operation room which was headed up by the XX committee circa 1944, during a preview for the MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at the National Archives in London, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. PHOTO: AP
Many stories told in the exhibition, however, would not be out of place in a thriller.
The lemon, now black and shriveled, helped convict Karl Muller, a German spy in Britain during World War I. It was found by police in his dressing-table drawer, along with another in his overcoat pocket. Evidence at his secret trial showed their juice had been used to write invisible-ink letters detailing British troop movements.
Muller was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in 1915.
In a coda that would not be out of place in “Slow Horses,” MI5 pretended Muller was still alive and wrote to his German handlers to ask for more money.
“The Germans duly sent more funds and MI5 used the funds to purchase a car,” exhibition curator Mark Dunton said. “And they christened the car ‘The Muller.’
“They then were reprimanded by the Treasury for unauthorised use of expenditure,” he added.
The show includes declassified records held by the National Archives and items loaned from the secret museum inside Thames House, MI5’s London headquarters.
A National Archives staff member looks at a 1910 Enseignette camera, the first spy camera purchased by MI5, during a preview for the MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at the National Archives in London, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. PHOTO: AP
It charts the changing role of an agency that was founded in 1909 as the Secret Service Bureau with an initial staff of two officers.
There are records of its World War II successes, when the agency used captured Nazi agents to send disinformation back to Germany, deceiving Adolf Hitler about the location of the looming Allied invasion in 1944.
Failures include the years-long betrayal of the upper-crust “Cambridge Spies,” whose members spilled secrets to the Soviet Union from the heart of the UK intelligence establishment. Recently declassified MI5 documents on display include the 1963 confession of Cambridge spy Kim Philby, who denied treachery for years before he was exposed and fled to Moscow.
The exhibition also reveals changing attitudes, not least to women. The exhibition includes a 1945 report by spymaster Maxwell Knight discussing whether women could make good agents.
“It is frequently alleged that women are less discreet than men,” he noted, but declared that it was not so, saying that in “hundreds of cases of ‘loose talk'” most of the offenders were men.
A National Archives staff member looks at an example of an instant camera and bottle used to make a bomb, recreated as evidence by the Bomb Data Centre, on display during a preview for the MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at the National Archives in London, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. PHOTO: AP
There are admissions of past mistakes. The exhibition notes that MI5 was slow to recognize the threat from fascism in the 1930s, and later spent too much time spying on the small Communist Party of Great Britain. MI5 didn’t need to break into the party’s offices – it had a key, which is on display.
There are only a few items from the past few decades, showing how MI5’s focus has shifted from counterespionage to counterterrorism. Displays include a mortar shell fired by the Irish Republican Army at 10 Downing St. in 1991 while Prime Minister John Major was holding a Cabinet meeting.
The lemon used for writing in invisible ink, produced in evidence at Karl Muller’s trial, 1915, on display during a preview for the MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at the National Archives in London, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. PHOTO: AP
MI5 only began releasing records to the UK’s public archives in 1997, generally 50 years after the events have passed. Even now, it controls what to release and what to keep secret.
“It would be a mistake to assume everything is in the exhibition,” said author Ben Macintyre, whose books on the history of intelligence include “Operation Mincemeat” and “Agent Zigzag.” But he said it still marks “a real sea-change in official secrecy.”
“A generation ago, this stuff was totally secret,” he said. “We weren’t even allowed to know that MI5 existed.”
YANGON (AFP) – The death toll from a major earthquake in Myanmar has risen above 3,000, the ruling junta said on Thursday.
A statement from a junta spokesperson said that 3,085 deaths had been confirmed, with 341 people still missing and 4,715 injured, six days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake.
People line up for food aid distributed in Sagaing on April 2, 2025, five days after a major earthquake struck central Myanmar. PHOTO: AFP
Rescue and aid workers had arrived from 17 countries, Zaw Min Tun added, with nearly 1,000 tonnes of supplies and relief materials.
“We have been continuing search and rescue work, we would like to express special gratitude for the hard work of the international community and medical teams,” he said.
AP – Diogo Jota scored the goal that settled the Merseyside derby on Wednesday and kept Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge on track.
The Portugal international’s second-half strike sealed a 1-0 win at Anfield and restored Liverpool’s 12-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the standings.
With just eight games remaining this season, this was one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of a record-equalling 20th English title for Arne Slot’s team. And it was Jota who came up with the decisive moment in the 57th minute when he twisted his way through the box and lashed a shot past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
“We are chasing down the best possible season we can have and Everton showed today again how difficult it is to win a football game in the Premier League,” Slot said. “We know that we’re going to face eight very tough challenges, but as long as the players give as much as they did today and if (when) we play home games, the fans give us as much as they did today, we are in a very good position.”
The race for the Champions League remains tight after Manchester City, Newcastle and Aston Villa all won.
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota scores the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield in Liverpool, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. PHOTO: AP
Test of nerve
Liverpool’s win could turn out to be a decisive moment in its charge toward the title after an outstanding campaign began to wobble in recent weeks.
Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain was quickly followed by defeat to Newcastle in the English League Cup final.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s win over Fulham on Tuesday sparked the possibility that the Londoners could yet mount something of a title challenge after temporarily closing the gap at the top.
Dropped points against a fast-improving Everton would only have fueled belief that the tension is beginning to hit Liverpool’s players at just the wrong time and the home team had to survive two scares in the first half when Beto had a goal ruled out for offside and later struck the post after racing clear.
But Liverpool’s players held their nerve and took advantage through Jota’s first goal in his last 11 games.
Victory means Liverpool need just 13 more points to be confirmed champion.
Reckless challenge
Everton defender James Tarkowski escaped a red card for a dangerous high tackle on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister early in the match.
Despite the Premier League describing the challenge, which left Mac Allister writhing in pain, as reckless, Tarkowski was only shown a yellow card by referee Samuel Barrott and avoided further punishment even after a VAR review.
Everton’s James Tarkowski, left, fouls Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield in Liverpool, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. PHOTO: AP
City protest
Many City fans protested potential ticketing decisions by the club by sitting out the first nine minutes of the 2-0 win against Leicester.
It meant they missed Jack Grealish’s first league goal of the season — scored after just two minutes at the Etihad.
Supporters are unhappy about the club’s relationship with ticket resale companies, which they claim sell seats at inflated prices. Outside the stadium, fans held up a banner that read: “MCFC — FOR THE LOVE NOT THE MONEY.”
Fans were also urged not to buy food or merchandise from the ground.
On the field, fourth-placed City stayed one point ahead of Newcastle in the race for Champions League qualification.
Despite being without the injured Erling Haaland, City sealed victory through first-half goals from Grealish and Omar Marmoush.
Newcastle, in fifth, beat Brentford 2-1.
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish runs during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Leicester City at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. PHOTO: AP
Rashford’s revival
Marcus Rashford‘s resurgence at Aston Villa continued with his third goal in two games.
Villa, which is into the quarterfinals of the Champions League and semifinals of the FA Cup, won 3-0 at Brighton.
Unai Emery’s team is seventh — three points behind City and well in contention to secure a return to the Champions League next season.
Rashford, meanwhile, is finding his form again after joining Villa on loan from Manchester United in January. His 51st-minute opener followed his double against Preston in the Cup on Sunday.
Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford has a shot on goal saved by Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa, at the American express Stadium, in Brighton, England, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. PHOTO: AP
Southampton denied
Bottom-club Southampton came so close to securing only its third league win of the season. But those hopes were ended by Matheus Franca’s goal in the second minute of stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Crystal Palace.
Ipswich did pick up a rare win — beating Bournemouth 2-1 for its fourth of the campaign.
SINGAPORE (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – Inspired by the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019 that saw 51 Muslims murdered, a Singaporean teenager aimed to double the body count here.
In June 2024, the 17-year-old boy identified five mosques in Jurong West, Clementi, Margaret Drive, Admiralty Road and Beach Road as potential targets.
He had planned to kill at least 100 Muslims as they were leaving after Friday prayers, then kill himself.
But his scheme was thwarted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) and an order of detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was issued against him in March.
On April 2, the ISD revealed that he was one of two self-radicalised young people being dealt with by the authorities.
A 15-year-old girl had been issued with a restriction order under the ISA in February as she had wanted to marry an ISIS fighter and start a pro-ISIS family.
As for the 17-year-old, he was identified during ISD’s investigations into Nick Lee, 18, another Singaporean detained under the ISA in December 2024.
The 17-year-old and Nick Lee had exchanged Islamophobic and far-right extremist materials with each other on social media.
They were self-radicalised separately, had not met and were unaware of each other’s plans to conduct attacks in Singapore.
ISD said the 17-year-old’s radicalisation began in 2022, when he encountered Islamophobic and far-right extremist materials online. This, coupled with his racist views against Malays, led him to hate Islam and Malays/Muslims.
Satisfied watching killings
In November 2023, he watched the Christchurch shooting video on social media and researched the shooter, Brenton Tarrant.
The youth felt a sense of satisfaction from watching Muslims being shot and saw Tarrant as a hero for killing Muslims.
Having consumed online manifestos by Tarrant and other far-right terrorists like Stephan Balliet and Payton Gendron, the youth learnt about the “Great Replacement” and became convinced it was happening in Singapore.
The Great Replacement is an ethno-nationalist theory by French anti-immigration author Renaud Camus which argues that white European populations are being replaced by non-Europeans through migration and demographic trends.
By early 2024, he wanted to emulate Tarrant and shoot Muslims at mosques here with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Shopping for gun
For his planned attack on local mosques, he made multiple unsuccessful attempts to get a gun.
The youth attempted to smuggle gun parts into Singapore but failed due to cost and technical issues. He also attempted to buy a Glock 19 pistol, but did not complete the transaction. He considered buying guns and ammunition in Malaysia or Thailand, but did not complete it.
To ensure he could manage a firearm, he watched videos online on gun handling and planned to visit a shooting range in the US.
In June 2024, he shortlisted five mosques for attack – Masjid Maarof in Jurong West, Masjid Jamek Queenstown in Margaret Drive, Masjid Darussalam in Clementi, Masjid An-Nur in Admiralty Road and Masjid Hajjah Fatimah in Beach Road.
While he wanted to attack all five mosques to achieve a high kill count, he focused on Masjid Maarof, as he frequented the Jurong West area.
The teen focused on Masjid Maarof in Jurong West and had shortlisted others in Clementi, Margaret Drive, Admiralty Road and Beach Road. PHOTO: ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES
He wanted his attacks to inspire other like-minded Singaporeans to undertake violence, and planned to live-stream his attacks to emulate Tarrant. He intended to kill himself before the police arrived.
When he was arrested, he admitted he would have carried out his attacks if he had managed to get his hands on a gun.
While he had not shared his plans with anyone for fear of being arrested, his parents were aware of his hatred towards Muslims and the excessive amount of time he was spending online.
His father had shared with him news reports of previous far-right extremist cases dealt with under the ISA, to encourage his son to change his mindset.
However, the youth’s parents did not contact the authorities.
ISD said both cases highlight the persistent threat of youth radicalisation in Singapore.
‘There probably are others’
On April 2, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam spoke to the media at Masjid Maarof, one of the youth’s targets, in Jurong West.
When asked if the Malay/Muslim community should be worried, Mr Shanmugam said: “I think we all need to be worried because… if Muslims get attacked, it’s bad for the Muslim community, but it’s bad for Singapore – because we are one community.”
He said the trend of self-radicalised young people dealt with under the ISA was concerning.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, said: “In all likelihood, there probably are others, even as we speak.”
Calling for the public to be alert, he added: “We have to get it right every time. Those who are either on the far right or with tendencies towards extremism on the Islamic side have to only get it right once, and they will kill some people.”
Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who attended the media briefing with Mr Shanmugam, said it is important for family and friends to report any signs of radicalisation early, to maintain harmony within the community.
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman received a Hari Raya Aidilfitri goodwill visit from Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education, and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, and his wife, Sadiah Shahal.
The visit, held at the minister’s residence in Kampong Sungai Besar, aimed to strengthen the longstanding ties between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Singapore through the festive occasion.
Accompanying the Singaporean minister were Minister of State for the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport Murali Pillai, and his wife; Mayor of the South East District, Fahmi Aliman, and his wife; and Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC, Rachel Ong. Also present were Singapore’s High Commissioner to Brunei Laurence Bay Siow Hon, and his wife; along with Singapore’s Deputy High Commissioner to Brunei, Shaun Grosse, and his wife.
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri goodwill visit from Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education, and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman. PHOTO: MoRA
Several members of Brunei’s Legislative Council attended the gathering, including Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin; Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir and his wife; Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam; Yang Berhormat Dayang Chong Chin Yee and her husband; and Yang Berhormat Awang Lau How Teck and his wife.
The delegation was warmly welcomed by the Minister of Religious Affairs and his wife, Datin Hajah Dayang Nahriah binti Haji Awang Asbi, alongside their family members. – Fadley Faisal
