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Christchurch mosque attacks: Suspect charged with terrorism

The New Zealand flag on a Wellington Parliament building. Photo: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images

The Australian man accused of killing 51 people in 2 New Zealand mosques faces fresh charges including engaging in a terrorist act, Christchurch police said in a statement Tuesday.

Details: Police said they also filed 1 additional charge of murder and 2 more of attempted murder against Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28. That brings the total number of murder and attempted murder charges to 51 and 40, respectively. The death toll from the Christchurch shootings rose to 51 after a Turkish national died of his injuries this month.

Why it matters: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the suspect a terrorist soon after the March 15 shootings. But this is the first charge filed that alleges a terrorist act was carried out in the South Island's most populous city. It'll be a test case of a 2002 terrorism law, brought in after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., per AP.

What's next? Tarrant, a self-proclaimed white supremacist who was ordered by a judge to undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine his fitness to stand trial, is due to face court on June 14.

Go deeper:

Go deeper

Mike Allen, author of AM
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Biden's "overwhelming force" doctrine

President-elect Biden arrives to introduce his science team in Wilmington yesterday. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

President-elect Biden has ordered up a shock-and-awe campaign for his first days in office to signal, as dramatically as possible, the radical shift coming to America and global affairs, his advisers tell us. 

The plan, Part 1 ... Biden, as detailed in a "First Ten Days" memo from incoming chief of staff Ron Klain, plans to unleash executive orders, federal powers and speeches to shift to a stark, national plan for "100 million shots" in three months.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu
3 hours ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 2: Barbarians at the Oval

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. This Axios series takes you inside the collapse of a president.

Episode 2: Trump stops buying what his professional staff are telling him, and increasingly turns to radical voices telling him what he wants to hear. Read episode 1.

President Trump plunked down in an armchair in the White House residence, still dressed from his golf game — navy fleece, black pants, white MAGA cap. It was Saturday, Nov. 7. The networks had just called the election for Joe Biden.

Go deeper (5 min. read)Arrow
Sara Fischer, Kyle Daly
4 hours ago - Technology

Fringe right plots new attacks out of sight

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Domestic extremists are using obscure and private corners of the internet to plot new attacks ahead of Inauguration Day. Their plans are also hidden in plain sight, buried in podcasts and online video platforms.

Why it matters: Because law enforcement was caught flat-footed during last week's Capitol siege, researchers and intelligence agencies are paying more attention to online threats that could turn into real-world violence.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow