The Australian charged with murder in the Christchurch mosque attack has fired his court-appointed lawyer and plans to represent himself in court.
Duty lawyer Richard Peters said Brenton Tarrant appeared to be "rational" and "not mentally unstable", despite the extreme views that he held.
The 28-year-old has been charged with one count of murder after the rampage during Friday prayers left 50 people dead.
He is expected to face more charges when he next appears in court on April 5.
Trump says Iran war deal close as Strait of Hormuz tensions linger
Hopes grew on Friday for peace between Iran and the US after President Donald Trump said a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend, even as Tehran said it had not made a final decision on a pact.
Ukraine and Russia trade overnight drone strikes, officials say
Ukraine and Russia exchanged overnight drone strikes into early Friday, with Ukraine targeting a major oil processing and petrochemical region while Russia attacked railway stations and electrical substations.
UN says Taliban arrest 30 women for violating hijab rules in Afghanistan
Authorities in Afghanistan's western city of Herat arrested at least 30 women, accusing them of violating dress rules imposed by the Taliban government, the UN agency for women's rights said, but added that some were later released.
Trump cancels US strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks
US President Donald Trump called off plans for renewed military strikes on Iran at the last minute on Thursday, saying negotiations with Tehran had advanced to the highest levels of Iran's leadership and had been approved by a broad coalition of regional powers.
South Korea court sentences ex-President Yoon to 30-year jail term in drone case
A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday for charges linked to his ordering an incursion of military drones over North Koreato help create a pretext for his failed December 2024 martial law declaration.
A Dubai court has sentenced a driver to three months in prison and suspended his driving licence for one year after a dangerous road rage incident.
The UAE has launched a humanitarian initiative called 'Step of Hope' to provide prosthetic limbs for Palestinians who have suffered amputations during the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has condemned the recent hostile Iranian attacks targeting Kuwait in a phone call with Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
