Malaysia Ready to Re-open Probe of Missing MH370 if New Evidence Emerges

A family member of passengers and crew on board the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 write on a memorial wall during a remembrance event marking the 10th anniversary of its disappearance at the Empire Subang in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 03 March 2024. EPA/NAZRI MOHAMAD
A family member of passengers and crew on board the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 write on a memorial wall during a remembrance event marking the 10th anniversary of its disappearance at the Empire Subang in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 03 March 2024. EPA/NAZRI MOHAMAD
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Malaysia Ready to Re-open Probe of Missing MH370 if New Evidence Emerges

A family member of passengers and crew on board the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 write on a memorial wall during a remembrance event marking the 10th anniversary of its disappearance at the Empire Subang in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 03 March 2024. EPA/NAZRI MOHAMAD
A family member of passengers and crew on board the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 write on a memorial wall during a remembrance event marking the 10th anniversary of its disappearance at the Empire Subang in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, 03 March 2024. EPA/NAZRI MOHAMAD

Malaysia is willing to re-open an investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 in 2014, if there is compelling new evidence, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.

About 500 relatives of passengers on the plane, gathered Sunday near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, demanding a new search.

They lit 239 candles, one for each passenger lost on the flight.

Some relatives came from China, where almost two-thirds of the passengers of the doomed plane were from.

Malaysia, along with Australia and China, ended in January 2017 a fruitless two-year, $130-million underwater hunt for the Boeing 777 that vanished en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014.

"We have taken the position that if there is a compelling case, evidence that it needs to be re-opened, we're certainly happy to re-open," Anwar told a press conference in Melbourne.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a summit of Australia and the ASEAN grouping of Southeast Asian nations.
"Whatever needs to be done must be done."



Iran Says 5 Inmates at Evin Prison Were Killed in Israel's Airstrike on Tehran

Evin Prison (File photo: Reuters)
Evin Prison (File photo: Reuters)
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Iran Says 5 Inmates at Evin Prison Were Killed in Israel's Airstrike on Tehran

Evin Prison (File photo: Reuters)
Evin Prison (File photo: Reuters)

An Israeli airstrike on Iran's capital last month killed five inmates at Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others, Iranian media reported Saturday.

The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media quoted a spokesman for Iran’s judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June 23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn't name the victims or give any further details.

The judiciary’s own news website, Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that “small number" of inmates were killed. He added that an “insignificant number of inmates” had also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody, AFP reported.

Jahangir said no one serving time at Evin prison for working with Israel's spy agency Mossad was injured in the attack.

Iranian authorities last month put the death toll from the airstrike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members.

It's unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on the day of the airstrikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets “based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch.”

The New York-based Center for Human Rights had criticized Israel for striking the prison - seen as a symbol of repression of any opposition - saying it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets.

The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel.