SYDNEY: The US Marine Corps Sunday called off efforts to rescue three missing service members after an American military aircraft crashed off Australia.
Twenty-three personnel were quickly saved following Saturday’s incident involving a MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor, the main assault support aircraft for the Marines.
But three marines remain missing despite an air and sea search.
“Operations have now shifted to recovery efforts. The next-of-kin for the three missing Marines have been notified,” US Marines based in Japan said in a statement.
“As the sea state permits, recovery efforts will be conducted to further search, assess and survey the area, in coordination and with assistance from the Australian Defense Force.”
Defense Minister Marise Payne said Sunday the Royal Australian Navy was deploying a survey ship, HMAS Melville, as well as a navy dive team to the area to help the recovery operation.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event and the Australian government stands ready to support the US further in any way we can,” she added.
The Marines said the recovery and salvage operations could take several months to complete, while the cause of the crash was being investigated.
The MV-22, which is half-helicopter half-turboprop, has two engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically. It can travel much faster than a helicopter.
It was in the region as part of the Australian-US joint military exercise Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.
There have been a series of deadly incidents, mostly in the United States, involving the aircraft.
In April 2000 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in the US.
Locals on the Japanese island of Okinawa have protested against the deployment of the MV-22 to a US air base in the middle of a crowded city.
In December a “controlled landing” of the controversial hybrid aircraft just off the coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft was in pieces after the incident but no one was killed.
Okinawa campaigners who want the base moved off the island say they cannot tolerate the possibility of accidents, as well as noise and crimes committed by US service members.
US calls off rescue for three marines missing off Australia
US calls off rescue for three marines missing off Australia
Gabon suspends access to social media as critics accuse its leader of crackdown on dissent
- “The High Authority for Communication has decided to immediately suspend social media throughout Gabon until further notice,” Mendome said
- Social media platforms were severely impacted on Wednesday
LIBREVILLE: Gabon has suspended access to social media and digital platforms throughout the central African nation until further notice, the authorities said as critics accuse the country’s leader of crackdown on dissent.
The communications agency said it had observed on social media and digital platforms what it described as inappropriate, defamatory, hateful and insulting content that undermines human dignity, the country’s institutions and national security.
The agency’s statement added that this constitutes offenses punishable under national and international laws, as well as under policies on moderation adopted by major digital platforms.
“The High Authority for Communication has decided to immediately suspend social media throughout Gabon until further notice,” Jean Claude Franck Mendome, the spokesperson for the agency, known as High Authority for Communication, said in a statement that was read out on national media on Tuesday evening.
Social media platforms — including Meta and TikTok — were severely impacted on Wednesday. The two, along with WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Meta, are the most widely used by Gabonese citizens. WhatsApp calls were also experiencing significant disruptions on Wednesday.
The country’s leader, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema had toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was accused of irresponsible governance.
Last year, Oligui Nguema won the presidential election, raising hopes for a return to constitutional democracy. However, critics say he has been increasingly clamping down on critical voices, targeting independent media and trade unionists. A journalist and two trade unionists were imprisoned last year.
