North America

Several charged in US over Chinese student visa scheme

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Several California residents were arrested Tuesday in connection with a scheme to help Chinese nationals obtain student visas by hiring people to take English proficiency exams for the foreign students. Federal authorities allege that those involved in the plot used counterfeit Chinese passports to impersonate 19 different students who were required to take the so-called TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam in order to get a […]

Pressure builds on US to ground Boeing 737 MAX jets after Ethiopia crash

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States stood increasingly isolated Tuesday over its refusal to ground Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, after a second deadly crash in less than five months prompted governments worldwide to ban the aircraft. Despite the aviation giant’s assurances that the plane is safe and reliable, the European Union, Britain and India joined China and other countries that either grounded the best-selling workhorse plane or banned it from their airspace as […]

Sacramento Republic FC kick off 2019 USL with a tie against Real Monarchs SLC

By Macy Membrere and Jason Tajima EBC Sacramento Bureau SACRAMENTO, California (Eagle News) — The 2019 United Soccer League (USL) regular season officially kicked off for the Sacramento Republic FC and Real Monarchs SLC. Team captain Cameron Iwasa of Sac Republic made a plea to the crowd before the start of the match, saying “We come out for you every night. Keep bringing the noise!” In the past, the Republic FC and Real Monarchs have played […]

UN mourns after 21 staff killed in Ethiopia plane crash

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Flags flew at half-staff at the United Nations on Monday after 21 UN employees were killed in an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said marked a “sad day” for the world body. Guterres led delegates at the opening of the annual gathering on women’s rights at the General Assembly in observing a moment of silence in honor of the victims. “A global tragedy has hit close […]

Jaguar that attacked selfie-taking US woman won’t be put down

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — A jaguar that attacked a woman at a US zoo after she jumped a barrier to take a selfie with the animal will not be put down, officials said. “We can promise you nothing will happen to our jaguar,” the Wildlife World Zoo in Arizona tweeted on Saturday. “She’s a wild animal and there were proper barriers in place to keep our guests safe – not a wild animals […]

US opposes incremental denuclearization of N. Korea: envoy

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A top US envoy said Monday Washington’s goal is the complete denuclearization of North Korea by the end of Donald Trump’s first term, insisting it will not settle for incremental disarmament. “We are not going to do denuclearization incrementally,” said Stephen Biegun, the special US envoy for North Korea. While stressing he was not bound by an artificial calendar, Biegun said the administration wanted to accomplish the complete and verified […]

US demands Boeing modify 737 MAX after crash: FAA

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US federal aviation authorities said Monday they will order Boeing to modify its 737 MAX 8 aircraft, including anti-stalling software and maneuvering system updates, after two of the planes crashed in five months. The Federal Aviation Administration told international civil aviation authorities that it “anticipates mandating these design changes… no later than April,” although it did not ground the fleet. Boeing is also set to update its training requirements […]

Pelosi says Trump ‘just not worth’ impeaching

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, America’s most powerful Democrat, said in remarks published Monday that she does not support impeaching Donald Trump, arguing the Republican president is “just not worth it.” “I’m not for impeachment,” Pelosi told The Washington Post in a wide-ranging interview, the strongest signal yet that the Democratic leadership is deeply hesitant about taking such an explosive step to remove a sitting president. “Impeachment is so divisive to […]

Boeing 737 MAX safety record questioned after two tragedies

by Delphine TOUITOU WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — For the second time in less than six months, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed minutes after takeoff and killed everyone on board, raising fresh questions about the safety of a model that is crucial to the US giant’s future plans. On Sunday, the 157 passengers and crew members of a 737 MAX operated by Ethiopian Airlines were killed. It was the same model as the […]

Trump to seek another $8.6 billion for border wall

by Jim Mannion WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump will seek $8.6 billion in fresh funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border in the 2020 budget request, likely triggering another fight with Congress, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday. The request, which is to be formally unveiled Monday, would far exceed the $5.7 billion Trump demanded last year, which led to an impasse that resulted in a 35-day partial […]

With 18 Canadians dead, Trudeau calls Ethiopia crash ‘devastating’

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday deplored the “devastating news” that 18 Canadian nationals were among the 157 people killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner. “Devastating news from Ethiopia this morning,” Trudeau said on Twitter. “Our thoughts are with all the victims on Flight ET302, including the Canadians who were on board.” His office later issued a statement. “We join the international community in mourning the loss of […]

Winterfest event opens facility doors to car enthusiasts, showcases modified vehicles

  FREMONT, California (Eagle News) — On a brisk Saturday in the bay area city of Fremont, California, car enthusiasts had the opportunity to tour the facilities of one of the most well known Euro car tuners, 034 Motorsports. 034 is most known for its ability to unlock power and speed potential from vehicles under the Audi/ Volkswagen platform through performance modifications. During this annual event called Winterfest, visitors showcased their vehicles at the 034 Motorsports […]