International

Machete attacker shot at Louvre in Paris

by Pauline TALAGRAND / Adam PLOWRIGHT / Gersende RAMBOURG Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – A French soldier patrolling at the Louvre museum shot and seriously injured a machete-wielding attacker on Friday, thrusting security and the terror threat back into the limelight three months before elections. Police held hundreds of tourists in secure areas of the renowned tourist attraction after the assailant was shot five times around 10:00 am (0900 GMT) in a public area […]

Trump blast rattles alliance with Australia

by Barry PARKER Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia on Friday was scrambling to come to terms with the realization that decades as one of the closest of US allies may count for little in the “America First” vision of President Donald Trump. Australia has fought alongside the United States in most major conflicts since World War II, including Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the current campaign against the […]

N. Korea spy head dismissed: S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un has sacked his spy chief for abuse of power and executed several officials of the state security agency, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Friday. Minister of state security Kim Won-Hong was dismissed in mid-January after the agency came under scrutiny for power abuse and corruption, Seoul ministry’s spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee said. “Kim Jong-Un fired Kim Won-Hong, one of his close aides who supported his reign […]

N. Korea nuclear attack would trigger ‘overwhelming’ response: Mattis

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Any nuclear attack by North Korea would trigger an “effective and overwhelming” response, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said in Seoul Friday as he sought to reassure Washington’s Asian allies folllowing President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Mattis, who was in South Korea before going on to Japan, is making the first overseas tour by a senior Trump administration official as concerns rise about the direction of US policy in the region under […]

White House says new Israeli settlements ‘may not be helpful’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House said Thursday that building new Israeli settlements or expanding existing ones “may not be helpful” in securing Middle East peace. “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful,” said spokesman Sean Spicer. The statement is a break from Trump’s previously full-throated defense of […]

Iran rejects Trump missile warning as relations sour

  by Stephane Barbier Agence France Presse TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Thursday rejected a warning from President Donald Trump over its latest missile test as unfounded and “provocative”, reflecting growing tensions between Tehran and the new US administration. Trump is a strident critic of the Islamic republic and a vocal opponent of an international deal that saw Iran curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. He said on Thursday that Tehran […]

Hundreds of Yemeni Americans slam Trump travel ban

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Hundreds of Yemeni Americans braved the winter chill in New York on Thursday, closing bodega stores to protest against President Donald Trump’s travel ban on immigrants from seven Muslim countries. “Bodegas” — the city’s slang for go-to shops proffering everything from deli food to grocery staples to household goods — often keep long hours and are essential to the daily routines of many New Yorkers. In a bid to […]

US defends Yemen raid that left SEAL, civilians dead

by Thomas WATKINS Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House on Thursday defended a US special operations raid in Yemen as a “success by all standards,” even though multiple civilians and a Navy SEAL were killed, and the mission was beset with problems. Sunday’s raid — the first authorized by President Donald Trump — saw US special operations forces enter the Yakla region of Baida province and target a compound occupied […]

DIGITAL NEST Feature: Rotterdam Netherlands

DIGITAL NEST | Rotterdam, Netherlands Rotterdam is a city in the Netherlands located in the province of South Holland and was visited by our EBC Netherlands Bureau where they were able to take beautiful pictures of its natural setting and its people. The pictures taken depict the great modern architecture that is being created in the land known for its artistic history. During World War II, Rotterdam was heavily bombarded, so much so, that its […]

DIGITAL NEST Feature: The New Magic of Travel

DIGITAL NEST | LAS VEGAS Traditional airports showcase duty free shops, magazines and souvenir stores, coffee shops and fast food areas. However, not many have interactive entertainment like the Los Angeles International Airport. The LAX Bradley Terminal features the largest interactive multimedia environment ever build In a public space. After over a span of 3 years and an end cost of $737 million, Tom Bradley International Terminal has completed construction of the latest multimedia net […]

Congo at crossroads as opposition chief Tshisekedi dies

by Bienvenu-Marie BAKUMANYA Agence France-Presse KINSHASA, DR Congo (AFP) – Volatile Congo faced uncertainty Thursday after the death of Etienne Tshisekedi, the veteran politician who recently banded the opposition together to end President Joseph Kabila’s rule of the mineral-rich nation. Business was slow and some shops closed in Democratic Republic of Congo’s usually bustling capital of 10 million people, Kinshasa, where large crowds gathered around Tshisekedi’s home and the headquarters of his UDPS party. Kabila, […]

Romanian PM defiant after huge protests

by Mihaela Rodina and Anca Teodorescu Agence France-Presse BUCHAREST, Romania (AFP) – Romania’s prime minister insisted Thursday that the government will press ahead with decrees decriminalising certain corruption offences, defying the country’s biggest protests since the end of communism. “We took a decision in the government and we are going to press ahead,” Sorin Grindeanu said after a meeting in Bucharest of his ruling left-wing Social Democrats (PSD). In the largest demonstrations since the fall of […]