Paris police shoot, injure knife-wielding man who tried to attack officers at Arc de Triomphe
Paris (AP): A man wielding a knife tried to attack police during a ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris on Friday, and was shot and injured by a police officer, officials said.
The attacker targeted an officer securing the ceremony for relighting the eternal flame honouring unknown soldiers at the Napoleon-era landmark, according to a Paris police official. Another officer shot the attacker, who was hospitalised, the official said.
No bystanders or police officers were injured in the incident, the official told The Associated Press.
The French counterterrorism prosecutor's office said it is investigating the case and sent an investigator to the scene.
The Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris' most famous sites, and sits atop the busy Champs-Elysees avenue.
A large police presence was visible Friday evening near the monument, which was closed to the public. The traffic circle surrounding the Arc de Triomphe remained open to vehicles.
The nearby metro station was closed for security reasons at the request of police, Paris public transport operator RATP said.
No other details were immediately available.
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Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
