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Knife-wielding man shot dead by police in Corsica after threatening bystanders

AJACCIO, France (AP) — A man armed with a knife who threatened bystanders and shopkeepers was shot dead in Corsica on Saturday, police said, as French authorities reinforced security measures during the festive season.

Police said they received a call around noon about an individual threatening a shop with a knife in the city of Ajaccio.

The 26-year-old had left the scene by the time officers arrived. He was later located elsewhere in the city center, still holding a knife. Officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but he did not comply, police said,

An electrical impulse weapon was then used but failed to stop him. The man moved toward officers with the knife, prompting police to open fire. He died at the scene despite the intervention of emergency services.

One police officer was slightly injured in the hand, police added. The motive of the assailant was not immediately known.

French Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said that “vigilance is at its highest” during the festive season, adding that he has ordered a reinforcement of public patrols.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

By WTOP Staff
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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