U.S. President Barack Obama praised U.S.-Saudi ties Wednesday as he welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks at the White House. Mr. Obama said the United States and Saudi Arabia have an “extraordinary friendship.”
The Saudi officials were in Washington for a US-Persian Gulf leaders’ meeting. The summit begins late Wednesday with a dinner at the White House. Thursday, the meeting continues at Camp David the presidential home in Maryland.
Gunmen enter guest house in Kabul
Several gunmen have entered a guesthouse in a rich neighborhood of Kabul. Witnesses said gunshots were fired from the Park Palace Guest House Wednesday night.
An official of the Afghan Ministry of Interior said Afghan police have surrounded the area, but did not say whether there were hostages. He said fighting was continuing.
The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan confirmed one American citizen was killed.
The guest house is popular with foreign visitors and nongovernmental organizations. It is close to the offices of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
North Korean defense minister reportedly executed
South Korean intelligence officials said Wednesday that North Korea executed its Armed Forces Minister, Hyon Yong Chol, late last month. The spy agency spoke to a South Korean parliamentary committee. They say disloyalty was an apparent reason for the reported execution. The agents said three other high-level North Korean officials also were executed.
The general’s execution was reportedly carried out with an anti-aircraft gun as hundreds of people watched.
Amtrak train was going too fast before crash
U.S. transportation officials say the Amtrak passenger train that crashed Tuesday night in Pennsylvania was traveling at more than 160 kilometers per hour. That is at least twice the permissible speed. The officials also said the engineer used full emergency brakes moments before the train went off the tracks.
The crash killed at least seven people. Another 200 were injured.
