Paris / AFP French luxury goods group Hermes said on Wednesday that net profit rose to skim the billion-euro mark last year despite an economic slowdown in China, the Paris terror attacks and currency fluctuations. Hermes, known for its leather handbags such as the Birkin named for the British singer and its silk square scarves, posted growth across the regions …

Brussels / AFP Two suicide bombers who struck Brussels were identified on Wednesday as brothers linked to the prime suspect in the November 13 Paris attacks, as a manhunt for a third assailant in Belgium’s bloodiest terror assault gained pace. A day after the triple blasts that killed some 35 people and left around 250 injured, in an operation claimed …

Sydney / AFP Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Wednesday that Europe had “allowed security to slip”, as he questioned the EU’s Schengen passport-free zone in the wake of the Brussels attacks. Turnbull’s comments came as Belgium’s neighbours France, Germany and the Netherlands tightened border security after some 35 people were killed in Belgium’s worst extremist assault. Security at …