US President Donald Trump has announced he will send 1,000 more troops to Poland to counter Russia, while criticising Germany for making itself a "hostage" to Moscow by over-relying on Russian energy supplies.
Details of the troop boost were thin but they fell far short of Poland's long-running hope for a permanent major US military base.
About 5,000 US soldiers already deploy along with NATO forces in Poland as part of a rotating pool, rather than a fixed garrison. At a joint press conference with his visiting Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, Trump said an additional 1,000 troops would be sent.
Trump said Wednesday the US troops would be moved to Poland from fellow NATO-member Germany and that Poland was building facilities to accommodate them.
The number was half the amount Trump had flagged less than three hours earlier while meeting in the Oval Office with Duda, where he said "they're talking about 2,000 troops."
Trump poured cold water on his Polish allies' hopes for a full-blown 

Trump announces 1,000 extra troops for Poland

PTI Automatic

The US Department of Energy has moved to block its scientists from participating in China's controversial "Thousand Talents" programme in order to protect US competitive strengths and national security.
An order issued quietly last week said department staff and contractors would be barred from involvement in a foreign government's talent recruitment programme that involves unauthorised transfer of scientific and technical information.
The order, obtained by AFP on Wednesday, did not mention any specific country.
But officials pointed to Beijing's "Thousand Talents" programme, which offers rewards and high pay to lure ethnic Chinese working overseas and non-Chinese to deliver top-level technology to China.
US security officials say the Energy Department, which conducts advanced research in everything from particle accelerators to supercomputers to nuclear weapons, has been a particular target of the programme, which aims to help China catch up to more technologically advanced ...

US Energy Dept blocks participation in China's 'Thousand Talents' programme

The sister of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is to be put on trial in Paris next month for allegedly ordering her bodyguard to beat up a workman in the French capital, a legal source told AFP on Wednesday.
The case against Princess Hassa bint Salman stems from an alleged assault in her apartment on the ultra-expensive Avenue Foch in west Paris in September 2016.
The trial is due to be judged on July 9, the source said.
The alleged victim has said he was hired to carry out refurbishment work at Princess Hassa's apartment and that she became angry after he took a photograph, accusing him of wanting to sell it to the media.  He alleges the princess, said to be in her 40s, then ordered the bodyguard to beat him up.
Le Point magazine reported that the princess shouted: "Kill him, the dog, he doesn't deserve to live".
The workman says he was punched in the face, his hands were tied and he was forced to kiss the princess's feet during an hours-long ordeal.  His tools were confiscated 

Sister of Saudi crown prince faces Paris trial: legal source

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said he hoped to persuade the United States to not exclude Turkey from participating in the F-35 fighter jet programme, ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump later this month.
Erdogan is to meet Trump on the margins of G20 summit in Japan on June 28-29. "But before there, we would like to discuss this issue (on the F-35 programme) by telephone and reverse it from the current situation back to where we started," Erdogan said in a televised speech.
Washington has given Turkey until the end of July to abandon its purchase of a major Russian missile defence system, which it considers incompatible with Ankara's participation in America's construction of its F-35 stealth fighters.

Erdogan says aims to persuade US to not exclude Turkey from F-35 fighter deal

The European Union said Wednesday the Hong Kong government must respect citizens rights while all sides should exercise restraint after violent protests against plans to allow extradition to mainland China.
"Over the past days, the people of Hong Kong have exercised their fundamental right to assemble and express themselves freely and peacefully. These rights need to be respected," a statement issued by the EU's external affairs arm said.
"Restraint should be exercised by all sides; violence and escalatory responses must be avoided," it added.
Hong Kong was rocked Wednesday by the worst political unrest since its 1997 handover to China as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who tried to storm parliament and blocked roads in the financial hub.
The violent protests were the latest expression of widespread public anger over the government's controversial Beijing-backed plan to allow extraditions to China.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who is ...

EU says Hong Kong rights 'need to be respected'

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he understands Hong Kong protesters who have risen up against plans to allow extraditions to China, but hopes they can "work it out" with Beijing.
"I hope they're going to be able to work it out with China," Trump told reporters at the White House, as Hong Kong was rocked by the worst political violence since its handover to China.
"I understand the reason for the demonstration," he said. "I hope it all works out for China and for Hong Kong." Trump's cautious response to what he said were "massive" demonstrations came as Washington and Beijing try to pick up the pieces of their collapsed talks on resolving a trade war.
"We're doing very well with respect to China," Trump said, referring to huge trade tariffs imposed on Chinese imports.
Trump reiterated that he expects to meet President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit later this month.
"I have a feeling that we're going to make a deal with China," he said.

Trump hopes Hong Kong protesters 'work it out' with China

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday he expects a "very positive change" in the Middle East and the world if the US stops its economic pressure against the Islamic republic through sanctions.
"If there are some tensions, (their) roots stem from America's economic war against Iran. Whenever it stops we will witness a very positive change in the region and the world," Rouhani said at a joint news conference in Tehran with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Iran president expects 'positive change' if US ends 'economic war'

President Donald Trump asserted his executive privilege Wednesday to block Congress from obtaining documents related to how his administration added a citizenship question to the 2020 US census.
The Justice Department notified the chairman of the House Oversight Committee of the decision shortly before the panel was to vote on whether to hold Attorney General Bill Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for refusing to produce the subpoenaed material.
"These documents are protected from disclosure by the deliberative process, attorney-client communications, or attorney work product components of executive privilege," the department wrote in a letter to committee chairman Elijah Cummings.
It added that Trump "has made a protective assertion of executive privilege over the remainder of the subpoenaed documents" in order to allow more time for review.
Cummings responded by postponing the vote to allow members additional time to review the Justice Department's letter.
"It ...

Trump claims executive privilege in census fight

Russian authorities sought Wednesday to crush a new protest wave, arresting more than 400 people at a Moscow march, a day after police suddenly dropped trumped-up drugs charges against a respected journalist.
Among those detained on Russia Day, a public holiday, were opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who faces up to 30 days in jail, teenagers and  Russian and foreign journalists.
As police beat up the protesters and even detained random passers-by, President Vladimir Putin congratulated the nation, saying he would do everything to promote the country's "further prosperity and development."
Many Russians had hoped to harness the widespread outrage over last week's arrest of respected reporter Ivan Golunov on trumped-up drugs charges to press for genuine reform of Russia's tainted law enforcement and justice systems.
But a much smaller crowd of protesters had turned up in central Moscow amid fierce divisions among liberals.
Police in riot gear moved in against the unsanctioned march at .

400 arrested at Moscow police abuse march: monitor

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that a key emergency committee would meet following confirmation that an Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo had spread to neighbouring Uganda.
The panel will meet on Friday to determine whether to declare the outbreak "a public health emergency of international concern," a major shift in mobilisation against the disease, it said.
The outbreak declared in August has recorded more than 2,000 Ebola cases in eastern DRC, two-thirds of them fatal. Uganda on Wednesday confirmed that three cases been recorded in the west of the country.
WHO's emergency committee had in October and again in April held off declaring the DRC epidemic an emergency of international concern, in part because the virus remained contained in one part of DRC.
For the committee to make the emergency call, it must determine that the epidemic "carries implications for public health beyond the affected State's national border and may require immediate international .

WHO convenes emergency meeting after Ebola spreads to Uganda

The US Treasury placed Iraq-based South Wealth Resources on its sanctions blacklist Wednesday, saying the company is an important weapons trafficking and financial front for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Treasury said the company, Manabea Tharwat al-Janoob General Trading Company, was used by the IRGC to smuggle "hundreds of millions of dollars' worth" of weapons to IRGC allies in Iraq.
South Wealth Resources has also helped move millions of dollars to Iraq "for illicit financial activity benefitting" the IRGC and Iraq militias it supports.
The company and two Iraqis who worked with it were placed on the US sanctions blacklist, which seeks to lock them out of the international financial system by forbidding Americans and companies with US units, particularly banks, from doing business with them.
The company and the two Iraqis, Makki Kazim Abd Al Hamid Al Asadi and Muhammed Husayn Salih al-Hasani, were also placed on the US State Department's list of "Specially ...

US blacklists Iraq firm as Revolutionary Guard guns front

A massacre at a village in central Mali that according to early estimates killed 95 people left 35 dead, the authorities said Wednesday, giving a final toll.
Twenty-four of the dead were children, the government said in a statement which added that six people had been detained "following routine checks".
Gunmen late Sunday surrounded the village of Sobane Da, in an ethnic Dogon enclave, killing inhabitants and torching homes in a seven-hour assault, survivors said.
The killings stirred fears of tit-for-tat violence in the region, an ethnic patchwork where tensions have soared since the emergence of a violent jihadist-led movement in 2015.
The government had given a provisional figure of 95 dead and 19 missing.
That toll was based on early information from soldiers and the district mayor who visited the village, which is also known as Sobane-Kou.
But by Monday night there was some doubt and the revised figure was confirmed the following day, officials said.
"This number is based on a ..

Massacre toll in Mali revised down to 35

President Donald Trump and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda were to announce higher US troop levels in Poland on Wednesday, with the main question being whether Washington will defy Russian objections to establish an American base in the NATO country.
A senior Trump administration official said the White House meeting would see the two leaders make "a significant announcement." Whether Trump will risk irritating Moscow with a base or take the simpler option of adding more troops to the current non-permanent force was unclear.
Located deep in what used to be Soviet-dominated eastern Europe, Poland is a member of NATO but has long wanted deeper US commitment.
Spooked by resurgent Russia's seizing control of territory in Georgia and Ukraine over the last decade, Duda has tried to charm the US president, even touting the idea of Poland building a "Fort Trump" to house thousands of US soldiers.
Krzysztof Szczerski, an adviser to the Polish president, said the general concept of a "Fort .

Trump plans 'significant' troop announcement for Poland but base remains in doubt

Israeli prosecutors confirmed Wednesday a plea bargain has been reached with the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over accusations she used state funds to fraudulently pay for hundreds of meals.
Under the deal in the case that has received intense media coverage, Sara Netanyahu would plead guilty to a lesser charge of exploiting the mistake of another person as well as pay a fine and compensation.
A statement from Israeli prosecutors said Netanyahu would be fined 10,000 shekels ($2,800, 2,500 euros) and have to reimburse the state another 45,000 shekels.
The agreement must be approved by the court, with a June 16 hearing set. Unconfirmed reports of the deal had emerged in late May.
As part of the deal, Netanyahu admitted she illegally ordered meals at a cost of some 175,000 shekels, the statement said.
Netanyahu was initially charged in June 2018 with fraud and breach of trust for allegedly misusing state funds to pay for catered meals costing $100,000 by falsely declaring ...

Plea deal confirmed for Israel PM's wife in delivery meals case

England head coach Trevor Bayliss is optimistic that Jos Buttler will be fit to play in Friday's World Cup match against the West Indies in Southampton.
Buttler hurt his right hip while batting in England's win against Bangladesh, hobbling for the remainder of his knock and passing on wicketkeeping duties to Jonny Bairstow.
He was scheduled to join his team-mates during a net session at the Hampshire Bowl on Wednesday and Bayliss said: "Yes, he's fine. He'll be taking part in today's practice fully.
"It was a little bit precautionary the other day. He said he could have kept, but he wasn't really sure if he would be able to run after a high catch."
Asked if Buttler might play as a specialist batsman to lighten his workload in the field, Bayliss kept his options open.
"I haven't really thought about it. We'll make that decision in the next day or so," the Australian said.
"We'll see how he pulls up and how he performs at practice. I'm expecting him to play a full part."
Buttler has ...

England's Buttler set to face West Indies in World Cup clash

Nigeria inched towards qualifying for the knockout stages of the Women's World Cup for the first time in 20 years after beating South Korea 2-0 on Wednesday.
A comical 29th-minute own goal from Kim Do-yeon, who somehow hooked a long ball back past onrushing goalkeeper Kim Min-jung, and Asisat Oshoala's neat finish 15 minutes from the end left the South Koreans pointless after their first two games in Group A and put Nigeria level on three with France and Norway ahead of their crunch clash in Nice later on Wednesday.
Thomas Dennerby's Nigeria can now legitimately hope for a place in the last 16 regardless of what happens in their last group match against the tournament-hosting French.
Four third place finishers from the six groups will qualify, meaning three points could well be enough to see the Super Falcons through to the knockout rounds for the first time since 1999, when they reached the quarter-finals in the US.
South Korea meanwhile face an uphill task to go through now as they .

Nigeria eye World Cup knockouts after South Korea win

Manchester United have tied up the signing of Daniel James from Swansea, both clubs announced on Wednesday, with the 21-year-old Wales winger becoming manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first signing at Old Trafford.
James has signed a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year.
Reports said the initial fee was about USD 19 million.
James, a graduate of the Swansea academy, scored five goals in 38 appearances during an impressive 2018-19 campaign with the Championship side.
Solskjaer told United's website: "Daniel is an exciting young winger with lots of skills, vision, exceptional pace and a good work ethic. He had a great season with Swansea City and has all the attributes needed to become a Manchester United player.
"We are delighted he has signed with our club and we are all looking forward to working with him. This is the perfect environment for Daniel to continue his development."
The transfer comes less than a month after the death of James's father.
James ...

Man Utd complete signing of Wales winger Daniel James

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Wednesday during a rare diplomatic mission aimed at defusing tensions between the Islamic republic and Tokyo's ally Washington.
Abe, the first Japanese prime minister to visit Iran in 41 years, was received by Rouhani at the Sadabad presidential palace where they began a closed-door meeting, an AFP reporter said.
He is expected to meet Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Thursday morning.
Addressing a cabinet meeting ahead of the visit, Rouhani said Iran's leaders and people were united in their view that "the main culprit is America. Not a single individual doubts it."
"The (US) pressure has reached its full strength," he told the cabinet.
Tehran is locked in a bitter standoff with Washington after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in May last year.
Washington has since reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions -- which have forced Japan to halt its ...

Japan PM meets Rouhani on mission to ease Iran-US tensions

Facebook said Wednesday some 720 million people are watching its original video shows, making it a growing part of the social network as it wades into the territory of YouTube and other rivals.
The "Facebook Watch" service has been growing since it was unveiled in 2017, and now includes shows produced by partners such as MTV, CNN and Univision along with others from "creators" like those who make videos for Google-owned YouTube.
Facebook said some 720 million users view at least one minute per month of its videos, and 140 million people use the service daily.
"We are also continuing our strategy of investing in a range of content that encourages conversations and connections," Facebook said in a statement.
"In addition to our Facebook Watch Originals, we are partnering with publishers and creators around the world so that they can bring timely, relevant and entertaining videos to Facebook Watch."
Facebook generates money from "ad breaks" on its videos, which are available in more than 

Facebook says video shows reach 720 mn viewers

Donald Trump Jr returned to Congress Wednesday to face questions likely to focus on his contacts with Russians, as the president's eldest son insisted he has "nothing to correct" from his 2017 testimony.
The 41-year-old will testify behind closed door for up to four hours before members of the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of the Republican-led panel's two-year investigation of Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Trump Jr, who helms the Trump Organization collection of businesses that was run for decades by his real estate billionaire father, faced a barrage of questions as he strode into the hearing room, including whether he was going to alter his testimony from two years ago.
"No," he said quickly, before adding: "Nothing to correct." Trump Jr will undoubtedly face scrutiny for his role in arranging a Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 that included a Russian lawyer offering dirt on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"If it's what you say I love it," .

Donald Trump Jr meets with US senators for fresh grilling

More than 400 people including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were detained in Moscow on Wednesday, a monitor said, as authorities sought to break up a rally urging police reform after the framing of a journalist on drugs charges.
Many Russians had hoped to harness the widespread outrage over last week's arrest of respected reporter Ivan Golunov on trumped-up drugs charges to press for genuine reform of Russia's tainted law enforcement and justice systems.
But a much smaller crowd of protesters had turned up in central Moscow on Russia Day, a public holiday, amid fierce divisions among liberals.
Police in riot gear moved in against the unsanctioned march at which some protesters chanted slogans against President Vladimir Putin.
Police manhandled some protesters and beat others with truncheons amid shouts of "you are criminals" and "stop police terror."
As police dragged protesters into vans the crowd yelled: "Shame, on Russia Day, this is our country's day! Have you ...

AFP

AFP

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