Protest leaders have agreed to end their civil disobedience campaign launched after a crackdown on demonstrators and resume talks with Sudan's ruling generals, an Ethiopian mediator said Tuesday.
"The Alliance for Freedom and Change agreed to end the civil disobedience (campaign) from today," Mahmoud Drir, who has been mediating since a visit by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last week, told reporters.
"Both sides have also agreed to resume talks soon" on a handover of power to a civilian administration, he said.
The protest movement itself said in a statement that it was calling on people "to resume work from Wednesday".

Sudan protesters to end strike, resume talks with generals: mediator

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Tensions rose in Hong Kong late Tuesday as hundreds of protesters began a nighttime vigil outside the city's parliament, just hours before lawmakers debate a divisive plan to allow extraditions to China.
The sudden appearance of around 2,000 predominantly young protesters after 11:00 pm (1500 GMT), some carrying tents and supplies, was met by a marked increase in police reinforcements, many of them equipped with riot gear.
The financial hub was rocked over the weekend by the largest protest march since the city's 1997 return to China, as vast crowds called on authorities to scrap the Beijing-backed plan.
Many are fearful the proposed law will tangle people in the mainland's opaque courts and hammer Hong Kong's reputation as an international business hub.
Organisers of the march said more than a million people took to the streets on Sunday.
But the record crowds have failed to sway chief executive Carrie Lam who has rejected calls to withdraw or delay the bill and warned opponents ...

Hong Kong protesters begin night vigil as extradition anger mounts

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Samer Foz, a Syrian industrialist behind high-end developments, including the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus, for allegedly enriching President Bashar al-Assad.
"This Syrian oligarch is directly supporting the murderous Assad regime and building luxury developments on land stolen from those fleeing his brutality," Sigal Mandelker, the undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in an announcement.
The US Treasury Department also blacklisted properties of Foz and his Aman Holding Company including the Four Seasons, the plush hotel that has stayed operational during the war.
The hotel has become a base for United Nations employees in Syria, a point of controversy for Assad opponents who question where the money paid by international staff goes.
Under the sanctions, any of Foz's US assets will be frozen and any US transactions with him or his properties forbidden.
The Treasury Department said Foz had ...

US imposes sanctions on Syrian mogul for aiding Assad

The US Justice Department said Tuesday that it has arrested nearly 1,700 alleged online child sex offenders in a two-month operation across the country.
The "Broken Heart" operation of April and May took aim at people who make and distribute child pornography, as well as those who receive and download it.
It also went after people involved in trafficking children for sex, and pedophiles who travel around the country and abroad to sexually abuse children, the Justice Department said.
The operation led to the identification of 308 child abusers and 357 children who suffered abuse in the production of pornography.
"The sexual abuse of children is repugnant, and it victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable of all," Attorney General Bill Barr said in a statement.  "We must bring the full force of the law against sexual predators, and with the help of our Internet Crimes Against Children program, we will.

US nabs 1,700 'online child sex offenders' in two-month operation

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has received another "beautiful letter" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Indicating that he continues to trust Kim, despite making little progress in efforts to get Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons, Trump said the North Korean strongman "has kept his word." "That's very important to me," he said at the White House.
Trump did not divulge what was in the letter from Kim. He has described previous letters as "beautiful" and even said they "fell in love." Trump has made history by meeting twice with Kim in a bid to lure the country into giving up nuclear weapons. However, US intelligence officials say Pyongyang has no intention of following through.

Trump says he received a 'beautiful letter' from N Korea's Kim

The European Union on Tuesday welcomed Russia's decision to drop drug charges against an investigative journalist as a "positive outcome", but demanded a probe into reports he was beaten in prison.
Ivan Golunov, a reporter with the independent media outlet Meduza, was arrested last week on charges that supporters said were trumped up to punish him for his investigative work.
The case sparked outrage in Russia and abroad, with major Russian media outlets voicing support and a demonstration in support of Golunov was planned in Moscow on Wednesday after days of smaller protests.
"The decision to drop the charges of 'illegal production or sale of drugs' against investigative journalist Ivan Golunov is a positive outcome to this particular case," a spokesperson for the European Commission said.
"His initial detention and subsequent house arrest, however, added to an already worrying trend with respect to media freedom in the Russian Federation.
The arrest charges made against Mr Golunov ...

EU welcomes Russia dropping charges against reporter

The date for early elections triggered by the so-called "Ibiza-gate" scandal which brought down Austria's government has been fixed for September 29, following a decision by a parliamentary commission Tuesday.
The snap poll was prompted by the decision of centre-right Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to end his coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) after a video emerged last month of FPOe leader Heinz-Christian Strache appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer.
While Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen favoured a date in early September for the elections, the FPOe and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPOe) pushed for the September 29 date.
Together the FPOe and SPOe have a majority in parliament, which will now have to formally confirm the date.
Both parties lost vote share at May's European elections and have made no secret of their wish for more time to prepare themselves for national elections.
Kurz and his People's ...

Austria set for early elections on September 29

Her desserts are often not at all sweet and she couldn't give a fig if people complain that they don't look great on Instagram.
But that did not stop Jessica Prealpato being named the best pastry chef on the planet Tuesday by the World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking -- the first woman ever to receive the honour.
The 32-year-old French woman, who is about to have her first child, is the creator of a whole new genre of guilt-free patisserie.
For Prealpato it is not about how a dessert looks, it's how it tastes -- and the feelgood glow afterwards.
The subtle and sublime creations she turns out at the three-star Michelin restaurant of the Plaza Athenee hotel in Paris are a rebuff to the sugar-rush burn of food porn.
Yet even she has not dared to have her father -- a patissier forged in full-on sugar worship of French tradition -- taste her creations that marry strawberries with pine and lemon with seaweed.
"He would not understand what I do at all," she told AFP.
Prealpato has eschewed the 

Inventor of guilt-free desserts is world's top pastry chef

The United States will detail all the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange when it seeks his extradition in a London court on Friday, the editor of the whistleblowers' website said on Tuesday.
"The American authorities, the Department of Justice, will present the evidence in support of their extradition demand," Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters.
The US Justice Department confirmed on Tuesday that it had submitted a formal extradition request.
The 47-year-old Australian is not expected to attend Friday's hearing but could take part from prison via video link, although it will be largely procedural.
The "first real confrontation of arguments" in court will not be for several weeks or months, Hrafnsson said.
On the run from extradition to Sweden on accusations of sexual assault, Assange lived inside Ecuador's embassy to London for seven years after being granted asylum.
He was arrested by British police in April after Ecuador finally withdrew his asylum and is now serving a .

US charges against Assange to be unveiled on Friday

Jill Roord came off the bench and headed home from close range in added time on Tuesday to give the Netherlands a 1-0 women's World Cup victory over New Zealand in Le Havre.
The victory lifts the European champions into a tie with Canada atop Group E.  The Football Ferns, stout in defence and sharp on the counter attack, were left with nothing but disappointment.
"The players will be absolutely devastated but we're a resilient group and I'm pretty confident we'll bounce back," said New Zealand coach Tom Sermanni.
The stars of a lively match were the two goalkeepers, Sari van Veenendaal for the Netherlands and New Zealand's Erin Nayler. Both were busy and both, at different stages, underwent on-field treatment after brave saves.
The Dutch had almost 70% of possession and almost three times as many goal attempts but New Zealand went painfully close three times.
"The Dutch were the dominant team but we created some great chances," said Sermanni.
In the first half, Olivia Chance hit the ..

Roord heads late Dutch winner to beat brave Kiwis

Austrian tennis ace Dominic Thiem on Tuesday offered Serena Williams a mixed doubles jaunt in an attempt to put their French Open press room dispute behind them.
Thiem reacted with disbelief when officials asked him, mid-post match interview, to leave the main interview room at Roland Garros so that the American superstar, who had just been knocked out, would not be kept waiting.
He accused the 23-time Grand Slam winner, who had just suffered her earliest exit at a major tournament in almost five years, of having a "bad personality" and said he would have waited even for a junior player to finish.
But on Tuesday Thiem was more conciliatory, saying he'd already forgotten about the incident before half-heartedly suggesting a match-up.
"As a way of putting it behind us, I could play mixed doubles with Serena at Wimbledon or New York," he said.
Thiem was beaten by Nadal in straight sets in last year's French Open final, but pushed his illustrious Spanish opponent all the way in the first .

Thiem offers Serena doubles match after Roland-Garros row

The Group of 20 summit later this month could lead to progress towards a trade deal with China but is not the venue for a "definitive agreement," US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Tuesday.
A day after President Donald Trump threatened to hit China with a new round of tariffs "immediately" if President Xi Jinping fails to meet with him in Tokyo, Ross defended Washington's aggressive tariff strategy.
Talks between Washington and Beijing broke down last month after Trump accused China of reneging on commitments and after the United States took aim against China's tech behemoth Huawei.
The countries have hit each other steep tariffs on more than $360 billion in bilateral trade, rattling financial markets and business confidence.  The impasse has raised expectations that Xi and Trump might jumpstart the talks in Osaka on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit.
However Ross tamped down expectations for a final agreement which "is going to be thousands of pages." "At the G20, at most, 

G20 won't produce 'definitive' US-China deal: Official

Russian police said Tuesday they would drop drug charges against a journalist and free him from house arrest in a rare climbdown for law enforcement amid a public outcry.
Ivan Golunov, a 36-year-old reporter with independent media outlet Meduza, was arrested last week on charges his lawyers and supporters said were trumped up to punish him for his investigative work.
"Today he will be released from house arrest and charges lifted," Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said in a statement.
The minister said the officers who arrested Golunov last week were suspended pending an investigation.
Golunov had been charged with attempting to deal a "large amount" of drugs and was placed under house arrest at the weekend, facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The reporter said he was beaten in detention while his lawyers insisted drugs had been planted on him.
Moscow police admitted that photographs published on its website describing drug paraphernalia found at a crime scene were not 

Russian police drop charges against journalist

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Tuesday he plans to write a law this year to ban so-called conversion therapies that aim to make gays and lesbians heterosexual.
"My position is clear: homosexuality is not an illness, which is why it does not need to be treated," said Spahn, who is gay and married to a man.
"I would very much like to have a bill this year that could then be presented to parliament," he told a Berlin press conference.
Medical experts consider psychological or spiritual interventions to change someone's sexual orientation pseudo-scientific, ineffective and often harmful.
The most controversial techniques involve administering electric shocks as subjects view images of homosexual acts, or injections of the male hormone testosterone.
In Germany, there are an estimated 1,000 attempts a year to "re-educate" homosexuals -- from family members, "coaches" and therapists, and sometimes involving prayers and even exorcisms, said Joerg Litwinschuh-Barthel of the ...

Germany plans to ban gay, lesbian 'conversion therapy'

Copa America hosts Brazil will deploy snipers and sniffer dogs for the Latin American tournament kicking off Friday, as the soccer-mad country braces for the influx of thousands of fans.
Around 10,000 private guards will be used to provide security inside stadiums for the championship, while police will patrol outside as they monitor for hooligans.
"With all our experience I can guarantee that we have the conditions for a secure Copa America," Cesar Martinez, director of Integrated Operations at the justice and security ministry, told AFP.
Brazil hosted the Confederations Cup in 2013, the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016 without any major incident.
The risk of violent fans infiltrating the tournament is one of the biggest concerns for Brazil, which will stop known foreign hooligans from entering the country.
Troublesome supporters identified by border control and immigration officers will be turned back, while facial recognition technology will be deployed at ...

Brazil to unroll large security operation for Copa America

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba said the best way to quell racist spectators is to perform well on the pitch not as some suggest walk off if there is racial abuse.
The 26-year-old was a pivotal figure as France won the World Cup last year and said in an interview with The Times that nothing wins people around better than success.
Pogba is expected to start against Andorra in Euro 2020 qualifying on Tuesday night and played 90 minutes in a loss in Turkey on Saturday when the home fans caused outrage in France by jeering the Marseillaise.
Racism reared its head last season with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling being abused by a group of Chelsea fans. Then Sterling and other black England players were the targets of Montenegro supporters in a Euro 2020 qualifier.
One of those players,Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose said he "can't wait to see the back of football" because of the lack of decisive action to tackle racism. Rose said he was "shocked" at the lightness of UEFA's .

Pogba's remedy for racist abuse is play well not walk off

Germany midfielder Julian Draxler has played down rumours linking him to Tottenham Hotspur and said he wants to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
"I feel very happy here, I am playing for a great coach at a great club," Draxler, 25, told Kicker magazine on Tuesday.
Draxler, who earned his 50th cap in Germany's 2-0 win over Belarus last Saturday, has been in and out of the PSG first eleven since joining the club in 2017.
He has recently been linked with Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur, but the midfielder told Kicker that he was keen to extend his contract in Paris, which runs until 2021.
"PSG is a crazy club in a positive way, things can happen from one day to the next, but I don't think anybody is looking to kick me out here," he said.
"I will prepare for next season just like the last, and if I am offered a new contract, I will listen."
Asked directly about rumours of a move to Tottenham or Bayern last Saturday, Draxler told Bild newspaper that he had "no intention" .

Tottenham target Draxler sees future at PSG

Australia captain Aaron Finch hopes the holders don't become the latest World Cup team to be derailed by bad weather.
Heavy rain has forced two no-results in the World Cup so far and Finch has been anxiously eyeing the forecast to see if Australia could be the next victims when they face Pakistan at Taunton on Wednesday.
Pakistan's match against Sri Lanka was washed out on Friday before the clash between South Africa and the West Indies was abandoned after less than eight overs play on Monday.
There is rain predicted in the Taunton area on Wednesday and Finch conceded luck with the weather could play a role in who makes the semi-finals from the 10-team group stage.
"I think it (weather) might play a huge part in the next few days," Finch told reporters on Tuesday.
"Next week it starts fine and looks good across the country for the remainder of the tournament.
"So it's important that you get early wins on the board because  you don't want to be on the wrong end of a couple of washouts .

Finch hopes washouts don't hurt Australia's World Cup

Nepali prosecutors said Tuesday they will seek a 13-year jail term for a former United Nations official from Canada found guilty of sexually abusing two boys.
Peter John Dalglish, a 62-year-old former high-profile humanitarian worker, was found guilty by a court on Monday and is due to be sentenced next month.
Dalglish was arrested in April last year in Kavrepalanchowk district, near Kathmandu, by Nepal's Central Bureau of Investigation.
Two boys aged under 14 were at the house where police detained Dalglish, investigators said.
"He was found guilty of paedophilia by the district court on Monday and remanded into custody until his sentence is fixed," Sharmila KC, a Kavrepalanchowk district court official, told AFP.
Dalglish denied the charges.
Lok Bahadur Katwal, government attorney in the case, said prosecutors presented statements by the victims, their medical reports, and photos to the hearing.
"We have sought a maximum jail sentence of 13 years and necessary compensation for the ..

Jail sought for ex-UN official convicted of child abuse in Nepal

French police have smashed a neo-Nazi cell accused of plotting attacks on Jewish or Muslim places of worship, legal sources said Tuesday.
Five members of the group, who were "close in ideology to the neo-Nazi movement" were charged between September and May over the alleged plot, a source close to the investigation said.
"The investigation suggested they were developing an ill-defined plot to carry out an attack, likely to target a place of worship," the judicial source said.
The sources gave no details of specific targets or motives.
Police in the southeastern city of Grenoble first arrested a man on weapons charges in September 2018. The investigation led them to the four other suspects, two of them minors.
Anti-terrorism investigators took over the investigation in January and charged the suspects with terror offences, including making and transporting explosive devices and being part of a terrorist conspiracy.
While France has repeatedly been targeted by jihadists since 2015, a ...

France smashes neo-Nazi cell over plot against Jews, Muslims

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday defended his position at the Constitutional Court, which is set to rule on the legality of his decision to dissolve parliament and call for early elections.
Zelensky was elected on a wave of popular support amid disillusionment with predecessor Petro Poroshenko. But the former comedian and political novice has struggled to work with lawmakers largely hostile to him.
He announced his intention to dissolve parliament in his inaugural speech on May 21 and signed a decree to this effect shortly afterwards.
As some political analysts called the move unconstitutional, several MPs appealed to the Constitutional Court to decide whether it was legal.
The tribunal has to make its decision by June 29, Zelensky's team said.
"Our legal position is indisputable and impeccable," Zelensky told the court.
"I think you will make a fair decision, which will not make us ashamed." Ukrainians have "no confidence" in parliament, he added.
Current lawmakers ..

AFP

AFP

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