North Macedonia's prime minister on Wednesday urged the EU to start membership talks with Skopje immediately, warning any delay could topple his government and bolster nationalist, anti-European parties.
EU member states are expected to discuss Skopje's bid to join the bloc in Luxembourg later this month, and Prime Minister Zoran Zaev warned that a negative response would open the door to greater influence from outside powers like Russia and China.
The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, says North Macedonia and Albania are both ready to start talks to join the EU, but several existing members such as France and the Netherlands are reluctant.
"With a negative decision, they will bring back nationalism and radicalism again in North Macedonia and in whole region," Zaev told reporters in Brussels.
"They will open the space for third sides like China and Russia."
North Macedonia has made major changes under Zaev as it seeks to join the EU and NATO -- not least amending the ...

EU talks delay risks toppling Macedonia government: PM

PTI Automatic

The commander of Sudanese paramilitary forces accused of a deadly crackdown on demonstrators insisted Wednesday that the country would not be allowed to slip into "chaos".
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy chief of Sudan's ruling military council, leads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that protesters say is responsible for a "bloody massacre" that has left at least 60 people dead.
"We will not allow chaos... we must impose the authority of the state through law," the commander, known as Himediti, told troops in a televised address.
The general singled out makeshift barricades erected across streets by demonstrators that are aimed at blocking the security forces.
The RSF are paramilitary groups with origins in the Janjaweed militia accused of abuses during the 16-year-old conflict in Darfur.
Security forces on Monday moved in to brutally disperse a sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum that was demanding a handover to civilian rule.  Sudan's military council has controlled the ...

Sudan commander says will not allow descent into 'chaos'

Russia's efforts to sow misinformation on Twitter ahead of the 2016 US election was more extensive and professional than earlier believed, security researchers said Wednesday.
A report by the security firm Symantec said some of the accounts linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency dated back as far as 2014 and that the manipulation effort involved a vast effort that included both automated "bots" and manual operations.
"While this propaganda campaign has often been referred to as the work of trolls, the release of the dataset makes it obvious that it was far more than that," said Gillian Cleary of Symantec's Security Technology and Response team in a blog post.
"It was planned months in advance and the operators had the resources to create and manage a vast disinformation network. It was a highly professional campaign." Twitter said the Symantec analysis was based on its data released to researchers last year of some 10 million tweets.
While the Russian campaign used Facebook and ..

Russia effort in 2016 US election was 'vast,' 'professional'

Gianluigi Buffon will leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer after it was agreed to not renew the former Italy captain's contract, the French champions announced on Wednesday.
"Following joint discussions, Paris Saint-Germain and Gianluigi Buffon have agreed to not renew the legendary goalkeeper's contract which expires on 30 June 2019," PSG said in a statement.
The 41-year-old goalkeeper, who won the World Cup in 2006 and is Italy's most-capped player, joined PSG last summer after ending a trophy-packed 17-year career at Italian giants Juventus.
He played 25 matches in all competitions for PSG last season, winning the Ligue 1 title.

World Cup winner Buffon to leave PSG: club

Pakistan batsman Asif Ali has credited his family for convincing him to play at the World Cup after the tragic death of his infant daughter last month.
The 27-year-old had to leave Britain after the fifth one-day international against England when he learned of the death of his 19-month-old daughter Dua Fatima from cancer in the United States.
Asif, who was not in the preliminary squad for the World Cup, forced his way into the final 15 with two half centuries against England during the recent series between the two countries.
Asif said his wife and family helped him deal with his daughter's illness.
"I was informed of my daughter's health during the Pakistan Super League in February," Asif said.
"It was shocking and heart-breaking but my family stood by me in those difficult times and they eased it by convincing me that I should play for the country and they will take care of her.
"They told me 'don't waste a chance of playing for the country' because only lucky ones get that chance. 

Asif thanks family for World Cup chance after daughter's death

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has no regrets about being able to avoid serving during the Vietnam war, because he was not a "fan" of the highly unpopular conflict.
"I was never a fan of that war, I'll be honest with you. I thought it was a terrible war. I thought it was very far away," Trump told interviewer Piers Morgan on ITV television while visiting Britain for ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in World War II.
"You're talking about Vietnam and at that time nobody had ever heard of the country," Trump said. "This isn't like 'I'm fighting against Nazi Germany, we're fighting against Hitler.'" Trump graduated from the Wharton School of Finance in 1968, becoming eligible for the draft to be sent to the war which, despite his comment, was at a peak in that year, with around half a million US soldiers deployed.
It was also the year of the Tet offensive, a failed push by communist forces into US-backed South Vietnam that left thousands dead ..

Trump says was 'never a fan' of Vietnam war

The global economy is at a "delicate juncture" which will require central banks to maintain stimulus and governments to resolve trade disputes quickly, the International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday.
"The immediate priority is to resolve the current trade tensions," IMF chief Christine Lagarde urged in a blog post aimed at the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers as they prepare for a meeting in Japan this weekend.
She said the exchange of tariffs between the United States and China will put the brakes on growth in both countries and cut a few points off global growth as well.
"These are self-inflicted wounds that must be avoided," she said. "How? By removing the recently implemented trade barriers and by avoiding further barriers in whatever form." The finance officials are meeting just weeks after US-China talks collapsed amid accusations of broken promises and another exchange of punishing tariffs.
President Donald Trump has threatened to extend the tariffs to all ...

IMF's Lagarde: Resolving trade tensions 'immediate priority' for G20

Torrential rain caused a complete washout of quarter-final action at Roland Garros on Wednesday with Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep amongst the biggest victims.
It is the second time since 2016 that all French Open play was cancelled and third since 2000.
The decision left world number one Djokovic and defending women's champion Halep facing having to play their quarter-finals on Thursday and semi-finals on Friday if they get through.
With the women's final set for Saturday, third seed Halep could end up playing three days in a row.
Djokovic had been due to face German fifth seed Alexander Zverev on Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday as was Halep who was up against American teenager Amanda Anisimova.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, America's Madison Keys was due to face Australia's Ashleigh Barty before 2018 runner-up Dominic Thiem clashed with Russia's Karen Khachanov.
The first quarter-finals had been completed on Tuesday with 11-time champion Rafael Nadal setting up a Friday ...

Roland Garros washout keeps Djokovic and Halep waiting

Senators across the political spectrum on Wednesday moved to block President Donald Trump's plan to sell $8.1 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies as US lawmakers' frustration with the kingdom soars.
The Trump administration last month said it would use emergency powers to defy Congress and provide munitions, aircraft maintenance and other military components to Saudi Arabia along with the United Arab Emirates.
The move infuriated lawmakers who believe the weapons could be used to kill civilians in Yemen, where the Saudis and Emiratis are mounting an offensive and millions are at risk of starvation.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who is usually in lockstep with Trump, voiced hope for "strong bipartisan support" in preventing the sales.
"While I understand that Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the behavior of Mohammed bin Salman cannot be ignored. Now is not the time to do business as usual with Saudi Arabia," Graham said, referring to the kingdom's ambitious ...

Senators seek to block Trump's arms sales to Saudis

Hungarian police said Wednesday the bodies of two more South Korean tourists had been found after the sinking of a sightseeing vessel in Budapest last week, raising the toll to 13 killed with 15 people still missing.
The vessel, the Mermaid, was carrying mainly South Korean tourists when it overturned and sank within seconds after a May 29 collision with a cruise ship, the Viking Sigyn, on a busy stretch of the Danube river in the heart of Budapest.
Police said in a statement that a body found 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the Hungarian capital, in the town of Abony, was that of a South Korean passenger from the stricken boat.
The Hungarian TEK counter-terror police agency, which is leading an international team of divers and experts at the accident scene, said it had also brought up another body of a South Korean tourist from an opening in the boat's wreckage.
"One of the Hungarian divers found the body in one of the boat's openings while on a reconnaissance dive," said a ...

Hungary tourist boat disaster death toll climbs to 13

US hiring crashed unexpectedly last month, hitting its lowest level in nearly a decade as small businesses and construction companies shed workers, according to payroll data released Wednesday.
The sudden drop in hiring left forecasts in tatters and suggested Friday's highly anticipated federal jobs report for May could also come in well below expectations -- although the two are frequently out of step.
The private sector hired just 27,000 new positions, after the huge 271,000 gain recorded in April, payrolls firm ADP reported.
That made hiring the lowest since March 2010 and well below the 170,000 increase economists forecast.
The ADP data showed employment at small business -- especially construction -- dropped sharply, as they struggled to find workers in a very tight jobs market.
"Following an overly strong April, May marked the smallest gain since the expansion began," Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research Institute, said in a statement.
"Large companies continue to remain ..

US private-sector hiring hits 9-year low in May: ADP

Australia captain Aaron Finch expects his side to face a "very dangerous" West Indies when the teams meet in a mouthwatering World Cup clash at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Reigning champions Australia started their title defence with a seven-wicket stroll against Afghanistan, while the West Indies' fast bowlers were especially impressive in skittling out Pakistan for just 105 on the way to a comfortable win at Trent Bridge.
West Indies, with veteran opener Chris Gayle leading the way, have the run-scoring power to give an Australia side strong in both batting and bowling a run for their money.
"They're a very dangerous side and I think that whichever team comes out and executes it from the start of the game, I think it's important that you start really well, whether you bat or bowl first," Finch told reporters at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
"Those first 10-over periods are going to be really crucial because we know how damaging the West Indies can be during that period. But equally, if ..

Australia captain Finch wary of West Indies' threat

French energy giants Total have ruled out sponsoring the 2024 Olympics in Paris, keen to avoid being "pilloried" in a city where mayor Anne Hidalgo has increasingly campaigned for environmentally sound initiatives, sources say.
Total's chief executive officer Patrick Pouyanne confirmed his company's decision to opt out following a meeting with Hidalgo last week.
Neither Total, the Paris 2024 Olympics local organising committee nor Hidalgo's office wished to comment publicly on the development.
In their search for sponsors for Paris 2024, organisers had turned to Total, one of the world's integrated oil and gas leaders. The company has an established profile in the world of sports, be it at the African Cup of Nations football or through its Total Direct Energie cycling team.
Talks about Olympic sponsorship deals were well under way between the two parties and Total was even lined up to become the second sponsor, behind banking group Banque Populaire-Caisse d'Epargne {BCPE), which was ..

Total pull sponsorship plug on 2024 Olympics over 'eco-Games'

Roger Federer faces Roland Garros' mission impossible on Friday when he tries to become just the third man to beat 11-time champion Rafael Nadal on the Paris clay.
The great Spaniard has only been defeated twice on the red brick dust in the French capital in 93 matches since his 2005 debut.
Ten years ago Robin Soderling hit winner after winner as the unheralded Swede ended Nadal's 31-match win streak at the tournament.
"I think to beat him on clay is challenging. But to beat him in five sets on clay is even more difficult," said Soderling who crushed 63 winners in that last-16 landmark win.
"You have to play extremely well. To beat him on clay, the only chance for any player is to be really aggressive.
"Take some risks. Many, many players, even good players, top players... you can almost see that they don't really believe 100 per cent that they can win."
Nadal was far from his best that day in 2009.
He was to eventually pull out of Wimbledon with a knee injury, ending his hopes of ...

Mission impossible? How Federer can beat Nadal at Roland Garros

A senior Sudanese rebel leader who returned to Khartoum to take part in talks with the military was detained Wednesday, a spokesman for his movement said, following an army crackdown on protests.
Yasir Arman, deputy chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), was seized from the house where he was staying in Khartoum by armed men who arrived in pick-up trucks and surrounded the building, the spokesman said.
"They took him without clarifying to us the place (they would take him to) and said they were from the National Intelligence and Security Service," Mubarak Ardol said.
The spokesman charged that the armed men "beat" Arman and his assistant and destroyed surveillance cameras outside the house.
Arman returned to Khartoum on May 26 to take part in talks after the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir in April following months of mass protests against his authoritarian rule.
The SPLM-N's armed wing had battled Bashir's forces in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states .

Sudan rebel leader detained in Khartoum: Spokesperson

Australia captain Aaron Finch says he would welcome the introduction of concussion substitutes in international cricket.
A report in Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper said the International Cricket Council could allow concussion subs from October 1 this year.
At present, substitutes in international matches can only field and are not allowed to bat or bowl.
But a two-year trial of concussion substitutes in various domestic cricket competitions around the world started in October 2017, allowing players to bat and bowl.
The issue was thrown into sharp relief at the ongoing World Cup in England and Wales when South Africa batsman Hashim Amla was struck on the head by a bouncer from England fast bowler Jofra Archer and had to retire hurt even though he was wearing a protective helmet.
He resumed his innings later on but was left out of the Proteas' second game, against Bangladesh, on medical grounds.
Finch said on Wednesday that he had no qualms with allowing replacement batsmen or ...

Australia's Finch backs concussion subs in international cricket

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was set to play his 200th one-day international on Wednesday after New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their World Cup match at the Oval.
Both teams won their opening matches -- Bangladesh beating South Africa and New Zealand routing Sri Lanka -- and named unchanged teams.
Shakib is the third Bangladeshi player to feature in 200 or more matches, behind his skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Teams:
Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

New Zealand opt to bowl in World Cup match against Bangladesh

Japan's health and labour minister has defended workplaces that require women to wear high heels to work, arguing it is "necessary and appropriate" after a petition was filed against the practice.
The remark came when Takumi Nemoto was asked to comment on a petition by a group of women who want the government to ban workplaces from requiring female jobseekers and employees to wear high heels.
"It is socially accepted as something that falls with the realm of being occupationally necessary and appropriate," Nemoto told a legislative committee on Wednesday.
The petition was submitted to the labour ministry on Tuesday, and the campaign has been dubbed #KuToo, a play on words from the Japanese word "kutsu" -- meaning shoes -- and "kutsuu" -- meaning "pain", and a reference to the global #MeToo movement against sexual abuse.
The movement was launched by actress and freelance writer Yumi Ishikawa and quickly won support from thousands of people online.
Campaigners say wearing high heels is .

High heels 'necessary', Japan minister says after petition

Seven Chinese citizens have been arrested in connection with a drug bust reported to be the largest in Japanese history, Tokyo Police said on Wednesday.
The men, aged between 24 and 40 years old, were arrested on a beach in central Japan on Monday and Tuesday for "possession of a large amount" of stimulants, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokeswoman told AFP.
She declined to specify what drug was involved or how much had been recovered, but local media described the substance as "stimulants." Public broadcaster NHK said police recovered around a ton of the drug, with a street value of 60 billion yen ($554 million).
Kyodo news agency said it was a record amount for a single drug bust in Japan, coming in at only slightly less than the entire haul of illegal stimulants seized across the country over all of last year.
Some of the men were unloading the drugs from a boat, Kyodo said, adding that the men have denied wrongdoing.
The police reportedly suspect the involvement of a large ...

Japan arrests seven in 'record' drug bust

Beijing has nominated a former Hong Kong police chief nicknamed "the vulture" to lead the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, as it seeks another international posting after the fall from grace of Interpol's former Chinese chief.
The move to nominate Andy Tsang Wai-hung, currently deputy director of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, comes as former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei faces bribery charges.
Meng's disappearance last year was an embarrassing scandal for Interpol that observers said could damage China's bid to burnish its international profile through global leadership posts.
The nomination also comes as China faces widespread criticism for its role in fuelling public health crises around the world, particularly in the United States.  China is believed to be one of the main manufacturers of synthetic drugs -- including opioids such as fentanyl -- which have caused thousands of overdose deaths.
While Hong Kong police commissioner, Tsang repeatedly defended the actions of ..

China nominates 'the vulture' to lead UN drug agency

Myanmar Buddhists handed out white roses to Muslims heading to pray Wednesday to mark the end of Ramadan -- the culmination of a rare show of solidarity in a country where Islam is often vilified.
Volunteers lined up outside Dargah mosque in eastern Yangon, giving flowers to scores of devotees heading inside to mark the Eid festival, weeks after a mob of hardliners had tried to shut down Ramadan prayers.
Muslim motorbike courier Tin Myint, 42, said the gesture had raised spirits in the Muslim community.
"Some Buddhists really helped protect us," he told AFP.
The white rose campaign started three weeks ago after a mob of some 200 ultra-nationalists descended on three sites hosting Ramadan prayers in Yangon, forcing them to stop.
Police responded in the following days by offering protection to the shocked worshippers and an arrest warrant was issued for one protest leader.
Respected moderate monk Seindita also came to plead for their patience, handing out white roses in solidarity and ..

AFP

AFP

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