The US military's top general said Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jingping reneged on promises not to militarize the South China Sea and called for "collective action" to hold Beijing responsible.
General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he was not calling for military action, but stressed that there was a need to enforce international laws.
"The fall of 2016, President Xi Jinping promised President Obama that they would not militarize the islands. So what we see today are 10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defense capabilities, aviation capabilities, and so forth," he said in a talk on US security and defense at the Brooking institution.
"So clearly they have walked away from that committment." "The South China Sea is in my judgement not a pile of rocks," he continued, referring to the series of reefs and outcrops that have been claimed as territory by China, reclaimed and expanded to accomodate 

Xi broke promise on South China Sea: Top US general

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Sri Lankan authorities failed to arrest the jihadist who led the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people despite mounting evidence against him, the country's top intelligence official said Wednesday.
Sisira Mendis told a parliamentary probe into security lapses leading to the April 21 suicide bombings that the attacks led by Zahran Hashim could have been avoided if he had been detained.
"He was reported for hate speech. He had come to the attention of the authorities before the attacks," said Mendis, who is the Chief of National Intelligence.
"Police could have at least detained him for questioning when there were these reports against him." Official sources said Hashim came to the attention of the authorities following a violent clash with a moderate Muslim group in his village in eastern Sri Lanka two years ago. However he was not arrested.
The national parliament Wednesday began investigating the circumstances that allowed a known Islamist group to stage the audacious attack ..

Sri Lanka failed to arrest Easter bomber despite warnings

A lawyer for a family who sheltered fugitive former contractor Edward Snowden asked Canada on Wednesday to take them in as refugees, saying they were being persecuted in Hong Kong.
Guillaume Cliche-Rivard of the non-governmental group For the Refugees, which in March sponsored two other Snowden "Guardian Angels," Philippine national Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana, made the plea on "humanitarian grounds" at a press conference.
He noted growing concerns about civil rights abuses since mainland China took control of the former British colonial enclave in 1997.
He also pointed to the precedent set by Germany in granting asylum to two democracy activists -- Ray Wong and Alan Li.
"The fact that Germany has granted refugee status to these people shows that Hong Kong is a persecutor within the meaning of the Geneva Convention," said Cliche-Rivard.
Germany's decision "adds a lot of weight and credibility" to the family's amended refugee claim, he said.
Originally from Sri .

Family who helped Snowden asks Canada for asylum

President Donald Trump's national security adviser warned Iran on Wednesday that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a "very strong response" from the U.S., taking a hard-line approach with Tehran after his boss only two days earlier said America wasn't "looking to hurt Iran at all."
John Bolton's comments are the latest amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran that have been playing out in the Middle East.
Bolton spoke to journalists in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which only days earlier saw former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warn there that "unilateralism will not work" in confronting the Islamic Republic.
The dueling approaches highlight the divide over Iran within American politics. The US has accused Tehran of being behind a string of incidents this month, including the alleged sabotage of oil tankers off the Emirati coast, a rocket strike near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and a coordinated drone attack on Saudi Arabia by Yemen's ...

In UAE, Trump's adviser warns Iran of 'very strong response'

Pakistan's additional attorney general Zahid F Ebrahim on Wednesday resigned as protest against alleged interference in judiciary by the government.
Ebrahim in his resignation sent to President Arif Alvi said that he took the decision after reports in the media that Alvi ordered formal probes of misconduct against some judges of the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court.
He said that it was a "reckless attempt to browbeat the judiciary", as one of the probes was reportedly against a judge who gave a verdict against sit-in by a religious party in 2017. The judge had criticized the role of security and intelligence institutions.
"In the view of the above, I cannot in good conscience continue in office, Ebrahim added.
Though the names of the judges have not been revealed but media reports showed  said that the Supreme Court judge to be probed was Qazi Faez Esa who is considered independent minded.

Pak additional attorney general resigns over govt interference in judiciary

The woman behind France's answer to the #MeToo campaign exposing abusive behaviour by men appeared in court on Wednesday accused of slandering a media executive who she said had made lewd remarks.
Sandra Muller, a US-based French journalist, is being sued for defamation by French TV executive Eric Brion at a Paris court over a Twitter post accusing him of humiliating her with vulgar comments.
Muller and Brion, a media consultant and former head of TV channel Equidia, were both present in court for the hearing.
Muller started a viral hashtag in French in October 2017, #balancetonporc ("expose your pig"), which called on Frenchwomen to name and shame men in an echo of the #MeToo movement that began in response to allegations that toppled movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
In her Twitter post, she told of how Brion had humiliated her, saying: "You have big breasts. You are my type of woman. I will make you orgasm all night." The post led to an outpouring of tales of harassment and assault, 

French #MeToo founder sued for slander by man she accused

Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan kicked off a week-long Asian tour Wednesday with an eye to strengthening ties with regional allies and having "candid" talks with his Chinese counterpart on Beijing's growing might.
"It's more about listening and being able to hear from the allies and partners," the acting US defence secretary said in a plane bound for Jakarta.
Indonesia is the first leg of a tour that also includes stops in Singapore, South Korea and Japan.
On Thursday, Shanahan will meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo after talks with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu.  Cooperation on maritime issues with the sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago nation will be at the top of the agenda, as the US looks to offset China's expanding presence in the South China Sea.
In Singapore on Saturday, Shanahan is to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue regional defence forum.
"I want to identify areas where ..

Pentagon chief in Asia for 'candid' talks on China expansion

Guatemalan officials say they have broken up a people-smuggling ring that purportedly moved 800 migrants a year through the country and took in some USD 10 million doing so.
Wednesday's announcement comes amid a visit by the acting U.S. Homeland Security secretary during which the two countries signed an agreement on jointly addressing migration and people-trafficking.
The prosecutor's office and National Civil Police arrested nine people in the case, including the alleged ringleader. The suspects are said to have housed migrants from Central and South America in Guatemala and moved them across the border into Mexico, bound for the United States.
The smugglers allegedly charged USD 11,000 to USD 12,000 per adult and USD 3,500 for minors.
Officials said the operation was carried out with support from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.

Guatemala busts alleged USD 10 million people-smuggling ring

Cuba announced Wednesday that is legalizing private Wi-Fi networks and the importation of equipment like routers, eliminating one of the world's tightest restrictions on internet use.
The measure announced by state media provides a legal status to thousands of Cubans who created homemade digital networks with smuggled equipment that was illegal but generally tolerated by authorities in recent years. It also appears to allow private businesses to provide internet to customers, the potential start in Cuba of internet cafes, so far virtually unknown here.
While the new regulation permits citizens to connect to the internet with their own equipment and share the signal with others, it does not loosen state control of the internet itself.
Cuba's telecoms monopoly, Etecsa, remains the only internet provider on the island. The new rules go into effect on July 29.
The government says operators of private networks will not be allowed to charge for the service, although it is unclear how that ..

Cuba legalizes private Wi-Fi, importation of routers

A judge ruled Wednesday there was suffient evidence in a corruption case to try SNC-Lavalin, the Canadian engineering giant at the center of a political scandal that has rocked Prime Justin Trudeau's government.
The company spent months openly lobbying the federal government for an out-of-court settlement of fraud and bribery charges linked to its dealings in Libya.  But allegations that Trudeau's aides brought improper pressure on his attorney general to settle the case spilled out in an angry public split that tarnished Trudeau's golden boy image.
The court's decision followed an extended preliminary hearing in which evidence in the case was tested. The specifics of the ruling are under a publication ban.  SNC-Lavalin is expected to return to court on June 7 to indicate their preference for a trial by jury or by judge.
Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin was charged in 2015 with paying Can$47 million in bribes between 2001 and 2011 to secure contracts in Libya during the rule of former ...

Firm at center of Canadian political scandal heads to trial

France's domestic intelligence service on Wednesday questioned a journalist who broke the story of a scandal that shook President Emmanuel Macron, the latest in a growing number of reporters to be quizzed in a trend that has disturbed press freedom activists.
Ariane Chemin, who works for the daily Le Monde, said she was questioned by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) for some 45 minutes in the presence of her lawyer after being summoned last week.
"I explained that I only did my job as a journalist," she told AFP after the meeting.  She added that she had insisted on her right to protect her sources while carrying out work in the public interest based on a law dating to 1881.
"They asked me many questions on the manner in which I checked my information, which was an indirect way of asking me about my sources," Chemin said.  Le Monde's managing director Louis Dreyfus was also questioned by the DGSI on Wednesday.
Chemin has written a series of articles over former ...

1 dead, 3 including deputy wounded in East Texas shootings

Two Russian crewmembers on the International Space Station have begun a spacewalk to conduct scientific research and help maintain the orbiting outpost.
Oleg Kononenko and Alexey Ovchinin will retrieve scientific experiments that were mounted on the station's exterior and perform necessary maintenance.  The spacewalk is expected to last 6  hours. It's the fifth one for Kononenko, and the first one for Ovchinin.
Their crewmates  NASA's Anne McClain, Nick Hague and Christina Koch, and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency  are watching their progress from inside the orbiting outpost.
Kononenko is set to return to Earth with McClain and Saint-Jacques next month following a six-and-a-half-month stint in orbit. Ovchinin will replace him as the station's commander.

2 Russians venture into open space from Space Station

Stuck in traffic on a Japanese highway? If you're in a self-driving car you might be able to kick back with a sandwich and check your phone under new legislation in the country.
The law, passed Tuesday and published on the lower house website, takes effect from next year ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and offers a slight loosening of the current restrictions on autonomous vehicles.
There were few immediate official details about the new rules, but Jiji Press agency said it would come into effect in May and would apply only to limited circumstances, including traffic jams on a highway.
It would allow drivers in those situations to use a smartphone behind the wheel as their vehicle drives itself, so long as they are able to switch to manual driving immediately in case of emergency, the agency said.
There is no specific language in either existing Japanese legislation or the new law that bans reading, using a laptop or eating while driving, meaning drivers of autonomous cars could sit back .

Japan law loosens rules for self-driving cars

Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali says he is not worried about the prospect of flat pitches that are likely to favour batsmen during the World Cup in England and Wales.
The 24-year-old was Pakistan's star performer in the Champions Trophy win in England two years ago, taking 13 wickets to finish as player of the tournament.
But his recent form has been a worry for Pakistan, coinciding with 10 straight ODI losses leading into their opening World Cup match against the West Indies in Nottingham on Friday.
Hasan said he knows how to bowl on flat pitches.
"The way modern cricket is going, every bowler needs to know that taking wickets is the key," Hasan said.
"You take wickets and you win matches." Touted for taking wickets in the middle overs of one-day matches, Hasan rose to the top of the bowler's charts in 2017, taking 45 wickets -- the most in the calendar year.
But he managed just three wickets in four matches against England in a 4-0 loss earlier in May.
"I know that I have not taken many ..

Pakistan's Hasan does not fear flat pitches at World Cup

Roger Federer breezed into the third round of the French Open for the 15th time on Wednesday by seeing off German lucky loser Oscar Otte, while 11-time champion Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas also progressed.
The 37-year-old Federer held off a persistent world number 144 Otte, saving all four break points he faced in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Next up for the 20-time Grand Slam title winner is a clash with Norway's Casper Ruud who put out Italian 29th seed Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
"The Grand Slams are incredible. You can meet a player who qualified who (you) have not heard of before," said Federer, who last played at Roland Garros in 2015.
"It was difficult, he really played a great match." Federer's only French Open trophy came in 2009, and 10 years on he faces a daunting task to grab a second, potentially needing to beat Tsitsipas, Nadal and world number one Novak Djokovic in order to come out on top.
He was on his game against Otte, though, ...

Federer, Nadal power into Roland Garros third round

Kevin Pietersen believes the fearless brand of one-day cricket England have played under Eoin Morgan means they can win the World Cup for the first time.
England, who launch the tournament against South Africa at the Oval on Thursday, have transformed their approach to the one-day international game under Morgan and coach Trevor Bayliss since their embarrassing first-round exit at the 2015 edition.
"When you are allowed to fail you can play some unbelievable sport," former England batsman Pietersen, one of the most talented runscorers of his generation, said at the official tournament opening in London on Wednesday.
"That is what Morgan and Bayliss have done." The former England skipper praised Morgan's leadership.
"He's cool, he's calm and he has the backing of his players, which is the most important thing," he said. "And you get supported by your players when you know that your leader is supporting you.
"I think the most encouraging thing about this England team is that they are ...

England's 'do-or-die' World Cup bid excites Pietersen

Advance warning about an impending terror attack in Sri Lanka was "never a main point for discussion" during national intelligence coordination meetings, a senior police official Wednesday told a parliamentary probe panel on the Easter Sunday bombings.
A parliamentary select committee was appointed to probe the events leading to the April 21 attacks and any lapses by those responsible following reports that India had alerted the Sri Lankan defence establishment on the impending attacks.
Testifying before the committee, Sisira Mendis, a retired senior police official who is now the chief of national intelligence, said that prior information received was never a main subject in the discussions at the national intelligence coordination meetings.
"It was never a main point for discussion," Mendis told the committee.
More than 250 people were killed in coordinated suicide bomb attacks carried out by the local Jihadi group National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ) which is linked to the ISIS. Mendis .

Advance warning of impending terror attack in Lanka not taken seriously: Senior official

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday condemned efforts by the world's biggest cigarette vendor to rebrand a day dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use.
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Friday, the UN health agency launched a campaign to highlight the devastating impact smoking continues to have on human health and urged countries to step up the fight against the dangerous habit that causes some eight million deaths annually.
But it also voiced concern at attempts by Philip Morris International (PMI) to co-opt international efforts for its own campaign this week promoting new vaping and heated tobacco products as part of the solution to the world's smoking epidemic.
"We regard the PMI campaign as little more than a cynical attempt by the company to promote its deadly products," Vinayak Prasad, head of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, told AFP in an email.
PMI, the maker of Marlboro, insisted Tuesday that World No Tobacco Day should be renamed "World No ...

WHO decries Big Tobacco bid to rebrand World No Tobacco Day

Roger Federer reached the third round of Roland Garros for the 15th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over German lucky loser Oscar Otte.
Third seed Federer defeated the world number 144 in 95 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, saving all four break points he faced.
Next up for 37-year-old Federer is a clash with Norway's Casper Ruud who put out Italian 29th seed Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
"The Grand Slams are incredible. You can meet a player who qualified who (you) have not heard of before," said the 2019 champion.
"It was difficult, he really played a great match.
"Happily for me, he helped me with some mistakes at the end of the sets." Federer, playing at the tournament for the first time since 2015 when he made the quarter-finals, hailed the fans, two of whom carried a bedsheet with 'Federer forever' painted on it.
"Thanks to the fans, a thousand times thanks.

Federer into Roland Garros third round for 15th time

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Robert Mueller's first public statement on his high-stakes probe into Russian election meddling contained nothing new -- declaring the case "closed."
"Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent," Trump tweeted, moments after the special counsel's appearance.
"The case is closed! Thank you."
Mueller stressed that his report did not exonerate Trump of the crime of obstruction of justice, but explained that charging him was not an option because of Justice Department policy not to indict a sitting president.

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