#Oil sands, bisons and Tic Tacs: Inside provincial trade rep offices in #Washington

The Democratic Republic of #Congo's squad were heading to Spain on Thursday to continue their World Cup preparations and still hope to go ahead with their planned friendly against Chile next week, coach Sebastien Desabre said.

#Nigeria's Dangote refinery tops 700,000 barrels a day in test

#Egypt sentences poet to prison three years after presidential pardon

#Japan fertility rate falls again to record low

President #Vladimir Putin’s push for what he calls #Russia’s technological sovereignty is turning into a family affair with the development of key sectors entrusted to one of his daughters and the children of close allies

#Australia’s central bank has already seen some signs that its interest-rate increases are starting to work through the economy, Governor Michele Bullock said

U.S. tells #Canada, #Europe to boost #NATO air and naval forces as Washington steps back.

BRUSSELS/BERLIN - The U.S. expects European NATO allies and Canada to swiftly increase the number of manned and unmanned aircraft and ships they contribute to the alliance’s defence plans as Washington steps back in these areas, a top U.S. general said on Wednesday.

The statement by U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top commander and the head of U.S. forces in Europe, followed a decision by the Trump administration to shrink the pool of U.S. military capabilities available to NATO in a crisis.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO and told its European members they will have to take over primary responsibility for the conventional defence of the continent.

The U.S. told allies last month of its decision to reduce its contribution to a framework known as the #NATO Force Model, which includes a pool of forces that could be activated during a crisis.

The U.S. did not publicly disclose details of the planned reductions. But they include cuts across a broad range of capabilities, including refueling aircraft, fighter jets, drones and navy ships, according to figures provided to Reuters by a military source.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. had not specified when the assets would no longer be available to NATO.

But Grynkewich’s statement, issued after a meeting of NATO military planners on Wednesday, was the first public indication of what areas the U.S. plans to cut first and where it expects allies to step in.

Manned and unmanned aircraft and naval vessels are two areas where Canada and European allies “can step up now and in the near term - as the United States reduces forces ‘sourced’ to the NATO Force Model in Europe and refocuses them elsewhere,” he said.

“There has been an unhealthy co-dependence in the NATO Force Model on U.S. forces,” Grynkewich said in his written statement. “President Trump, (Defense) Secretary (Pete) Hegseth and others have been clear that this needs to change, and it will change. The potential reality of simultaneous conflict in multiple theaters demands it.”

#Canada made new and detailed proposals on trade to the US based on negotiating progress in recent weeks, said Canadian cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc.

The #Trump administration is seeking public comment on its plans to create a Board of Trade to manage economic ties with #China, moving ahead with the formal process to create the new mechanism