World news roundup: Palestinian businesses call for freedom; Iran shoots down U.S. military drone

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

In a rebuff to Trump, Palestinian businesses call for freedom, not cash

Palestinian businessmen boycotting the Trump administration's Bahrain workshop designed to encourage investment in the territories say only a diplomatic path to statehood can end decades of conflict with Israel. The United States has billed the June 25-26 gathering in the Gulf kingdom as an economic overture to its long-delayed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, widely referred to as President Donald Trump's "deal of the century".

Ex-U.S. Marine accused of spying by Russia asks Trump to help

A former U.S. Marine held in Russia on suspicion of spying called on U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Britain, Canada and Ireland to help him as he appeared in court at an appeal hearing on Thursday. Paul Whelan, who holds the U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 and accused of espionage, a charge he denies. If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in jail.

India says in talks with the U.S. on H-1B visas, no official word on limits

India is in talks with the United States on H-1B work visas but has not heard anything official from Washington on capping such permits for Indians, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. Reuters reported on Wednesday the United States had told India it was considering caps on H-1B work visas for countries that force foreign companies to store data locally, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Hong Kong lets protesters' deadline to scrap extradition bill pass, setting the stage for further demos

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam appeared to ignore a Thursday deadline set by some protesters to withdraw an extradition bill that she promoted then postponed, setting the stage for a new wave of demonstrations in the Chinese-ruled city. Lam suspended the bill, which would allow criminal suspects in the former British colony to be extradited to mainland China for trial, but some student groups called on her to axe it altogether, setting the 5 p.m. (0900 GMT) deadline.

Putin: Fate of captured Ukrainian sailors must be tied to jailed Russians

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the fate of 24 Ukrainian sailors held in Russia since last year must be linked to the release of Russian citizens held in Ukraine whom Moscow wants to see freed. Putin's comments marked a departure from the Kremlin's insistence that the sailors must be put on trial and that their case must be properly investigated before any discussion of their possible release.

China's Xi says world hopes North Korea-U.S. talks can succeed

The world hopes North Korea and the United States can talk to each other and for those talks to be successful, Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, praising Pyongyang's efforts toward denuclearization. Xi is visiting China's reclusive neighbour North Korea, seeking to bolster a longtime ally hit by U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, a week before Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump meet amid a bitter trade dispute.

Swedish prosecutor will not appeal court ruling on Assange detention

Sweden's prosecution authority said on Thursday it would not appeal a court ruling rejecting a formal request that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange be detained while an allegation of rape is investigated. Assange, an Australian national, is currently serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for skipping bail after spending seven years holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden. He denies the rape accusation.

Then there were two: Brexit campaigner Johnson far ahead in the race to lead

Britain Boris Johnson, a former foreign secretary who helped lead the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign, continued his progress toward the top job on Thursday when he trounced his rivals again in the race to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May. In the fourth ballot of Conservative lawmakers, which eliminated interior minister Sajid Javid, Johnson was again way out in front of his rivals. The result of a fifth and final ballot is due at 1700 GMT on Thursday.

Iran shoots down U.S. military drone in the Gulf region

Iran on Thursday shot down a U.S. military drone that it said was flying over one of its southern provinces on the Gulf, increasing fears of military conflict as Washington seeks to isolate Tehran over its nuclear and regional activities. It was the latest in an escalating spate of incidents in the Gulf region, a critical artery for global oil supplies, since mid-May including explosive strikes on six oil tankers as Tehran and Washington have slid toward confrontation.

Putin, hit by rating drop, tells Russians a better life awaits

President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Thursday there were signs that years of falling real wages, which have dented his popularity, were drawing to an end and that a government program would deliver higher living standards. Putin, 66, in power as president or prime minister since 1999, was re-elected by a landslide last year but his high ratings have slipped over pension reforms.