The Islamic State group's once-sprawling "caliphate" has been reduced to a four-square-kilometre pocket of territory in eastern Syria, a senior Kurdish commander said Monday.
With support from a US-led military coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are in the final stages of an assault launched more than four months ago against the jihadists' last bastion.
A dwindling number of IS fighters, led mostly by Iraqi commanders, are now defending only a handful of hamlets in the Euphrates Valley, SDF commander Heval Roni said.
"Geographically speaking, there are only four square kilometres left under IS control, stretching from Baghouz to the Iraqi border," he told AFP in the Baghouz area.
"There are some high-ranking IS leaders among them... but we don't know who exactly," said Heval Roni, who heads SDF operations in the area.
The SDF is a Kurdish-led force that also includes Arab fighters from the region and which has spearheaded the fight against IS in Syria since it was formed in 

IS in Syria confined to four square kilometres: commander

PTI Automatic

A man who snatched a 19th-century painting off the wall in a busy Moscow museum and calmly walked out has been arrested, authorities said Monday.
The suspect took a Crimean landscape by Russian artist Arkhip Kuindzhi and carried it through a room filled with visitors on Sunday, footage aired on state television showed.
It is the second security incident to hit the capital's Tretyakov gallery in a year, after a visitor in May seriously damaged a painting of Ivan the Terrible.  The Russian interior ministry said a 31-year-old man was detained Monday in a village outside Moscow.
He admitted hiding it on a construction site from where it was recovered, a ministry statement said.
The painting, depicting the Ai-Petri mountain in Crimea, was completed between 1898 and 1908.
The ministry published a video of his arrest that showed armed police holding the man to the floor and recovering the painting, that appeared not to be damaged.
Authorities said the man had previously been charged with ...

Suspect nabbed in brazen art theft from Moscow museum

The longtime head of the world's Yazidis, a minority whose Iraqi community was ferociously targeted by the Islamic State group, has died in Germany after a long illness, officials said Monday.
Prince Tahseen Said Ali died in the KRH Siloah hospital in Hanover at the age of 85, according to the head of the Iraqi Kurdish region's head of Yazidi affairs, Khairi Buzani.
Born in 1933 in Iraq's northwest Sheikhan district, he was appointed head of the Yazidis at age 11 after the death of his father, who was the previous emir.
He later moved to Germany, home of the biggest expatriate Yazidi community.
"He will be buried in the coming days in Iraqi Kurdistan," said Iraqi Yazidi parliamentarian Vian Dakhil.
Dakhil told AFP that before dying, Prince Tahseen had appointed his son, Hazem, to succeed him.
Iraqi officials, including Finance Minister Fuad Hussein and the Kurdistan region's prime minister Nechirvan Barzani, sent condolences to the prince's family on Monday.
The Yazidi faith emerged ..

Prince of IS-ravaged Yazidis dies in Germany

Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah offered to resign on Monday, as president Mahmud Abbas seeks to form a new government.
The moves by Abbas are seen as part of attempts to further isolate his political rivals Hamas as a decade-long split in Palestinian politics deepens.
Hamdallah has "put his government at the disposal of President Mahmud Abbas", the prime minister's spokesman Yussef al-Mahmud said in a statement.
The premier later confirmed the offer during a visit to the southern West Bank city of Hebron, but denied a new government was an attempt to squeeze Hamas.
"We hope that all Palestinian factions will participate in this (new) government and I appeal to the Hamas movement to participate," he said.
It came after the central committee of Abbas's Fatah movement recommended late Sunday the formation of a new government that would comprise members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).
The Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, is not part of the ...

Palestinian PM willing to quit if president Abbas wishes

Chinese bank regulators approved the registration of S&P Global's Chinese entity on Monday, giving the US tech firm access to the country's credit rating market, as the China-US trade war grinds on.
The People's Bank of China -- China's central bank -- said S&P Global's Beijing-based subsidiary has successfully registered and has received the green light to conduct bond rating in China's interbank bond market.
"As a next step, the People's Bank of China will... support even more foreign credit rating organisations that conform to regulations and have international influence to enter the Chinese market," the bank said in a statement.
Opening up China's credit rating industry is "an important part" of steadily growing China's financial market, it said.
S&P Global's entry into China comes as Beijing and Washington are locked in a bruising trade war that has spooked markets worldwide.
Since last year, the world's two largest economies have exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs on more ...

S&P Global enters China's credit rating market amid trade war

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he is loving life as Manchester United's caretaker manager and is already making plans for next season, even though the Norwegian still does not know if he will remain in charge.
The 45-year-old has made a record-breaking start in charge at Old Trafford, becoming the first boss to begin his United career with eight straight victories.
That has led to a growing clamour from supporters for Solskjaer to be confirmed as manager on a permanent basis, despite United still being linked strongly with Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino.
Victory away at Pochettino's Spurs and Arsenal in the FA Cup on Friday have dismissed suggestions early in Solskjaer's run that he had just benefitted from a kind run of fixtures.
"I love it," said Solskjaer ahead of Burnley's visit to Old Trafford on Tuesday. "It's what you want, we've had some fantastic results, great performances.
"And the improvement I can see in many aspects, just from Tottenham to Arsenal; the way we improved the .

Solskjaer looking to the future no matter what Man Utd decide

United Arab Emirates coach Alberto Zaccheroni indulged in some mind games Monday before the Asian Cup semi-finals, suggesting opponents Qatar were favourites to win.
The Italian, who steered Japan to a record fourth title in 2011, sought to take the pressure off his players before Tuesday's politically charged clash in Abu Dhabi by highlighting the strengths of 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.
"They are an outstanding side who haven't conceded a goal yet in this tournament," said Zaccheroni, whose team stunned holders Australia 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
"Their results even before the Asian Cup were excellent. They are solid in all departments but they have some dangerous individuals too.
"They've been together for many years," noted the former AC Milan and Lazio boss before a game that will be bristling with regional tensions over the long-running Gulf blockade of Qatar.
"That stability is a source of great strength for them."
The winners of Monday's semi-final between Iran and Japan ...

Zaccheroni wary of 'outstanding' Qatar in Asian Cup semi

Novak Djokovic strengthened his grip at the top of the men's ATP tennis ranking Monday following his destruction of Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.
An outclassed Nadal, beaten in straight sets in just over two hours, held on to second spot in the rankings while Roger Federer slipped from third to six place.
Federer, the defending champion, was eliminated in the round of 16 by Greek giant-killer Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Alexander Zverev replaces Federer in third position ahead of Juan Martin Del Potro, fourth, who missed the Australian Open.
Despite his early elimination in Melbourne, South African Kevin Anderson, a Wimbledon finalist last year, moved up a spot into fifth.
Japan's Kei Nishikori, meanwhile, rises two places to seventh after reaching the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
Tsitsipas, eliminated by Nadal in the semi-finals, jumped three places and is knocking on the door of the top 10 in 12th place.
Latest ATP ranking:
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 10,955 pts
2. Rafael Nadal ...

Djokovic tightens grip on top of rankings; Federer slides

Iraq's football federation said Monday it was investigating whether national team players in Abu Dhabi for the Asian Cup this month snuck out of their hotel to party at a nightclub.
Media reports have alleged that after their draw last week against Iran in the final group-stage match, some Iraqi players travelled to nearby Dubai for a night out.
"We have decided to form a fact-finding committee over what was reported by different media and have invited all relevant parties to take part," the federation said in a statement.
If the allegations prove to be correct, the federation would consider legal action for "defamation" and harming Iraq's reputation, its media head Mohammad Khalaf told AFP.
Iraq were knocked out of the tournament with a 1-0 defeat to Qatar in the last 16.  Last year, Iraqi national teams were embroiled in a string of age-fraud scandals.
Adult players were found to have falsified ages on their passports to play on the under-16 squad, and the under-23 team also dropped 

Iraq footballers in probe over night out during Asia Cup

Prolific forward Wu Lei, dubbed "the Chinese Maradona", has signed for struggling Espanyol in La Liga, the Spanish club and Shanghai SIPG said on Monday.
The 27-year-old was top scorer in the Chinese Super League (CSL) last season, hitting 27 goals to play a major part in SIPG's maiden title success.
"The new blue and white player will wear the number 24 on his shirt," Chinese-owned Espanyol, who are in the bottom third of La Liga, said in a statement.
There was no immediate word on the size of the transfer fee.
"SIPG still follows one basic principle: as long as it (the transfer) is beneficial to the player's career and the development of Chinese football, the club will fully support it," SIPG said in a statement.
The move for the international Wu, China's best player, has been mooted for several days.
Wu, who can play centrally or out wide, was previously linked with Chinese-owned Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
But it is Barcelona-based Espanyol who have taken the ...

'China's Maradona' signs for Espanyol

When the United Arab Emirates take on bitter Gulf rivals Qatar in the Asian Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, good luck spotting the Qatari fans.
Not only are Qataris largely barred from UAE due to the ongoing Gulf blockade, but the hosts have gone to great lengths to make sure no pro-Qatar supporters sneak in.
In a telling turn of events, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council has snapped up all remaining tickets to give away to "loyal UAE fans", it said in a tweet.
Long queues formed as supporters waited for their free tickets, but only people holding Emirati identification were eligible.
The move appears aimed at preventing a repeat of Qatar's last-16 game with Saudi Arabia, the UAE's staunch ally, when Omani fans turned up to cheer on the Maroons.
It also highlights seething tensions between Qatar and UAE, one of a group of countries enforcing a diplomatic and transport blockade of the 2022 World Cup hosts for allegedly supporting terrorism -- a claim Doha denies.
The result is that Abu Dhabi's ..

Qatar blockade hits Asian Cup with UAE-only ticket giveaway

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday met with a UN judicial expert who is looking into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Ankara calls for an international inquiry.
The UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, will be in Turkey until Saturday for a series of meetings with authorities including the Istanbul chief prosecutor.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and Saudi regime critic, was murdered on October 2 in Turkey in what Riyadh called a "rogue" operation, tipping the kingdom into one of its worst diplomatic crises.
Turkish authorities have called for an international probe into the killing which took place at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, complaining of Saudi Arabia's failure to cooperate.
"Met with @AgnesCallamard, #UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, who is in #Turkey to investigate the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter, sharing a picture from his ...

UN judicial expert in Turkey to probe Khashoggi murder

Novak Djokovic has designs on Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam crowns after completing a record-breaking Australian Open victory.
Djokovic won a record seventh Melbourne crown, 15th Grand Slam title and third in a row after Wimbledon and the US Open when he swatted aside Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in a two-hour exhibition of tennis perfection on Sunday.
The Serbian world number one said he was motivated to "have a shot" at Federer's record but conceded that it was "still far" away.
"I am aware that making history of the sport that I truly love is something special. Of course, it motivates me," he told reporters after celebrating the demolition of his greatest rival in their 53rd meeting.
"Playing Grand Slams, biggest ATP events, is my utmost priority," Djokovic added.
It was the manner of victory that had many, including Djokovic, believing he can go on to match or possibly overtake Federer.
At 31 years old, six years younger than Federer, he has time on his side.
- 'It's still far' ...

Triumphant Djokovic motivated by matching Federer's top 20

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Monday the Taliban should "enter serious talks" with his government, after the insurgents and Washington both touted progress during unprecedented negotiations in Qatar last week.
A months-long diplomatic push by the United States to get the Taliban to talk to Kabul culminated in six days of meetings between the US and the insurgents in Doha, but the Taliban have long refused to negotiate with the Afghan government to end the 17-year conflict, branding them as "puppets".
"I call on the Taliban to... show their Afghan will, and accept Afghans' demand for peace, and enter serious talks with the Afghan government," Ghani said in a nationally televised address from the presidential palace in Kabul.
Both the Taliban and the US cited "progress" over the weekend as hopes rise that the length of the negotiations could mean a deal may be in sight which paves the way for Afghan talks.
Sticking points remain, with topics including a ceasefire and a timetable ...

Afghan president calls for 'serious talks' with Taliban

Europe's stock markets slid Monday on jitters over looming high-level trade talks between China and the United States.
Around 1115 GMT, Frankfurt and London each shed 0.2 per cent while Paris slipped 0.4 per cent.
The pound dropped against the dollar ahead of Tuesday's vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's revised Brexit deal, with many believing that even if it is kicked out by MPs, Britain will still not leave the European Union without an agreement.
There is a growing sense that May will seek a delay in the country's leaving date to give her more time to reach a deal.
Oil prices shed about one dollar, while earlier in Asia, stock markets closed mixed as investors look ahead to a week chock-full of crucial events.
"European stocks are slightly in the red ... as dealers tread lightly ahead of the latest US-China trade talks that are set to take place this week," said CMC Markets UK analyst David Madden.
"The mood is subdued as the gulf between the two sides is still wide, and .

European stocks retreat as traders brace for China-US talks

Greece on Monday issued a five-year bond, a finance ministry source said, its first such debt issue since exiting its last bailout.
The ministry source confirmed the issue to AFP without specifying the amount sought, which according to reports is between two and 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion).
In its last bond issue in February 2018, Greece raised 3.0 billion euros at 3.5 percent via a 7-year bond.
Offers at the time stood at around 6.5 billion euros.
The previous five-year bond sale, in July 2017, raised 3.0 billion euros at 4.625 per cent.
Greece currently has no urgent need to draw money from the bond markets as it has built a cash cushion of at least 15 billion euros.
"Our financing needs are fully covered to 2020," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told parliament earlier this month.
But it acts as a psychological milestone, designed to show that the country is on the road to recovery after emerging from its third international debt bailout in August.
In a statement concluding its .

Greece issues first 5-yr-bond since bailout exit: ministry source

A British woman convicted in Egypt of smuggling painkillers has been granted early release after spending more than a year in prison, an Egyptian security source said Monday.
Laura Plummer, 34, was arrested at Hurghada airport and sentenced in December 2017 to three years in prison after customs officers found almost 300 Tramadol pills in her luggage.
She was among a number of prisoners granted a presidential pardon after having served a third of her sentence, said the source at the Egyptian prison authority.
"Procedures for her release were completed yesterday (Sunday)," he added.
Tramadol, a strong painkiller used to treat moderate to severe pain, is tightly controlled in Egypt where it is often abused as a recreational drug.
The painkiller is dispensed on prescription in Britain.
Since her arrest, Plummer and her relatives maintained that she was unaware of Egypt's restrictions on the drug and that she was bringing the painkillers for her Egyptian partner who suffered from back ...

Egypt 'pardons Briton' jailed for smuggling painkillers

A Canadian man, who allegedly tried to swindle an entertainment company out of $284 million, has been arrested in the gambling hub of Macau, police said Monday.
The suspect, a 61-year-old retiree of Chinese descent, was arrested on Friday after allegedly trying to transfer the money from the firm's bank account using bogus documents earlier in the week.
In an emailed statement Macau's Judiciary Police told AFP the man, surnamed Liao, tried to use a "fake authorisation document and transfer slip to try to defraud the entertainment company and the bank".
Police did not identify the company or the bank involved.
The arrest comes as Beijing and Ottawa are locked in a diplomatic row following the December arrest in Canada of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a US extradition request linked to Iran sanctions violations.
In a move observers see as retaliation over the Meng case, Chinese authorities detained two Canadians soon after, accusing them of activities that "endanger ...

Canadian arrested in Macau for $284 mn fraud attempt

Ten members of rival civilian self-defense groups were killed in a gun battle in the Mexican state of Guerrero, a local security official said late Sunday.
Guerrero, located on Mexico's southern Pacific coast, is one of the country's most violent regions, where rump groups of criminals belonging to defeated but once powerful drug cartels fight to control lucrative drug smuggling routes.
In response, armed civilian vigilante groups have emerged in an attempt to maintain peace.
"Members of two groups of armed civilian groups that call themselves community (self-defense) police faced off in a gun battle on Sunday," said Roberto Alvarez, the regional head of security.
After the clash state police found "two vehicles that showed multiple bullet impacts and inside the lifeless bodies of ten people," Alvarez said.
The statement did not say how many people were found in each vehicle, or which groups the victims belonged to.
Drug-related violence has resulted in some 200,000 deaths in Mexico ..

Ten killed in clash of Mexican self-defense forces

A rare and powerful tornado that struck Havana killed three people and left 172 injured, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said early Monday.
Diaz-Canel, who toured the darkened streets of Havana in the pre-dawn hours visiting emergency crews, wrote on Twitter that damage to the Cuban capital from the late Sunday tornado was "severe." The tornado overturned vehicles, uprooted trees, knocked down lampposts, and left part of the city in the dark.
In the city's Luyano neighborhood storm debris -- including parts of a balcony ripped off an old building --  blocked the streets, AFP photographers reported.
As emergency sirens blared across the city, firefighters and ambulances rushed about on rescue missions, their flashing lights giving light to blacked out areas.
"Aas of now we mourn the loss of three human lives and 172 injured people are receiving aid", Diaz-Canel tweeted.
He added that several emergency teams were working hard to restore power to blacked-out areas.
At the Hijas de ...

Three dead, 172 injured in Havana tornado

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to "enter serious talks" with the government in Kabul Monday, following unprecedented marathon negotiations between the insurgents and the US in Qatar last week.
"I call on the Taliban to... show their Afghan fwill, and accept Afghans' demand for peace, and enter serious talks with the Afghan government," he said in a nationally televised address from the presidential palace in Kabul.
Afghan authorities have previously complained of being excluded from the discussions in Qatar, and warned that any deal between the US and the Taliban would require Kabul's endorsement.
However the Taliban have long refused to speak directly to Ghani's government, branding them "puppets".
Ghani spoke hours after his office released a statement saying that US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad had assured them that the focus of the talks in Qatar remains finding a way to facilitate peace negotiations between the militants and Kabul.
Khalilzad arrived in ...

AFP

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