It was being dubbed as the Valentine's Day revolt as British Prime Minister Theresa May faced the prospect of another parliamentary bruising during a Brexit vote in the House of Commons on Thursday evening.
She lost the indicative motion in the House of Commons, with 303 MPs voting against it and 258 for it.
Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn immediately called on Theresa May  who was not in the Commons chamber for the vote  to "admit her Brexit strategy has failed".
British MPs began debating the future course for Britain exit plans from the European Union (EU) in the Commons, with a vote on the government motion sealing yet another parliamentary defeat for the British PM over Brexit.
Hard Brexit MPs had threatened to vote against or abstain in order to defeat the motion, which they feel indicates a no-deal Brexit is being taken off the table as a negotiating tactic with Brussels.
They chose to abstain during the Thursday evening vote, making this Theresa May's tenth defeat in a .

Theresa May suffers defeat in Valentine's Day Brexit rebellion

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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "strongly" condemned the terror attack against security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, perpetrated by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, calling for those behind the attack to be brought to justice.
In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's three decades of militancy, a Jaish suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district, killing at least 39 personnel and leaving many critically wounded.
"We strongly condemn today's attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district and express our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the Government and people of India," Guterres's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing here Thursday.
Responding to a question by PTI on the terror attack, Dujarric said, "We of course wish a speedy recovery to those injured and call for those behind the attack to be brought  to ...

UN chief condemns Pulwama terror attack, calls for those behind the attack to be brought to justice

Top American lawmakers on Thursday rallied behind India in the immediate aftermath of the gruesome terrorist attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district and said the Washington stands alongside New Delhi in "confronting terror and defeating it".
In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's three decades of militancy, a Jaish suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district, killing at least 39 personnel and leaving many critically wounded.
"I condemn today's terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir. I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. The United States stands alongside India in confronting terror and defeating it," Senator Jack Reed said in a tweet.
Another Senator Kevin Thomas tweeted, "I strongly condemn this cowardly terrorist attack which targeted Indian soldiers in Kashmir. My thoughts and prayers to the families of the soldiers."
More than 2,500 Central ...

US lawmakers condemn terror attack in J-K's Pulwama

It is being dubbed the Valentine's Day revolt as British Prime Minister Theresa May faces the prospect of another parliamentary bruising during a Brexit vote in the House of Commons on Thursday evening.
British MPs began debating the future course for Britain exit plans from the European Union (EU) in the Commons, with a vote on the government motion set for later in the day.
However, hard Brexit MPs threatened to vote against or abstain in order to defeat the motion, which they feel indicates a no-deal Brexit is being taken off the table as a negotiating tactic with Brussels.
"It makes sense that we keep no deal on the table, because we know the history of the EU that they do make concessions at the last moment. We need to hold our nerve," said Shailesh Vara, who had resigned as a minister in May's Cabinet last year in protest over her Brexit policy.
The government's motion is an indicative rather than a binding vote on Parliament, effectively reiterating support "for the approach to 

Theresa May prepares for Valentine's Day Brexit rebellion

Dale Steyn and his fellow fast bowlers enabled South Africa to gain an advantage over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.
Steyn took four for 48 as South Africa took a first innings lead of 44. They stretched their lead to 170 by reaching 126 for four at the close.
South Africa's decision to pick five specialist bowlers meant that their advantage was some way short of being decisive, with Faf du Plessis (25 not out) and Quinton de Kock (15 not out) their last two recognised batsmen going into day three.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 191 and were unable to build on a good first day when their inexperienced bowlers surprised the South African batsmen, who could manage only 235 in their first innings.
Steyn and Vernon Philander soon put their stamp on the game when Sri Lanka resumed at 49 for one on Thursday, taking three wickets in the first ten overs of the morning.
Kusal Perera played some bold and occasionally lucky ...

Steyn grabs advantage for South Africa

Nepal-India relations saw new heights in the last one year and the execution of joint projects have also gained momentum following high-level bilateral visits, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said here on Thursday.
Addressing the nation on completion of one year of his government, Oli said the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal and his tour to India last year helped the two neighbours to scale up their ties.
Modi visited the Himalayan country in May 2018 and inaugurated a direct bus service between Janakpur (the birthplace of Lord Sita) in Nepal and Ayodhya (the birthplace of Lord Ram) as part of a "Ramayan Circuit" to promote religious tourism in Nepal and India.
In August, Modi attended the fourth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit in Kathmandu.
Oli visited New Delhi in April after taking charge as Nepal's prime minister for the second time in February 2018.
The Nepalese premier said the visits further enhanced ..

Nepal-India ties move upward, joint projects gain momentum: PM Oli

Nepal on Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pulwama district and said such heinous acts of terrorism cannot be justified on any ground.
"The Government of Nepal strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir today that has resulted in the loss of many precious lives," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement here.
It extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims as well as the Government and people of India.
"In line with its principled position, Nepal unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and believes that such heinous acts of terrorism cannot be justified on any ground," it said.
In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's three decades of militancy, a suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district on Thursday, killing at least 39 personnel and leaving many critically wounded.

Nepal strongly condemns Pulwama terrorist attack

Manchester United revealed on Thursday that sacking Jose Mourinho cost the club nearly 20 million pounds, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward hailing the impact of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The sum of 19.6 million pounds (USD 25 million) which is listed under "exceptional items" in the club's second-quarter results, includes pay-outs for the members of Mourinho's staff who left with him after he was sacked in December.
The fortunes of the Premier League club have been transformed since Solskjaer took the helm as interim boss.
United are now in the top four after being 11 points adrift of the Champions League places when Mourinho left.
"The appointment of Ole and Mike (Phelan) as caretaker manager and assistant manager... has had a positive impact throughout the club," said Woodward.
"We are delighted with the improvement in the team's performances since December and we look forward to a strong finish to the 18/19 season."
In the report, the club announced record revenues of 208.6 ...

Man Utd confirm huge Mourinho pay-off

An Indian-origin student who hanged herself on the grounds of her school in London two years ago died as a consequence of a depressive illness, an inquest into her death concluded this week.
Elena Mondal was found unresponsive by her teachers in a wooded area at Hampstead's exclusive girls' school Henrietta Barnett in north London in June 2017.
The 14-year-old had been rushed to hospital after a self-harming incident on the school premises just weeks before her death, the inquest was told.
Andrew Walker, the coroner leading the proceedings to determine the facts behind the death, concluded on Wednesday that the schoolgirl died as a consequence of a "depressive illness".
"What needs to happen is that as a society we need to look at how we treat our young people and ask ourselves some questions, the answers to which may be difficult for us to hear," said Walker.
He made recommendations for improved record-keeping for the school and the health agencies involved with the teenager's care, .

Indian-origin student hanged herself after depressive illness, UK inquest concludes

An Indian couple, on their first visit to the UAE for a family reunion, was killed and five others from the same family, including two children, were injured when a vehicle in which they were travelling crashed during a desert safari in Sharjah, according to a media report.
The couple, identified as 42-year-old Rohinibahen Vinodbhai Patel and her husband 47-year-old Vinodbhai Patel, hailed from Baroda in Gujarat.
While Rohinibahen died on the spot, Vinodbhai Patel suffered a cardiac arrest after the collision and died a few hours later at Al Dhaid Hospital, the Khaleej Times reported.
The driver, who was from a private tour company, was speeding when he lost control over his vehicle and it flipped over multiple times on Al Nazawi Road in Madam area at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday, police said, adding that he sustained injuries and has been admitted to a hospital.
The Gujarati couple came to the UAE on February 8, said Rohinibahen's brother-in-law Dipak Patel, a US citizen.
He was the ...

Indian couple on family reunion in UAE killed in accident during desert safari

Alex Ferguson hailed Eric Harrison as one of the "greatest coaches of our time" after the former Manchester United youth team boss and mentor to the much-vaunted Class of '92 died at the age of 81.
Harrison, responsible for forging the fledgling careers of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Gary and Phil Neville among others, was diagnosed with dementia four years ago.
"Eric's contribution to football and not just at Manchester United was incredible," said former manager Ferguson.
"When I came as manager I was lucky enough to have Eric on the staff as head of youth development, so I got to see the work he did and not just with the Class of 92 but with all the young players.
"He built character and determination in those young players and prepared them for the future. He was a teacher, he gave these players a path, a choice and he only did that through his own hard work and sacrifice.
"He was able to impart that education to the young which made him one of the ...

Man Utd youth coach who mentored Beckham and Giggs dies

The EU took a major step Thursday towards tightening its scrutiny of foreign takeovers in strategic sectors like communications and artificial intelligence amid concern about investment by China.
Under a proposal adopted by the European Parliament, EU countries would supply information on foreign investment to other members if public order or security are concerned.
"We must defend Europe's strategic interests," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said as he welcomed the vote passing in the assembly in Strasbourg, France.
"And for that we need scrutiny over purchases by foreign companies that target Europe's strategic assets," Juncker said, while insisting Europe will remain open to investment.
The parliament said it now expects European Union countries on March 5 to endorse the rules it adopted by 500 votes for, 49 against and 56 abstentions.
They would take effect 18 months later.
They aim to protect sectors like energy, transport, communications, data, space and finance ..

EU to keep closer eye on Chinese takeover moves

A top Pakistani court Thursday granted bail to Shehbaz Sharif in two corruption cases, in a major relief to the embattled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and Leader of Opposition who is currently in a jail here.
A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed accepted Sharif's plea and granted him bail in the Rs 1,400 crore Ashiyana Housing and Ramzan Sugar Mills scams.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had taken 67-year-old Sharif, the younger brother of jailed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, into custody on October 5. He is accused of allegedly cancelling the contract of a successful bidder in the scheme and awarding the same to his favourite firm.
The former Punjab province chief minister, who has been in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, declared the verdict "a victory of truth".
He said false cases were instituted against him on "political grounds". He said if a corruption of a penny is proved against him, he will quit politics.
But .

PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif gets bail in 2 corruption cases

South African gold mining giant Sibanye-Stillwater announced plans Thursday to shed more than 6,000 jobs, or 10 per cent of its workforce, from underperforming gold mines.
The company is one of the biggest employers in the South African mining industry, and job cuts are politically sensitive ahead of May general elections in a country where more than a quarter of the workforce are unemployed.
Sibanye-Stillwater said five shafts at its Beatrix and Driefontein operations made financial losses last year despite efforts to turn things around.
It has therefore initiated the process to lay off 5,870 full-time and 800 casual workers.
"Contemplating potential restructuring of this nature is never taken lightly," said the company's CEO Neal Froneman.
"Our best attempts to address the ongoing losses at these operations, have however been unsuccessful and sustaining these losses may threaten the viability of our other operations," he said.
The targeted workers are employed at Beatrix mine, in ...

Sibanye to cut 6,000 jobs at South African gold mines

India continued to draw a blank as Netherlands' Eva de Goede and Arthur Van Doren of Belgium were on Thursday named as the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Players of the Year for 2018.
Since the inception of the awards in 1998, no Indian hockey player has managed to bag the coveted awards.
While de Goede, 29, was named the Female Player of the Year, world champions Belgium's Van Doren, 24, was picked up as the Male Player of the Year for a second consecutive time.
Red Lions defender Van Doren is one of four Belgian winners in the FIH Hockey Stars Awards for 2018. Last year Van Doren claimed both the Player and Rising Star of the Year Awards.
Van Doren was not the only member of the Belgian set-up to win an award, with 31-year-old Red Lions shot-stopper Vincent Vanasch, a star performer in Belgium's shoot-out triumph over the Netherlands in the World Cup final, claiming 46 per cent of votes to win his second successive Men's Goalkeeper of the Year title.
Arthur De Sloover's ...

De Goede, Van Doren win 2018 FIH players of year awards

Ex-Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said Thursday that the country is seeking to reduce the more than USD 3 billion he estimates it could owe China, some of which he said came in the form of "ill-gotten wealth" for the previous government of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
A close adviser to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and candidate for parliamentary elections in April, Nasheed spoke to The Associated Press at a climate change lecture in New Delhi, a day after Maldives' top prosecutor charged Yameen with money laundering.
The charges are linked to USD 1 million allegedly found in Yameen's bank account from a shady government deal to lease islands for tourist development in the Maldives, which is famous for its luxury resorts.
Yameen lost last September's presidential election after a five-year term during which he was accused of corruption and misrule.
Nasheed, who became the Maldives' first democratically elected president in 2008, said an investigation of Yameen for suspected ..

AP Interview: Maldives ex-president says debt under audit

Indian-origin peers in the House of Lords have initiated a historic debate on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in April 1919 during the British Raj, to be held next Tuesday.
"Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Amritsar massacre", initiated by Lord Meghnad Desai and Lord Raj Loomba, will take place in the main chamber of the Upper House of the UK Parliament and include around nine speakers during what is listed as a short debate.
Both Desai and Loomba are members of the newly-formed Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Commemoration Committee, set up to mark 100 years since the tragic event.
"This is a historic moment as the centenary of the massacre falls on April 13, 2019. The debate proposes discussing the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in detail, as well as the British government's plans to commemorate the centenary," said a statement from the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Commemoration Committee (JBCC).
"This is the first time in 100 years that there will be a full debate on Jallianwala Bagh. .

UK to debate Jallianwala Bagh massacre in House of Lords

What's big, blue, furry and monstrous? For the Netherlands the answer is simple: Brexit.
While the British government has had trouble imagining what its exit from the European Union will actually look like, the Dutch government unveiled its vision in the form of a hairy beast.
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok tweeted a picture of himself with the creature, which is wearing a white t-shirt with the word "Brexit" in red letters, lying on his desk and stopping him from working.
"Make sure Brexit doesn't get -- or lie -- in your way," Blok, who has his arms raised in a gesture of mock frustration, said in the tweet.
"It's a sort of funny way of warning for Brexit, but in a relaxed way," a Dutch government source told AFP, adding that the creature's name was "Brexit".
The government says the idea is to raise awareness among Dutch businesses of the impact of Brexit, especially if Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal on March 29.
A picture on the government's Brexit awareness website 

Dutch unveil furry Brexit monster

Washington will not unilaterally withdraw from Afghanistan, the Pentagon chief said Thursday, as NATO said the Kabul government must be urgently brought into US peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the country's 17-year war.
Acting defence secretary Patrick Shanahan said any decision to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan would be taken in coordination with NATO, which runs a training and support mission in the war-torn country.
The United States is leading a push for peace talks with the Taliban, seeking a breakthrough in the grinding conflict, with the Islamists announcing Wednesday a fresh round of meetings in Islamabad.
But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against any more delay in involving the Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani in the process, saying that without it lasting peace would not be possible.
President Donald Trump wants to end US involvement in Afghanistan, where 14,000 American troops are still deployed -- raising Afghan fears 

No unilateral US pullout from Afghanistan: Shanahan

Top trade negotiators from the US and China began their talks in "good spirits" here on Thursday amid the optimism generated by President Donald Trump's remarks about extending the March 1 deadline for the world's two largest economies to reach a trade deal.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his Chinese counterpart Vice Premier Liu He met in Beijing to take the talks forward from their recent meeting in Washington on the topics of trade balance, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), non-tariff barriers, service sector, agriculture and enforcement mechanism.
Besides Lighthizer, described as a hardliner on China by the Chinese media, the US team also included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and David Malpass, a Treasury undersecretary who is Trump's nominee for World Bank president.
Trump is pushing China to reduce the USD 375 billion trade deficit and protection of intellectual property rights and more access to Chinese markets. He has ...

US, China hold talks to clinch deal to end trade war

British Prime Minister Theresa May was scrambling Thursday to avoid another defeat on her Brexit plans amid opposition from members of her own party who claim she is moving in the wrong direction in efforts to overcome the impasse blocking a deal.
Hard-line pro-Brexit lawmakers in May's Conservative Party said a motion to be voted on in Parliament later effectively rules out the threat of Britain leaving the European Union without an agreement on departure terms and future relations, a move they say undermines Britain's bargaining position.
"Conservative MPs (members of Parliament) really ought not to be associated with anything, express or implied, which seems to take 'no deal' off the table," said Brexit-backing Conservative lawmaker Steve Baker in a tweet.
Baker and other Brexiteers are threatening to rebel against the government, or abstain, in a vote intended to buy the government more time to seek changes from the EU to a Brexit divorce agreement.
International Trade Secretary ..

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