A suicide attack targeting US-led coalition forces in the flashpoint northern Syrian city of Manbij killed a US serviceman and seven other people on Wednesday, a monitor said.
There was no immediate confirmation of the US death from the coalition.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven Syrian civilians were killed in the blast along with the US serviceman.

Deadly suicide attack targets US-led coalition in Syria: monitor

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Actor Anil Kapoor on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.
The 62-year-old actor took to Twitter to share the news.
"I had the opportunity to meet our h'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji today and I stand humbled and inspired in the wake of our conversation.
"His vision and his charisma are infectious and I'm grateful for the chance to have witnessed it in person," Kapoor tweeted alongside a photograph with the prime minister.
On the work front, the actor will next be seen in "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga" with daughter, actor Sonam Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor meets PM Modi

In a humiliating defeat for embattled British Prime Minister Theresa May, her divisive divorce deal with the European Union was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs, triggering a no-confidence motion against her government.
May's bid to get the Withdrawal Agreement, struck between London and Brussels, was rejected by 432 votes to 202 - a majority of 230, the biggest defeat ever suffered by a British premier in modern history.
Within minutes after the defeat of the Brexit deal in the
House of Commons, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he has tabled a formal motion of confidence in the government, backed by other opposition leaders, which MPs would vote later on Wednesday.
Corbyn described Prime Minister May's defeat "catastrophic" and said backing the "botched and damaging" deal would be a "reckless leap in the dark" for the UK.
Britain is set to exit the 28-member European Union, which it joined in 1973, on March 29. With just over two months to go until the scheduled departure on March 29, .

UK MPs inflict biggest ever defeat to PM May over Brexit divorce deal

A US citizen was among those killed in a powerful truck bomb attack against a heavily fortified foreign compound in Kabul this week, officials said Wednesday, as the government continued investigating the blast site.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility after the bomb detonated near the Green Village compound in east Kabul on Monday. Afghan authorities have said at least four people were killed and 113 wounded.
On Wednesday an official at the US embassy in Kabul said an American citizen was among the fatalities, but gave no further information. Indian authorities had previously confirmed that one of their citizens was also killed in the attack.
It was not clear if they were included in the four dead, with some Afghan officials giving conflicting tolls.
"We have launched an investigation and it has not finished yet. Once we finish the investigation we will be able to release the final toll," Najib Danish, the interior ministry spokesman, said.
The powerful blast ripped through ...

US citizen among dead in Kabul truck bomb attack

Qatar's beIN media group on Wednesday stepped up its war of words against alleged Saudi-backed piracy, launching a website exposing what it says is wide-scale theft of its programmes.
The "reveal all" beoutq.tv website went live with the aim of holding the pirate operation to account, a statement said.
"What started out as a concerted and targeted campaign against beIN has now morphed into the largest commercial theft that's ever been seen in the world of sport and entertainment," Tom Keaveny, beIN's managing director in the Middle East region, said in the statement.
"This Saudi-supported plague of piracy represents an existential threat to the economic model of the industry."
The website details programmes being illegally broadcast in more than 20 countries, a timeline of events and points the finger at several prominent Saudi figures under the headline: "The Saudi State-Supported Piracy of World Sport and Entertainment".
BeIN has previously alleged that since August 2017 a vast and .

Qatar's beIN slams Saudis with 'reveal all' piracy website

Russia on Wednesday denied it was rubbing its hands or gloating after Britain's parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's deal on leaving the European Union.
On Tuesday, British MPs voted massively against the withdrawal agreement signed by May and EU leaders, raising fears of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit.
Speaking in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted his country did not want to interfere in Britain's affairs and said Russia was prepared to deal with any scenario.
"We will not say and are not saying anything about Brexit, even though some people are constantly saying and writing that Russia is rubbing its hands and gloating. Nothing of the kind," he told reporters.
"We have always said -- long before the idea of Brexit took shape -- that a united, strong and most importantly independent European Union is in our interests," he added.
"Let's see what happens. Naturally, we will be ready to cooperate both with the European Union and Britain if it all ends ...

Russia says not 'gloating' over Brexit vote

(AP) Pope Francis has confirmed he will attend all sessions of his high-stakes sex abuse prevention summit next month that will include plenary meetings, witness testimony and a penitential Mass.
The Vatican said Wednesday that the organizers of the February 21-24 meeting met last week in Rome and briefed the pope on their preparations.
Francis tasked the former Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, to moderate the plenary sessions of the meeting.
Francis announced in September that he was inviting presidents of bishops' conferences around the world to attend the summit amid a crisis in his papacy over his own botched handling of abuse cases and a new explosion of the scandal in the US, Chile and beyond.
The meeting organisers have urged bishops to meet with victims before they come.

Pope to attend all sessions of high-stakes abuse summit

Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth entered the second round to mark a fine day for Indian shuttlers at the Malaysia Masters here on Wednesday.
Seeded seventh, Saina had to toil hard and came back from a game down to quell the challenge of Hong Kong's Joy Xuan Deng 14-21 21-18 21-18 in a women's singles first round encounter that lasted one hour and five minutes.
Saina, the only Indian in women's singles event, will next play another unseeded shuttler from Hong Kong, Pui Yin Yip in the second round.
Like Saina, Kashyap too had a tough outing, against Denmark's Rasmus Gemke. He had to dig deep to get the better of his opponent 19-21 21-19 21-10 in his men's singles first round match.
But it was a relatively walk in the park for another Indian men's singles shuttler Kidambi Srikanth, seeded seventh, as he took just 30 minutes to beat Angus Ka Long NG of Hong Kong 21-17 21-11 in the first round.
While Kashyap has a tough second round encounter against ..

Saina, Kashyap, Srikanth enter second round of Malaysia Masters

Organisers of next week's annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos say worsening international relations are hindering efforts to resolve global challenges.
In its annual Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum says Wednesday that a "darkening" economic outlook, in part fostered by geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, "looks set to further reduce the potential for international cooperation in 2019."
The report, which is based on the views of around 1,000 experts and decision-makers from around the world, also found that 88 per cent of respondents expect a "further erosion" of global trading rules and agreements.
The trade spat between the US and China is set to be a key point of discussion in Davos this year.

World Economic Forum warns of impact of global tensions

A journalist for Iran's English-language Press TV has been arrested in the United States, the news channel said on Wednesday.
US-born Marzieh Hashemi was arrested on arrival at St Louis Lambert International Airport on Sunday, according to family and friends cited by Press TV.
"The US officials have so far refused to provide any reasons for her apprehension either to her or her family," the broadcaster said on its website.
It added that Hashemi, a Muslim convert who changed her name from Melanie Franklin, had been visiting "her ill brother and other family members."
Press TV claimed that all she had been offered to eat was pork, religiously forbidden for Muslims.
The broadcaster was due to hold a press conference on her case later on Wednesday.

Iran journalist arrested in US: media

Pirate attacks rose worldwide in 2018 due to a surge off West Africa, a maritime watchdog said Wednesday, calling for increased international cooperation to halt the spate of hijackings and kidnappings.
There were 201 recorded incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery last year, up from 180 in 2017, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in its annual piracy report.
"There is an urgent need for increased cooperation and sharing of intelligence between the Gulf of Guinea's littoral states so that effective action can be taken against pirates," an bureau spokesman said.
Reports of attacks in waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled, accounting for all six hijackings worldwide, 13 of 18 ships fired upon, and the vast majority of kidnap-for-ransom cases, the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB said.
The last quarter of 2018 saw a significant spike in violence off West Africa, with vessels boarded by pirates well outside territorial waters, and ...

Surge in piracy off West Africa in 2018: maritime watchdog

The EU and European governments have warned that the British parliament's rejection of a Brexit deal heightens the risk of a disorderly withdrawal from the bloc.
Following are some of the key reactions to Tuesday night's huge defeat for British Prime Minister Theresa May.
"I urge the United Kingdom to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up," European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
"The Withdrawal Agreement is a fair compromise and the best possible deal. It reduces the damage caused by Brexit for citizens and businesses across Europe. It is the only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
"The risk of a disorderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom has increased with this evening's vote. While we do not want this to happen, the European Commission will continue its contingency work to help ensure the EU is fully prepared."
"If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the ...

How Europe reacted to Brexit deal defeat

In a unique gesture, the Sikh community in San Antonio, Texas, offered free meals to fellow American government employees affected by the ongoing shutdown that has left thousands without pay in the US.
The partial government shutdown, which entered the fourth week, has left more than 800,000 federal government workers out of work across the key departments.
Trump wants to build a US-Mexico border wall and is seeking USD 5.7 billion in funding for the physical barrier which according to him is a must to prevent flow of illegal immigrants into the US. The Democrats assert that such a move is a "waste" of taxpayers money.
All federal employees, who have been forced to work without pay, or have been furloughed during the partial government shutdown were offered freshly prepared, hot vegetarian meals for three days starting January 11.
The Sikh community workers prepared the gurdwara menu which comprised lentils, vegetables, rice and tortillas.
"Workers and families affected by the ...

Texas Sikh community feeds federal employees affected by govt shutdown

Virat Kohli has no peers when it comes to ODI cricket but he has priceless message for youngsters -- sole focus on limited overs formats shouldn't be used an "excuse" of not being able to cope with challenges that Test cricket presents.
World's No 1 batsman with 25 Test hundreds warned that youngsters will have mental problems if they don't embrace the pristine form of five-day cricket.
"If we focus too much on shorter formats - yes, they're important - but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there will start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up," Kohli was quoted as saying by Star Sports.
The Indian skipper, who has played a few defining knocks against world class bowlers like Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mitchell Starc during the past year spoke about the hardwork that goes into making of a quality Test player.
"As long as you're willing to wake up every .

Youngsters focussing solely on shorter formats could have problems playing Test: Virat

Actor Hugh Grant has appealed for return of a script which was  amongst the many other valuables that were stolen from his car by burglars.
The 58-year-old actor took to Twitter to share the news, saying the script contained "many weeks worth of notes and ideas".
"In the unlikely chance that anyone knows who broke into my car tonight and stole my bag, please try and persuade them to at least return my script. Many weeks worth of notes and ideas," he wrote.
He asked for the items to be returned to the address of his production house Coach Films in Ealing, west London.
"And perhaps my children's medical cards. Coach Films, Eal0ing St Mary's Ealing Green  W5 5EN*" he said.
Grant most recently starred in BBC limited series "A Very English Scandal". His performance as the disgraced British politician Jeremy Thorpe has been lauded by the fans.
His upcoming projects include Guy Ritchie's next "Toff Guys", alongside Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell and Charlie Hunnam. He will 

Hugh Grant appeals for return of script stolen from his car

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday "we still have time to negotiate" after the British parliament overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's deal on leaving the European Union.
"We still have time to negotiate but we're now waiting on what the prime minister proposes," Merkel said, stressing that she very much regretted the parliament's no vote.

'Still time to negotiate,' Merkel says after Brexit vote

China is expanding its access to strategic foreign ports like Pakistan's Gwadar and Sri Lanka's Hambantota to pre-position the logistic framework necessary to support the growing presence of its military in the Indian Ocean and beyond, the Pentagon said.
The People's Liberation Army's efforts to obtain access to commercial ports in Africa, the Middle-East and South Asia would align with its future overseas logistic needs and meet its evolving naval requirements, said the Congressionally-mandated report on the increasing Chinese military power which was released by the US Department of Defence Tuesday.
China in 2015 announced its intention to build military facilities in Djibouti, citing reasons "to help the Navy and Army further participate in UN peacekeeping operations, carry out escort missions in the waters near Somalia and the Gulf of Aden and provide humanitarian assistance".
"China is expanding its access to foreign ports, such as in Gwadar, Pakistan, to pre-position the ...

China expanding access to strategic foreign ports: Pentagon

Foreign troop numbers in Iraq fell by a quarter during 2018, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said, as the fallout fizzled from Washington's announcement it was withdrawing from neighbouring Syria.
"In January 2018 there had been almost 11,000 foreign fighters, about 70 percent of them are American, the others are from other countries," Abdel Mahdi told a weekly press briefing on Tuesday evening.
"In December, the numbers have been reduced to almost 8,000, and the American troops are around 6,000... maybe I am wrong by some hundreds." Abdel Mahdi said that more than 12 months after the government declared victory over the Islamic State group in Iraq, the drawdown was accelerating.
"In recent months, the decrease has sped up and in the last two months there was a drop of 1,000 forces," he said.
US President Donald Trump has said that US troops will remain in Iraq after the withdrawal of all troops from Syria and will be available to take action against IS on the other side of the border 

Foreign troops in Iraq cut by a quarter in 2018: PM

Canada urged Beijing on Tuesday to grant clemency to a Canadian sentenced to death for drug trafficking, after his sentence reignited a diplomatic dispute that began last month.
Ottawa has warned its citizens about the risk of "arbitrary enforcement" of laws in China following a court's sentencing of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, 36, to death on Monday, increasing a previous 15-year prison term.
The sentence came during a clash between Ottawa and Beijing over Canada's arrest in December of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of telecom giant Huawei, on a US extradition request related to Iran sanctions violations.
"We have already spoken with China's ambassador to Canada and requested clemency" for Schellenberg, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters in Sainte-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
Earlier, Beijing said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had made "irresponsible remarks" for saying China chose to "arbitrarily apply" death penalties.
Freeland recalled Canada's long-standing ..

Canada asks China for clemency for convicted drug trafficker

Vietnam's newest commercial carrier Bamboo Airways took flight Wednesday, officially entering Southeast Asia's crowded aviation sector where it will face stiff competition from established players.
Air travel in the region has boomed in recent years as appetites -- and budgets -- for travel have soared among spendthrift flyers.
Bamboo is hoping to tap into the saturated market by offering routes to lesser-known destinations in Vietnam currently underserved by heavy-hitters like Vietnam Airlines and budget carrier Vietjet.
"Bamboo Airways will become a five-star airline to serve domestic and international passengers," Bamboo owner Trinh Van Quyet said at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport after the inaugural flight landed from Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday morning.
Born poor in northern Vinh Phuc province, Quyet is best known in Vietnam for building a vast real estate empire FLC Group, which has built luxury hotels, golf courses and condominiums across the country and is the parent company of ...

Vietnam's newest airline Bamboo takes first flight

South Korean officials said Wednesday they have stopped businessmen from bringing North Korean paintings into the country that a report said were purchased at an art studio under UN sanctions.
Observers say similar incidents could occur frequently as South Korea's liberal government pushes for deeper exchanges with North Korea.
The Korea Customs Service said it has nine North Korean paintings that an unidentified number of businessmen tried to bring into the country after a trip to Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, last November. It said the businessmen did not have the required South Korean government permission to bring in North Korean products.
South Korea's largest newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, reported Wednesday that the paintings were purchased from Pyongyang's Mansudae art studio, which is on a U.N. sanctions blacklist.
The studio is subject to an asset freeze and travel ban because of its dispatch of artists and other workers abroad to do projects to generate revenue for the North ..

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