Serena Williams subdued a stubborn fightback from world number one Simona Halep to take her quest for a record-equalling 24th major into the Australian Open quarter-finals Monday.
The 37-year-old American beat the Romanian top seed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in an epic three-setter to line up a last eight clash with Czech eighth seed Karolina Pliskova.
It was Williams' first match against a world number one since returning after having a baby in September 2017 and the American showed why many already regard her as the greatest of all time.
She unleashed an early onslaught and Halep was in danger crumbling before the French Open champion regrouped for a stirring comeback.
"It was an intense match and there were some incredible points," Williams said.
"She's the number one player in the world and there's a reason why... (but) I'm such a fighter, I just never give up."
Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam Down Under two years ago while two months pregnant and is the bookies' favourite to claim an eighth .

Serena muscles past top seed Halep into Open quarters

PTI Automatic

Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran, sparking concerns of an escalation after a monitor reported 11 fighters killed.
Israel announced the strikes against facilities it said belonged to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force as they were occurring, continuing its recent practice of speaking more openly about such raids.
It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defences intercepted.
"We saw that as an unacceptable attack by the Iranian troops - not proxies, not Shiite militias, not Syrian forces - Iranian troops firing an Iranian-made missile from the vicinity of Damascus towards sovereign Israel," Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists.
Israel said targets included munitions stores, a site at Damascus International Airport that was ...

Israel says strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rocket

The Kremlin on Monday dampened expectations of any breakthrough at the upcoming summit between the leaders of Russia and Japan, saying striking a peace deal would be a very "drawn out" process.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Tuesday in Moscow, part of revived negotiations aiming to formally end World War II.  The peace process stalled in the 1950s due to a dispute over the Kuril islands the Soviet army occupied in the last days of the war.
"The president has said from the start that the issue of signing a peace agreement with Japan will be very drawn out in terms of time," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists hours before Abe's expected touchdown in the Russian capital.  "The talks are in their initial stage," he said.
Tokyo claims as their own the so-called southern Kurils, a string of islands just north of Hokkaido which it calls Northern Territories.
In the 1950s, the Soviet Union had said it would be willing to ...

Kremlin says peace talks with Japan a 'drawn out' process

At least 12 people were killed Monday in a Taliban-claimed attack on a military compound in central Afghanistan, officials said, as the insurgents continue to batter the war-torn country's beleaguered security forces.
The attack began after a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into the entrance of a compound in Maidan Shahr -- the capital of Wardak province that lies about 50 kilometers south of the capital Kabul.
At least three gunmen stormed the base following the explosion, igniting a firefight with Afghan security forces. All three gunmen were later killed in the exchange, according to a provincial official.
"So far our reports show 12 have been killed and 20 wounded, most of whom were Afghan security forces," Akhtar Mohammad Taheri -- the head of Wardak provincial council -- told AFP.
"The Taliban used a Humvee vehicle to hit the compound," Taheri added.  Provincial health director Mohammad Salim Asgharkhail confirmed the toll.
"Some wounded people were taken to hospitals in ..

Taliban attack kills at least 12 in central Afghanistan

Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor launched "administrative proceedings" Monday against US social media giants Facebook and Twitter, accusing them of not complying with Russian law, news agencies reported.
"Today, Roskomnadzor begins administrative proceedings against both companies (Facebook and Twitter)," the watchdog's head Alexander Zharov told the Interfax news agency.
The state regulator has repeatedly warned the companies they could be banned if they do not comply with a 2014 law requiring social networking sites to store the personal data of Russian users inside the country.
Zharov said Facebook and Twitter provided "no concrete information on localising the data of Russian users on the territory of the Russian Federation." He added that the companies also did not provide a "timeframe" for when they plan to store the data of Russian users in Russia.
The 2014 law has caused widespread concern as it is seen as putting the information of Russian users at risk of being accessed .

Russian watchdog launches 'administrative proceedings' against Facebook, Twitter

The strange orbits of some objects in the outermost reaches of our solar system are not shaped by the hypothesised 'Planet Nine', but can be explained by the gravitational force of small bodies orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune, scientists say.
The alternative explanation to the so-called 'Planet Nine' hypothesis by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK and colleagues proposes a disc made up of small icy bodies with a combined mass as much as ten times that of Earth.
When combined with a simplified model of the solar system, the gravitational forces of the hypothesised disc can account for the unusual orbital architecture exhibited by some objects at the outer reaches of the solar system, according to the study published in the Astronomical Journal.
The new theory is not the first to propose that the gravitational forces of a massive disc made of small objects could avoid the need for a ninth planet.
However, it is the first such theory which is able to explain the ...

Mystery orbits in outer solar system not caused by 'Planet Nine': Study

An accountability court in Pakistan will indict former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf and other accused in a power project corruption case on February 8, according to a media report.
The accused were appearing in a case against three rental power projects, which includes Gulf Rental Power Plant, Reshma Power Generation Limited and Young Gen Power Limited.
The case was heard by Judge Arshad Malik, who issued the summons for all the accused during the next date of hearing and deemed their attendance mandatory, the Express Tribune reported.
He further said that the immunity application will only be looked into after the indictment.
Judge Arshad also wondered why there was no progress in the case despite it being under trial for so long. He was told that some legal processes took more time than others and proved to be hindrances in the trial.
Ashraf was Pakistan's prime minister from June 22, 2012 to March 16, 2013.
In 2014, Ashraf was accused of misusing his authority as the minister for ...

Pak court to indict former PM Ashraf on Feb 8 in power project corruption case

A maiden Test series triumph in Australia saw both the Indian team and its skipper Virat Kohli consolidate their respective pole positions in the latest ICC Test rankings.
India, with 116 points, stayed as the No 1 ranked Test team while skipper Kohli (922 points) was 25 points clear of second ranked New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (897).
Cheteshwar Pujara after his dream series Down Under is ranked third among the batsmen while young turk Rishabh Pant has entered the top 20 with a career-best 17th rank.
In the bowler's list Kagiso Rabada still topped the chart while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are the best-ranked Indians at fifth and ninth place respectively.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has climbed to 15th spot with 711 points.
England will have to win their upcoming three-match series against the West Indies starting on Wednesday in order to retain third position in the rankings while Australia and Sri Lanka will vie for important points in their two-match series ...

India, Kohli maintain top positions in ICC Test Rankings

A suicide car bomb attack on a military convoy in northeastern Syria Monday killed five members of a Kurdish-led force accompanying US-led coalition troops, a monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five fighters from the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces were killed in the attack, which occurred on a road in Hasakeh province.

Suicide attack on Kurdish-US convoy in Syria kills 5: monitor

Chinese drone maker DJI has placed 45 employees under investigation for alleged fraud that could cost the company more than one billion yuan ($150 million) in losses, the firm said Monday.
The world's top civilian drone maker said in an internal memo that most of the employees involved in the fraud worked in the supply chain, and 29 were fired while 16 were reported to the police.
The case is expected to involve more than 100 people and many people will be facing a sentence in jail, according to Friday's memo, whose authenticity was confirmed by a company spokeswoman on Monday.
The initial investigation is just "the tip of the iceberg," the spokeswoman told AFP.
The memo said the employees fraudulently inflated the prices of parts for personal financial gains.
The staffers received kickbacks from suppliers that charged double or triple the price to sell parts to DJI, the memo said.
A company spokeswoman said DJI has established a special anti-corruption group to conduct in-depth ...

Staff fraud may cost China's DJI drone maker $150 million

Hong Kong must do more to crack down on illegal wildlife smuggling by ending legal loopholes and lenient sentences, conservation groups said Monday, as they detailed the city's role in the lucrative trade.
Despite its comparatively small size, the bustling southern Chinese transport hub plays a "disproportionate" role in wildlife crime, researchers said, accounting for around a fifth of all global ivory seizures and nearly half of all pangolins seized in the last decade.
Yet authorities do not list wildlife trafficking offences under the city's organised crime legislation targeting drug traffickers and triad gangs - and the few who are caught rarely face stiff penalties, the report's authors warn.
"Wildlife crime in Hong Kong remains under-policed and under-investigated," said Amanda Witfort, a professor at Hong Kong University's Faculty of Law and one of the report's authors.
"Wildlife smuggling is not regarded as organised and serious crime under Hong Kong law," she added.
The study 

Hong Kong failing to tackle wildlife smuggling epidemic: study

Chinese investigators have determined that the doctor behind the reported birth of two babies whose genes had been edited in hopes of making them resistant to the AIDS virus acted on his own and will be punished for any violations of the law, a state media report said Monday.
Investigators in the southern province of Guangdong determined Dr. He Jiankui organised and handled funding for the experiment without outside assistance in violation of national guidelines, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Along with the birth of the twins, Lulu and Nana, another embryo yet to be born reportedly resulted from He's experiment, while five others did not result in fertilization. All three will remain under medical observation with regular visits supervised by government health departments, Xinhua said.
It didn't say which laws He might have violated but said he had fabricated an ethical review by others.
"This behaviour seriously violates ethics and the integrity of scientific research, is in serious ..

China says doctor behind gene-edited babies acted on his own

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand scored a crushing victory over Shakhriayar Mamedyartov of Azerbaijan in the eighth round to share the lead with Norway's Magnus Carlsen in the Tata Steel chess tournament here.
Having outclassed Vladimir Kramnik of Russia as black in the previous round, Anand, a five times winner here, continued his demolition act and grounded Mamaedyarov who currently holds the third position in the world rankings.
The Indian ace took his tally to 5.5 points out of a possible eight and is matched only by reigning world champion Carlsen who himself played a fine game to beat Richard Rapport of Hungary.
With two leaders in front, Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, Ding Liren of China and local star Anish Giri are right on their heels, tailing by half a point.
Temour Radjabov of Azerbaijan is in sole sixth spot on 4.5 points while other Indian Vidit Gujrathi shares the seventh spot having four points in all. Five rounds still remain in the first super tournament of .

Tata Steel Chess: Anand beats Mamedyarov; shares lead with Carlsen

As Donald Trump completed two years of his presidency, the White House claimed that the US has seen "historic" achievements, including an economic boom, creation of over five million new jobs and China held accountable for its "unfair" trade practices.
Trump assumed office on January 20, 2017. But during these two years, America has been experiencing a bitter political divide which is reflected in the ongoing partial government shutdown for a record nearly one month.
This is a result of the sharp differences between the ruling Republican led by Trump and the opposition Democrats, which is now in a majority in the House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over Trump's controversial USD 5.7 billion border wall proposal.
But for the political quagmire in Washington DC, the White House on Sunday patted itself as a historically successful two years of Trump's presidency.
"Honoured to serve as Trump's Vice President these past two ..

Trump achieves 'historic' results in first two years: White House

Naomi Osaka says she needs to wear a wig and sunglasses to stay anonymous in Japan since her profile soared into the stratosphere after her stunning victory at the US Open.
The bubbly 21-year-old's achievement in New York made her the first player from her country to win a major, and with it came fanatical support.
She's not complaining, but took precautions when back there recently.
"I mean, I didn't really walk outside. I just went in the car and stuff," she said after winning through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday.
"When I did, I went at night and had a wig on. For me, it was very fun." She said the wig was her sister's idea.
"She was, like, 'You know what you should do? You should bring this wig and if you want to walk around, just throw it on and put on some sunglasses'.
"I personally think she was making it a bigger deal than it had to be. Honestly, I feel like people don't look at other people when they're walking around," she added.
"I get that I'm tan .

Osaka under cover: Wig and shades keep Naomi anonymous

Democratic presidential aspirant Tulsi Gabbard has defended her controversial decision to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, saying that American leaders must meet with foreign leaders "if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country."
Gabbard, 37, the first Hindu elected to US Congress and a four-time Democratic lawmaker, earlier this month announced she will run for President in 2020.
Gabbard had met Assad during a trip to Syria in January 2017. The Syrian leader is believed to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians.
"No, I think that it is, it continues to be very important for any leader in this country to be willing to meet with others, whether they be friends or adversaries or potential adversaries if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country," Gabbard, who represents Hawaii, said in an interview to CNN when asked if she regrets the meeting.
"...you often acknowledge and bring to .

Gabbard defends her meeting with Assad

Hometown hope Ashleigh Barty faces a tough battle against Czech veteran Petra Kvitova for a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals Tuesday but will have the entire host nation cheering her on.
The other contest for a final four berth pits the unseeded pairing of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Danielle Collins against one another, with both players seeking Grand Slam breakthroughs.
Barty, 22, entered this year's tournament as 15th seed but carries massive pressure from an Australian public desperate for Grand Slam success after becoming the first local to make the last eight in a decade.
She has already downed five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova and is on a red-hot run of form, winning seven of her eight matches this year.
But against the eighth-seeded Kvitova, Barty is up against one of the few players on tour who can boast a richer vein of 2019 form.
Kvitova has won all nine of her matches this year, including a three-set win over Barty in the final of the Sydney ...

Barty fired up for Kvitova re-match

Relentless Rafael Nadal will aim to snuff out the challenge of young giant-killer Frances Tiafoe Tuesday, while young Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas has eyes on a maiden Australian open semi-final after knocking out Roger Federer.
The Australian Open hits the quarter-final stage in Melbourne with 17-time Grand Slam winner Nadal emerging as a strong title favourite.
The Spaniard has not dropped a set and demolished former world number four Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) in the fourth round in an awesome display.
Lying in his path is American Tiafoe who has already accounted for the fifth seed Kevin Anderson and become a fans' favourite with his exuberant LeBron James style celebrations and inspiring life story.
The son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, Tiafoe turned 21 on Sunday and celebrated his birthday by beating 20th seed Grigor Dimitrov to reach a Slam quarter-final for the first time.
"I wasn't a normal tennis story," he told reporters, revealing he had already managed to buy his ...

Awesome Nadal faces Tiafoe test as Tsitsipas eyes semi-final

British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.
Britain will crash out of the European Union on March 29 unless MPs can force a delay or come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with, before the deadline.
London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on the divorce deal but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday.
EU leaders have signalled they could alter the agreement if May dropped some of her negotiating "red lines" but British media on Monday reported that she would instead attempt to negotiate some changes to the existing agreement.
The reports were met with scepticism in Europe.
"I don't think it can be saved by marginal adjustments in the current plan. I don't think she can convince MPs by presenting the same thing to them with slight tweaks," Spanish ...

British PM to unveil new Brexit strategy

Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand had flashbacks of facing a chest-puffing Cristiano Ronaldo before saving a first-minute penalty that kept his team's Asian Cup challenge alive.
The talismanic 26-year-old denied Oman captain Ahmed Al-Mahaijri to spark a 2-0 victory in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, sending title-chasing Iran into the quarter-finals.
But Beiranvand revealed that memories of keeping out Ronaldo's spot kick in a 1-1 draw with Portugal at last year's World Cup had helped him prevent a disastrous start against Oman.
"Ever since saving that kick from Cristiano, Iran fans expect me to save penalties," Beiranvand told AFP after the game.
"I actually did think about that moment for a fraction of a second -- I told myself I can't let everybody think what happened in Russia was a fluke," he added.
"I just tried to concentrate and tried to repeat it again at a different tournament. First and foremost, it's my duty to save penalties and help the team.
"But the way I look at my career .

From Russia with love: Ronaldo penalty fear keeps Iran alive

Qatar has announced that it will invest USD 500 million in Lebanese government bonds to support the Mediterranean country's struggling economy.
Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani made the announcement in comments to Qatar's state news agency.
Monday's announcement came a day after Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made a short rare visit to Lebanon where he met President Michel Aoun and took part in an Arab economic summit.
Lebanon's economy has been struggling from massive debt, little growth and high unemployment.
Earlier this month, Lebanon's Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil was quoted by a local newspaper as saying that the country may restructure its debt, leading to sell-off in Lebanese bonds.
He later clarified that Lebanon is committed to paying back all maturing debt.

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