09:28 Over a month after, navy detects 1 body in Meghalaya mine:
The navy has detected the body of one the miners more than a month after operations to search and rescue 15 miners trapped in a deep coal mine in Meghalaya.
The body was detected at a depth of more than 200 feet inside the “rat-hole” mine.
Efforts are on to rescue the remaining 14 miners.
Around 200 rescue personnel of the Indian navy, the Coal India, the National Disaster Response Force, the Odisha fire service and private pump maker Kriloskar are involved in the search operations.
08:41 US service members killed in Islamic State-claimed attack in Syria:
Two United States service members were among those killed in a fiery explosion at a market in the northern Syria town of Manjib, the US military officials said.
Prior to Wednesday’s attack, only two US service members had been killed in action in Syria since the start of the campaign in 2014.
Two US service members — one Department of Defense civilian and one contractor supporting the DoD were killed — and three service members injured while conducting a local engagement in Manjib, the US Central Command said.
Initial reports indicate an explosion caused the casualties, and the incident is under investigation, it said.
In accordance with DoD’s policy, the names of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete, CENTCOM said.
“US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today. We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time,” according to a tweet from the spokesperson for the Operation Inherent Resolve.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, at least 15 people, including a US serviceman, were killed in the rare attack in Manbij. It said the cause of the explosion was a suicide bomb outside a restaurant.
“The President (Donald Trump) has been fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.
The explosion took place in a market wedged along a crowded street thick with cars. Video that Hawar identifies as from the scene shows people gathered on a crowded sidewalk when the fiery blast occurs.
The attack comes less than a month after Trump announced that US troops would withdraw from Syria. — PTI
08:23 British PM Theresa May wins confidence motion:
Embattled British Prime Minister Theresa May won a confidence vote on Wednesday and averted a general election, a day after her government suffered a historic parliamentary defeat over her Brexit divorce deal with the European Union.
Her government won by 325 votes to 306 — a majority of 19.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that May’s “zombie” administration had lost the right to govern during a six hour debate on his motion.
His party has not ruled out tabling further no-confidence motions.
After her victory May told MPs that she would “continue to work to deliver on the solemn promise to the people of this country to deliver on the result of the referendum and leave the European Union”.
She invited leaders of all parties to have individual meetings with her on the way ahead for Brexit, starting tonight, but called on them to approach them with a “constructive spirit”.
“We must find solutions that are negotiable and command sufficient support in this House,” she added.
May also reiterated a promise to return to the Commons on Monday to give MPs another vote on her plans.
“The House has put its confidence in this government,” she said.
“I stand ready to work with any member of this House to deliver Brexit and ensure that this House retains the confidence of the British people.”
May’s divorce deal to leave the EU was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs on Tuesday, triggering a no-confidence motion against her government and leaving the country with no plans for Brexit on March 29.
00:42 Raja Krishnamoorthi appointed to key House committee:
Indian-American Raja Krishnamoorthi on Monday was appointed as the member of a key United States House committee handling intelligence related issues.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, appointed Krishnamoorthi, 45, to the panel. Krishnamoorthi from Illinois, Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York and Peter Welch of Vermont are the four new Democratic members of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for the 116th Congress.
“Members of Congress take a solemn oath to protect the American people and support and defend the Constitution,” said Pelosi in a statement.
“Our new Members of the Intelligence Committee bring exceptional judgment, expertise and determination to our mission to honour that oath and, guided by the strong, principled leadership of Chairman Adam Schiff, will restore the long tradition of bipartisanship and integrity of this critical committee,” she said.
Krishnamoorthi was born into a Tamil-speaking family in New Delhi. His family moved to Buffalo, New York when he was three months old. Krishnamoorthi attended Princeton University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
He then received a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Early this week, Pelosi had appointed Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal to the House Education and Labor Committee. — PTI
Source: Rediff