WASHINGTON; 28 Dec 2018; AA: A U.S. defense official on Friday denied the reports Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime forces entered Manbij.

Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported earlier in the day, regime forces entered the PYD/YPG terrorist-held city after the group invited forces to take control of the region and ward off an announced Turkish operation. Turkey sees the group an extension of PKK terrorist organization.

28 Dec 2018; AFP: Patients being monitored as possible Ebola patients fled a camp in eastern DR Congo on Thursday after it was attacked by demonstrators protesting further delays to the country's election, the health ministry said.

Around 20 patients fled the centre during the incident, at a holding centre in the Beni region, the epicentre of this latest outbreak of the highly infectious and potentially fatal disease.

DAMASCUS, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The re-opening of the embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Syria is a sign that the long-stranded Arab relations with Syria will resume and that the country is recovering diplomatically, experts say.

On Thursday afternoon, the UAE flag was hoisted over the embassy in Damascus for the first time in seven years amid a diplomatic presence of Iraq, Sudan, Tunisia, and Algeria.

Hamzeh al-Dawalibi, director of Protocol Department of the Syrian Foreign Ministry, also represented the Syrian government in the opening ceremony of the embassy.

28 Dec 2018; AFP: Syrian troops deployed in support of Kurdish forces around a strategic northern city on Friday, in a shift of alliances hastened by last week's announcement of a US military withdrawal.

Nearly eight years into Syria's deadly conflict, the move marked another key step in President Bashar al-Assad's Russian-backed drive to reassert control over the country.

28 Dec 2018; AFP: China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, a move that comes during a 90-day tariff truce between the two countries which are engaged in a bruising trade war.

US rice that meets inspection and quarantine requirements will be allowed to enter the country, according to a notice by China's customs authority released Friday and dated December 27.

28 Dec 2018; DW: Charity organization Proactiva Open Arms said Spain was the only country to allow its vessel a port to dock. Pregnant women, children and babies were among the group of migrants rescued off the coast of Libya.

The Spanish rescue boat Open Arms arrived on Friday morning in a port near the city of Algeciras, in southern Spain. Aboard the vessel were 310 migrants who were rescued by the organization off the coast of Libya.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In his first visit to U.S. troops in a conflict zone, President Donald Trump drew cheers when he told troops he won them their first raise in 10 years and suggested it was a whopping one. Neither is true.

Beijing, Dec 27 (AFP) Ex-China spymaster Ma Jian was jailed for life over corruption, a court in northeastern China announced Thursday.

"Ma Jian's behaviour constituted the crime of accepting bribes, forcing others to trade and insider trading," the Dalian Intermediate People's Court in Liaoning province announced in a statement.

Ma pleaded guilty and has decided not to appeal, the court said, adding that his political rights have been revoked for life and all his personal assets confiscated.

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) A group of 40 women rights activists has opposed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, in its present form, raising concerns over 10 points in the Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha Thursday.

In a statement, they urged the government to withdraw the Bill from consideration in the Rajya Sabha, and review the fundamental flaws pending broad-based community consultations.

Following are the 10 concerns raised by the activists.

Mumbai, Dec 27 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said Thursday he was hopeful of the contentious triple talaq bill getting passed in the Rajya Sabha though the NDA government did not have a majority in the Upper House.

His comments come after the bill criminalising instant divorce by Muslim men was passed by the Lok Sabha after a heated debate on Thursday, with the government projecting it as a matter of "insaaniyat aur insaaf" for Muslim women, and rejecting the contention that it was aimed at targeting a particular community.

New Delhi, Dec 27; PTI: The government is batting for the triple talaq bill in Parliament to push its Hindutva agenda in the country, the CPI(M) alleged on Thursday.

CPI(M)'s politburo member and its deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Md Salim said the main concern of the opposition parties regarding the bill was that it criminalises triple talaq.

New Delhi, December 27; GANASHAKTI: The CPI(M), Delhi State Committee condemns the Noida administration for banning namaz in public parks. This is a deliberate attempt to deprive people belonging to the Muslim minorities of their right of freedom of religion guaranteed by Constitution of India. This step is in fact nothing but the implementation by the Noida administration of the public declaration of Yogi Adityanath that namaz should not be allowed in public places.