PARIS: A 14-year-old French girl has been placed under investigation for allegedly planning to carry out jihad, the third in a group of teenage girls caught before they left home.

NEW YORK: When Roger Federer smacked a backhand return winner off his opponent's 142 mph (229 kph) serve Friday night, he glanced at the speed readout, just to find out exactly how difficult what he'd done had been.

The FBI is investigating a suspected Russian cyber attack on a number of American banks. Hackers are believed to have targeted JP Morgan and at least four other banks in the US, amid increasing concern over cyber security from watchdogs on both sides of the Atlantic.

BEIJING: China said on Thursday that it will continue responding to US military surveillance flights off its coast, rejecting American accusations that one of Beijing's fighter jets acted recklessly in intercepting a US Navy plane last week.

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron is gearing up to make a strong business case for Scotland to remain within the United Kingdom after 200 business leaders signed an open letter backing independence.

FREETOWN: The three nations at the centre of the west African Ebola outbreak were left increasingly isolated as more airlines suspended flights to the crisis zone.

NEW YORK: World number one Novak Djokovic breezed into the third round on a blustery day at the US Open on Thursday, defeating France's Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.

WASHINGTON: President Obama has begun to seek and mobilize allies for possible US action in Syria and Northern Iraq even as reports emerged of an American jihadi dying in Syria fighting for extremists, coincidentally at the same time an Indian jihadi was also reported killed in the region.

ISLAMABAD: Confrontation between Pakistan government and the opposition escalated today with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejecting demands for his resignation and Imran Khan calling off the dialogue with his regime until he quits.

CHARLOTTE: President Barack Obama vowed to punish the Islamic State killers of American journalist James Foley on Tuesday but said rooting out the militant group in Iraq and Syria will not be fast or easy.