News Headlines - 17 October 2017

▽SDF captures Syria's Raqqa city from ISIL | Al Jazeera

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces backed by the United States, have announced the capture of Raqqa after a four-month operation to drive out ISIL.

▽Mercedes-Benz could become a separate Daimler division

Mercedes-Benz could become an independent division of German luxury automaker Daimler AG, the company said Monday.
Daimler's trucks-and-buses division and its financial services business could also become independent divisions in a potential change aimed at giving the units "greater entrepreneurial responsibility," the company said in an announcement to investors.

▽U.S. authorities seeking Kobe Steel documents related to data scandal

U.S. authorities are seeking Kobe Steel Ltd documents related to the company’s data cheating scandal, the Japanese steelmaker said on Tuesday.

▽US tells Japan it wants to start FTA talks- Nikkei Asian Review

The U.S. has for the first time told Japan it has a "strong interest" in starting talks over a potential free trade agreement between the two countries.

▽'Psychic' who claimed to be Dalí's daughter ordered to pay for exhumation - The Local

A Spanish court has dismissed a paternity lawsuit brought by a psychic who claimed to be Salvador Dalí's illegitimate daughter and ordered her to pay for the exhumation of the surrealist painter's remains.