Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Nov. 20

U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would block Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States unless they pass strict background checks.

The measure was approved on a vote of 289 to 137, with 47 of U.S. President Barack Obama's 188 fellow Democrats breaking with the White House to endorse the bill. (U.S.-Syrian refugees)

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BRUSSELS -- Nine people were arrested in a series of police raids in the Belgian capital on Thursday in connection with last week's Paris terror attacks, the Belgian federal prosecutor said.

Seven of the arrested were people believed to have links with Bilal Hadfi, who detonated a suicide bomb at the Stade de France venue in Paris, Belgian public broadcaster RTBF said. (Belgium-France-Attack)

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UNITED NATIONS -- The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned "in the strongest terms" the "heinous and cowardly act" of the murdering of a Chinese citizen, Fan Jinghui, by the Islamic State (IS).

In a press statement released here, the 15-nation council also condemned the IS killing of a Norwegian citizen, Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, saying these crimes once again demonstrate the brutality of IS. (UN-China-IS killing)

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JERUSALEM -- Three people, among them a U.S. tourist, an Israeli and a Palestinian, were killed and four others wounded in a shooting attack in the West Bank on Thursday afternoon, the Israeli military and emergency services said.

A Palestinian driver opened fire at a minibus carrying passengers and then at another car near the Jewish West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut, southeast of Jerusalem, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. (Israel-US-Shooting) Endi