Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT
• Egypt jihadist group releases video of beheadings
• UAE says Biden apologizes for any implication it supported militants
• Australian jets fly first mission against IS in Iraq
• Webb Inches Closer to Challenging Hillary Clinton
• PM says 'no one has right' to criticise Turkey on Syria
• Germany can play its part in foreign missions despite equipment problems: defense minister
• Kurds battle for key Syria town, woman suicide bomber hits IS
• British hostage released in Libya after five months
• Biden calls UAE prince to clarify remarks on Syria
• Hezbollah pushes back Syrian militant offensive in Lebanon
• Sinai militants say they have beheaded three Egyptians
• Kurds watch from Turkey the battle for 'heart of Kurdistan'
• Poll: Americans worry _ can government protect us?
• Analysis: US works on Asia ties amid Mideast focus
• Israel criticizes Swedish plan to recognize state of Palestine
• Obama dedicates memorial honoring wounded veterans
• Kurds battle Islamist militants closing in on Syrian town
• Islamic State fighters in Iraq beat back armed forces in Sunni town: police
• Egyptian police arrest militants accused of recruiting for Islamic State
• Britain says Libya hostage freed by militants
• Extremism 'perverse' and must be eliminated: Saudi king
• Kurds scrutinise refugees at camps to keep IS out
• Islamic State group publicly kills 6 Iraqi troops
• Rights group demands UAE reveal whereabouts of Libyans, Emiratis
• Refugee numbers rising: four questions about those from Syria and beyond
• Prayers said for Briton killed by Islamic fighters
• Bare bones Eid al-Adha for displaced Iraqis
• Why Obama Should Never Have Sent Troops to Fight Ebola
• U.S. Economy, Stocks Can’t Escape the World’s Pain
• Today in History
• Army vet throws 1st pitch like grenade before NLDS

Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 05 Oct 2014 04:32 PM PDT HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists agreed Sunday to remove some barriers blocking roads and sidewalks ahead of the government's deadline to scale back their protests. But the demonstrators appeared to be divided, and others refused to budge, with only hours to go. An alliance of students said it had tried but so far failed to reach agreement with officials on a plan to begin talks on their demands for wider political reforms. The group vowed to continue protests until details of the talks might be worked out.

Egypt jihadist group releases video of beheadings Posted: 05 Oct 2014 03:53 PM PDT Cairo (AFP) - An Egyptian jihadist group released a video Sunday showing the execution of four men, including three being beheaded, accused of spying for the army and for Israel's Mossad intelligence service.

UAE says Biden apologizes for any implication it supported militants Posted: 05 Oct 2014 03:33 PM PDT DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden had apologized to the Abu Dhabi crown prince for "any implications" in a speech he made last week that the UAE had supported Islamist militants in Syria. The call, confirmed by the White House, came after a day after Biden offered a similar apology to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Biden, who is known for his occasional verbal gaffes, angered U.S. ...

Australian jets fly first mission against IS in Iraq Posted: 05 Oct 2014 02:45 PM PDT Australian fighter jets have flown their first armed combat mission in Iraq against the Islamic State group but did not launch air strikes, the military said Monday.

Webb Inches Closer to Challenging Hillary Clinton Posted: 05 Oct 2014 02:45 PM PDT While he insists that he is "taking it one day at a time" in pondering a possible challenge to Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, former Sen. Jim  Webb of Virginia sounded on Sunday as if he is clearly moving in that direction. The one-time Navy Secretary and heavily decorated Vietnam-era Marine declined to spell out specific differences between himself and the former Secretary of State and New York senator during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.

PM says 'no one has right' to criticise Turkey on Syria Posted: 05 Oct 2014 02:38 PM PDT Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday said no one has the right to criticise Ankara on Syria, after US Vice President Joe Biden accused Turkey of financing and even arming jihadists.

Germany can play its part in foreign missions despite equipment problems: defense minister Posted: 05 Oct 2014 01:27 PM PDT By Michelle Martin BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that Germany could still play a strong role in foreign military missions despite reports of problems in defense equipment and procurement. Von der Leyen has acknowledged in recent weeks that some of Germany's military hardware is in such disrepair that it is unable to meet its NATO commitments. ...

Kurds battle for key Syria town, woman suicide bomber hits IS Posted: 05 Oct 2014 01:06 PM PDT Mursitpinar (Turkey) (AFP) - Kurdish fighters backed by US-led air strikes battled the Islamic State group for a key Syrian town Sunday, with one woman defender blowing herself up using the jihadists' own tactic.

British hostage released in Libya after five months Posted: 05 Oct 2014 12:42 PM PDT London (AFP) - British schoolteacher David Bolam has been released after nearly five months of captivity in Libya, reportedly after payment of a ransom to his Islamist captors.

Biden calls UAE prince to clarify remarks on Syria Posted: 05 Oct 2014 12:40 PM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday called the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates to clarify that he did not mean to imply in his remarks last week that the Gulf ally was supporting al-Qaida fighters in Syria.

Hezbollah pushes back Syrian militant offensive in Lebanon Posted: 05 Oct 2014 12:10 PM PDT By Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 16 insurgents from al Qaeda's Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, were killed in clashes with Shi'ite group Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon on Sunday after launching a major offensive, a source close to Hezbollah said. Hundreds of the Sunni Muslim insurgents attacked at least 10 Hezbollah bases along a mountainous range close to the Syrian border, and killed two Hezbollah fighters, in the latest spillover of violence from the civil war next door. ...

Sinai militants say they have beheaded three Egyptians Posted: 05 Oct 2014 11:52 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's most violent Islamist group released a video on Sunday showing militants beheading three Egyptians whom they accused of being informants for Israeli intelligence. In a video posted on YouTube, the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis accused the Egyptian government of collaborating with the Israelis to attack their fighters in Sinai and vowed to hunt down the local informants they rely on. "These are your sons, continuing to harvest the spies of the Jews," a spokesman for the group says in the video. ...

Kurds watch from Turkey the battle for 'heart of Kurdistan' Posted: 05 Oct 2014 11:46 AM PDT Mursitpinar (Turkey) (AFP) - The blasts over the Syrian town of Kobane as Kurdish fighters battle Islamic State (IS) jihadists can be clearly seen and felt the short distance away over the Turkish border.

Poll: Americans worry _ can government protect us? Posted: 05 Oct 2014 11:44 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans lack confidence in the government's ability to protect their personal safety and economic security, a sign that their widespread unease about the state of the nation extends far beyond politics, according to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll.

Analysis: US works on Asia ties amid Mideast focus Posted: 05 Oct 2014 11:42 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A military agreement with the Philippines and easing an arms embargo against Vietnam show the Obama administration wants deeper security ties with Asia, even as turmoil in the Mideast has undermined its hope of making Asia the heart of its foreign policy.

Israel criticizes Swedish plan to recognize state of Palestine Posted: 05 Oct 2014 11:41 AM PDT By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has described a plan by Sweden's new center-left government to recognize the state of Palestine as being ill-considered in the absence of Middle East peace negotiations and contrary to agreements. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced the move during his inaugural address to Stockholm's parliament on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Swedish declaration was counter-productive and would not facilitate a peace agreement with the Palestinians. "Unilateral moves are contrary to agreements. ...

Obama dedicates memorial honoring wounded veterans Posted: 05 Oct 2014 11:37 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama paid tribute to disabled U.S. veterans on Sunday, pointing to the dedication of a new memorial honoring those severely injured in war as a symbol of the nation's perseverance and character.

Kurds battle Islamist militants closing in on Syrian town Posted: 05 Oct 2014 09:36 AM PDT By Daren Butler MURSITPINAR Turkey (Reuters) - Islamist militants attacking a Syrian border town fought some of their heaviest battles so far with Kurdish forces on Sunday, a local official said, and five people were wounded inside Turkey by a projectile fired across the frontier. Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot, is trying to seize the predominantly Kurdish border town of Kobani and has ramped up its offensive in recent days despite being targeted by U.S.-led coalition air strikes aimed at halting its progress. ...

Islamic State fighters in Iraq beat back armed forces in Sunni town: police Posted: 05 Oct 2014 09:36 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters in Iraq recaptured about one half of the town of Dhuluiya, one day after it was won by Iraqi forces, and attacked a neighboring town just 70 km (45 miles) north of Baghdad, police officers and witnesses said on Sunday. The radical Sunni militants have seized large chunks of territory in Iraq since the beginning of the year, first in western Iraq and after June across the country's north, imposing strict Islamic rule and forcing thousands to flee. ...

Egyptian police arrest militants accused of recruiting for Islamic State Posted: 05 Oct 2014 09:36 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian police have arrested four Islamic militants accused of recruiting youths to fight for Islamic State, the Mena state news agency said. Mena reported that the men were arrested in the Mediterranean city of Port Said on Sunday and confessed to being part of an eight-strong cell, with the four remaining members currently in Syria. The men are being held pending investigation, Mena added. Islamic State, which has declared a cross-border caliphate in Iraq and Syria, has attracted a following among Egyptian Islamists on social media sites. ...

Britain says Libya hostage freed by militants Posted: 05 Oct 2014 09:36 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - A British man who had been held hostage by militants in Libya has been released, the British Foreign Office said on Sunday David Bolam was freed days after the killing of a British hostage, aid worker Alan Henning, by Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria - the latest in a series of such executions that have been filmed and posted online. The Foreign Office gave no further details of who had held Bolam or how he had been released. ...

Extremism 'perverse' and must be eliminated: Saudi king Posted: 05 Oct 2014 08:53 AM PDT Mina (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Religious extremism is a perversion which must be eradicated, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said on Sunday, with his air force engaged in a US-led campaign against jihadist militants in Syria.

Kurds scrutinise refugees at camps to keep IS out Posted: 05 Oct 2014 08:48 AM PDT Khanaqin (Iraq) (AFP) - At a Kurdish-run refugee camp in Iraq, strict checks are being imposed to weed out "good" Sunni Arab families from "bad" ones suspected of links to the Islamic State group.

Islamic State group publicly kills 6 Iraqi troops Posted: 05 Oct 2014 07:45 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants from the Islamic State group on Sunday publicly killed six Iraqi soldiers captured in an embattled western province where the extremists continue to advance despite an expanding U.S.-led campaign of airstrikes, residents said.

Rights group demands UAE reveal whereabouts of Libyans, Emiratis Posted: 05 Oct 2014 07:26 AM PDT DUBAI (Reuters) - An international human rights group on Sunday accused the United Arab Emirates of secretly arresting 10 Libyan citizens and six Emiratis in August and September and called on authorities in Abu Dhabi to reveal their whereabouts. The UAE made no official comment on the report but a source familiar with legal procedures in the country said the individuals were being held in connection with financing terrorism and facilitating arms shipments to militants. ...

Refugee numbers rising: four questions about those from Syria and beyond Posted: 05 Oct 2014 05:41 AM PDT Wars in Syria and northern Iraq are launching new waves of refugees, and the burden they place on host nations is growing. While relief agencies have gotten better at providing basic aid, longer-term assistance may be required. Here are four questions about refugee situations.

Prayers said for Briton killed by Islamic fighters Posted: 05 Oct 2014 04:50 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — Prayers were being offered in churches and mosques for Alan Henning, a British aid worker murdered by Islamic State militants, as another Briton was reunited with his family after being freed by captors in Libya.

Bare bones Eid al-Adha for displaced Iraqis Posted: 05 Oct 2014 03:56 AM PDT Garmawa Camp (Iraq) (AFP) - Imad holds his toy Mercedes pressed firmly against his heart. It's the only present he got for Eid al-Adha, a Muslim feast tens of thousands of Iraqis are spending in camps for the first time.

Why Obama Should Never Have Sent Troops to Fight Ebola Posted: 05 Oct 2014 03:30 AM PDT Six years into his presidency, Barack Obama has finally found a mission for his military.  It's not in Afghanistan, fighting the unrepentant Taliban; No, it's in the cape of West Africa, fighting the profoundly un-military Ebola outbreak.  Ebola is a horrifying virus.  The victim vomits, spreading the disease as the virus liquefies the organs until it essentially drowns the victim in his own blood.  It has already killed 3,439 people, according to the World Health Organization, the most deadly Ebola outbreak in recorded history. One of the most holy tenets of the Administration's seminar-based foreign policy is that there are no military solutions.

U.S. Economy, Stocks Can’t Escape the World’s Pain Posted: 05 Oct 2014 02:45 AM PDT It went something like this: You can safely ignore the market declines on foreign bourses and the slowdown of economies in Asia, Europe and the emerging world because the American economy and U.S. On Friday, thanks to a strong September jobs report featuring a drop in the unemployment rate to 5.9 percent — a level not seen since the summer of 2008 — stocks were recovering from a bout of selling, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average pressuring the 17,000 threshold once more.

Today in History Posted: 04 Oct 2014 09:00 PM PDT Today is Sunday, Oct. 5, the 278th day of 2014. There are 87 days left in the year.

Army vet throws 1st pitch like grenade before NLDS Posted: 04 Oct 2014 04:38 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army veteran wounded in Iraq made a unique ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the NL Division Series, crawling toward the mound and then lobbing the baseball as if it were a grenade.

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