Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iran's Rouhani reassures Americans over death chant
• Europeans shut borders, block bridges, to halt migrant surge
• Muslims flock to hajj despite deadly crane collapse
• The Latest: Slovenian police pepper spray migrants at border
• US and Russian militaries launch talks on Syria
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Fact Sheet: Initiatives and Efforts to Combat Terrorism and Terror Financing
• Counting Europe's migrants
• Syria regime in deadly wave of strikes on Palmyra: monitor
• Switzerland to take 1,500 migrants, boost aid to Syria
• Exclusive: Democratic donors urge Biden to challenge Clinton in U.S. 2016 race
• Syrian refugees see European dream evaporate in new home
• Apple pledges more aid to help with Europe's migrant crisis
• Charity that helped academics flee Nazis aids Syrians, Iraqis
• In Serbia, One In Four Refugee Children Arrive Alone, Save the Children Reports
• Syrian jets pound Islamic State-held areas for second day
• Syrian army reversals spook Kremlin into hasty military build-up
• Several thousand migrants in Turkey resume march towards Greek border
• Rally For Victims Of Genocide And Religious Persecution In The Middle East
• U.S. reports 21 air strikes in Iraq, one in Syria Wednesday: U.S. military
• Q&A: A look at Japan's contentious security legislation
• Draft law would tighten asylum rules in Germany
• Russia: If Syria asks us to send troops, we'll consider it
• Swiss to take refugees under EU distribution program
• Finnish PM says refugee inflow through Sweden is growing
• Saudi Arabia warns against haj unrest as pilgrims pray for peace
• Russia and Iran both propping up Assad. A balancing act?
• Germany says EU majority vote may force members to take migrants
• Exclusive: In Niger, U.S. soldiers quietly help build wall against Boko Haram
• EU members that don't help with refugees won't get money: Germany
• Source: Syrian Military Starts Using New Weapons From Russia
• ELEVEN GRUMPY GUSES

Iran's Rouhani reassures Americans over death chant Posted: 18 Sep 2015 03:40 PM PDT Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has tried to reassure a skeptical American public that when crowds in Tehran chant "Death to America!" they don't mean it personally. In an interview with the CBS show 60 Minutes to be broadcast Sunday in the United States, the Iranian president said the famous Friday ritual is a reaction to previous Washington policy decisions that hurt Iran. In April, US President Barack Obama's administration signed a deal with Rouhani's government to release Iran from many of the economic sanctions harming its economy in return for tight controls on its nuclear program.

Europeans shut borders, block bridges, to halt migrant surge Posted: 18 Sep 2015 02:51 PM PDT ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Thousands of migrants were trapped Friday in a vicious tug-of-war as bickering European governments shut border crossings, blocked bridges and erected new barbed-wire fences in a bid to stem the wave of humanity fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

Muslims flock to hajj despite deadly crane collapse Posted: 18 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Pilgrims from around the world have begun massing in Saudi Arabia for the hajj, one of the biggest gatherings on the planet, undeterred by a crane collapse that killed 108 people at Islam's holiest site. More than 1.2 million faithful have already arrived for the annual hajj, which begins on Tuesday against a backdrop of increased jihadi violence, a surge of the deadly MERS virus and with the kingdom at war in Yemen. From all races and ages, they flocked into the Grand Mosque, where they prayed -- some silently in tears and others loudly in groups carrying their countries' flags.

The Latest: Slovenian police pepper spray migrants at border Posted: 18 Sep 2015 02:00 PM PDT ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — The latest developments as European governments rush to cope with the huge number of people moving across Europe. All times local (CET):

US and Russian militaries launch talks on Syria Posted: 18 Sep 2015 01:38 PM PDT The US military renewed contacts with Russia on Friday to discuss how their forces can keep out of one another's way in Syria, even as Moscow deployed fighter jets to the war zone. US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke by telephone, spokesmen from their ministries said. Washington and its NATO allies broke off ties with the Russian military in April last year in protest at Moscow's intervention in Ukraine.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Fact Sheet: Initiatives and Efforts to Combat Terrorism and Terror Financing Posted: 18 Sep 2015 01:17 PM PDT WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long condemned terrorism in all its forms and maintains a policy of strong international cooperation to fight terrorism around the world. Saudi Arabia has for decades been a target of extremists and terrorists. The Saudi government believes that defeating terrorism requires sound policies, concerted government efforts and international cooperation.

Counting Europe's migrants Posted: 18 Sep 2015 12:48 PM PDT In just two days, 13,000 migrants have turned towards Croatia to get around razor-wire barriers at the Serbia-Hungary border. The EU border agency Frontex says that since the beginning of the year 106,000 migrants have been rescued in the Central Mediterranean as they sought to reach Italy, six percent lower than in the same period of last year. Turkish authorities say they have rescued more than 42,000 migrants from stricken boats headed for Greece since the beginning of the year.

Syria regime in deadly wave of strikes on Palmyra: monitor Posted: 18 Sep 2015 12:37 PM PDT Syrian regime aircraft Friday carried out at least 25 strikes on Palmyra, killing eight civilians and 12 jihadists in the ancient city held by the Islamic State group, a monitor said. The barrage was "one of the strongest attacks by Syrian warplanes against positions in Palmyra since IS captured it" on May 21, said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Most residents had fled Palmyra since IS took over the famed city, leaving only a few of the original inhabitants and the families of militants.

Switzerland to take 1,500 migrants, boost aid to Syria Posted: 18 Sep 2015 12:02 PM PDT Switzerland said Friday that it would take in 1,500 refugees and migrants over the next two years while strengthening support for Syria peace talks, which Bern called the "priority" for resolving Europe's humanitarian crisis. A Federal Council statement said Switzerland would only accept those "who have already been registered in Italy or Greece," the two countries which have received the overwhelming majority of people who have washed up on Europe's shores this year.

Exclusive: Democratic donors urge Biden to challenge Clinton in U.S. 2016 race Posted: 18 Sep 2015 11:50 AM PDT By Luciana Lopez and James Oliphant NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of prominent Democratic Party fundraisers on Friday began circulating a letter to encourage a hesitant Vice President Joe Biden to enter the 2016 race for U.S. president. "We write today to publicly announce our support for Vice President Biden, to urge him to join the Presidential race, and to pledge our support if he does," they write in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. It calls the Obama-Biden administration a "spectacular success." It cites job creation, a lower unemployment rate, new health insurance policies for nearly nine million Americans and the end of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Syrian refugees see European dream evaporate in new home Posted: 18 Sep 2015 11:18 AM PDT CHEMNITZ, Germany (AP) — It was pitch-dark by the time the Syrian refugee family arrived in the eastern German town that was to be their new home. As they prepared to get off the train, a drunken skinhead stumbled past with a glare that made 11-year-old Raghad huddle closer to her mom.

Apple pledges more aid to help with Europe's migrant crisis Posted: 18 Sep 2015 11:09 AM PDT Apple Inc is stepping up aid to the thousands of migrants that are streaming into Europe from war-torn countries, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told employees in an internal message on Friday. Cook wrote in a message on the company's intranet site that the Macbook and iPhone maker will make a "substantial donation" to relief agencies supporting the migrants and will match employee donations to the cause by 2-to-1. The Cupertino, California-based company is also offering customers the option to donate to the Red Cross through its App Store and iTunes Store.

Charity that helped academics flee Nazis aids Syrians, Iraqis Posted: 18 Sep 2015 10:05 AM PDT A British foundation created in 1933 to help academics flee Nazi Germany has found a new calling helping Syrian and Iraqi academics escape in the hope that one day they will return and rebuild. Of the 2,000 academics who were helped to escape the Nazi regime and continue their work abroad, 16 went on to win Nobel prizes. Currently, the foundation supports 140 academics and their families, many of whom intend to return to their countries of origin once it is safe.

In Serbia, One In Four Refugee Children Arrive Alone, Save the Children Reports Posted: 18 Sep 2015 09:41 AM PDT BELGRADE, Serbia, Sept. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Save the Children is stepping up its emergency response to the refugee crisis in Serbia, where more than 25,000 children have arrived this year alone, including at least 5,753 unaccompanied minors. Based on the latest data provided to UNHCR by the Serbian government, Save the Children estimates that there has been a 66 percent increase in the arrival of unaccompanied minors in Serbia between July and August this year alone, with more than one in four recently-arrived children having been separated from their parents and families, leaving them particularly at risk of trafficking, abuse, and exploitation.

Syrian jets pound Islamic State-held areas for second day Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:37 AM PDT Syrian army jets carried out at least 25 air strikes on the Islamic State-held city of Palmyra on Friday, a group monitoring the war said, the second intense bombardment in two days of territory held by the militants. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was one of the most sustained government bombardments of Palmyra. On Thursday, Syrian jets had carried out at least 12 air strikes on Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in the north.

Syrian army reversals spook Kremlin into hasty military build-up Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:35 AM PDT By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - For Vladimir Putin, Russia's military build-up in Syria is a potential diplomatic trump card and a handy way of diverting attention from Ukraine's frozen conflict. When it saw several months ago that Syrian government forces were retreating on several fronts at a rate that threatened President Bashar al-Assad, its closest Middle East ally, the Kremlin quietly decided to despatch more men, weaponry and armor, diplomats and analysts told Reuters. "The situation at the front was pretty serious if not critical," said Ivan Konovalov, director of the Center for Strategic Trend Studies in Moscow.

Several thousand migrants in Turkey resume march towards Greek border Posted: 18 Sep 2015 08:07 AM PDT By Osman Orsal EDIRNE (Reuters) - A growing crowd of several thousand migrants resumed their bid to march on Turkey's Greek border on Friday, but security forces later halted their advance from a makeshift roadside camp where they had sheltered for three days. Several hundred migrants had been in a stand-off with police, some in riot gear, since Tuesday, as they attempted to walk from Istanbul to the Pazarkule border crossing near the city of Edirne. By Friday numbers had swollen to several thousand, a Reuters witness said, and security forces allowed them to march closer to the frontier before again halting their progress some 14 km by road from the border, but much closer cross-country.

Rally For Victims Of Genocide And Religious Persecution In The Middle East Posted: 18 Sep 2015 07:49 AM PDT WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As policymakers around the world hesitate to take stronger stances in the face of ever increasing violence and persecution of the peoples of Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), thousands of refugees are fleeing and dying as not enough aid arrives.On Monday, September 21, 2015, the Iraqi Christian Relief Council is hosting an interfaith event to honor the courage of those who have endured persecution and call the public's attention to the alarming threats to religious freedom and cultural diversity. ...

U.S. reports 21 air strikes in Iraq, one in Syria Wednesday: U.S. military Posted: 18 Sep 2015 07:28 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and allied forces conducted 21 air strikes in Iraq and one in Syria against Islamic State militants on Wednesday, the U.S. military said on Friday. The statement from the Combined Joint Task Force repeated one released on Thursday about the 22 air strikes. (Reporting by Alina Selyukh)

Q&A: A look at Japan's contentious security legislation Posted: 18 Sep 2015 06:59 AM PDT TOKYO (AP) — Japan's parliament is moving to approve to legislation that would loosen post-World War II constraints placed on its military, an issue that has sparked sizeable protests and debate about whether the nation should shift away from its pacifist ways to face growing security challenges.

Draft law would tighten asylum rules in Germany Posted: 18 Sep 2015 06:51 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — German officials rejected criticism Friday of a draft law that would significantly overhaul the benefits system for migrants and speed up deportations for failed asylum seekers.

Russia: If Syria asks us to send troops, we'll consider it Posted: 18 Sep 2015 06:17 AM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — Russia would consider sending troops to fight in Syria if Damascus asked for them, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

Swiss to take refugees under EU distribution program Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:56 AM PDT Switzerland will accept up to 1,500 asylum seekers registered in Italy and Greece under the European Union's July program to distribute 40,000 people in need as long as the Dublin system of handling refugees remains intact, the government said on Friday. Neutral Switzerland, which has taken in only a fraction of the migrants trekking north from the Middle East and Africa, also committed to increasing by 70 million Swiss francs ($73.3 million) its aid earmarked for people affected by crises in Syria, Iraq and the horn of Africa. President Simonetta Sommaruga said Swiss authorities did not expect a wave of migrants would be diverted from other countries along the migrants' route.

Finnish PM says refugee inflow through Sweden is growing Posted: 18 Sep 2015 05:13 AM PDT Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila on Friday said the influx of asylum seekers through neighboring Sweden was growing, adding that his recession-hit country's economic situation was now a smaller problem than the refugee crisis. The government said more than 11,000 asylum seekers, most from Iraq, have come to Finland so far this year, compared to just 3,600 in the whole last year. "I think our economic situation has become a smaller problem than the challenge from the refugees... We are monitoring the situation hour by hour," Sipila told a news conference.

Saudi Arabia warns against haj unrest as pilgrims pray for peace Posted: 18 Sep 2015 04:41 AM PDT By Nidal al-Mughrabi MECCA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has warned Muslim pilgrims attending next week's haj in Mecca to avoid exploiting Islam's annual gathering for political reasons, reflecting its worry that turmoil in the region may prompt attacks or damaging displays ofs discord. Wearing the clothes and speaking the languages of dozens of nations, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flocked to Mecca's Grand Mosque for Friday prayers in a show of religious harmony in a year when the region's Muslim states are riven by conflict. In Saudi Arabia, three suicide bombings of mosques by sympathizers of Islamic State this year have proved that even Muslim places of worship are at risk of attack by militants.

Russia and Iran both propping up Assad. A balancing act? Posted: 18 Sep 2015 04:00 AM PDT Russia's increased military assistance to Syria provides President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime with a welcome boost to its hold on power after a series of territorial losses this year to rebel forces. Russia and Iran are staunch allies of Assad and collectively have provided diplomatic, financial, military, and material support to help his regime stave off the challenge posed by opposition groups.

Germany says EU majority vote may force members to take migrants Posted: 18 Sep 2015 02:56 AM PDT German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday that EU members reluctant to accept migrant quotas may have to be outvoted and overruled in the 28-member bloc. "It just cannot be that Germany, Austria, Sweden and Italy carry the burden alone," he said about Europe's biggest migrant crisis since World War II. "And if there is no other way, then we should seriously consider to use the instrument of a qualified majority," he told the Passauer Neue Presse daily.

Exclusive: In Niger, U.S. soldiers quietly help build wall against Boko Haram Posted: 18 Sep 2015 02:39 AM PDT By Warren Strobel DIFFA, Niger (Reuters) - Despite years of intimidation by the violent extremist group Boko Haram, the people of southeastern Niger's Diffa region had never held a summit to confront the threat - perhaps with good reason. It has menaced U.S. and European allies in west Africa, and leader Abubakar Shekau in March pledged its loyalty to Islamic State. The Diffa meeting was a modest success not just for its mutually suspicious tribes but for a small team of fewer than 20 U.S. Special Operations Forces conducting an experiment that is part of President Barack Obama's new counter-terrorism strategy.

EU members that don't help with refugees won't get money: Germany Posted: 17 Sep 2015 11:27 PM PDT Countries that do not share European values of human empathy and solidarity cannot count on receiving money from the bloc, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned in an interview with the newspaper Bild. Renewing a threat issued this week by his cabinet colleague, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, Gabriel said that while Germany was opening gymnasiums, barracks and homes to refugee families, other countries were "laying barbed wire on their borders and closing the gates". The comments were a thinly veiled jab at Hungary, which has built a fence along its border with Serbia and is building one on its border with Croatia to prevent refugees fleeing war in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, to make it into Europe's frontier-free Schengen zone.

Source: Syrian Military Starts Using New Weapons From Russia Posted: 17 Sep 2015 05:31 PM PDT The Syrian military has recently started using new types of air and ground weapons supplied by Russia, a Syrian military source told Reuters on Thursday, underlining growing Russian support for Damascus that is alarming the United States. Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Thursday Russia had provided new weapons and trained Syrian troops how to use them, without saying when or naming any specific systems. The Russian government said on Thursday its military support for Damascus was aimed at fighting terrorism, safeguarding Syria's statehood and preventing a "total catastrophe" in the region.

ELEVEN GRUMPY GUSES Posted: 17 Sep 2015 05:31 PM PDT Bottom line: After watching the Republicans debate for a total of five hours on issues ranging from immigration reform to childhood immunizations to the Iran deal to climate change, I'm convinced that we are not going to see a Republican in the White House in 2016. Not one Republican could unequivocally say the health of our children is more important than pseudoscience, preferring to play scaremongers rather than support vaccination. Carly Fiorina had to prove she was not an anomaly, but a serious candidate.

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