Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Trudeau's Liberal juggernaut sets new course for Canada
• Republican leader wants slower pace for Afghan troop withdrawal
• Slovenia buckles as migrants rush to escape winter, border closures
• Webb dropping Democratic bid for president
• Republicans warn Obama not to veto defense policy bill
• Jeb Bush finding place for brother's tenure in 2016 campaign
• Canada withdrawing fighter jets from Iraq, Syria, Trudeau tells Obama
• Canada's approach to foreign issues to change with Trudeau
• Mediators face uphill battle in Israeli-Palestinian morass
• Day off in Washington for hero mine-clearance dog
• Ankara bombing: Did Turkey misread perils of Islamic State?
• Canada's new Liberal PM Trudeau wins broad mandate for change
• US, Russia set rules for air safety over Syria
• Slovenia deploys troops to border as migrant exodus swells
• White House says Canada could do more on climate ahead of Paris talks
• U.S. says it wants Canada to continue to support Islamic State fight
• Turkey releases pro-Kurdish lawyer accused of 'terrorist propaganda'
• Iraq says forces recapture refinery town from IS militants
• New Joint Chiefs chairman looks over war zone in Iraq
• US deploys ground-attack A-10 planes to Turkey
• Iraq cholera cases grow, spread to Kurdish region
• The Latest: EU offers 291 border guards amid migrant crisis
• Exclusive: Watchdog to probe alleged mustard gas use by Islamic State
• Top U.S. general plays down chances of Russian air campaign in Iraq
• Move by Bahrain police to remove Shiite banners spark clash
• U.S., allies conduct 15 strikes in Iraq, two in Syria against IS
• Finland tightens criteria for Iraqi asylum seekers
• Syria operation shows Russia can counter 'any threats': Putin
• Nearly 2,000 died in hajj stampede: foreign data
• British and Turkish authorities in contact over journalist's airport death
• Britain says up to 13,000 Islamic State fighters in Iraq
• Iran says Saudi, not Tehran, destabilising Middle East
• Experts say free speech at stake in 'American Sniper' appeal
• Two California men plead not guilty to financial fraud in Islamic State case

Trudeau's Liberal juggernaut sets new course for Canada Posted: 20 Oct 2015 04:32 PM PDT Liberal leader Justin Trudeau reached out to Canada's traditional allies Tuesday after winning a landslide election mandate to change tack on global warming and return to the multilateralism sometimes shunned by his predecessor. Monday's decisive win ended nearly a decade of Stephen Harper's Tory rule, prompting the 43-year-old Trudeau to rebuild ties that soured over the issue of climate change with a "constructive" new style of government. "I want to say to this country's friends all around the world: Many of you have worried that Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive voice in the world over the past 10 years," the prime minister-elect told cheering supporters at a rally in Ottawa.

Republican leader wants slower pace for Afghan troop withdrawal Posted: 20 Oct 2015 04:00 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican leader of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday backed President Barack Obama's plans to slow the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, but said he favored keeping 10,000 there rather than reducing the force by half under a plan announced last week. "The bare minimum number is ... closer to 10,000, that's what you really need," Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, told reporters. "To continue to flirt with the idea that it's not going to continue only encourages the other side and emboldens the other side." McConnell and four other Republican members of the Senate and the House of Representatives met with a small group of reporters to discuss their recent overseas trip that included stops in Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Slovenia buckles as migrants rush to escape winter, border closures Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:56 PM PDT Slovenia on Tuesday called in the army to help it manage a flood of refugees seeking to reach northern Europe ahead of winter, as the small EU state became the latest trouble spot on the migrant trail. With at least 9,000 people landing on Europe's beaches every day, there appeared to be no end in sight to the continent's biggest migration wave since World War II. Since Saturday when Hungary sealed off its border with Croatia, more than 19,460 migrants have arrived in Slovenia, with the nation of two million people warning it was struggling to cope.

Webb dropping Democratic bid for president Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb said Tuesday he is dropping out of the Democratic race for president and is considering his options about how he might "remain as a voice" in the campaign.

Republicans warn Obama not to veto defense policy bill Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Republicans sent President Barack Obama a $612 billion defense policy bill on Tuesday, warning him not to veto it as part of a partisan fight over government spending.

Jeb Bush finding place for brother's tenure in 2016 campaign Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:19 PM PDT DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After initially struggling with questions about the Iraq War and his brother's tenure as the nation's leader, Jeb Bush has tossed aside any hesitations about embracing former President George W. Bush's legacy and is searching for new ways to incorporate him into his White House campaign.

Canada withdrawing fighter jets from Iraq, Syria, Trudeau tells Obama Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:07 PM PDT Canada's prime minister-elect Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he told US President Barack Obama that Canadian fighter jets would withdraw from fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. "About an hour ago I spoke with President Obama," Trudeau told a press conference.

Canada's approach to foreign issues to change with Trudeau Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:06 PM PDT TORONTO (AP) — A look at how Canada's approach to international issues could change with Liberal Justin Trudeau replacing Conservative Stephen Harper as prime minister:

Mediators face uphill battle in Israeli-Palestinian morass Posted: 20 Oct 2015 03:05 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — A surprise Mideast mediation effort by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon underscores the world community's desire to stamp out the new flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence. But diplomacy faces an uphill battle with both sides deadlocked on the big issues and the current leaders being dragged along.

Day off in Washington for hero mine-clearance dog Posted: 20 Oct 2015 02:49 PM PDT A day trip to a crowded State Department office full of unfamiliar faces and smells might have upset some dogs, but then Astra's day job is itself pretty terrifying. Over the past five years she and her handler, Lebanese army sergeant Ahmad Solh, have scoured the battlefields of Lebanon for land-mines and unexploded bombs. "I love her, I see her more than I see my family," said Solh, who has worked with Astra for five years seeking unexploded ordnance in communities scarred by war.

Ankara bombing: Did Turkey misread perils of Islamic State? Posted: 20 Oct 2015 02:44 PM PDT The five young men with British passports were clearly jihadists, on foot at the border crossing from Turkey into Syria. Recommended: Think you know Turkey? Many of those rebels who flocked to Syria have now joined Al Qaeda-linked groups or the self-described Islamic State (IS), and shown they are ready to strike against their own enemies, such as ethnic Kurds, inside Turkey.

Canada's new Liberal PM Trudeau wins broad mandate for change Posted: 20 Oct 2015 02:36 PM PDT By Allison Lampert and Randall Palmer MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau, who came from behind to trounce his Conservative rivals and snatch a majority mandate, now has to deliver on pledges from tackling climate change to boosting the economy and legalizing marijuana. Trudeau, who campaigned on a promise of change, toppled Stephen Harper's Conservatives on Monday, giving him the freedom to start implementing his campaign pledges largely unimpeded. The 43-year-old son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau swept to victory with 39.5 percent of the popular vote in an election that saw the highest voter turnout since 1993.

US, Russia set rules for air safety over Syria Posted: 20 Oct 2015 02:16 PM PDT The United States and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes measures so their pilots steer clear of each other as they conduct separate bombing campaigns in Syria, the Pentagon said Tuesday. Speaking to reporters in the Pentagon, press secretary Peter Cook said the document had been signed earlier in the day and had taken effect immediately. "There's a series of protocols in place that effectively are intended to avoid any sort of risk of a mid-air incident between our air crews and Russian air crews," Cook said.

Slovenia deploys troops to border as migrant exodus swells Posted: 20 Oct 2015 01:24 PM PDT BREZICE, Slovenia (AP) — Led by riot police on horseback, thousands of weary migrants marched across western Balkans borderlands as far as the eye could see Tuesday as authorities cautiously lowered barriers and intensified efforts to cope with a human tide unseen in Europe since World War II.

White House says Canada could do more on climate ahead of Paris talks Posted: 20 Oct 2015 11:12 AM PDT By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday the new Canadian government could do more to address climate change ahead of international negotiations on the issue next month in Paris, a top priority for President Barack Obama in his 15 months remaining in office. Obama was expected to phone Canada's Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau on Tuesday to congratulate him on his party's win on Monday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters, hinting that climate could be part of the discussion.

U.S. says it wants Canada to continue to support Islamic State fight Posted: 20 Oct 2015 10:28 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday that it hopes the new Canadian government will continue to support the efforts of the U.S.-led coalition to fight Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Justin Trudeau, whose party won the Canadian election on Monday, had pledged during the campaign to withdraw Canada's CF-18 bombers from the coalition fight. President Barack Obama was expected to telephone Trudeau later on Tuesday to congratulate him on his win, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. ...

Turkey releases pro-Kurdish lawyer accused of 'terrorist propaganda' Posted: 20 Oct 2015 10:14 AM PDT A Turkish court on Tuesday released a top lawyer who had been detained in the majority Kurdish city of Diyarbakir for alleged "terrorist propaganda", local media said. Tahir Elci, head of the bar in the southeastern city and campaigner for Kurdish rights, was held over an interview with CNN Turk last week in which he said the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) "is not a terrorist organisation". Being a "terror apologist" is a crime punishable by jail under Turkish law, and Elci was questioned by anti-terrorist prosecutors.

Iraq says forces recapture refinery town from IS militants Posted: 20 Oct 2015 09:40 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Teamed up with paramilitary forces, Iraqi government troops on Tuesday drove Islamic State militants out of a key oil refinery town north of Baghdad, a government spokesman said.

New Joint Chiefs chairman looks over war zone in Iraq Posted: 20 Oct 2015 09:34 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The new top U.S. military officer said Tuesday he sees no prospect right now for Russia to expand its airstrike campaign into Iraq, speaking after briefings to update him on the battle against Islamic State militants.

US deploys ground-attack A-10 planes to Turkey Posted: 20 Oct 2015 08:56 AM PDT The US military has deployed a dozen A-10 ground-attack planes to the air base at Incirlik in southern Turkey, a US official said Tuesday. The 12 planes, famed for their tank-destroying capabilities, arrived over the weekend and have already been scheduled to fly missions in support of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, the official told AFP.

Iraq cholera cases grow, spread to Kurdish region Posted: 20 Oct 2015 08:52 AM PDT The number of cholera cases in Iraq has risen to more than 1,800 as the epidemic spread to the northern autonomous Kurdish region, health officials said Tuesday. "There have been 1,809 recorded cases of cholera in Iraq" since an outbreak started along the Euphrates valley last month, a health ministry statement said. The Kurdish health ministry reported its first cases since the outbreak, two each in the provinces of Arbil and Dohuk.

The Latest: EU offers 291 border guards amid migrant crisis Posted: 20 Oct 2015 08:37 AM PDT DOBOVA, Slovenia (AP) — The latest news as migrants make their way across Europe by the tens of thousands, fleeing war or seeking a better life. All times local:

Exclusive: Watchdog to probe alleged mustard gas use by Islamic State Posted: 20 Oct 2015 08:32 AM PDT By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Islamic State militants "most probably" used the banned chemical weapon mustard gas against Kurdish forces in Iraq and international inspectors have been asked to investigate, diplomatic sources told Reuters. A team of inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will go to Iraq next week to help determine if the blistering agent sulfur mustard was used in the battlefield, three sources told Reuters.

Top U.S. general plays down chances of Russian air campaign in Iraq Posted: 20 Oct 2015 08:13 AM PDT By Phil Stewart BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford played down the chances of Russia waging an air campaign against Islamic State in Iraq in the near future as he made his first trip to Iraq as the top U.S. military official. Russia's military intervention in Syria and its participation in a new Baghdad-based intelligence-sharing cell with Iran, Syria and Iraq has raised concerns in Washington that its Cold War rival is gaining influence in the Middle East.

Move by Bahrain police to remove Shiite banners spark clash Posted: 20 Oct 2015 08:06 AM PDT MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain's government-supported Shiite endowment expressed regret Tuesday over a move by police to take down Shiite banners and flags, an action that sparked clashes earlier in the day.

U.S., allies conduct 15 strikes in Iraq, two in Syria against IS Posted: 20 Oct 2015 07:50 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces conducted 15 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq on Monday, eight of them near the contested Sinjar area, and two air strikes in Syria, the U.S. military said. The Sinjar strikes destroyed 26 militant fighting positions, five vehicles, 10 assembly areas and three command and control nodes. Other strikes in Iraq hit near Ramadi, Kisik, Tal Afar, Mosul and Makhmur, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement on Tuesday. ...

Finland tightens criteria for Iraqi asylum seekers Posted: 20 Oct 2015 07:49 AM PDT Finland expects to get fewer Iraqi asylum seekers after it re-assessed the country's security and decided people will not qualify simply because they come from Iraq. Most of the 23,000 asylum seekers that have arrived in Finland this year are Iraqis, encouraged by the country's relatively broad asylum criteria and an existing Iraqi community. Under Finland's standard for granting asylum, people must have a "well-founded fear" of persecution in their own country to be granted asylum.

Syria operation shows Russia can counter 'any threats': Putin Posted: 20 Oct 2015 07:40 AM PDT Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow's intervention in Syria demonstrates it can counter any threats, as the Kremlin flexes its muscles on the world stage. "The operation has confirmed that Russia is ready to adequately and effectively respond to terrorist and any other threats to our country," Putin said in a speech to military and intelligence commanders at the Kremlin. Moscow says it has hit some 500 "terrorist" targets since launching a bombing campaign in Syria on September 30 in support of ground offensives by the troops of long-standing ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Nearly 2,000 died in hajj stampede: foreign data Posted: 20 Oct 2015 07:11 AM PDT Dubai (AFP) - The death toll from last month's hajj stampede has risen to at least 1,958, according to tallies given by foreign officials, making it the deadliest incident in the pilgrimage's history.

British and Turkish authorities in contact over journalist's airport death Posted: 20 Oct 2015 07:05 AM PDT British authorities are in touch with their Turkish counterparts after a British journalist was found dead at Istanbul's main international airport, an embassy official said on Tuesday. Jacky Sutton, 50, was acting Iraq country director for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), and died on Sunday en route to Arbil, in Kurdish-controlled Iraq. Turkish media reported she had been found hanging in the cubicle of a toilet in Ataturk International Aiport after apparently missing her connecting flight to Arbil.

Britain says up to 13,000 Islamic State fighters in Iraq Posted: 20 Oct 2015 04:59 AM PDT Britain believes there are between 10,000 and 13,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Tuesday. Hammond added that excluding Islamic State and Al Nusra fighters, he believed there were also some 80,000 opposition fighters in neighboring Syria. "It is estimated ... that there are 10,000 to 13,000 active ISIL fighters in Iraq," he told lawmakers, using a different title for Islamic State.

Iran says Saudi, not Tehran, destabilising Middle East Posted: 20 Oct 2015 02:44 AM PDT Saudi Arabia, not Iran, is destabilising the Middle East, an official in Tehran said Tuesday, rejecting claims from Riyadh that Iran is acting like a "colonising state". The comments from foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham come after Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Monday accused Iran of "meddling in the affairs" of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.

Experts say free speech at stake in 'American Sniper' appeal Posted: 20 Oct 2015 12:00 AM PDT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Legal experts say important free speech issues will be at stake when an appeals court considers whether former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is entitled to the $1.8 million judgment he won against the estate of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle.

Two California men plead not guilty to financial fraud in Islamic State case Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:39 PM PDT Two Southern California men accused of conspiring to travel to the Middle East to join the Islamic State pleaded not guilty on Monday to financial fraud charges connected with their alleged attempts to support the militant group, federal officials said. Muhanad Badawi and Nader Elhuzayel, residents of Anaheim, appeared in federal court in Santa Ana to face additional charges of bank and financial aid fraud that had been added to charges of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. government. Badawi, 24, is accused of using federal financial aid intended for his studies to buy Elhuzayel a plane ticket to Turkey, where he could move on to Syria and link up with Islamic State.

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