Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Russia suspends Egypt flights, U.S. boosts security as intelligence points to bomb
• Exclusive: Chemical weapons used by fighters in Syria - sources
• Russian plane black boxes point to 'attack', Putin halts flights
• Exclusive: U.S. to open new screening centers for Syrian refugees - State Department
• Top Iraq cleric warns parliament not to undercut reforms
• Maldives police raid private TV station after declaring emergency
• The Latest: EU agency to monitor Greece-Albania border
• IS accused in Syria mustard gas attack as rebels push back regime
• Mustard gas: A legacy of WWI
• Lockheed finalizes $9B purchase of helicopter maker Sikorsky
• Gulf security needs seen displacing jet orders in Dubai
• Unemployment rates fall for US teens and older workers
• Mustard gas was used in August attack on Syrian town, says weapons group
• Man accused of raising money for Al-Qaeda: I didn’t do it
• Trump Can’t Keep His Multibillion Dollar Pentagon Programs Straight
• Britain, U.S. intercepted 'chatter' supporting theory bomb took down Russian jet: officials
• Despite Russian strikes, Syrian rebels hold ground
• Russia's Putin suspends all flights to Egypt on security advice
• Syrian rebels recapture village in country's west
• German police arrest Islamic State suspect at Munich Airport
• British attempts to return tourists from Egypt mired in confusion
• France to reinstate border controls for UN climate meeting
• Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric warns parliament not to stall Abadi's reforms
• Veterans Gather in the Steel City to March in the 2015 Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade
• Putin Moves Anti-Aircraft Missiles into Syria: Why?
• U.S., allies conduct 23 more air strikes in Syria, Iraq: military
• Russia says to plan humanitarian aid in Syria, Yemen and Iraq with U.N.: RIA
• Turkey detains 20 IS suspects in Antalya ahead of G20
• Cholera spreads from Iraq to Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain: UNICEF
• With just hand luggage, British tourists to fly home from Egypt
• In divided Iraq, unique school brings children together
• Britain says it is wrong to rely on allies to tackle Islamic State
• Sweden says can no longer guarantee housing for new refugees
• Fallon says it is wrong to rely on allies to tackle Islamic State
• Trudeau says Canada ready to settle 25,000 Syrian refugees
• Seeking to regain traction, Sanders plans new policy push
• Islamic State Egypt branch suspected in plane crash remains elusive
• Foreign aid workers shy away from Afghanistan as violence surges

Russia suspends Egypt flights, U.S. boosts security as intelligence points to bomb Posted: 06 Nov 2015 04:07 PM PST By Andrew Osborn and Mark Hosenball MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Moscow suspended passenger flights to Egypt, and the United States imposed new air travel security requirements in the wake of the crash of a Russian jet in Egypt, as Western officials pointed on Friday to the conclusion it was brought down by a bomb. A group affiliated with Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the crash of an Airbus A321 operated by a Russian carrier on Saturday that was bringing holidaymakers home from a resort on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. All 224 people on board were killed in what the militants described as revenge for Russian air strikes in Syria that began more than a month ago.

Exclusive: Chemical weapons used by fighters in Syria - sources Posted: 06 Nov 2015 01:56 PM PST By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Chemical weapons experts have determined that mustard gas was used in a Syrian town where Islamic State insurgents were battling another group, according to a report by an international watchdog seen by Reuters. A confidential Oct. 29 report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a summary of which was shown to Reuters, concluded "with the utmost confidence that at least two people were exposed to sulfur mustard" in the town of Marea, north of Aleppo, on Aug. 21. "It is very likely that the effects of sulfur mustard resulted in the death of a baby," it said.

Russian plane black boxes point to 'attack', Putin halts flights Posted: 06 Nov 2015 01:27 PM PST Analysis of black boxes from the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt killing 224 people points to a bomb, sources close to the probe said Friday, as Moscow halted flights to the country. Meanwhile, British airlines were scrambling to evacuate passengers in Sharm el-Sheikh after cancelling flights to the Red Sea resort from which the doomed Airbus took off. The flight data and voice recorders showed "everything was normal" until both failed at 24 minutes after takeoff from the Sharm el-Sheikh resort Saturday, pointing to "a very sudden explosive decompression," one source said.

Exclusive: U.S. to open new screening centers for Syrian refugees - State Department Posted: 06 Nov 2015 12:59 PM PST By Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is moving to increase and accelerate the number of Syrian refugees who might be admitted into the United States by opening new screening outposts in Iraq and Lebanon, administration officials told Reuters on Friday. The move comes after President Barack Obama pledged in September to admit an additional 10,000 refugees in 2016 from Syria, torn by four years of civil war and disorder. The U.S. State Department confirmed the plans to open a refugee settlement processing center in Erbil, Iraq, before the end of 2015, and to resume refugee processing in Lebanon in early 2016, said spokeswoman Danna Van Brandt.

Top Iraq cleric warns parliament not to undercut reforms Posted: 06 Nov 2015 12:34 PM PST Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, warned parliament Friday against attempting to use constitutional or legal grounds to circumvent reforms aimed at curbing graft and streamlining the government. The directive from Sistani came after parliament pushed back against Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's reform drive earlier in the week, saying its legislative powers must not be usurped during the process. "Legislative and other authorities should not take the need to protect the constitutional and legal path as a means of circumventing reform measures," Sistani said in remarks read by a representative at Friday prayers.

Maldives police raid private TV station after declaring emergency Posted: 06 Nov 2015 11:47 AM PST Police in the Maldives on Friday raided a private television station in connection with a YouTube video that allegedly threatened President Abdulla Yameen, the network's managing director said. The move came days after President Yameen imposed a state of emergency, giving wider powers to police and armed forces to arrest and suspending freedom of assembly and freedom of movement. Police on Friday stopped Sangu TV from broadcasting and searched its studios in the capital island Male in a pre-dawn raid, removing computer hard disks.

The Latest: EU agency to monitor Greece-Albania border Posted: 06 Nov 2015 11:43 AM PST ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The latest on the flow of tens of thousands of people trekking to Europe in search of a new life. All times local.

IS accused in Syria mustard gas attack as rebels push back regime Posted: 06 Nov 2015 11:14 AM PST Activists accused the Islamic State (IS) group Friday of being behind a deadly gas attack in northern Syria this past summer, as the global chemical weapons watchdog confirmed it was mustard gas. Meanwhile, Islamist rebels wrested back a flashpoint town in the central province of Hama, reversing the last of gains the army had made in a month-old offensive. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on Friday confirmed with "utmost confidence" that mustard gas was used in August in Syria.

Mustard gas: A legacy of WWI Posted: 06 Nov 2015 11:04 AM PST Mustard gas, used during fighting in Syria according to the global chemical weapons watchdog, first terrorised battlefields during World War I. Most recently, it was used on August 21 in Marea, a town in the northern province of Aleppo, a source at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) told AFP on Friday. A so-called vesicant agent officially identified as bis-(2-chloroethyl)sulfide, mustard gas has also been dubbed Yperite because it was first used near the Belgian city of Ypres in July 1917 by the German army.

Lockheed finalizes $9B purchase of helicopter maker Sikorsky Posted: 06 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST Lockheed Martin has closed its acquisition of Black Hawk helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft. Marillyn Hewson, chairwoman, president and CEO of the Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, announced completion of ...

Gulf security needs seen displacing jet orders in Dubai Posted: 06 Nov 2015 10:13 AM PST By Stanley Carvalho and Nadia Saleem DUBAI (Reuters) - After sizzling with record jetliner purchases from Gulf airlines in recent years, next week's Dubai Airshow will be dominated by the presence of arms manufacturers as Gulf states weigh their security needs in a region increasingly on edge. The Middle East's top aviation event won't be devoid of the commercial swagger which dominated past shows, but regional conflict, low oil prices and a trade dispute with U.S. airlines mean the Nov 8-12 event is likely to be a more low-key affair. "The focus will be on military for the reason that the security environment in the region is deteriorating further," said Mustafa Alani, director of defense & security at the Gulf Research Centre (GRC), a thinktank.

Unemployment rates fall for US teens and older workers Posted: 06 Nov 2015 10:13 AM PST Teenagers, older workers and recent veterans benefited from a stellar U.S. job market in October. The unemployment rate for teens fell to 15.9 percent, their lowest level since 2008, while the rate for ...

Mustard gas was used in August attack on Syrian town, says weapons group Posted: 06 Nov 2015 10:01 AM PST A report by an international chemical weapons watchdog group says mustard gas was used during summer fighting in a Syrian town where Islamic State (IS) insurgents were battling a rebel group. The deadly gas was used in the town of Marea in the northern province of Aleppo on August 21, a source from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) told Reuters. On August 25, Doctors Without Borders (also known in French as Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) released a statement saying it treated four members of the same family who showed "symptoms of exposure to chemical agents" on August 21.

Man accused of raising money for Al-Qaeda: I didn’t do it Posted: 06 Nov 2015 09:59 AM PST Two pairs of brothers with Ohio connections face federal terrorism charges relating to funneling money to Al-Qaeda, and at least one suspect has plead not guilty. Sultane Room Salim appeared in federal court on Thursday in Toledo and was ordered to stay in jail, according to the Associated Press. Federal prosecutors say the suspects, including two former Ohio State University students, collaborated to send money and other support to former Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki.

Trump Can’t Keep His Multibillion Dollar Pentagon Programs Straight Posted: 06 Nov 2015 09:39 AM PST Donald Trump didn't serve in the military, but he has repeatedly boasted he's the only Republican presidential candidate who can transform how the Defense Department does business and revamp the armed services. Well, if he wants to do that, he should probably learn the difference between a strategic bomber and the F-35.

Britain, U.S. intercepted 'chatter' supporting theory bomb took down Russian jet: officials Posted: 06 Nov 2015 08:43 AM PST By Mark Hosenball and Guy Faulconbridge WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - British and U.S. spies intercepted "chatter" from suspected militants and at least one other government suggesting that a bomb, possibly hidden in luggage in the hold, downed a Russian airliner on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board, Western intelligence sources said. Prime Minister David Cameron halted flights to and from Sharm al-Sheikh on Wednesday after intelligence shown to him indicated that it was likely that the Airbus A321 heading towards St Petersburg was brought down by a bomb. Britain says there was a "credible threat" but has refused to comment further on the intelligence involved, citing long-standing rules about disclosing operational details about live investigations.

Despite Russian strikes, Syrian rebels hold ground Posted: 06 Nov 2015 08:18 AM PST REYHANLI, Turkey (AP) — Despite a month of heavy battering by Russian airstrikes, Syria's rebels have so far been able to fend off offensives by government forces trying to retake territory from the rebel's heartland. The fierce fighting shows how even greater backing from Syrian President Bashar Assad's international allies is not swiftly tipping the conflict in his favor.

Russia's Putin suspends all flights to Egypt on security advice Posted: 06 Nov 2015 07:03 AM PST By Andrew Osborn and Polina Devitt MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered the suspension of all Russian passenger flights to Egypt on Friday until the cause of a deadly plane crash at the weekend was established. Putin's decision was a response to the unexplained crash of an Airbus A321 operated by a Russian carrier on Saturday over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The move, which follows decisions by Britain and Ireland to suspend flights to and from Sharm al-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort where the downed Russian airliner originated, is the first sign that Moscow is attaching credibility to the theory that Islamist militants somehow planted a bomb on the aircraft.

Syrian rebels recapture village in country's west Posted: 06 Nov 2015 06:54 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels recaptured a village in the country's west on Friday, days after it was seized by government troops as part of a major offensive that began last month.

German police arrest Islamic State suspect at Munich Airport Posted: 06 Nov 2015 06:16 AM PST A German man who flew to Syria last year to join the Islamic State militant group was arrested at Munich Airport on Friday, German police said. Police said the suspect, a 31-year-old from the Berlin area, traveled to Syria in December and is accused of helping the insurgents register new recruits and manufacture bombs. Police said he held that role until May. The statement made no reference to why he was at the airport.

British attempts to return tourists from Egypt mired in confusion Posted: 06 Nov 2015 06:10 AM PST By Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - British attempts to bring home thousands of tourists stranded in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh were thrown into chaos on Friday when Egypt slashed the number of flights it would allow to take them home. Prime Minister David Cameron halted flights between Britain and the resort over concerns that a Russian airliner that crashed after leaving the same airport on Saturday may have been brought down by a bomb planted by Islamic State militants. Britain, which has about 20,000 of its tourists in Sharm al-Sheikh, was planning to return some of them from the resort on Friday, with only hand luggage, due to security concerns.

France to reinstate border controls for UN climate meeting Posted: 06 Nov 2015 06:09 AM PST France will reinstate controls on its borders — normally open to other countries in Europe's free-travel zone — for the period around a major U.N. climate conference in Paris, the interior minister said ...

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric warns parliament not to stall Abadi's reforms Posted: 06 Nov 2015 05:23 AM PST By Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric warned parliament on Friday not to use concerns over the legality of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's reforms as a tactic to block them, in a boost to the premier days after lawmakers sought to rein him in. Parliament voted unanimously on Monday to bar the government from passing important reforms without its approval, resisting Abadi's efforts to unilaterally reshape a governing system that critics say encouraged corruption. "The need to protect the constitution and the law must not be used by the legislative or any other authority to circumvent or delay the reform steps," Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said through an aide.

Veterans Gather in the Steel City to March in the 2015 Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade Posted: 06 Nov 2015 05:00 AM PST PITTSBURGH, Nov. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As America recognizes the heroes who have selflessly served and sacrificed for this country, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is celebrating Pittsburgh-area veterans by participating in the 2015 Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade. On Saturday, Nov. 7, a group of 55 WWP Alumni will be cheered on by the grateful citizens of Pittsburgh as they parade through the downtown area. Following the parade, WWP will host these wounded veterans, caregivers, and family members for a luncheon where they will learn about the 20 free programs and services WWP offers to its Alumni.

Putin Moves Anti-Aircraft Missiles into Syria: Why? Posted: 06 Nov 2015 04:30 AM PST A Russian military officer on Thursday told the domestic media that President Vladimir Putin's effort to support the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad had expanded to include not just thousands of personnel to man fighter planes and helicopters, but also sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles, including the Pantsir and Buk systems. The announcement that Russia found it necessary to bring in missiles capable of destroying advanced military aircraft raised eyebrows among Western nations currently operating in the region because the two forces Russia is helping Assad fight – the terror group ISIS and a loose coalition of rebel groups battling to oust Assad – don't have any planes to use against Russian or Syrian forces. More troubling is that the only combat aircraft flying over Syria right now that don't belong to Russia or Syria are those of the U.S. and its allies who are striking ISIS targets there and in Iraq.

U.S., allies conduct 23 more air strikes in Syria, Iraq: military Posted: 06 Nov 2015 04:27 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State in Iraq with 14 air strikes on Thursday, and also hit the militant group with nine air strikes in Syria, the U.S. military said on Friday. Six of the strikes in Iraq were staged near Sinjar, hitting tactical and fighting units, bunkers and an assembly area, according to a military statement. Four strikes near Ramadi also hit tactical units while destroying sniper positions, weapons, bunkers and a building, it added. ...

Russia says to plan humanitarian aid in Syria, Yemen and Iraq with U.N.: RIA Posted: 06 Nov 2015 03:59 AM PST Russia and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are preparing a plan for humanitarian aid in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, RIA news agency cited Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov as saying on Friday. "Next year we will make a plan for the provision of humanitarian aid in different countries including Syria, Yemen and Iraq," Puchkov said.

Turkey detains 20 IS suspects in Antalya ahead of G20 Posted: 06 Nov 2015 03:14 AM PST Turkish police have detained 20 Islamic State suspects in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, barely 10 days ahead of a summit being attended by world leaders there, local media reported Friday. Turkey has been on the hunt for IS extremists since twin bombings on a peace rally in Ankara on October 10 that killed 102 people and wounded around 500, the worst such attack in the country's history. US President Barack Obama is among G20 leaders who will be at the summit in Antalya on November 15-16 where the war in Syria is certain to be high on the agenda.

Cholera spreads from Iraq to Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain: UNICEF Posted: 06 Nov 2015 02:22 AM PST By Isabel Coles ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A cholera outbreak in Iraq has spread to neighboring Syria, Kuwait and Bahrain, and risks turning into a region-wide epidemic as millions of pilgrims prepare to visit the country, UNICEF's Iraq director said. The disease, which can lead to death by dehydration and kidney failure within hours if left untreated, was detected west of Baghdad in September and has since infected at least 2,200 people in Iraq and has killed six. "It (the outbreak) already has a regional dynamic and the risk of that can only be increased by people from all over the region coming into Iraq," UNICEF country director, Peter Hawkins, said on Thursday.

With just hand luggage, British tourists to fly home from Egypt Posted: 06 Nov 2015 02:21 AM PST British tourists will fly home from the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh on Friday with extra security measures in place after Prime Minister David Cameron said a bomb probably downed a Russian airplane, killing all 224 people on board. Cameron's decision to ground British flights to and from the airport angered Egypt, which depends on tourism revenue, and drew criticism from the Kremlin, which said it had not been given details of the intelligence behind Britain's move. "The additional security measures will include permitting passengers to carry hand baggage only and transporting hold luggage separately," a spokeswoman for Cameron's office said.

In divided Iraq, unique school brings children together Posted: 06 Nov 2015 02:15 AM PST Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen children sit in the same classrooms at a school where Islamic and Christian education textbooks are stacked on the same tables. Mariamana school in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk is a rarity in a country whose unique cultural, religious and ethnic mosaic is threatened by conflict and sectarianism. "The main idea was a school that would be attended by different ethnic and religious groups... in order to rid society of that tension," said Zakia Matty Dawood, the headmistress.

Britain says it is wrong to rely on allies to tackle Islamic State Posted: 06 Nov 2015 01:03 AM PST It is wrong for Britain to rely on allies to protect it from Islamic State militants, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said, calling on lawmakers to consider the case for extending air strikes to Syria from Iraq. The British government this week denied that it had dropped plans to seek parliamentary approval for British air strikes in Syria after several newspapers reported it had done so because it had failed to get enough backing from opposition lawmakers. "I am asking MPs particularly to reflect on the fact that the streets of Britain at the moment are being kept safe by American, Australian and French aircraft striking at the heart of ISIL in north-east Syria from where ISIL is organized and directed," Fallon told the BBC.

Sweden says can no longer guarantee housing for new refugees Posted: 06 Nov 2015 12:59 AM PST Sweden's migration minister warned on Thursday that the government could no longer guarantee finding accommodation for newly arrived refugees as the country applied for EU emergency aid to cope with record number of asylum seekers. The Migration Agency said it was preparing to shelter around 50 refugees in the reception area of its headquarters because of the lack of housing. The agency forecast up to 190,000 asylum seekers would arrive this year, double the previous record from the early 1990s.

Fallon says it is wrong to rely on allies to tackle Islamic State Posted: 06 Nov 2015 12:56 AM PST It is wrong for Britain to rely on allies to protect it from Islamic State militants, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said, calling on MPs to consider the case for extending air strikes to Syria from Iraq. The British government this week denied that it had dropped plans to seek parliamentary approval for British air strikes in Syria after several newspapers reported it had done so because it had failed to get enough backing from opposition MPs. "I am asking MPs particularly to reflect on the fact that the streets of Britain at the moment are being kept safe by American, Australian and French aircraft striking at the heart of ISIL in north-east Syria from where ISIL is organised and directed," Fallon told the BBC.

Trudeau says Canada ready to settle 25,000 Syrian refugees Posted: 06 Nov 2015 12:14 AM PST Canada's new prime minister vowed to make good on campaign promises to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the beginning of next year and bring home fighter jets battling the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Several government ministries have been mobilized to achieve this goal in such a short time, Trudeau said, adding the federal government would have to work closely with Canada's provinces and municipalities. The refugees must be given ways to support their families once they reach Canada so they can benefit their community and the country as a whole, just like the "waves of immigrants and refugees that did so earlier," Trudeau said.

Seeking to regain traction, Sanders plans new policy push Posted: 06 Nov 2015 12:07 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is preparing an aggressive push to regain ground in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, combining a series of ads, policy speeches and appearances before key groups of voters in a bid to ignite his challenge to front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Islamic State Egypt branch suspected in plane crash remains elusive Posted: 05 Nov 2015 11:47 PM PST By Michael Georgy and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan CAIRO (Reuters) - The Islamic State branch suspected of bringing down a Russian airliner in Egypt had eluded a security dragnet by operating in secretive cells inspired by a leader who used to import clothes for a living, Egyptian intelligence officials say. Western officials are increasingly pointing the finger of blame at Sinai Province, which has focused on killing Egyptian soldiers and police since the military toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests. If a bomb knocked Airbus A321 out of the sky, that would challenge Egypt's assertions that it had brought under control militants who have carried out high-profile attacks on senior government officials and Western targets.

Foreign aid workers shy away from Afghanistan as violence surges Posted: 05 Nov 2015 11:30 PM PST Afghanistan was once a magnet for foreign aid workers but surging violence has left NGOs struggling to recruit staff and restricted their ability to deliver crucial aid to the country's vulnerable. Plagued by decades of war and natural disasters such as last month's earthquake, which killed more than 120 people in the country and left thousands homeless, up until around 2009 Afghanistan was considered a risky but rewarding post for humanitarian workers. Posts now remain "empty for a long time" compared to a decade ago, said Elise, of France's Acted NGO in Kabul, who declined to provide a last name.

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