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Connecticut placed six West Africans who recently arrived in the United States under quarantine for possible Ebola exposure, a move that comes as the United States starts new restrictions on those coming from the countries hardest hit by the deadly virus. The family of six West Africans, who arrived Saturday and were planning to live in the United States, will be watched for 21 days, Connecticut state health authorities said Thursday. Officials have yet to say where the family came from. ... Ebola fears have also touched one of the world's most reclusive countries, North Korea, which will bar entry...

Witnesses, attorneys and even the judge took special care not to let the phrase "Navy SEALs" pass their lips during a federal criminal trial in Alexandria this week, further cloaking an already mysterious case involving the purchase of hundreds of unmarked rifle silencers for the military. Instead, people involved in the trial referred obliquely to "the program," "operators" and "other entities in the government" when discussing who might have wanted to use the silencers, which were acquired through a classified Navy contract. On Wednesday, a key defense witness was interrupted almost immediately after he introduced himself as the weapons accessory...

Senator John McCain 241 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Dear Senator McCain: This letter is being sent to you on behalf of the Qatar Awareness Campaign Coalition. The purpose is to inform you and the public of the activities of Qatar. In light of your unwavering support for the Arab Spring, it is important to weigh your concerns for "democracy" against empowering the nation’s enemies. The State of Qatar was a consistent advocate for the Arab Spring, precisely because they are the home of the terrorist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood. Before even President Obama, reacting to events in...

he UK has been told it must pay an extra £1.7bn (2.1bn euros) towards the European Union's budget because the economy has performed better than expected in recent years. The payment follows new calculations by the EU that determine how much each member state should contribute. It would add about a fifth to the UK's annual net contribution of £8.6bn. A government source said the demand was "not acceptable" while one Tory MP said the UK should simply refuse to pay it. UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the UK had been "hammered again" while Labour said it was imperative that...

Russia will struggle to avoid falling into a recession if oil prices are allowed to drop to $80 a barrel — and could face calamity if prices fall below that level. Brent crude oil prices have fallen from a June high of $115 a barrel to just over $86 a barrel Wednesday. This poses a huge problem for Russia as oil and gas account for around two-thirds of total exports from the country:

Russia's currency has been put under pressure by a combination of falling oil prices and fears over a possible sovereign debt downgrade by Standard & Poor’s Friday. The ratings agency currently has a BBB- on Russia, only one grade above junk. A further downgrade would push it into junk territory, likely increasing the country's borrowing costs at a time when it is already struggling to meet budget targets due to plunging commodity revenues. If the oil price continues to slide analysts see the country falling into a recession.

Picture courtesy of Kongsberg. Australia’s new fighter jets could be armed with controversial robot-controlled missiles that critics claim can “make decisions to kill without human interference”. The Joint Strike Missile is close to final development by Norway’s Kongsberg Gruppen. It’s a $1.3 billion bet by the country to make it the standard weapon for the F-35. Back in June, Australia was one of the first countries to express interest in arming its F-35 fleet with the JSM. It’s also been pitched to Japan and South Korea but now it’s close to completion, it’s looking increasingly likely to become the missile...

People across the country are mourning the death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo today. Since his shooting death at the war memorial in Ottawa, there has been an outpouring of sympathy for his family and his comrades in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders reserve force. Barbara Winters shares that feeling. She is now a lawyer but she spent 17 years in the Naval Reserve. And she was one of those who came to the aid of Nathan Cirillo yesterday in the moments after he was attacked. In an emotional interview with As It Happens host Carol Off, she recalls her efforts...

The Philippine military said Monday that a U.N. peacekeeping commander in the Golan Heights should be investigated for seeking only surrender options. When rebels challenged UN Camps at a crossing on the Syrian-Israeli, Golan Heights Wednesday. Al Qaida-Nusra, demanded the Fijian and Filipino peacekeepers surrender. The commander of U N Grovel Force, or UNGF, directed demand compliance. Fijian peacekeepers surrendered their weapons, munitions , supplies and pride, are now held by the Nusra. Flip Gen. Catapang, said "nuts", and instead, initiated a daring run for all you are worth, ending the sorta tense, standoff thing. The Philippines has given notice...

* Corporal Nathan Cirillo was gunned down as he stood guard at Canada's National War Memorial on Parliament Hill * The Hamilton, Ontario native was rushed to the hospital but later died * Cirillo, a fitness fanatic and animal lover, served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and worked as a personal trainer and bouncer * His mother, who is traveling to Ottawa, is 'completely broken', relatives saidTheir noses peeking out from under the fence, Nathan Cirillo's dogs wait patiently for their dad - unaware that he will never be coming home. A day after the 24-year-old Canadian reservist and...

TAMPA — Troops and their families at MacDill Air Force Base are being advised to downplay references to their military connections on Facebook, Twitter and other social media because of online threats made by Islamic State and other jihadi groups.

(CNSNews.com) – Individuals from West African nations who travel to airports in six U.S. states will be tracked for 21 days for signs of Ebola, but it will be up to individual states to decide what to do if these travelers fail to self-report, the White House said Wednesday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest called it “an additional layer that will be based upon an effort to share information with state and local health authorities so they can put in place the measures that they believe would be most effective in protecting the populations of their states.” Screening has already...

Man attacks New York police officers with a hatchet By Shimon Procupez and Greg Botelho, CNN updated 9:48 PM EDT, Thu October 23, 2014 Source: CNN New York (CNN) -- A man charged at four New York police officers with a metal hatchet Thursday, hitting two of them at a time of high alert for authorities concerned they might be targeted in the United States and Canada. The suspect was hiding behind a bus shelter as if he was waiting to attack the officers, according to a law enforcement official, who said it almost appeared as if he was stalking...

Russian military provocations have increased so much over the seven months since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine that Washington and its allies are scrambling defense assets on a nearly daily basis in response to air, sea and land incursions by Vladimir Putin’s forces. Not only is Moscow continuing to foment unrest in Eastern Ukraine, U.S. officials and regional security experts say Russian fighter jets are testing U.S. reaction times over Alaska and Japan’s ability to scramble planes over its northern islands — all while haunting Sweden’s navy and antagonizing Estonia’s tiny national security force. Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/23/vladimir-putin-emboldened-by-weak-us-response-to-r/#ixzz3H1YXcfit Follow us: @washtimes...

A Harlem doctor who recently treated patients in Africa, tested positive for the deadly disease after he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital with symptoms, including a 103-degree fever, sources told The Post. [snip] Spencer had spent Wednesday night bowling in Williamsburg. He used an Uber car service to get to and from the Brooklyn neighborhood. Hipster bowling hot spot The Gutter was closed last night due to “unforseen circumstances.”[snip]

Some people are urging the Colorado burrito chain Illegal Pete’s to change its name because of the way the word “illegal” has been used to describe immigrants. The Coloradan reports that about 30 people gathered in Fort Collins Wednesday to ask owner Pete Turner to change the name of the chain, which is about to open an outlet there. It’s part of a bigger campaign nationally against what critics refer to as the “I-word.” They think using the word to describe a person is dehumanizing. …

A popular military enlistment program for immigrants with specialized skills is now stuck in bureaucratic limbo — after the Pentagon announced last month it would begin allowing some young immigrants without legal status into the program. Army officials confirmed Thursday that the program, called Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, has been suspended while the service tries to finalize screening procedures for the immigrants who want to enlist. (SNIP) And a new requirement instituted in 2012 mandates that all MAVNI applicants go through a high-level security check, called a single-scope background investigation. But DACA recipients would not be able...

The USS Ranger maintains an important place in the military and cultural history of the United States, as well as in the personal history of the thousands of Navy, Marine, and Air Force personnel who served on board. The ship served the country with distinction in the Vietnam (earning 13 battle stars) and Gulf (flying more combat missions than any other carrier) Wars, as well as in humanitarian missions. Noted entertainers, including Bob Hope, Raquel Welch, Les Brown, Suzanne Somers, Gladys Knight & The Pips and Marie Osmond entertained on the flight deck. Noted visitors to Ranger include astronaut Neil...

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The number of people who died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border has dropped to the lowest level in 15 years as more immigrants turned themselves in to authorities in Texas and fewer took their chances with the dangerous trek across the Arizona desert. The U.S. government recorded 307 deaths in the 2014 fiscal year that ended in September — the lowest number since 1999. In 2013, the number of deaths was 445.

President Barack Obama is nominating a major fundraiser for his presidential campaign to be the next U.S. ambassador to Sweden. The White House says Azita Raji is Obama’s pick for the job. She’s a former investment banker who served as national vice-chair of finance for Obama’s 2012 campaign. She helped raise more than $500,000 for Obama’s campaign as a “bundler” in 2012. …