World News Roundup: Iraq, Iran airspace; Puerto Ricans devastated by quakes and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Airlines re-route or cancel flights around Iraq, Iran after missile strike on U.S. troops

Major airlines canceled Iran and Iraq flights on Wednesday and re-routed others away from both countries' airspace, following an Iranian missile strike on United States-led forces in Iraq. Germany's Lufthansa, Dubai-based Emirates, and low-cost flydubai were among airlines that canceled flights, as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration barred American carriers from the area. But several other carriers continued operations over the affected airspace.

Pompeo says U.S. support for Israeli settlements advances peace with Palestinians

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Washington's backing for Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank will advance Israeli-Palestinian peace, angering Palestinian leaders who seek the territory for a state. In a reversal of four decades of U.S. policy, Pompeo in November announced that the United States no longer viewed Israel's settlements on West Bank land it captured in the 1967 Middle East war as "inconsistent with international law".

Puerto Ricans sleep outside, wait for power after 'devastating' quake

Many Puerto Ricans woke up on Wednesday to a second day without electricity after the island's worst earthquake in over a century knocked out its biggest power plant, collapsed homes and killed at least one person. Puerto Rico's schools were closed on Wednesday and all public employees except police and health workers stayed home as engineers checked the safety of buildings after Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude quake and powerful aftershocks.

Ukrainian airliner crashes in Iran, killing 176

A Ukrainian airliner crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran early on Wednesday, bursting into flames and killing all 176 people on board. Debris and smouldering engine parts from the Boeing 737, which carrier Ukraine International Airlines said was last serviced two days ago, were strewn across a field southwest of the Iranian capital where rescue workers in face masks laid out scores of body bags.

Don't be put off by fires, Australia tells tourists

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged foreign tourists not to be deterred by deadly wildfires that have razed large swathes and sent smoke as far as South America, even as authorities fretted about renewed dangers ahead. Morrison made the plea on Wednesday as he visited Kangaroo Island, a usually wildlife-rich tourist attraction off the south coast hit twice in recent weeks by blazes.

Stowaway found dead at Paris airport after Ivory Coast flight: airline

The body of a stowaway has been found in the landing gear of an aircraft that landed in Paris after a flight from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, carrier Air France said on Wednesday. France's national airline said an investigation was underway.

Avenging general's killing, Iran strikes at U.S. troops in Iraq, Trump weighs response

Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the U.S. killing of an Iranian general, raising the stakes in its conflict with Washington amid concern of a wider war in the Middle East. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, addressing a gathering of Iranians chanting "Death to America", said the attacks were a "slap on the face" of the United States and U.S. troops should leave the region.

Potential jurors expected in New York court Wednesday for Weinstein rape trial

Potential jurors are expected to appear in a Manhattan court on Wednesday for former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's rape trial as lawyers try to find impartial New Yorkers to decide his fate. Jury selection got off to a dramatic start on Tuesday when a visibly angry Judge James Burke caught Weinstein texting in court and threatened him with jail if he did it again.

Outgunned, Iran invests in means to indirectly confront superpower enemy

Iran's launching of more than a dozen missiles at American-led forces in Iraq on Wednesday came after years of preparing for a confrontation with its superpower foe, whose forces are vastly larger and more advanced. The Gulf country has more than 500,000 active-duty personnel, including 125,000 members of its elite Revolutionary Guards, according to a report last year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. But international sanctions and restrictions on arms imports have made it hard for Iran to develop or buy more sophisticated weaponry.

Rival Libyan forces clash west of Sirte

East Libya-based forces said they carried out air strikes on Wednesday on a coastal road west of Sirte, a day after nine of their men were killed in a strike by rivals. The Libyan National Army (LNA) took control of Sirte, a strategically important city in the center of Libya's Mediterranean coastline, in a rapid advance on Monday and is seeking to consolidate gains.