Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT
• VP Biden to give major speech on Iraq's future
• Obama vows to address Iran's 'destabilizing' role in Mideast
• The Biggest Obstacle to Rand Paul’s 2016 Campaign
• Trial of Cleveland officer accused of fatal shooting begins
• Boston bombings trial entrusted to jury
• PLO delegation to hold talks with Syria on Yarmuk relief
• Longtime Associated Press photo editor Madge Stager dies
• U.N. Security Council mulls how to help Syria's Yarmouk civilians
• Iran nuclear deal must ensure Arab security: Saudi Arabia
• Official: South African teen stopped from leaving to join IS
• Defense secretary says US opening new phase of Asia pivot
• Sharna Kicks Noah's Tooth Out!
• On Armenia centennial, US rockers hope music raises pressure
• Obama Turns to Corker to Sell His Iranian Nuke Deal
• Iraq PM says 'only' 152 homes, shops burned in Tikrit
• Why Can't the Left Unseat Rahm Emanuel?
• French forces rescue hostage in Mali detained since 2011
• Unlike Arab neighbours, Oman sees friend in Tehran
• HAVEN Grant Funds Help Family of Veteran Stay Warm
• Conflict plunging Yemen towards humanitarian disaster, says U.N.
• U.S.-led forces conduct eight air strikes in Iraq, five in Syria: military
• Ghanaian captive from Libya attack released - employer
• Iraqi premier vows to prevent violations by Shiite militia
• Malaysia detains 17 suspected of plotting attacks: police chief
• Saudi Arabia welcomes Iran nuclear deal, seeks region free of WMD: statement
• Pope to world: don't ignore killing of Christians
• Top Asian News at 12:30 p.m. GMT
• Iraq PM says will cooperate with Kurds to liberate Nineveh
• John Oliver grills Edward Snowden over potentially harmful NSA leaks
• Jordan military plane crash kills pilot, trainee
• In Lebanon, destitute camp becomes jihadist refuge
• Jordan military: Training plane crashes, killing 2 pilots
• AP PHOTOS: Editor selections from the Middle East
• Islamic State blows up Syrian church: state news agency
• Pentagon chief heads east as US tries to maintain Asia focus
• Malaysia arrests 17 in suspected terror plot: police
• Saudi policeman killed during raid in oil-rich Eastern province
• Today in History
• Obama promises 'tough conversation' with Arab allies over security: NYT

Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:02 PM PDT HONG KONG (AP) — For Asia's aviation industry, the growing pains have just begun. A year of disasters, the disappearance of Flight 370 and financial turbulence highlight the challenges confronting the world's biggest air travel market, where governments, regulators and airlines are struggling to keep up after a decade of astonishing growth.

VP Biden to give major speech on Iraq's future Posted: 06 Apr 2015 04:52 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden is planning to give a major speech Thursday about the progress that's been made to strengthen Iraq's government and beleaguered military.

Obama vows to address Iran's 'destabilizing' role in Mideast Posted: 06 Apr 2015 04:10 PM PDT President Obama on Monday said he would continue to work with US partners to address Iran's "destabilizing activities" in the Middle East, even as details of a nuclear deal with Tehran are thrashed out. During a phone call with Sultan Qaboos, Obama pledged to work "with Oman and other regional partners to address Iran's destabilizing activities in the region," the White House said. Obama's call was part of a drive to convince skeptical allies that a tentative deal over Iran's nuclear program does not signify a softening of US opposition to Iran's role in the region.

The Biggest Obstacle to Rand Paul’s 2016 Campaign Posted: 06 Apr 2015 03:18 PM PDT If there were any lingering doubts that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is still looked askance as a potential commander-in-chief by many within his own party, they were dispelled over the weekend by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a leading defense hawk and a possible presidential candidate himself. Graham, appearing on the CBS News program Face the Nation, said President Obama extracted a bad tentative deal to limit Iran's nuclear program because the Iranians "do not fear or respect him." The best deal would come with a new president, he added. "Hillary Clinton would do better," Graham said of the almost certain Democratic presidential nominee next year. Ever since he began making sounds about a possible presidential campaign two years ago, Paul has been saddled with the image of an isolationist like his famous libertarian father, former House member and presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas.

Trial of Cleveland officer accused of fatal shooting begins Posted: 06 Apr 2015 02:47 PM PDT By Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A manslaughter trial began on Monday for a Cleveland police officer accused of shooting dead two unarmed suspects as he stood on the hood of their car and fired through the windshield after a high-speed chase. Michael Brelo, 31, fired 49 times at Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in the November 2012 incident, prosecutors said. Police officers fired a total of 137 shots in the incident. "The key is that he didn't have to," Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Rick Bell said in an opening statement.

Boston bombings trial entrusted to jury Posted: 06 Apr 2015 02:18 PM PDT Three people were killed and 264 others wounded in the twin blasts at the city's marathon, the worst attack in the United States since the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Government prosecutors portrayed the Muslim immigrant, who became a US citizen in 2012, as a callous terrorist who carried out the bombings to bring holy war to the northeastern US city and punish America. The jury must decide whether Tsarnaev is guilty on 30 counts related to the April 15, 2013 attacks, and the subsequent murder of a police officer, a car jacking and a shootout with police while on the run.

PLO delegation to hold talks with Syria on Yarmuk relief Posted: 06 Apr 2015 01:37 PM PDT A Palestinian official said Monday a delegation was heading to Damascus for talks on helping residents inside the Yarmuk refugee camp, parts of which have been overrun by the Islamic State group. Palestinian forces inside Yarmuk are largely surrounded by IS fighters who have captured large parts of the camp. Ahmed Majdalani, an official with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said the delegation would focus its efforts on providing security and assistance to the camp. "We will discuss with a number of Syrian officials securing the relief corridor opened yesterday to deliver humanitarian aid and getting civilians out so they won't become human shields for the terrorist Daesh group," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Longtime Associated Press photo editor Madge Stager dies Posted: 06 Apr 2015 12:53 PM PDT Madge Stager, a former New York-based photo editor for The Associated Press who helped direct coverage of the biggest stories around the world over four decades, has died. She was 61. Stager, who retired ...

U.N. Security Council mulls how to help Syria's Yarmouk civilians Posted: 06 Apr 2015 12:50 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council said on Monday it would look at how to help some 18,000 Palestinian refugees and Syrian civilians in a camp largely taken over by Islamic State as a top U.N. official suggested it consider measures to evacuate people. Pierre Krahenbuhl, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), briefed U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the 15-member council about Yarmouk camp on the outskirts of Damascus, just a few miles (kilometers) from President Bashar al-Assad's palace. "What the civilians in Yarmouk are most concerned about right now is bare survival. It's as simple and straightforward as that," Krahenbuhl told reporters via video link from Jordan.

Iran nuclear deal must ensure Arab security: Saudi Arabia Posted: 06 Apr 2015 12:04 PM PDT The Saudi government on Monday said it hopes a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers can bolster Middle East peace and end interference in Arab affairs. A statement after the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman said Saudi Arabia "hopes the agreement will reinforce security and stability in the region and the world".

Official: South African teen stopped from leaving to join IS Posted: 06 Apr 2015 11:57 AM PDT JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African teenager was taken off an airline flight because the 15-year-old girl was suspected to be leaving her home in Cape Town to join the Islamic State group, state security officials said Monday.

Defense secretary says US opening new phase of Asia pivot Posted: 06 Apr 2015 11:50 AM PDT TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Obama administration is opening a new phase of its strategic "rebalance" toward Asia and the Pacific by investing in high-end weapons such as a new long-range stealth bomber, refreshing its defense alliance with Japan and expanding trade partnerships, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday.

Sharna Kicks Noah's Tooth Out! Posted: 06 Apr 2015 11:19 AM PDT For Noah Galloway's sake, we hope the Tooth Fairy knows where the ballroom is!

On Armenia centennial, US rockers hope music raises pressure Posted: 06 Apr 2015 10:43 AM PDT One hundred years after the mass killings of Armenians, US band System of a Down is taking the fight for remembrance beyond politicians to the world's music fans. The Los Angeles-area hard rockers, who have sold more than 40 million albums since the mid-1990s, are of Armenian descent and are preparing a European tour to culminate in a public concert on April 23 in Yerevan, the band's first performance in Armenia. System of a Down's goal is one for which Armenians have campaigned for decades -- with limited success -- for the world to recognize the killings of some 1.5 million people in 1915 in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. Turkey, born of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, has vehemently denied a systematic effort to wipe out Armenians.

Obama Turns to Corker to Sell His Iranian Nuke Deal Posted: 06 Apr 2015 10:04 AM PDT Instead, he focused on Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the new chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who will have much to say about the shape of legislation granting Congress a 60-day review of the final agreement in June and the right to withhold sanction relief for Iran if the deal is unacceptable. "My hope is that we can find something that allows Congress to express itself but does not encroach on traditional presidential prerogatives – and ensures that, if in fact we get a good deal, that we can go ahead and implement it," Obama said.

Iraq PM says 'only' 152 homes, shops burned in Tikrit Posted: 06 Apr 2015 09:57 AM PDT Iraq's prime minister said Monday that "only" 152 homes and shops were burned in Tikrit, where pro-government forces have been accused of carrying out abuses after retaking the city. Haider al-Abadi did not specify who burned the structures or when the fires took place, but pro-government militiamen have admitted to torching houses in other recaptured areas and allegedly did so in Tikrit as well. Security forces and allied paramilitaries retook the city last week from the Islamic State (IS) group, which overran large parts of the country last year, but misconduct has marred Baghdad's biggest victory yet over the jihadists. He said those figures were confirmed by top officials including the governor and police chief of Salaheddin province, of which Tikrit is the capital.

Why Can't the Left Unseat Rahm Emanuel? Posted: 06 Apr 2015 08:51 AM PDT After years of his tiresome shtick—the bullying, the profanity, the glorified tough-guy act, and most of all the centrist corporatism—Rahm Emanuel was getting his due, and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party was elated. It was late February, and the Chicago mayor had just been forced into a runoff to hold on to his seat, despite spending nearly $16 million and bringing in President Obama for a last-minute appearance in a bid to head off challengers. "Rahm Emanuel and his corporate cronies have awoken a massive grassroots army across the city committed to ending his agenda of privatization, public school closings, and pension cuts," exulted Jim Dean, brother of Howard and head of the liberal group Democracy for America.

French forces rescue hostage in Mali detained since 2011 Posted: 06 Apr 2015 08:42 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — French special forces on Monday freed a Dutchman held hostage since being kidnapped in 2011 by extremists in Mali, the government said. There was no word on the fate of two men abducted at the same time.

Unlike Arab neighbours, Oman sees friend in Tehran Posted: 06 Apr 2015 08:26 AM PDT Iran's ties with its Arab neighbours across the Gulf have long been strained but one nation -- Oman -- has carved out a unique and potentially crucial relationship with Tehran. From Syria and Iraq and now the conflict in Yemen, Sunni Arab states led by Saudi Arabia have vied with Shiite Iran for influence in the Gulf and the greater Middle East. The rhetoric has risen in recent days, with Iran saying a Saudi-led intervention against Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen is "dangerous" and could spark a wider conflict.

HAVEN Grant Funds Help Family of Veteran Stay Warm Posted: 06 Apr 2015 07:19 AM PDT ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dale Fishgrab, 42, served our country for more than 13 years during three tours in Iraq. "FHLB Dallas is honored to support our military personnel with this program.

Conflict plunging Yemen towards humanitarian disaster, says U.N. Posted: 06 Apr 2015 07:18 AM PDT By Dominic Evans DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemen's conflict is driving an already impoverished country towards humanitarian disaster, displacing tens of thousands of families and exposing many more to the threat of disease and malnutrition, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Monday. UNICEF's Yemen representative Julien Harneis said "many, many children" had been killed in the fighting.

U.S.-led forces conduct eight air strikes in Iraq, five in Syria: military Posted: 06 Apr 2015 07:16 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces targeted Islamic State militants in Iraq with eight air strikes and conducted five air strikes in Syria, the U.S. military said on Monday. The air strikes, conducted since Sunday morning, hit near Bayji, Mosul and Ramadi, in Iraq, destroying fighting positions, mortar positions and a sniper position, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement. In Syria, the air strikes destroyed eight fighting positions an Islamic State tunnel system and a vehicle near al Hasaka, a vehicle near Ar Raqqa and two buildings in Kobani, it said. ...

Ghanaian captive from Libya attack released - employer Posted: 06 Apr 2015 06:55 AM PDT A hostage from Ghana was released last month after militants attacked an oilfield in Libya and took foreigners prisoner, but six staff are still unaccounted for, their employer said on Monday. All three were freed at the same time, Malta-based Value Added Oilfield Services (VAOS) said, confirming their release by an unknown armed group that seized them in a raid that killed 11 guards.

Iraqi premier vows to prevent violations by Shiite militia Posted: 06 Apr 2015 06:38 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister vowed on Monday to protect the people living in territories controlled by the Islamic State group from any retribution or rights violations when their lands are retaken by government forces.

Malaysia detains 17 suspected of plotting attacks: police chief Posted: 06 Apr 2015 06:34 AM PDT Seventeen suspected militants have been detained on suspicion of plotting to carry out attacks in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian police chief said on Monday. Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar tweeted that the 17, two of them had just returned from Syria, were detained Sunday. The 17 were believed to be planning attacks against targets such as police stations and military camps, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, according to the state news agency, Bernama. Prime Minister Najib Razak said last November that stronger laws were needed to curb militants, who now have the equipment and logistics to plan "lone wolf" attacks, establish Islamic State cells and form connections with other militant groups in the region.

Saudi Arabia welcomes Iran nuclear deal, seeks region free of WMD: statement Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT Saudi Arabia's cabinet said on Monday it welcomed an interim deal between Iran and world powers over Iran's disputed nuclear program and that it hoped a final deal would rid the region of weapons of mass destruction. Iran and six world powers -- the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- reached a framework agreement on Thursday that would curb Tehran's nuclear research for at least a decade and gradually lift Western sanctions.

Pope to world: don't ignore killing of Christians Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:43 AM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Monday again pressed the international community to do something about the killing of Christians in several parts of the world and not "look the other way."

Top Asian News at 12:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:32 AM PDT HONG KONG (AP) — For Asia's aviation industry, the growing pains have just begun. A year of disasters, the disappearance of Flight 370 and financial turbulence highlight the challenges confronting the world's biggest air travel market, where governments, regulators and airlines are struggling to keep up after a decade of astonishing growth.

Iraq PM says will cooperate with Kurds to liberate Nineveh Posted: 06 Apr 2015 04:58 AM PDT Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the Baghdad government would work with Kurdish authorities to liberate the northern province of Nineveh from Islamic State militants. "Our visit to Erbil today is to coordinate and cooperate on a joint plan to liberate the people of Nineveh," Abadi said at a joint news conference with Kurdish President Massoud Barzani on Monday. Abadi declined to lay out a timetable for the plan to retake Nineveh, of which Mosul is capital, in order not to lose the "element of surprise". The trip comes less than a week after Islamic State militants were driven out of the city of Tikrit by Iraqi forces including Shi'ite militia, backed by coalition air strikes.

John Oliver grills Edward Snowden over potentially harmful NSA leaks Posted: 06 Apr 2015 04:44 AM PDT John Oliver sat down with National Security Agency contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden on HBO's "Last Week Tonight" for a wide-ranging interview that was funny and, at times, surprisingly tense.

Jordan military plane crash kills pilot, trainee Posted: 06 Apr 2015 03:26 AM PDT A Jordanian pilot and an Iraqi trainee were killed when a light training aircraft crashed during a routine military excercise on Monday, the Jordanian army said. A T67 "Firefly aircraft crashed Monday morning, killing a Jordanian lieutenant colonel and his Iraqi trainee, during a routine training excercise" said Colonel Mamdouh al-Amiri, spokesman for the Jordanian military. The Jordanian military regularly trains Iraqi pilots as part of defence agreements between the two countries, Amiri said. In September, Jordan joined the US-led coalition of Arab and Western countries carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group, which controls large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

In Lebanon, destitute camp becomes jihadist refuge Posted: 06 Apr 2015 02:50 AM PDT Ain al-Helweh (Lebanon) (AFP) - Lebanon's Ain al-Helweh camp has long provided a stable, if destitute, bolthole for Palestinian refugees, some of whom have lived within its walls since fleeing their homes more than six decades ago. A photograph of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who has proclaimed a "caliphate" in parts of Iraq and Syria, is plastered on the walls of a small kiosk, alongside a picture of slain Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Abu Hajer, a Palestinian from Ain al-Helweh who fights with Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front in Syria, uses the camp as a rear-base in between fighting.

Jordan military: Training plane crashes, killing 2 pilots Posted: 06 Apr 2015 01:59 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's military says a training propeller airplane has crashed during a routine flight, killing two pilots onboard.

AP PHOTOS: Editor selections from the Middle East Posted: 06 Apr 2015 01:47 AM PDT In the Middle East this week, a coalition of Iraqi security forces, Shiite militias and Iranian advisers backed by U.S.-led airstrikes dislodged the Islamic State group from the Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

Islamic State blows up Syrian church: state news agency Posted: 06 Apr 2015 12:45 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents blew up an 80-year-old church in Syria's northeastern province of Hassaka on Easter Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA said. SANA, which did not report any casualties, said the militants had planted explosives inside the Church of the Virgin Mary in Tel Nasri, an Assyrian village in an area where Christian and Kurdish militia have been battling Islamic State. Islamic State controls the village, the news agency said on Monday. ...

Pentagon chief heads east as US tries to maintain Asia focus Posted: 06 Apr 2015 12:30 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Islamic extremists grab parts of Iraq and Syria. Yemen slides into civil war. Iran's nuclear program strains U.S. relations with Israel. Ukraine fights Russian-backed separatists.

Malaysia arrests 17 in suspected terror plot: police Posted: 06 Apr 2015 12:14 AM PDT Malaysia's police chief said on Monday that 17 people, including two who recently returned from Syria, had been arrested on suspicion of plotting terror attacks in the capital Kuala Lumpur. Authorities in the Muslim-majority country have expressed increasing alarm over the threat of Muslim militancy in the wake of the Islamic State (IS) group's bloody jihad in Syria and Iraq. "Seventeen people were planning terror activities in Kuala Lumpur. Two of them had recently returned from Syria," national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a Twitter post.

Saudi policeman killed during raid in oil-rich Eastern province Posted: 05 Apr 2015 09:50 PM PDT (Reuters) - A Saudi policeman was shot dead and three were wounded during a raid which devolved into a gun battle in the eastern Saudi city of Awamiya on Sunday, state news agency SPA said. "An exchange of fire led to the injury of Corporal Majid bin Turki al-Qahtani, and his death after being taken to hospital - may God have mercy on him and accept him as a martyrs - and wounded three security men, a citizen, and a (foreign) resident," with moderate wounds, SPA said. Tension is growing in the country's oil-rich Eastern province, one of the main centers of the Shi'ite community in majority Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, as neighboring Yemen, Iraq and Syria contend with violent sectarian conflict. Saudi security forces killed four militants in a clash in the Awamiya region in December, and it has been the focal point of unrest among Saudi Shi'ites since protests in early 2011 calling for an end to discrimination against the minority sect and for democratic reforms in the Sunni monarchy.

Today in History Posted: 05 Apr 2015 09:00 PM PDT Today is Monday, April 6, the 96th day of 2015. There are 269 days left in the year.

Obama promises 'tough conversation' with Arab allies over security: NYT Posted: 05 Apr 2015 05:31 PM PDT President Barack Obama said he would have a "tough conversation" with America's Gulf Arab allies in which he would promise strong U.S. support against external enemies but tell them they must address internal political challenges. In an interview with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman published on Sunday, he said he would tell Gulf states they also needed to be more active in addressing regional crises. "I think when you look at what happens in Syria, for example, there's been a great desire for the United States to get in there and do something," he said in the interview, conducted on Saturday. "But the question is: Why is it that we can't have Arabs fighting [against] the terrible human rights abuses that have been perpetrated, or fighting against what Assad has done?" he added, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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