Yahoo! News: Iraq

Reaction to death of vice president's son Beau Biden
Kerry to fly home Monday after breaking leg in French Alps bike crash
Obamas visit Biden family after death of vice president's son
Anti-IS strategy to face scrutiny at Paris coalition meeting
Tripoli govt calls for 'mobilisation' against IS
UN envoy decries Syria regime raids as dozens killed
The American Legion National Commander sends message of sympathy to Vice President
Beau Biden dies at 46; son of VP had life of adversity
No can of Coke for Muslim woman? American Islamic backlash simmers
Islamic State targeted in 17 air strikes in Iraq, Syria: military statement
Islamic State drives back Syria insurgents near Turkey
Iraq lost 2,300 Humvee armoured vehicles in Mosul: PM
Saudi, Egypt share 'common vision' on Yemen war
NBC looks to find new role for suspended Brian Williams, CNN says
US Vice President Biden's son Beau dies of cancer, aged 46
Saudi security 'under control': interior minister
Heartfelt tributes pour in for Beau Biden
IS claims Libya suicide attack, declares war on key militia
Jeb Bush says U.S. should embed some troops with Iraqis for training
Iraq to stay out of Iran-Saudi conflicts: PM
Special Report: Egypt deploys scholars to teach moderate Islam, but skepticism abounds
Vice president's son Beau Biden dies at 46 of brain cancer
Soccer-Indonesia government takes responsibility for ban
Joe Biden's son Beau dies of brain cancer
Brian Williams in Talks With NBC to Land New Role (Report)
Joe Biden's Son Beau Dies at 46

Reaction to death of vice president's son Beau Biden

Posted: 31 May 2015 03:59 PM PDT

Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau Biden died Saturday of brain cancer nearly two years after he was first diagnosed. He was 46.

Kerry to fly home Monday after breaking leg in French Alps bike crash

Posted: 31 May 2015 03:57 PM PDT

US Secretary of State John Kerry will remain in hospital in Geneva overnight after breaking his leg in a cycling accident in the French Alps and will fly home for treatment on Monday, cutting short a European trip. Kerry, 71, a keen cyclist, was hospitalised in the Swiss city of Geneva after the accident across the border in the French Alps. "The Secretary had planned on flying back to the US this evening, but after further consultation it was sensible for him to remain in the hospital for observation overnight for purely precautionary measures and fly home tomorrow," spokesman John Kirby said.

Obamas visit Biden family after death of vice president's son

Posted: 31 May 2015 03:12 PM PDT

U.S. President Barack Obama visited Vice President Joe Biden and his family on Sunday to offer condolences after the death of Biden's son, Beau. Beau Biden, 46, who served eight years as attorney general of Delaware, died on Saturday after a recurrence of brain cancer. Obama and his wife, Michelle, went to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the vice president's official residence, to offer their condolences to the Biden family.

Anti-IS strategy to face scrutiny at Paris coalition meeting

Posted: 31 May 2015 01:47 PM PDT

The anti-IS coalition will meet in Paris Tuesday after a series of shock battlefield gains by the jihadists, with Iraq under pressure to step up its fight by being more inclusive of the Sunni minority. The main focus of the meeting will be the crisis in Iraq, where the Islamic State group seized the city of Ramadi two weeks ago in the biggest blow to the US-led coalition since it began bombarding jihadist positions in August. US Secretary of State John Kerry will take part in the talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other diplomats "remotely" after breaking his leg in a cycling accident, the State Department said.

Tripoli govt calls for 'mobilisation' against IS

Posted: 31 May 2015 01:21 PM PDT

Libya's disputed government called Sunday for a general mobilisation against the Islamic State group after it declared "war" on the militia alliance that controls Tripoli and killed five of its fighters in a suicide bombing. The dawn blast in northwest Libya is the latest in a series of attacks by IS, which has gained a foothold in the oil-rich North African nation, exploiting chaos and political divisions. The Tripoli-based government, not recognised by the international community, was installed last year by the powerful Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia alliance targeted in Sunday's bombing.

UN envoy decries Syria regime raids as dozens killed

Posted: 31 May 2015 01:15 PM PDT

The UN envoy to Syria condemned regime bombing of civilian areas as "totally unacceptable" after more than 140 people were killed in a day of heavy air raids. Across the border in Iraq, pro-government forces pressed their operation aimed at sealing off jihadists who captured the city of Ramadi two weeks ago. In Syria, barrel bombs dropped by President Bashar al-Assad's helicopters killed 84 civilians, including children, in the northern province of Aleppo on Saturday, a monitoring group said.

The American Legion National Commander sends message of sympathy to Vice President

Posted: 31 May 2015 01:06 PM PDT

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Legion National Commander Michael D. Helm expressed sympathy Sunday after Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III passed away Saturday at age 46 following a battle with brain cancer."On behalf of the nation's largest veterans service organization, I extend heartfelt condolences to the family of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden after the loss of his son Beau," Helm said. ...

Beau Biden dies at 46; son of VP had life of adversity

Posted: 31 May 2015 01:01 PM PDT

DOVER, Del. (AP) — He was the privileged son of a longtime U.S. senator and two-term vice president, yet Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III was no stranger to personal adversity.

No can of Coke for Muslim woman? American Islamic backlash simmers

Posted: 31 May 2015 12:30 PM PDT

This weekend, a protest by anti-Muslim demonstrators with military-style weapons and an in-flight disagreement over a can of Diet Coke provided fresh evidence of a mounting Islamic backlash in America. High-profile incidents have become familiar in recent months, with an outpouring of anti-Islamic sentiment on social media after the release of the surprise hit film "American Sniper," and a protest against an annual Muslim day of outreach at the Texas Legislature. The current backlash is largely among conservatives, and it appears to reflect not just a fear of terrorist attack but also a deeper conviction that the tenets of Islam fundamentally prevent it from living peaceably with the modern world.

Islamic State targeted in 17 air strikes in Iraq, Syria: military statement

Posted: 31 May 2015 12:27 PM PDT

The United States and its allies carried out 17 air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria in a 24-hour period in their latest attacks on the group, the Combined Joint Task Force said on Sunday. In Syria, the targets were near Kobani and Al Hasakah. Islamic State tactical units, fighting positions, buildings, vehicles and mortar systems were hit in the strikes, the task force said in a statement.

Islamic State drives back Syria insurgents near Turkey

Posted: 31 May 2015 12:18 PM PDT

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Sylvia Westall AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters advanced against rival insurgents in northern Syria on Sunday, capturing areas close to a border crossing with Turkey and threatening their supply route to Aleppo city, fighters and a group monitoring the war said. Islamic State captured the town of Soran Azaz and two nearby villages after clashes with fighters from a northern rebel alliance, which includes both Western-backed rebels and Islamist fighters. Islamic State will now be able to move along a road leading north to the Bab al-Salam crossing between the Syrian province of Aleppo and the Turkish province of Kilis, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Iraq lost 2,300 Humvee armoured vehicles in Mosul: PM

Posted: 31 May 2015 10:08 AM PDT

Iraqi security forces lost 2,300 Humvee armoured vehicles when the Islamic State jihadist group overran the northern city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday. "In the collapse of Mosul, we lost a lot of weapons," Abadi said in an interview with Iraqiya state TV. Last year, the State Department approved a possible sale to Iraq of 1,000 Humvees with increased armour, machineguns, grenade launchers, other gear and support that was estimated to cost $579 million.

Saudi, Egypt share 'common vision' on Yemen war

Posted: 31 May 2015 10:07 AM PDT

Saudi Arabia and Egypt said Sunday they shared a "common vision" on the war in Yemen, where a Riyadh-led coalition is waging a bombing campaign against Iran-backed rebels. The coalition, which includes Egypt, began air raids in March targeting Huthi Shiite rebels and allied forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen. "We have a common vision on how to deal with the situation in Yemen," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri at a joint press conference with his visiting Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

NBC looks to find new role for suspended Brian Williams, CNN says

Posted: 31 May 2015 09:55 AM PDT

(Reuters) - NBC is attempting to find a new role for Brian Williams, one of America's most prominent television journalists, after suspending him for fabricating a story that he had come under fire on a helicopter during the Iraq war, CNN reported on Sunday. Williams and NBC are in the middle of "complex negotiations" about a possible role outside the nightly news program that he anchored before the scandal erupted earlier this year, CNN said on its website, citing unidentified sources. Neither Williams nor a representative of NBC, part of NBCUniversal Inc, could be reached immediately for comment.

US Vice President Biden's son Beau dies of cancer, aged 46

Posted: 31 May 2015 09:05 AM PDT

Beau Biden, the eldest son of US Vice President Joe Biden and a two-time attorney general for Delaware, has died of brain cancer, his family announced Saturday. Beau Biden, who had served in Iraq as a lawyer with the Delaware Army National Guard, had been undergoing treatment at the Walter Reed Medical Center just outside Washington. "He battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life," the vice president's family said in a statement.

Saudi security 'under control': interior minister

Posted: 31 May 2015 08:20 AM PDT

Security in Saudi Arabia is "under control", the kingdom's crown prince, who led a previous crackdown on Al-Qaeda, said Sunday after the Islamic State group claimed a fatal mosque attack. In a statement carried by jihadist accounts on Twitter, IS said it was responsible for Friday's suicide blast which killed three people and wounded four outside the Al-Anoud mosque in Dammam city, on the Gulf coast. The attack came exactly seven days after IS claimed a suicide blast at another Shiite mosque, in the nearby community of Kudeih.

Heartfelt tributes pour in for Beau Biden

Posted: 31 May 2015 08:02 AM PDT

Leaders from both sides of the political aisle are mourning the death of Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, who died Saturday of brain cancer at age 46.

IS claims Libya suicide attack, declares war on key militia

Posted: 31 May 2015 07:58 AM PDT

The Islamic State group on Sunday declared "war" on the powerful Fajr Libya militia alliance that controls Tripoli and claimed a suicide bombing that killed five of its fighters. The dawn blast in northwest Libya is the latest in a series of attacks by IS in the politically divided North African country, where the jihadists have exploited chaos to gain a growing foothold. "A car suicide bomber blew himself up near a checkpoint at an entrance of Dafniya," between the town of Zliten and Libya's third city Misrata, said a spokesman for Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn).

Jeb Bush says U.S. should embed some troops with Iraqis for training

Posted: 31 May 2015 07:49 AM PDT

By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Jeb Bush, calling President Barack Obama's handling of the Islamic State a failure, said the United States should embed some U.S. troops with Iraqi forces to train them and identify targets. The expected Republican presidential candidate, in an interview to be aired Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation," said he was not calling for U.S. combat forces to be deployed in Iraq, in what would be a return to the war policy run by his brother, former President George W. Bush.

Iraq to stay out of Iran-Saudi conflicts: PM

Posted: 31 May 2015 07:10 AM PDT

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sought to reassure Saudi Arabia Sunday that Iraq is not a "gateway for Iran" and will not take part in regional conflicts between the two countries. "Iraq is not a gateway for Iran," Abadi said in an interview with Iraqiya state TV. "We do not want to enter in to regional conflicts, and if there are regional conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Iran," Baghdad will not be involved, the premier said.

Special Report: Egypt deploys scholars to teach moderate Islam, but skepticism abounds

Posted: 31 May 2015 01:07 AM PDT

By Mahmoud Mourad and Yara Bayoumy CAIRO (Reuters) - In his battle against militant Islam, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is relying not just on bomber planes and soldiers but on white-turbaned clerics from Al-Azhar, Egypt's 1,000-year-old center for Islamic learning. In a televised speech in January at an Al-Azhar conference center in Cairo, Sisi called for "a religious revolution" in Islam.

Vice president's son Beau Biden dies at 46 of brain cancer

Posted: 30 May 2015 11:15 PM PDT

DOVER, Del. (AP) — He was the privileged son of a longtime U.S. senator and two-term vice president, yet Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III was no stranger to personal adversity.

Soccer-Indonesia government takes responsibility for ban

Posted: 30 May 2015 09:34 PM PDT

* Govt says will overhaul domestic league * Indonesia may miss World Cup qualifiers (Adds details, quotes) JAKARTA, May 31 (Reuters) - The Indonesian government has accepted responsibility for a ban imposed by FIFA on its national soccer association over its involvement in the country's domestic league but says it will continue to work to overhaul the competition. World soccer's governing body banned Indonesia on Saturday due to the government's "effective takeover" of soccer activities in the country after it suspended the national league following a dispute over which teams are eligible to compete. The ban means Indonesia will be ineligible to compete in the next round of qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup, starting on June 11, unless they meet FIFA's demands.

Joe Biden's son Beau dies of brain cancer

Posted: 30 May 2015 09:07 PM PDT

By Jeff Mason and Frances Kerry WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, died on Saturday after battling brain cancer, the vice president said. "The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words," Vice President Biden said in a statement released by the White House. "We know that Beau's spirit will live on in all of us, especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter," he said.