Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• South Korea reaches Asian Cup semifinals
• Pentagon says US has killed thousands of jihadists
• Japan hostage mother to make last minute appeal
• Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT
• Yemen's US-backed president quits; country could split apart
• New Saudi ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz
• Saudi's new king, Salman, a force for unity in royal family
• Japan faces deadline to free Islamic State hostages
• Saudi King Abdullah was a cautious reformer
• Hostage video: was it really done outside?
• Saudi King Abdullah: patient reformer who battled hardliners
• Saudi state TV reports: King Abdullah has died at 90
• Patriots defiant over 'deflategate' controversy
• Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 GMT on Friday, Jan 23
• U.N. approved cross-border aid helps 600,000 Syrians in six months
• Iraqi PM warns falling oil price could hurt fight against Islamic State
• Yemen chaos puts uncertainty into Obama terror fight – or does it?
• DAVOS WATCH: Merkel upstaged, more protests, currency wars
• US officials detail Islamic State kills, but hard part ahead
• Egypt's president says Islam needs a reboot
• Iraqi PM's criticism of U.S., coalition support not helpful: Hagel
• 'American Sniper' triggers angry debate
• Arch-rivals Iran, Iraq clash in Cup quarters
• 'We're going to kill' Iraq militants who attack Canadian troops: PM
• Ohio man accused of plotting government attack pleads not guilty
• In post-Snowden era, NSA maintains surprisingly favorable image
• Iraq coalition tensions emerge in Islamic State fight
• Pope sees 'shadows and dangers' amid Vatican attack fears
• Iraqi Torah scroll makes mysterious journey to Jerusalem
• Iraq calls for more weapons to fight IS threat
• Prisoners coordinated attacks from notorious Lebanese jail
• Hagel disputes Iraq leader's weapons, training complaints
• Oscars: Should 'Selma' and 'American Sniper' Be Penalized for Taking Liberties With the Truth? (Opinion)
• Social networks must help stamp out promotion of violence: France
• Why Republicans Are Pushing Pentagon Cuts
• Egypt's president says Egypt & France battle the same enemy
• Islamic State momentum halted or reversed in Iraq - U.S. Secretary of State Kerry
• Georgians in Ukraine fight shadow war
• Is Islamic State penetrating Afghanistan? Rumors swirl.

South Korea reaches Asian Cup semifinals Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:40 PM PST MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — South Korea reached the Asian Cup semifinals after Son Heung-min scored two goals in extra time in a tough 2-0 win over Uzbekistan.

Pentagon says US has killed thousands of jihadists Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:35 PM PST The United States believes it has killed about 6,000 jihadists in its air strikes against the Islamic State group, defense officials said Thursday. Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel, however, warned against resorting to "body counts" to measure progress in the war. The estimate of how many IS fighters had been taken out by US-led air raids was first cited by Washington's ambassador to Iraq, Stuart Jones, in an interview aired Thursday by Al-Arabia television.

Japan hostage mother to make last minute appeal Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:35 PM PST The mother of one of two Japanese men being held by Islamist militants readied Friday to make a last desperate appeal for his life, with only hours before the jihadists' deadline expires. Junko Ishido was to appear before foreign press to appeal for mercy for her journalist son, Kenji Goto who is being held by extremists in Syria or Iraq. The Islamic State group released a video earlier this week in which Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, apparently knelt in a desert as a British-accented man loomed over them. The Islamists have linked the ransom to the amount of cash Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would be earmarking to help countries dealing with the influx of refugees fleeing fighting between IS and regular forces.

Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:32 PM PST TOKYO (AP) — The deadline for paying ransom for two Japanese hostages held by the Islamic State group was fast approaching early Friday with no signs of a breakthrough. Lacking clout and diplomatic reach in the Middle East, Japan has been scrambling for a way to secure the release of the two men, one a journalist, the other an adventurer fascinated by war. Two Japanese who said they have contacts with a leader in the Islamic State group offered Thursday to try to negotiate, but it was unclear if the Japanese government was receptive to the idea.

Yemen's US-backed president quits; country could split apart Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:31 PM PST SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen's U.S.-backed president quit Thursday under pressure from rebels holding him captive in his home, severely complicating American efforts to combat al-Qaida's powerful local franchise and raising fears that the Arab world's poorest country will fracture into mini-states.

New Saudi ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:30 PM PST By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - The death on Friday of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah means Salman bin Abdulaziz has become the country's new ruler and the last to be born before the discovery of oil in the world's top crude exporter. As king, Salman, 78, will have to navigate regional turmoil caused by wars in Iraq and Syria, as well as a bitter rivalry with Shi'ite Muslim power Iran and a lingering threat from an al Qaeda wing in neighboring Yemen. "It appeared to me he had a good handle on the delicate balancing act he had to do to move society forward while being respectful of its traditions and conservative ways," said Robert Jordan who was U.S. ambassador in Riyadh from 2001-03.

Saudi's new king, Salman, a force for unity in royal family Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:28 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's new king, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, is a veteran of the country's top leadership, versed in diplomacy from nearly 50 years as the governor of the capital Riyadh and known as a mediator of disputes within the sprawling royal family.

Japan faces deadline to free Islamic State hostages Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:21 PM PST TOKYO (AP) — The deadline for paying ransom for two Japanese hostages held by the Islamic State group was fast approaching early Friday with no signs of a breakthrough.

Saudi King Abdullah was a cautious reformer Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:12 PM PST By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, born the year the first motorcar bumped through the dusty streets of Riyadh, left a modernizing legacy of cautious social and economic reform. King Abdullah, thought to have been born in 1924, had ruled Saudi Arabia as king since 2006, but had run the country as de facto regent for a decade before that. State television reported early on Friday that King Abdullah had died. After outliving two designated heirs, his younger half brothers Sultan and Nayef, Abdullah is succeeded by Crown Prince Salman.

Hostage video: was it really done outside? Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:11 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — The video of two Japanese hostages being held by the Islamic State group seems, like past IS videos, taken in an arid, desert setting. But suspicions are emerging that the message was not prepared outdoors at all.

Saudi King Abdullah: patient reformer who battled hardliners Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:10 PM PST Saudi King Abdullah was in his early 80s when he ascended the throne in 2005 but he sprang into action in a campaign to free the kingdom from dependence on oil and the influence of hardline Islamists. Tapping into the absolute monarchy's massive oil wealth, Abdullah, who died Friday aged around 90, launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railways. In 2011, Abdullah withstood the convulsions of the Arab Spring uprisings that ousted several leaders in the region, splashing out from vast surpluses of cash to try to keep people content. More recently, Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria.

Saudi state TV reports: King Abdullah has died at 90 Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:08 PM PST RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington's fight against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died, according to Saudi state TV. He was 90.

Patriots defiant over 'deflategate' controversy Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:01 PM PST The New England Patriots hit back at cheating claims on Thursday, with star quarterback Tom Brady denying the club had deflated balls to help them reach the Super Bowl. Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick both appeared on nationally televised press conferences to rebut the claims as the controversy swirling around America's biggest sporting event reached fever pitch. NFL chiefs are probing allegations that balls used by the Patriots offense in their 45-7 rout of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday were inflated below standard league levels -- giving Brady and his team-mates an advantage by making them easier to handle. "I didn't alter the balls in any way," said Brady, who is preparing for a record sixth Super Bowl in Arizona on February 1.

Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 GMT on Friday, Jan 23 Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST Reuters sports schedule at 0001 GMT on Friday: - - - - TENNIS Australian Open, Melbourne (to Feb 1) Federer, Nadal hope injury, illness concerns over MELBOURNE - Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal both had differing levels of concern over the physical fitness ahead of their third round clashes with Andreas Seppi and Dudi Sela at the Australian Open while Maria Sharapova faces Zarina Diyas. ...

U.N. approved cross-border aid helps 600,000 Syrians in six months Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:56 PM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday that 54 aid shipments to Syria had been made since the U.N. Security Council authorized some cross-border routes in July, supplying food to 600,000 people, along with water and medical supplies. In his latest monthly report to the council, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations and partners had made 40 shipments from Turkey and 14 from Jordan. Deliveries could not be made from Iraq due to insecurity, he said. The Security Council approved humanitarian access without Syrian government consent into rebel-held areas at four border crossings from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.

Iraqi PM warns falling oil price could hurt fight against Islamic State Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:25 PM PST By Warren Strobel and Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday he feared lower revenues from falling global oil prices could hurt his country's military campaign against Islamic State. Speaking after attending a meeting of members of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in London, Abadi said allies could help by potentially allowing Baghdad to defer payment for ammunition and weapons. Iraq's economy and budget relies 85 percent on oil and this has been disastrous for us," he told a news conference. "We don't want to see a reverse of our military victory due to our fiscal and budget problems." His comments came as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Washington blasted some of Abadi's recent criticism of the pace of past U.S. and coalition efforts to support Iraq.

Yemen chaos puts uncertainty into Obama terror fight – or does it? Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:14 PM PST Yemen, home to Al Qaeda's most potent and threatening branch, has for years worked closely with the United States on counterterrorism efforts and allowed the US to conduct drone strikes targeting Al Qaeda operatives. Some recent reports claim that AQAP's rival jihadist group, the Islamic State, is seeking to set up shop in Sunni tribal areas as it has in Iraq's Anbar Province. Collapse of the government Thursday followed several days of intense fighting in the capital, Sanaa, that left Houthi rebels in control of the city and Yemen's pro-US president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, relegated to house arrest. The turmoil in the capital this week had already prompted the Pentagon to position two ships in the waters off Yemen in the event of an evacuation of US diplomatic personnel.

DAVOS WATCH: Merkel upstaged, more protests, currency wars Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:11 PM PST DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The World Economic Forum held in the Swiss ski resort of Davos has the official goal of "improving the state of the world." In practice, it's a massive networking event that brings together 2,500 heads of state, business leaders, philanthropists and artists.

US officials detail Islamic State kills, but hard part ahead Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:54 PM PST LONDON (AP) — The U.S. and its allies sought to put a good face on the coalition's deliberate campaign to roll back the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, boasting of having killed thousands of militants while acknowledging that ousting the group from key cities remains a distant aspiration.

Egypt's president says Islam needs a reboot Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:44 PM PST DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Islam needs a reboot as Egypt and France battle the same enemy by waging war against Islamic extremism and terrorism, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Thursday.

Iraqi PM's criticism of U.S., coalition support not helpful: Hagel Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:12 PM PST Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's criticism of the pace of support from the U.S.-led coalition is not helpful, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday, noting expedited U.S. arms shipments and fresh coalition efforts to support Iraq. "We have a coalition of over 60 countries that have come together to help Iraq.

'American Sniper' triggers angry debate Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:10 PM PST Clint Eastwood's hit film "American Sniper" has reignited a bitter debate about the US invasion of Iraq and one of its most famous warriors, with conservatives hailing the movie as a long overdue tribute to veterans. Critics on the left have slammed the popular film as an attempt to whitewash the history of the American occupation of Iraq and say the subject of the movie, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, deserves no hero treatment for his handiwork as a deadly sniper. Directed by Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, the film has broken box office records and is based on Kyle's best-selling memoir, in which he expressed no regrets for the lives he extinguished as a sharpshooter in the war. "The movie gives America something it's lacked since the start of the war -- a war hero on a truly national, cultural scale," David French wrote.

Arch-rivals Iran, Iraq clash in Cup quarters Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:08 PM PST Three-time champions Iran will face arch-rivals Iraq in the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Friday, while reigning champions Japan are against Omar Abdulrahman's impressive UAE. Historical enmity runs deep between Iran and Iraq, and their rivalry on the pitch is also strong. While Iraq won in 2007, neighbours Iran have not lifted the trophy for 39 years.

'We're going to kill' Iraq militants who attack Canadian troops: PM Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:55 PM PST By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper denied on Thursday that Canadian military advisers in Iraq would be dragged into combat against Islamic State militants despite a recent clash but said Canada's forces would kill anyone who attacked them. Asked whether he anticipated Canadian troops taking on more of a combat role, Harper replied: "No, I do not." He insisted the about 70 Canadian special forces personnel on the ground in Iraq are there to help local forces in their fight against the militants. "This is a robust mission ... if those guys fire at us we're going to fire back and we're going to kill them, just like our guys did, and we're very proud of the job they're doing in Iraq," he told reporters in St. Catharines, Ontario. Canada pledged in October to join the U.S.-led bombing campaign in Iraq for six months.

Ohio man accused of plotting government attack pleads not guilty Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:39 PM PST By Ginny McCabe CINCINNATI (Reuters) - An Ohio man accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol with guns and bombs pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges in federal court on Thursday. Christopher Cornell, 20, of Cincinnati, is being held without bail after prosecutors said he posed a threat to national security. The charges against Cornell include attempted murder of government officials, possession of a firearm to commit a crime and solicitation to commit a violent crime. Cornell, in gray prison garb, answered "yes" in a soft voice to U.S. Magistrate Stephanie Bowman's questions about whether he understood the charges.

In post-Snowden era, NSA maintains surprisingly favorable image Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:13 PM PST The Pew survey, conducted Jan. 7-11, asked respondents about their views of various federal agencies, breaking down responses by sex, political affiliation, and age. It found that 51 percent of Americans view the NSA favorably – down from 54 percent in fall 2013 – while 37 percent have unfavorable views of the agency. To be sure, the NSA isn't exactly popular. The only federal agency less popular among Americans was the Internal Revenue Service, which was viewed favorably by only 45 percent of Americans and was the only one in which "unfavorable" views topped favorable ones, at 48 percent.

Iraq coalition tensions emerge in Islamic State fight Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:08 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi commanders heavily dependent on outside support to defeat the Islamic State group are increasingly voicing frustration over the U.S.-led coalition's efforts, complaining of miscommunication, failed deliveries of weapons, inadequate training and differences in strategy.

Pope sees 'shadows and dangers' amid Vatican attack fears Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:31 PM PST Pope Francis on Thursday told Italian police officers in charge of security around the Vatican that he saw "shadows and dangers", but urged them not to give in to fear. "On the horizon we see shadows and dangers which worry humanity," he said in the wake of an increase in security around the Vatican amid fears Islamic State extremists may be plotting to attack the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Security was tightened in Saint Peter's Square in September after intelligence services intercepted a possible plan to attack the Vatican. Iraq's ambassador to the Holy See, Habib Al Sadr, at the time warned that "what has been declared by the self-declared Islamic State is clear.

Iraqi Torah scroll makes mysterious journey to Jerusalem Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:30 PM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — A 200-year-old Torah scroll has taken an unusual and mysterious journey from Baghdad to Jerusalem, where it was greeted with candies and song in a jubilant dedication ceremony Thursday.

Iraq calls for more weapons to fight IS threat Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:23 PM PST Iraq on Thursday called on the international community to provide more weapons to help it push back Islamic State amid growing fears the jihadists are planning to bring their fight to the streets of Europe. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, speaking in London at a meeting of the international coalition, also warned of the impact of falling oil prices on his country's ability to defeat IS. "We don't want to see a military defeat because of budget and fiscal problems," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters after talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and ministers from 19 other countries in London.

Prisoners coordinated attacks from notorious Lebanese jail Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:15 PM PST ROUMIEH, Lebanon (AP) — For years, Islamist prisoners of a Lebanese jail connected with fellow militants on the outside through smartphones and computers purchased from guards, operating freely in door-less cells of a notorious jail overlooking the seaside capital of Beirut as the country was struck by deadly bombings.

Hagel disputes Iraq leader's weapons, training complaints Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:01 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel took issue Thursday with the Iraqi prime minister's assertion that the U.S. has been too slow to provide weapons and training for his country, saying Haider al-Abadi's remarks are not helpful or correct.

Oscars: Should 'Selma' and 'American Sniper' Be Penalized for Taking Liberties With the Truth? (Opinion) Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST THR's awards analyst argues that narrative movies have always deviated from history to some extent — and haven't always been punished at the Oscars.

Social networks must help stamp out promotion of violence: France Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:28 AM PST By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France appealed on Thursday for U.N. member states to work together on an international legal framework that would make social network providers share responsibility for the use of their platforms to spread messages promoting violence. "There are hate videos, calls for death, propaganda that has not been responded to, and we need to respond," Harlem Desir, French state secretary for European affairs, told reporters on the sidelines of a U.N. General Assembly meeting on the rising threat of anti-Semitism. The French call for a radical shift in the way governments treat social networking companies such as Facebook and Twitter came two weeks after Islamist militants killed 17 people in Paris at a satirical magazine and a Kosher supermarket. "We must ... establish a legal framework so the Internet platforms, the large companies managing social networking, so that they're called upon to act responsibly." Michael Roth, German minister of state for Europe, echoed Desir's remarks.

Why Republicans Are Pushing Pentagon Cuts Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:05 AM PST Republican lawmakers are resurrecting a bill to slash the civilian workforce at the Pentagon by 15 percent over the coming years. While the proposal to save $82.5 billion over five years by shedding more than 115,000 civilian jobs may seem draconian to some, it would barely put a dent in the overall army of both civil service and private contract employees involved in the day-to-day operations of the Defense Department. "Many of our civilians at the Pentagon and around the world do a fine job, but their growth is unsustainable," said Rep. Kevin Calvert, R-Calif., the bill's chief sponsor, who introduced similar legislation in the last Congress. Gordon Adams, a military authority and professor of International Relations at American University, agrees that "This isn't a bad idea." He said it would help to address the long-standing problem that there are far more civilian employees working for the DOD than active military men and women in uniform.

Egypt's president says Egypt & France battle the same enemy Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:39 AM PST Egypt and France are battling the same enemy by waging war against Islamic extremism and terrorism, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Thursday. The crowds who took to the streets of France in ...

Islamic State momentum halted or reversed in Iraq - U.S. Secretary of State Kerry Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:35 AM PST U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday that Islamic State's momentum in Iraq had been halted or reversed and that U.S. weapons for government forces would be arriving very shortly. "In recent months we have seen definitively ... momentum halted in Iraq and in some cases reversed," Kerry told a London news conference after a meeting of the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS.

Georgians in Ukraine fight shadow war Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:04 AM PST TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — The return of a Georgian fighter's body to his homeland from Ukraine on Thursday was a grim reminder of how eastern Ukraine's conflict carries traces of a war of a quarter-century ago.

Is Islamic State penetrating Afghanistan? Rumors swirl. Posted: 22 Jan 2015 09:38 AM PST Mullah Abdul Rauf, a Soviet-era fighter and Taliban member who was at one time a Guantánamo Bay detainee, is reportedly building a militia loyal to the Islamic State, the notoriously brutal group now in control of northern Syria and western Iraq. Farther north in central Afghanistan's Logar Province, locals say fighters are already flying the black flag of IS. Yet scattered reports of the emergence of black-clad Afghans with IS ties have led to speculation that the feared international jihadist group may gain a foothold in Afghanistan, as Al Qaeda did in the late 1990s.

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