Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT
• US says 'more robust' rules after Blackwater shooting
• Oil rises on U.S. production dips, Middle East tensions
• Boehner seeks more robust role for U.S. troops in Iraq
• Obama warns Iran its fighters in Iraq must answer to Baghdad
• Obama hails progress in fight against Islamic State in Iraq
• Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT
• US House leader: Obama force request stalled in Congress
• Another news victory for ABC over NBC
• Boehner: 'Virtually impossible' to pass Obama force request
• Yemen al-Qaida branch says top cleric killed in drone attack
• AP Interview: Libya army chief bets on military solution
• Blackwater and the Iraq War Time Warp
• U.S., allies conduct 18 air strikes in Syria, Iraq against Islamic State: military
• Obama pledges support to Iraqi leader in fight against IS
• Bahah appointment aims to shore up Yemen's government in exile
• Iraq's Abadi made no specific request for military assistance from U.S
• Attacks kill 28 civilians in and around Baghdad
• Gunter Grass warned of 'sleepwalking' into world war in final interview
• Highlights: Military weapons delivered to Iraq, planned aid
• TV Upfronts: Sony's Crackle Orders Dennis Quaid Drama, Animated Comedy Series
• Obama offers Iraq $200M in humanitarian aid
• Ex-guards sentenced for Iraq shootings plan appeal
• Filmmakers pull out of Istanbul festival over censorship row
• AP Interview: Afghan warlord warns of Islamic State rise
• Navy Federal Loan Paves Way for Marines to Further Commemorate Heroes
• Australia sent on long road to start World Cup qualifying
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Soccer-A breakdown of the 2018 World Cup qualifying groups in Asia
• Future hosts Qatar get tough World Cup draw
• Soccer-Asia throws up intriguing World Cup qualifiers
• Soccer-Combined World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying draw
• Syria-bound son of UK councillor arrested on return to homeland
• The Worst Jobs For 2015
• The Obama Doctrine
• US vets return to Mideast to battle past and present demons
• Australia to deploy 300 additional troops to Iraq
• Highlights of military weapons delivered to Iraq, coming aid
• Islamic State battle to dominate US-Iraq White House talks
• UN report: 2014 saw extremists use of rape, sexual slavery

Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 14 Apr 2015 04:02 PM PDT ANSAN, South Korea (AP) — Once or twice a week, a mother's ritual begins. Shin Jumja applies pink lipstick and face powder, gets in her car and drives to the high school her oldest son attended before his death. Sometimes she brings a colorful plant.

US says 'more robust' rules after Blackwater shooting Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:53 PM PDT The US State Department offered assurances Tuesday that it had strengthened the rules governing private security firms in the wake of a 2007 shooting in Iraq in which 14 people died. The four ex-employees of the US private security firm had been convicted on an array of charges ranging from first degree murder to voluntary manslaughter stemming from the incident in Baghdad's Nisour Square. "We respect the court's decision in this case and have no comment regarding the findings of the decisions here," acting State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters.

Oil rises on U.S. production dips, Middle East tensions Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:47 PM PDT By Robert Gibbons NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude oil futures rose on Tuesday on signs of falling U.S. oil production, weakness in the dollar and tensions in the Middle East, particularly Yemen. North Dakota's February oil production fell 15,000 barrels per day (bpd) versus January, data showed on Tuesday, although the number of producing wells hit a record high. "Today's (U.S.) led crude spike was spurred primarily by supportive supply side headlines suggesting a quicker production response to rig declines than previously anticipated," said Jim Ritterbusch, president at Ritterbusch & Associates. ...

Boehner seeks more robust role for U.S. troops in Iraq Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:45 PM PDT U.S. troops in Iraq should be doing more than training and advising Iraqi soldiers in the fight against Islamic State, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday. Boehner, who recently returned from a Middle East trip with other lawmakers, stopped short of advocating a combat role. Boehner said he did not know whether the 4,500 U.S. troops left in Iraq following the long war there should be augmented.

Obama warns Iran its fighters in Iraq must answer to Baghdad Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:22 PM PDT By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warned Iran on Tuesday that its fighters must respect Iraq's sovereignty and answer to the government in Baghdad in the battle against Islamic State militants. Iran-backed Shi'ite militias have played a major and growing role in battling the Sunni Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot also known as ISIL, that emerged from the chaos in Iraq and neighboring Syria and which swept through northern Iraq last June. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has had to rely on Shi'ite militias, some of which are backed by Iran and advised by Iranian military officers, as Iraq's regular military deserted en masse last summer in the face of the Islamic State onslaught.

Obama hails progress in fight against Islamic State in Iraq Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:08 PM PDT President Barack Obama hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the White House on Tuesday and hailed the US-backed Iraqi forces' progress against the Islamic State group. Critics say Obama's drawdown of US troops in Iraq was a strategic blunder that allowed the Islamic State to flourish and drive Iraq's US-trained army out of northern cities.

Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:32 PM PDT ANSAN, South Korea (AP) — Once or twice a week, a mother's ritual begins. Shin Jumja applies pink lipstick and face powder, gets in her car and drives to the high school her oldest son attended before his death. Sometimes she brings a colorful plant.

US House leader: Obama force request stalled in Congress Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:04 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives said Tuesday it will be "virtually impossible" for Congress to approve President Barack Obama's proposed authority for use of military force against Islamic State militants.

Another news victory for ABC over NBC Posted: 14 Apr 2015 12:56 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — NBC's "Nightly News" has lost to ABC in the ratings for the second straight week and only the second time since 2009, increasing pressure on the network to decide whether suspended anchor Brian Williams will return.

Boehner: 'Virtually impossible' to pass Obama force request Posted: 14 Apr 2015 12:34 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday it will be "virtually impossible" for Congress to approve President Barack Obama's proposed authority for military force against Islamic State militants.

Yemen al-Qaida branch says top cleric killed in drone attack Posted: 14 Apr 2015 12:29 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Yemen's al-Qaida branch announced on Tuesday that its top cleric, a Saudi-national who has had a $5 million bounty on his head, has been killed, allegedly in a drone attack.

AP Interview: Libya army chief bets on military solution Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:59 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The military chief of Libya's internationally recognized government expressed skepticism Tuesday about U.N.-backed talks aimed at ending the country's political split and said in an interview that he is "betting on a military solution" if a deal remains elusive.

Blackwater and the Iraq War Time Warp Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:36 AM PDT War moves quickly: In less than an hour in Baghdad in the fall of 2007, American contractors working for Blackwater shot and killed 14 Iraqis, including children. Justice is slower, and it took until Monday for four of those contractors, who were convicted in August, to be sentenced to jail for 14 of those deaths. So much has changed since then: The debate has quieted, and the American occupation of Iraq has ended. Blackwater has gone through two name changes in an attempt to distance itself from Nisour and other notorious incidents in Iraq, becoming first Xe Services and then Academi.

U.S., allies conduct 18 air strikes in Syria, Iraq against Islamic State: military Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:34 AM PDT U.S.-led forces targeted Islamic State militants in Syria with three air strikes and conducted another 15 strikes against the group in Iraq from Monday to Tuesday morning, the U.S. military said. All three of the strikes in Syria were conducted using fighter aircraft and hit targets near Kobani, it said in a statement released on Tuesday. In Iraq, the air strikes were conducted with fighter and attack planes as well as drones and occurred near Bayji, Fallujah, Mosul, Ramadim and Sinjar, it said.

Obama pledges support to Iraqi leader in fight against IS Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:06 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama brought Iraq's prime minister to the White House Tuesday to pledge U.S. support for his effort to run Islamic State militants out of its country, while making it clear that ultimately Baghdad must be in charge of its own destiny.

Bahah appointment aims to shore up Yemen's government in exile Posted: 14 Apr 2015 11:05 AM PDT By Angus McDowall and Mohammed Mukhashaf RIYADH/ADEN (Reuters) - By appointing the widely-respected Khaled Bahah as his deputy, Yemen's president and his Saudi backers seek to shore up a government-in-exile whose legitimacy is central to Riyadh's military campaign against Iran-allied Houthi rebels. While President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi is seen as ineffectual and lacking support even in his embattled hometown of Aden, the last city nominally under his control, Bahah commands admiration across much of Yemen's political spectrum. "Khaled Bahah is beloved of everyone. He's a strong man - the opposite of Hadi, whose weakness led the Houthis to take control of most of the country," said Mohammed Hazam, a civil servant in Sanaa.

Iraq's Abadi made no specific request for military assistance from U.S Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:54 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi made no specific requests for military assistance from the United States in his meeting with President Barack Obama on Tuesday, the White House said. (Reporting By Julia Edwards and Emily Stephenson)

Attacks kill 28 civilians in and around Baghdad Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:52 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A wave of attacks in and around Baghdad on Tuesday killed at least 28 people as Iraqi security forces repelled an attack by the extremist Islamic State group on the country's largest oil refinery, officials said.

Gunter Grass warned of 'sleepwalking' into world war in final interview Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:37 AM PDT Germany's Nobel-winning author Gunter Grass said he feared humanity was "sleepwalking" into a world war, in the last interview he gave before his death on Monday. Spain's top-selling newspaper said the interview, carried out at the author's home in Luebeck in northern Germany on March 21, was his last before his death aged 87.

Highlights: Military weapons delivered to Iraq, planned aid Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:30 AM PDT Highlights of military assistance delivered to Iraq as of December 2014:

TV Upfronts: Sony's Crackle Orders Dennis Quaid Drama, Animated Comedy Series Posted: 14 Apr 2015 10:01 AM PDT The streaming network is known for its flagship series, 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' with Jerry Seinfeld, which returns on June 4.

Obama offers Iraq $200M in humanitarian aid Posted: 14 Apr 2015 09:56 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama pledged $200 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to Iraq Tuesday to help those displaced by Islamic State militants, an offer of assistance that appeared to fall short of the Iraqi prime minister's request for greater military support.

Ex-guards sentenced for Iraq shootings plan appeal Posted: 14 Apr 2015 08:32 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense lawyers are vowing to appeal the convictions of four former Blackwater security guards after a U.S. judge handed down lengthy prison terms for their roles in a 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq.

Filmmakers pull out of Istanbul festival over censorship row Posted: 14 Apr 2015 08:10 AM PDT By Can Sezer ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Nearly two dozen filmmakers and a group of international critics have pulled out of the Istanbul Film Festival after the government prevented the screening of a film about Kurdish militants, in the latest outcry over censorship in Turkey. At least 22 films from the roughly 200 submitted were withdrawn this week and the festival competition canceled, according to organizers, over "Kuzey/Bakur" (the Turkish and Kurdish words for "North") which documents the lives of militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The Ministry of Culture said in a statement on Monday the film could not be shown because the producers had failed to obtain the necessary paperwork, adding that 'PKK propaganda' had no place in a democratic society. "It is clear that both the festival organizers and film producers did not initiate the legal process required to screen the film," the ministry said.

AP Interview: Afghan warlord warns of Islamic State rise Posted: 14 Apr 2015 07:42 AM PDT HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan could face a war with the Islamic State group if the government does not resolve internal differences and improve the security situation, one of the country's most powerful warlords warned in an interview with The Associated Press.

Navy Federal Loan Paves Way for Marines to Further Commemorate Heroes Posted: 14 Apr 2015 07:22 AM PDT VIENNA, Va., April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Navy Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the closing of a record-breaking deal with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (MCHF) on a commercial construction loan to complete the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va. The total expansion is estimated to be $70 million, $20 million of which Navy Federal will lend to the Heritage Foundation. The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle means a lot to us and our members, many of which are Active Duty and retired Marines," said Jim Salmon, vice president of business services at Navy Federal. The expansion includes new exhibits and galleries to depict all the operations and campaigns that Marines have been a part of since 1975, including Beirut, Grenada, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. "The loan provided by Navy Federal Credit Union allows the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation to break ground on this historic expansion of the National Museum of the Marine Corps as we continue working toward our fundraising goal," said Lt. Gen. Robert R. Blackman, Jr., USMC (Ret.), president and CEO of the Foundation.

Australia sent on long road to start World Cup qualifying Posted: 14 Apr 2015 07:15 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Asian Cup champion Australia was drawn into a far-flung qualifying group Tuesday to start a long journey toward the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 14 Apr 2015 06:40 AM PDT Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Soccer-A breakdown of the 2018 World Cup qualifying groups in Asia Posted: 14 Apr 2015 04:40 AM PDT The combined second round qualifying draw for 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup took place in Malaysia on Tuesday. Singapore have stuttered badly under Bernd Stange, but did beat the Syrians 2-1 at home in Asian Cup qualifying last year and will be confident of beating Cambodia, the joint worst ranked side at 179 in the Asian draw. Afghanistan were 2013 South Asian champions and should battle Singapore for third spot in the group. - - Group F Southeast Asian champions Thailand will be eyeing a first World Cup finals appearance after being handed a kind draw.

Future hosts Qatar get tough World Cup draw Posted: 14 Apr 2015 04:33 AM PDT Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Qatar received a difficult draw for the 2018 World Cup on Tuesday as they embark on their final attempt to qualify for the tournament before hosting it in 2022.

Soccer-Asia throws up intriguing World Cup qualifiers Posted: 14 Apr 2015 04:31 AM PDT * Second round draw of Asian World Cup qualifiers announced * Top eight teams split apart in draw * Teams face long and testing campaigns to advance (Recasts with details, quotes) KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Reuters) - The sheer enormity and rich diversity of Asia offers a bitter-sweet opportunity to the region's World Cup hopefuls. After a revamp of the qualifying procedure, Asia's heavyweight teams now get the benefit of playing against some of the world's weakest national sides, but the road to qualifying can be a tricky and sometimes hazardous adventure. So when the World Cup draw is made, players and officials from all teams all collectively hold their breath, hoping for the easiest path possible to soccer's greatest extravaganza. On Tuesday, at a plush hotel in the Malaysian capital, the draw was made for the second round of Asian Cup qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia throwing up a fascinating mixture of match-ups.

Soccer-Combined World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying draw Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:51 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Reuters) - The combined second round qualifying draw for 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup conducted in Malaysia on Tuesday. Group A: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, East Timor, Malaysia. Group B: Australia, Jordan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh. Group C: China, Qatar, Maldives, Bhutan, Hong Kong. Group D: Iran, Oman, India, Turkmenistan, Guam. Group E: Japan, Syria, Afghanistan, Singapore, Cambodia. Group F: Iraq, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan. Group G: South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, Laos. ...

Syria-bound son of UK councillor arrested on return to homeland Posted: 14 Apr 2015 02:19 AM PDT The son of a British local politician who was detained in Turkey with eight other Britons on suspicion of trying to cross illegally into Syria, was arrested on his return to his homeland on Tuesday, police and media said. The 21-year-old man, named in the media as Waheed Ahmed, was deported from Turkey a day earlier, the state-run Anatolian news agency reported. British police said the man, one of nine members of the same family held in Turkey, had been arrested by detectives at Birmingham Airport on Tuesday on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Shakil Ahmed, a local councillor for the opposition Labour party in Rochdale, issued a statement after the arrests two weeks ago saying he thought his son had been on a work placement in Birmingham.

The Worst Jobs For 2015 Posted: 14 Apr 2015 01:00 AM PDT My late father, a former newspaper reporter whose colorful exploits included dressing in drag to chronicle the life of a San Francisco prostitute and writing an exposé on reform school after posing as ...

The Obama Doctrine Posted: 14 Apr 2015 12:00 AM PDT "The United States will not be imprisoned by the past — we're looking to the future. Churchill's bust may have resided in the Oval Office of George Bush. Obama sent it back to the British Embassy. His hero is Nelson Mandela, who overthrew centuries of white rule in South Africa.

US vets return to Mideast to battle past and present demons Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:31 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A decade after his first Iraq tour, former U.S. Marine Jamie Lane has returned to the battlefields of the Middle East to fight a still unvanquished enemy and wrestle with the demons of his past.

Australia to deploy 300 additional troops to Iraq Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:13 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia's government said Tuesday it had completed preparations to send about 300 additional troops to Iraq and would deploy them over the coming weeks.

Highlights of military weapons delivered to Iraq, coming aid Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:10 PM PDT Highlights of military assistance delivered to Iraq as of December 2014:

Islamic State battle to dominate US-Iraq White House talks Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:43 PM PDT Iraq's prime minister will plead for more US military support in the war against insurgent Islamic State jihadists during a first White House meeting with President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Abadi arrives in the United States with swathes of his country -- including the second city, Mosul -- still under occupation by militants bent on establishing an Islamic caliphate.

UN report: 2014 saw extremists use of rape, sexual slavery Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:31 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said 2014 was marked by harrowing accounts of rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage being used by extremists including the Islamic State group and Boko Haram.

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