Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Jeb Bush strikes softer tone at start of White House run
• 23 killed in Chad suicide bombings blamed on Boko Haram
• Jeb: Another Bush prince eyes White House throne
• Jeb's Announcement Ignores Elephant In Room: Bush V Gore Recount Slow Walk, Says Democratic Strategist Robert Weiner;
• Jeb Bush Announces 2016 Presidential Campaign: 'I Will Run To Win'
• Jeb Bush: 'I will run to win'
• Uncertainty over US strike against al-Qaida leader in Libya
• Where they stand: Bush on key topics of 2016 campaign
• Kurdish fighters seize large parts of IS border stronghold
• Plenty of reason to doubt all involved in latest Snowden 'scoop'
• Kurdish forces seize most of Islamic State-controlled border town: monitor
• Kurds in near full control of Syria town
• Population Institute Report Reveals the Countries Where Population Growth Poses the Greatest Challenges
• Factbox: Crowded Republican field has 11 making 2016 White House bid
• Syrian Druze massacre: Can jihadists salvage their image?
• Asia's big hitters enter World Cup fray
• Jordan tourism revenues drop amid fear of regional conflicts
• Amnesty condemns 'shameful' world response to refugee crisis
• This Flag Week, Instagram #RedWhiteAndBBQ Before You Eat To Donate
• EU envoy: Europe not halting flow of recruits to militants
• United Technologies announces exit from helicopter business
• Bashir's flight shows ICC's weakness as it ventures into tougher cases
• U.S.-led forces launch 16 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq
• The best thing for Jeb Bush could be Hillary Clinton
• British jihadist Thomas Evans believed killed in Kenya
• U.S. top court rejects Iraq bid to revive 'oil-for-food' lawsuit
• The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet
• 40 foreign suicide bombers a month enter Iraq: PM
• First families return to Tikrit since city retaken from IS
• Amnesty urges world to take more responsibility for refugees
• Four candidates in battle to lead opposition Labour Party
• Family shocked by UK suicide bomber's reported death in Iraq
• Yemen foreign minister says 'not optimistic' as peace talks begin
• Repentant 'godfather' of British jihad recalls extremism's lure
• Soccer-Bench time awaits complacent players, warns Japan boss
• Swedish prosecutors ask to question Assange
• Nigeria's Buhari plans Cameroon trip for Boko Haram force
• Seventeen killed in battles near Iraq's Baiji refinery
• Markets Fear the End Game for Greece as IMF Gives Ukraine a Free Pass

Jeb Bush strikes softer tone at start of White House run Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:29 PM PDT By Steve Holland MIAMI (Reuters) - Jeb Bush cast himself as a more moderate type of Republican while still holding on to his conservative principles as he began his U.S. presidential bid with an eye on the Hispanic vote which has eluded the party for years. The former Florida governor announced his campaign for the Republican nomination to run in the November 2016 election at a multicultural college in Miami where he promised to pass meaningful immigration reform, spoke fluent Spanish and reminded voters he married a Mexican. It was part of an effort by Bush, 62, to strike a different tone in a crowded field of 10 other Republicans and at the same time also showing he was keen to move out of the shadow of his father and brother and their White House legacies.

23 killed in Chad suicide bombings blamed on Boko Haram Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:53 PM PDT N'Djamena (AFP) - Twenty-three people were killed and over 100 injured in twin suicide bombings targeting police in the Chadian capital Monday, with the government blaming Boko Haram militants for the bloodshed. "Boko Haram chose the wrong target. It said 23 people were killed and another 101 wounded in the simultaneous bombings outside the police headquarters and police academy in N'Djamena.

Jeb: Another Bush prince eyes White House throne Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:44 PM PDT He criss-crossed America on his father George H.W. Bush's successful 1988 presidential campaign, and as Florida governor he delivered the state's votes twice for older brother George W. Following years in the political trenches for his family, Republican Jeb Bush is finally carving out his own path to the White House. Should he prevail in his 2016 campaign, which he launched on Monday, Jeb would be the third Bush to occupy the top job as a Republican in a row, an achievement that would cement them as the most powerful dynasty in US history.

Jeb's Announcement Ignores Elephant In Room: Bush V Gore Recount Slow Walk, Says Democratic Strategist Robert Weiner; Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:41 PM PDT WASHINGTON, June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jeb Bush's role in slow-walking the Bush v Gore recount is the "Elephant in the Room" for 2016, say national Democratic strategist and former Clinton White House staffer Robert Weiner, and policy analyst Daniel Wallace, as they document in a full-page article featured in The Des Moines Register. For the past 15 years, Jeb has stood on his earlier gubernatorial staff saying he'd recused himself, himself been saying "no clue," and recently refusing to comment to the Des Moines Register despite the evidence laid out including his own recently released email to future Supreme Court Justice John Roberts saying thanking him for helping with input about the recount.

Jeb Bush Announces 2016 Presidential Campaign: 'I Will Run To Win' Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:40 PM PDT Today, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush put an end today to months of speculation and announced his 2016 presidential campaign. "We are 17 months from the time for choosing," Bush told a cheering audience in Miami. In attendance were members of his family, including wife, Columba, his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, his children and their spouses, and all of his grandchildren.

Jeb Bush: 'I will run to win' Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:31 PM PDT Jeb Bush jumped headlong into the presidential race Monday, insisting "America deserves better" after eight years of Barack Obama, as the Republican seeks to win over votes skeptical of his political pedigree. Following a lengthy exploration of a White House bid, Bush made his formal announcement at Miami Dade College, a diverse university chosen to signal that he aims to run an inclusive 2016 campaign. While he is the son and brother of two former presidents, Bush highlighted his own political vision and his two terms as governor of Florida.

Uncertainty over US strike against al-Qaida leader in Libya Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:12 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Pentagon officials say they believe they hit their target — the one-eyed, al-Qaida-linked commander who led a deadly attack on an Algerian gas facility in 2013. But uncertainty still surrounds the U.S. airstrike in eastern Libya, and whether Mokhtar Belmokhtar was actually among the militants said to have been killed in the bombing.

Where they stand: Bush on key topics of 2016 campaign Posted: 15 Jun 2015 02:10 PM PDT DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A look at where Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush stands on some of the issues likely to be debated in the campaign for his party's nomination:

Kurdish fighters seize large parts of IS border stronghold Posted: 15 Jun 2015 01:59 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters captured large sections of a strategic town on the Syria-Turkish border on Monday, dealing the biggest setback yet to the Islamic State group, which lost a key supply line for their nearby self-proclaimed capital.

Plenty of reason to doubt all involved in latest Snowden 'scoop' Posted: 15 Jun 2015 12:43 PM PDT Have the allegedly "unbreakably encrypted" National Security Agency files that Edward Snowden absconded with in 2013 been obtained and broken open by Russia and China? That is certainly possible, and should be the operating assumption for the US and other governments whose intelligence secrets and methods were compromised by Mr. Snowden, a former NSA contractor now living in Russia.

Kurdish forces seize most of Islamic State-controlled border town: monitor Posted: 15 Jun 2015 12:35 PM PDT The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, aided by U.S.-led air strikes, have seized most of the town of Tel Abyad from Islamic State militants and pushed them back towards their de facto capital in Raqqa, a monitoring group said on Monday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks Syria's civil war, said a handful of Islamic State fighters and their Arab tribal allies remained in a few pockets inside Tel Abyad near the Turkish border. While dealing a blow to Islamic State, seizing Tel Abyad would help the YPG link up Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria.

Kurds in near full control of Syria town Posted: 15 Jun 2015 12:33 PM PDT Akçakale (Turkey) (AFP) - Kurdish forces seized nearly full control of the Syrian town of Tal Abyad on Monday, fighting only pockets of jihadists on a vital supply line for the Islamic State group. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) advanced into Tal Abyad after taking a border post and cutting off the road south to the de facto IS capital of Raqa, a monitoring group said. "The Kurdish fighters are in almost full control of Tal Abyad," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Population Institute Report Reveals the Countries Where Population Growth Poses the Greatest Challenges Posted: 15 Jun 2015 12:30 PM PDT WASHINGTON, June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Population Institute today released a report on how population growth is affecting the development prospects of the world's most fragile countries.  The report, "Demographic Vulnerability:  Where population growth poses the greatest challenges," is the first of its kind, taking into account multiple factors affecting a country's ability to meet the needs of a growing population, and identifying and ranking the 20 countries facing the greatest demographic challenges with respect to hunger, poverty, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and political instability. Rapid population growth in all these countries is a challenge multiplier. In several of them —Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen—internal or regional conflicts compound the social and economic challenges arising from rapid population growth.

Factbox: Crowded Republican field has 11 making 2016 White House bid Posted: 15 Jun 2015 11:47 AM PDT (Reuters) - The race for the Republican Party's 2016 presidential nomination includes 11 candidates who have formally declared their intention to run for the White House, while several others are likely to announce bids. Some Republicans have pushed back, however. For the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll results for all the potential Republican presidential candidates, see http://bit.ly/1BKCdVi.

Syrian Druze massacre: Can jihadists salvage their image? Posted: 15 Jun 2015 11:30 AM PDT Al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria is seeking to distance itself from the killings of 20 Druze villagers last week and allay fears in the minority community. At stake is its painstakingly crafted image as a more moderate alternative to the self-declared Islamic State, one that can coexist with other anti-regime groups that do not share its beliefs or hard-line ideology. "Everyone involved in this incident will be presented to a Sharia court and held to account for blood proven to have been spilt," Jabhat al-Nusra said in a statement circulated on Twitter.

Asia's big hitters enter World Cup fray Posted: 15 Jun 2015 11:17 AM PDT Guam's historic World Cup qualifying win over Turkmenistan stole the limelight last week but Asia's heavy hitters enter on Tuesday looking to make a quick start on the road to Russia 2018. After sitting out last Thursday's opening group fixtures, Asian champions Australia and fellow World Cup 2014 teams Japan, South Korea and Iran enter the fray along with China, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. Australia's first competitive match since they lifted the Asian Cup in January is in remote Bishkek for a Group B clash against Kyrgyzstan.

Jordan tourism revenues drop amid fear of regional conflicts Posted: 15 Jun 2015 11:14 AM PDT Jordan's tourism revenues fell by 15 percent in the first quarter of the year as visitors stayed away with conflicts raging in neighbouring Iraq and Syria, the tourism minister said Monday. "Some believe that Jordan is part of the problem underway in the region," said Tourism Minister Nayef al-Fayez, insisting that was a mistaken perception. Nayef announced the launch of an advertising campaign to woo visitors to tourist attractions in Jordan, including the ancient city of Petra -- a UNESCO World Heritage site -- and the Dead Sea.

Amnesty condemns 'shameful' world response to refugee crisis Posted: 15 Jun 2015 10:40 AM PDT Rights group Amnesty International on Monday slammed world leaders for "condemning millions of refugees to an unbearable existence" and demanded they work closely to resolve the "worst crisis" since World War II. "From the Andaman to the Mediterranean people are losing their lives as they desperately seek safe haven," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty's secretary general, as the group published a report ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20. "The current refugee crisis will not be solved unless the international community recognises that it is a global problem that requires states to significantly step up international cooperation," he added.

This Flag Week, Instagram #RedWhiteAndBBQ Before You Eat To Donate Posted: 15 Jun 2015 10:06 AM PDT ORLANDO, Fla., June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During Flag Week, June 15-19, anyone who visits a Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill location nationwide and dedicates their limited-time-only, All-American burger, created by Executive Chef and Army veteran Jason Gronlund, sharing via Twitter & Instagram with #RedWhiteAndBBQ will be donating $2 to Fisher House Foundation ($1 for purchase of burger, $1 for photo upload. ...

EU envoy: Europe not halting flow of recruits to militants Posted: 15 Jun 2015 09:57 AM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's counterterrorism chief says the 28-nation bloc has been unable to stem the outflow of European recruits to radical Islamic groups in Syria and Iraq.

United Technologies announces exit from helicopter business Posted: 15 Jun 2015 09:48 AM PDT HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — United Technologies Corp. announced Monday it is shedding Sikorsky Aircraft, and whether it ultimately sells or spins off the helicopter maker, the union that represents its workers and local officials are confident that the exodus of well-paid manufacturing jobs in Connecticut will not play out again.

Bashir's flight shows ICC's weakness as it ventures into tougher cases Posted: 15 Jun 2015 08:57 AM PDT By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The escape of Sudan's President from an arrest warrant demonstrates the International Criminal Court's weaknesses, just as it prepares to venture into even more politically-charged cases in places like the Palestinian territories and Ukraine. Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the ICC since 2008 on war crimes and genocide charges, left South Africa in defiance of a domestic court which ordered that he stay. Although South Africa is one of the ICC's 123 member states, required by treaty to assist it, Bashir spent two days avoiding arrest during a summit of regional leaders, many of whom believe the court has unfairly targeted Africans since being set up in 2003.

U.S.-led forces launch 16 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq Posted: 15 Jun 2015 07:45 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and coalition forces launched 16 air strikes targeting Islamic State militants in nine Iraqi cities on Sunday, the U.S. military said. The Iraqi strikes destroyed Islamic State vehicles, buildings, tunnel systems, bunkers and weaponry near cities including Makhmur, Mosul, Ramadi, Sinjar and Tal Afar, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement on Monday. ...

The best thing for Jeb Bush could be Hillary Clinton Posted: 15 Jun 2015 07:37 AM PDT By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For months, Jeb Bush has been dogged by questions about his family's presidential legacy, and the formal announcement of his White House candidacy on Monday will do little to quell them. Relief may come only if and when Bush secures the Republican nomination next year, and it could be from the unlikeliest of places - the person who would be his probable opponent in the November 2016 general election, Hillary Clinton. A matchup with Clinton, those close to Bush told Reuters, could enable Bush to put his family's past to rest as a hot-button issue.

British jihadist Thomas Evans believed killed in Kenya Posted: 15 Jun 2015 07:30 AM PDT A British jihadist fighting for Somalia's Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Shebab, is believed to have been killed in a thwarted attack on a Kenyan army base, a Kenyan defence spokesman said. Thomas Evans is believed to have been among a group of militants who launched a pre-dawn raid Sunday on a Kenyan army base in Baure, close to the border with Somalia. There is an investigation going on with forensics and DNA to confirm his identity," said Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Colonel David Obonyo.

U.S. top court rejects Iraq bid to revive 'oil-for-food' lawsuit Posted: 15 Jun 2015 07:25 AM PDT By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an effort by Iraq to revive a lawsuit against dozens of companies for allegedly conspiring with former leader Saddam Hussein's government to subvert the U.N. oil-for-food program and deprive Iraqi citizens of humanitarian aid. The high court left intact a September 2014 ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Iraq's current government could not recoup damages under a U.S. anti-racketeering law over Hussein's effort to defraud the U.N. program. Hussein was removed from power during a 2003 U.S.-led invasion and executed in 2006.

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet Posted: 15 Jun 2015 07:24 AM PDT You might have imagined Jeb Bush was already a candidate for president. After all, he's been traveling around the country and the world, delivering policy speeches, and working toward a $100 million fundraising goal.

40 foreign suicide bombers a month enter Iraq: PM Posted: 15 Jun 2015 07:03 AM PDT Around 40 foreign suicide bombers enter Iraq each month, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Monday, calling for countries in the region to curb the flow of foreign fighters. Suicide bombers are one of the deadliest weapons of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which deploys them in explosives-packed vehicles to breach Iraqi defences or cause mass civilian casualties in crowded areas. "An average of 40 suicide (bombers) enter Iraq per month," Abadi said in televised remarks.

First families return to Tikrit since city retaken from IS Posted: 15 Jun 2015 06:47 AM PDT Hundreds of people displaced from the Iraqi city of Tikrit started to return home on Monday, three months after pro-government forces recaptured former president Saddam Hussein's hometown from Islamic State militants. Supported by Shi'ite militiamen and U.S.-led air strikes, government forces dislodged the insurgents from Tikrit in April after a month-long battle. A local official and a source in the operations command for Salahuddin province said the government had chartered buses to transport more than 300 families back to Tikrit from the tented encampments where they have been staying.

Amnesty urges world to take more responsibility for refugees Posted: 15 Jun 2015 05:51 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — Amnesty International urged world leaders Monday to radically overhaul refugee policies and create a comprehensive global strategy to deal with the crisis, describing it as the worst emergency of its kind since World War II.

Four candidates in battle to lead opposition Labour Party Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:59 AM PDT Four candidates have secured enough nominations to stand to be the next leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, which suffered a crushing defeat to Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives last month. Former leader Ed Miliband stepped down following the election loss, which has led to the party overhauling its policies amid recriminations from some activisists that it lost because it had become too left-wing. Labour's health spokesman Andy Burnham is considered the front-runner.

Family shocked by UK suicide bomber's reported death in Iraq Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:42 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — Members of the family of a teenage British boy who reportedly killed himself in a suicide bombing in Iraq say they are devastated by his death.

Yemen foreign minister says 'not optimistic' as peace talks begin Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:27 AM PDT Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin voiced pessimism Monday as high stakes talks aimed at trying to resolve his country's bloody conflict got off to a stumbling start in Geneva. UN chief Ban Ki-moon declared the process open Monday morning, urging an immediate two-week humanitarian pause in Yemen to mark Ramadan. Yassin also complained that the rebels had loaded their plane with far more representatives and advisors than had been agreed up.

Repentant 'godfather' of British jihad recalls extremism's lure Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:26 AM PDT By Katie Nguyen LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Abu Muntasir, a former radical Islamic preacher who once enjoyed a large following in Britain, sobs uncontrollably as he recalls the moment he decided to turn his back on extremism. While waging jihad in the jungles of Myanmar, Abu Muntasir came across two fighters - teenage brothers - who begged to be taken home with him, saying they only wanted to go to school. The story of his transformation is told in "Jihad", a documentary that seeks to explain why so many Muslims are abandoning their lives in the West to join Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

Soccer-Bench time awaits complacent players, warns Japan boss Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:24 AM PDT Japan boss Vahid Halilhodzic has warned his players they will be swiftly substituted if they are seen to be taking minnows Singapore lightly in Tuesday's home World Cup qualifier. The Samurai Blue are expected to rack up a large win when they take on Singapore at the Saitama Stadium in their opening match in Group E of the joint World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying campaign. "We cannot underestimate Singapore.

Swedish prosecutors ask to question Assange Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:16 AM PDT Swedish prosecutors said Monday they had submitted a request to British and Ecuadorian authorities to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London in June and July over rape allegations. The Australian former hacker, who has vehemently denied the 2010 allegations and insisted the two sexual encounters were consensual, has been ensconced in Ecuador's embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. Sweden's "director of public prosecution Marianne Ny has submitted a request for legal assistance to the English authorities and a request to Ecuadorian authorities regarding permission to interview Julian Assange at Ecuador's embassy in London during June-July 2015," a statement from her office said.

Nigeria's Buhari plans Cameroon trip for Boko Haram force Posted: 15 Jun 2015 04:04 AM PDT Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is planning to visit Cameroon to cement a regional fighting force against Boko Haram, he told AFP on Monday. Buhari met his counterparts from Niger, Chad and Benin at a summit in Abuja last week but Cameroon's leader Paul Biya was noticeably absent and represented by his defence minister. The two countries have long had strained ties, in part over a bitter territorial dispute but also after Boko Haram mounted cross-border raids into northeast Nigeria from Cameroon's far north.

Seventeen killed in battles near Iraq's Baiji refinery Posted: 15 Jun 2015 03:18 AM PDT Seventeen people were killed in Iraq on Monday in clashes between Islamic State militants and pro-government forces in a town close to the country's biggest refinery, a focal point in efforts to counter the ultra-hardline Sunni group. The refinery beside the town of Baiji has changed hands before, reflecting the Iraqi army's struggle to hold territory it recaptures after months of clashes. Fighting on Monday took place on a road used by Islamic State for supply lines leading from Baiji to the nearby town of Siniya to the west.

Markets Fear the End Game for Greece as IMF Gives Ukraine a Free Pass Posted: 15 Jun 2015 03:15 AM PDT In the Greek case, I.M.F. negotiators abruptly broke off talks Thursday with the Tsipras government in Athens, accusing it of failing to make a meaningful commitment to meeting the fund's famously austere conditions for debt relief, notably the targets for budget surpluses. No succor for the long-suffering Greeks unless Alexis Tsipras, their anti-austerity prime minister, does things our way: This is the fund's message. The next day, Christine Lagarde published an open letter to Ukraine's creditors.

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