Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iran nuclear agreement: Is a 'better deal' possible – and at what cost?
• Zico's FIFA bid gets lukewarm backing from CBF
• Soccer-Zico's FIFA bid gets lukewarm backing from CBF
• Zico gets Brazil backing for FIFA bid
• Afghan Taliban confirm Mullah Omar's death, choose successor
• Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Cycles Through Seattle Area
• Turkey onslaught on Kurds, after IS attack, fuels anger
• Afghan Taliban confirm leader Mullah Omar's death
• Chad says killed 117 Boko Haram fighters in two-week campaign
• Clinton wants to get Islamic State off Twitter. Is it smart, or even possible?
• U.S., allies conduct 22 air strikes in Iraq against Islamic State: U.S. military
• In Iraq bastions, PKK braces for new war with Turkey
• Turkey probes Kurdish leader, ramps up air strikes against PKK
• IMF approves $1.24 bn Iraq emergency lifeline
• Factbox on potential FIFA presidential candidates
• Soccer-Factbox on potential FIFA presidential candidates
• Erdogan taking Turkey to war to avenge Kurdish gains: opposition
• Turkish prosecutors open probe against Kurdish leader Demirtas
• The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet
• Kurdish party chief dismisses Turkey anti-IS raids as a 'show'
• Mullah Omar's death: Taliban's loss, Islamic State's gain
• Russia opens trial against Ukrainian woman pilot 'hero'
• Ohio woman says she saw her son kill his pregnant girlfriend
• Iraqis take mandatory day off as heat wave smothers Mideast
• Republican 2016 presidential field hits 17 with Gilmore
• Five dead in attacks as Turkey battles PKK
• Kurdish rebels attack Turkish security forces, killing 5
• Kuwait says uncovers Islamic State network
• Kuwait identifies cell of IS militants active in Iraq, Syria
• Refugees live in fear of German anti-foreigner protests
• Syrian Kurds refine oil for themselves for first time
• Turkish policeman, civilian killed in attack blamed on PKK
• US Senate confirms Dunford as next Joint Chiefs chairman
• VOTERS TO G.O.P.: WE'RE JUST NOT THAT INTO IMMIGRANTS
• Afghan Taliban silent on Mullah Omar, disavow peace talks

Iran nuclear agreement: Is a 'better deal' possible – and at what cost? Posted: 30 Jul 2015 04:06 PM PDT As Congress debates the complex international agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program in anticipation of a September vote, the option of rejecting this deal in favor of a "better deal" appears to be catching on. Recommended: How much do you know about Iran? The deep divisions over that question come down, more than anything, to people's perception of Iran: whether or not it is a country the United States should be entangled with in such a complex deal, whether or not it should be allowed to possess any uranium enrichment program at all.

Zico's FIFA bid gets lukewarm backing from CBF Posted: 30 Jul 2015 03:15 PM PDT By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Zico has been promised the backing of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) for his bid to run for the FIFA presidency if he can show he has the support of four other federations. The former Brazil international visited the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro and met president Marco Polo del Nero on Thursday in an attempt to get his candidacy off the ground. "Zico has our support to look into a candidacy.

Soccer-Zico's FIFA bid gets lukewarm backing from CBF Posted: 30 Jul 2015 03:10 PM PDT By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO, July 30 (Reuters) - Zico has been promised the backing of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) for his bid to run for the FIFA presidency if he can show he has the support of four other federations. The former Brazil international visited the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro and met president Marco Polo del Nero on Thursday in an attempt to get his candidacy off the ground. "Zico has our support to look into a candidacy.

Zico gets Brazil backing for FIFA bid Posted: 30 Jul 2015 02:10 PM PDT The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) said Thursday it is backing national football legend Zico's bid to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president. The endorsement was a big boost for Zico, 62, who has previously conceded lacking support from Brazil's footballing top brass. "Zico has our support to pursue his candidacy.

Afghan Taliban confirm Mullah Omar's death, choose successor Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:19 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban confirmed the death of longtime leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and appointed his successor Thursday, as a new round of peace talks was indefinitely postponed amid concerns over how committed the new leadership is to ending the militant group's 14-year insurgency.

Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Cycles Through Seattle Area Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:00 PM PDT Come show your support for our country's bravest men and women as Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® presented by USAA® heads to Seattle July 30 – August 1. Often serving as an introductory physical health and wellness event for WWP veterans, Soldier Ride brings together injured service members for a long weekend that facilitates camaraderie and healing through various physical health and wellness activities. Participants often find Soldier Ride to be a life-changing experience as they connect with fellow troops who are battling the same struggles.

Turkey onslaught on Kurds, after IS attack, fuels anger Posted: 30 Jul 2015 12:29 PM PDT DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AP) — Just when it seemed Turkey was getting serious about the fight against IS, it has turned its military focus to pounding its old foe: the Kurdish rebels.

Afghan Taliban confirm leader Mullah Omar's death Posted: 30 Jul 2015 12:12 PM PDT The Taliban on Thursday confirmed the death of their elusive leader Mullah Omar, paving the way for the first transition of power for the fractious militant movement waging a bloody war in Afghanistan. The Taliban now face the daunting task of choosing a successor to the near-mythical figure, with militant sources telling AFP current deputy Mullah Akhtar Mansour is leading the race although no final decision has been taken. Omar's death marks a significant blow to the Taliban, which is riven by internal divisions and threatened by the rise of the Islamic State group, the Middle East jihadist outfit that is making steady inroads in Afghanistan.

Chad says killed 117 Boko Haram fighters in two-week campaign Posted: 30 Jul 2015 12:02 PM PDT N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chad said on Thursday its forces had killed 117 Boko Haram insurgents during a two-week military campaign aimed at clearing islands on Lake Chad used by the militants as hideouts and bases to launch attacks. Chad has deployed thousands of soldiers alongside troops from neighbors Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger to tackle the militant group whose six-year insurgency has killed thousands. "We killed 117 Boko Haram fighters during the two-week operation.

Clinton wants to get Islamic State off Twitter. Is it smart, or even possible? Posted: 30 Jul 2015 11:53 AM PDT Hillary Clinton wants to cut the Islamic State (IS) group off from what has proven to be one of the organization's most powerful recruiting tools: social media. At a campaign event in New Hampshire Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton said getting IS off the Internet was vital. The terror group recruits internationally primarily by using social media to establish contact with potential recruits, before continuing conversations on encrypted forums outside of public view, FBI director James Comey said earlier this month.

U.S., allies conduct 22 air strikes in Iraq against Islamic State: U.S. military Posted: 30 Jul 2015 11:16 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An international coalition led by the United States targeted Islamic State militants in Iraq with 22 air strikes on Wednesday, the U.S. military said on Thursday. The attacks were concentrated near Haditha, where eight strikes hit an Islamic State tactical unit, five staging areas, a command-and-control site and also destroyed Islamic State vehicles, structures, and mortar systems, according to a statement from the Combined Joint Task Force. The coalition also targeted the militant group with strikes near Kirkuk, Makhmur, Mosul, Ramadi, Sinjar and Tal Afar. ...

In Iraq bastions, PKK braces for new war with Turkey Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:57 AM PDT Pointing to a crater left by one of scores of Turkish air strikes in Iraq's Kurdistan region, a PKK rebel official said that "Turkey has declared war against us". For three decades, Turkey was at war with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which was seeking an independent state in southeastern Anatolia.

Turkey probes Kurdish leader, ramps up air strikes against PKK Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:48 AM PDT Turkish prosecutors on Thursday opened a criminal probe against the leader of the main pro-Kurdish party, as Ankara stepped up its controversial air campaign against separatist Kurdish rebels. Turkish war planes launching a wave of new assaults on PKK targets after five more people were killed in attacks blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants. Ankara says it is fighting a two-pronged "war on terror" against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and the PKK in northern Iraq, after a spate of attacks in the country.

IMF approves $1.24 bn Iraq emergency lifeline Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT The International Monetary Fund approved a $1.24 billion emergency loan for Iraq Thursday, saying the country needs extra support in the face of the Islamic State insurgency and depressed oil prices. "The twin shocks faced by Iraq from the ISIS (Islamic State) insurgency and the drop in global oil prices have severely widened the government deficit and caused a decline in international reserves," said IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa. The seizure of more Iraq territory by Islamic State group jihadists and the costs of mobilizing a counterattack have further strained the government's budget, already eroded after crude oil prices, its key source of revenue, fell by half over the past year.

Factbox on potential FIFA presidential candidates Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:04 AM PDT ZURICH (Reuters) - Factbox on potential FIFA presidential candidates following Chung Mong-Joon's announcement on Thursday that he plans to stand. The election to replace outgoing Sepp Blatter will take place at an extraordinary congress on Feb. 26 in Zurich. Candidates must formally declare their bids four months earlier, on Oct. 26, with the written backing of five national associations. Each of FIFA's 209 national associations holds one vote. The ballot is secret, making it difficult for continental confederations to enforce block voting. ZICO Age: 62 Nationality: Brazilian. ...

Soccer-Factbox on potential FIFA presidential candidates Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:58 AM PDT Factbox on potential FIFA presidential candidates following Chung Mong-Joon's announcement on Thursday that he plans to stand. The election to replace outgoing Sepp Blatter will take place at an extraordinary congress on Feb. 26 in Zurich. Each of FIFA's 209 national associations holds one vote.

Erdogan taking Turkey to war to avenge Kurdish gains: opposition Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:32 AM PDT By Gulsen Solaker and Ece Toksabay ANKARA (Reuters) - The leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition accused President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday of launching air strikes in Syria and Iraq to prevent Kurdish territorial and political gains, and of using the war against Islamic State as a cover. Turkey launched near-simultaneous air strikes on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps in northern Iraq and Islamic State fighters in Syria last Friday, in what Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called a "synchronized fight against terror".

Turkish prosecutors open probe against Kurdish leader Demirtas Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:28 AM PDT Turkish prosecutors on Thursday opened a probe against the leader of Turkey's main Kurdish party over bloody October 2014 protests, the official Anatolia news agency reported. Prosecutors in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir have started an investigation against Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) leader Selahattin Demirtas for inciting people to take up arms during the protests that left dozens dead, the agency said. The investigation comes as Turkey presses on with a military campaign against the Kurdish militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:07 AM PDT There's one week until the Republican Party's first primary debate of the cycle on August 6, and now there's a mad dash to get into the top 10 and qualify for the main event. With former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore filing papers to run for president on July 29, there are now 17 "major" candidates vying for the GOP nomination, though that's an awfully imprecise descriptor.

Kurdish party chief dismisses Turkey anti-IS raids as a 'show' Posted: 30 Jul 2015 08:31 AM PDT The co-leader of Turkey's main Kurdish party on Thursday dismissed air strikes and police raids by Ankara against Islamic State (IS) jihadists as a "show", saying their real target was Kurdish militants. In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Selahattin Demirtas of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said the peace process between Turkey and Kurdish militants was now "in deep crisis" due to the offensive by Ankara against the separatist rebels but insisted it should not be written off. Turkey has launched a two-pronged offensive against IS jihadists and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants but the strikes against the Kurdish rebels have been far the more frequent and intense.

Mullah Omar's death: Taliban's loss, Islamic State's gain Posted: 30 Jul 2015 08:30 AM PDT Mullah Omar's death poses an existential crisis for the Afghan Taliban, analysts say, potentially presaging a splintering of the movement as the Islamic State group gains a toehold among insurgents enthralled by its battlefield prowess. The group has suffered a string of recent defections to IS, with some insurgents voicing disaffection with the "ghost leader", who hasn't been seen in public since the 2001 US-led invasion toppled the Afghan Taliban from power. The Taliban's confirmation Thursday of Omar's death will inevitably deepen divisions, observers say, triggering a power struggle within the already fractious movement at a time when IS is making gradual inroads into Afghanistan.

Russia opens trial against Ukrainian woman pilot 'hero' Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:47 AM PDT Ukrainian pilot and lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko went on trial in Russia on Thursday in a politically charged case that could send tensions between Moscow and Kiev to a new high. Savchenko, who is seen by her compatriots as a symbol of resistance against what most Ukrainians consider an insurgency fuelled by President Vladimir Putin's government, has denied any involvement.

Ohio woman says she saw her son kill his pregnant girlfriend Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:46 AM PDT CLEVELAND (AP) — A woman says she saw her severely depressed son fatally shoot his pregnant girlfriend at a Cleveland home before killing himself.

Iraqis take mandatory day off as heat wave smothers Mideast Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — It's a 15-minute walk through a lush palm grove from Baghdad's al-Takia refugee camp to the nearest well, but as temperatures hovered around 52 degrees Celsius (126 F) on Thursday, Zakiyah Abdullah, who is eight months pregnant, said it felt like an eternity.

Republican 2016 presidential field hits 17 with Gilmore Posted: 30 Jul 2015 04:56 AM PDT (Reuters) - The field of candidates for the Republican Party's 2016 presidential nomination swelled to 17 this week after former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore joined the race for the White House. For the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll results on the Republican presidential candidates, see: (http://bit.ly/1BKCdVi) Here is a list of the Republicans seeking the nomination for the November 2016 election: JEB BUSH The former Florida governor, the son of one president and brother of another, announced his White House bid on June 15 after long testing the waters. Before officially entering the race, Bush, 62, already had faced criticism for not distancing himself from the foreign policies of his brother, former President George W. Bush, and for struggling with questions about the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Five dead in attacks as Turkey battles PKK Posted: 30 Jul 2015 04:25 AM PDT Five people died Thursday in new attacks on the Turkish security forces blamed on Kurdish militants, as Ankara stepped up its controversial campaign against the separatist rebels. A new wave of violence included the killing of three Turkish troops that the army said was carried out by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants, the deadliest such attack on the security forces since the crisis began last week. Ankara says it is fighting a two-pronged "war on terror" against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and the PKK in northern Iraq, after a spate of attacks in the country.

Kurdish rebels attack Turkish security forces, killing 5 Posted: 30 Jul 2015 03:44 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Kurdish rebels have attacked Turkish security forces in two separate assaults in southeast Turkey, killing five people, officials said. One rebel was also killed.

Kuwait says uncovers Islamic State network Posted: 30 Jul 2015 02:24 AM PDT Kuwait has uncovered a network of Islamic State militants who fought in Iraq and Syria and detained some of its members, the interior ministry said on Thursday, a month after the group carried out the Gulf state's deadliest militant attack. The network included five Kuwaitis, a ministry statement carried by the official KUNA state news agency said. The statement said without elaborating that one of the five had been killed in "a terrorist operation" in Iraq.

Kuwait identifies cell of IS militants active in Iraq, Syria Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:48 AM PDT KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwaiti authorities say they have uncovered a cell of Islamic State militants from the small Gulf nation involved in fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Refugees live in fear of German anti-foreigner protests Posted: 30 Jul 2015 12:46 AM PDT It's an astonishing statement for a refugee from war-torn Syria, but Taher has had enough of the xenophobia he has experienced in Germany. "I want to return to Syria -- very afraid here," he said this week, speaking outside a refugee centre in the small eastern town of Freital, which has gained national notoriety for ugly protests against asylum seekers. "I come from Syria because I was afraid -- but here big afraid," said Taher, who did not want to give his full name, speaking in halting English.

Syrian Kurds refine oil for themselves for first time Posted: 30 Jul 2015 12:29 AM PDT Smoke rises as crude oil is heated in Rmeilan oil field of Syria's Hasakeh province, where the Kurds, having fought off jihadists, are extracting and refining oil for the first time. Located in the middle of the desert in the northeastern province of the war-torn country, Rmeilan is Syria's largest oil field in terms of surface area. "We heat the crude up to 125 degrees (Celsius, or 257 Fahrenheit) to produce gasoline, 150 degrees for kerosene and 350 degrees for fuel oil," said Kurdish technician Jakdar Ali.

Turkish policeman, civilian killed in attack blamed on PKK Posted: 29 Jul 2015 11:40 PM PDT A Turkish policeman and a civilian have been killed in a gun attack in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast blamed on separatist militants, reports said on Thursday. Policeman Mehmet Uyar was sitting in front of a tea house in the Cinar district of the southeastern Diyarbakir region late Wednesday when unknown gunmen opened fire from a car, the Anatolia and Dogan news agencies reported. Both the policeman and one civilian passer-by named as Osman Caran later died of their wounds in hospital overnight, the reports said.

US Senate confirms Dunford as next Joint Chiefs chairman Posted: 29 Jul 2015 10:28 PM PDT The US Senate confirmed Marine General Joseph Dunford as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the US military's top officer, after President Barack Obama chose him for the post in May. Dunford, 59, currently the commandant of the US Marine Corps, will replace General Martin Dempsey, who is set to retire after he finishes his second term as chairman in October. The Senate confirmed Dunford by unanimous consent.

VOTERS TO G.O.P.: WE'RE JUST NOT THAT INTO IMMIGRANTS Posted: 29 Jul 2015 05:30 PM PDT For years, Republican candidates have been assured by their political consultants that amnesty is a runaway hit with the public. Washington has tried to sneak through three amnesties in the last decade -- in 2006, 2007 and 2013. Couldn't Republicans spare themselves the embarrassment of having to say they "learned their lesson" by learning the same lesson of the last 17 guys to push amnesty?

Afghan Taliban silent on Mullah Omar, disavow peace talks Posted: 29 Jul 2015 05:09 PM PDT The Taliban on Thursday distanced itself from peace talks that had been expected this week with the Afghan government, while making no comment on Kabul's reported death of their leader Mullah Omar. Afghanistan on Wednesday said Omar died two years ago in Pakistan, in the first such official confirmation from Kabul after unnamed government and militant sources reported the demise of the reclusive warrior-cleric. The insurgents have not officially confirmed his death, and the claim -- just two days before a fresh round of talks were expected -- cast doubt over the tenuous peace process.

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