Yahoo! News: Iraq

Iraqi cleric meets with PM after beginning Green Zone sit-in
Syrian forces recapture ancient city of Palmyra from IS
Army chiefs of 'anti-terror' coalition meet in Saudi
UAE finds 38 guilty in terror case, issues 11 life sentences
'Great urgency' to prevent more Europe attacks: Kerry
Iraq cleric Sadr in 'Green Zone' sit-in protest
Official Vatican text of pope's Easter Urbi et Orbi message
Pope at Easter recalls victims of 'blind, brutal terrorism'
The most powerful passports in the world
Syria's Assad hails Palmyra capture as 'important achievement'
A look at Palmyra, the historic Syrian town retaken from IS
The Addiction That Could Be the Ruin of Nations

Iraqi cleric meets with PM after beginning Green Zone sit-in

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 01:54 PM PDT

BAGHDAD (AP) — Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Sunday night after beginning a sit-in in Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone intended to be a show of force following his calls to combat government corruption.

Syrian forces recapture ancient city of Palmyra from IS

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 11:53 AM PDT

Syrian government forces recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, scoring an important victory over Islamic State fighters who waged a 10-month reign of terror there and dealing the group its ...

Army chiefs of 'anti-terror' coalition meet in Saudi

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 10:34 AM PDT

Military chiefs from 39 countries met Sunday in Riyadh for talks on a Saudi-initiated international "anti-terrorism" coalition. Saudi Arabia announced the creation of the coalition in December, saying its members would share intelligence, counter violent ideology and deploy troops if necessary to combat extremists. "This coalition comes to complement previous efforts exerted" in the fight against "terrorist" groups, Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told reporters following the talks.

UAE finds 38 guilty in terror case, issues 11 life sentences

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 10:20 AM PDT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The top security court in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday sentenced 38 people to prison in connection to a cell accused of plotting terrorist attacks and seeking to overthrow the government to create an Islamic state.

'Great urgency' to prevent more Europe attacks: Kerry

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 10:10 AM PDT

The Islamic State suicide bombings that killed 28 people in Brussels underscore the "great urgency" facing Europe to prevent more extremist atrocities, US Secretary of State John Kerry says. The jihadists struck at the heart of Europe on Tuesday, hitting the Belgian capital's airport and metro system and leaving 340 people wounded, four months after the IS group claimed responsibility for coordinated deadly attacks on Paris. Washington is leading coalition air strikes on the IS group in Syria and Iraq, but the latest attacks are another painful reminder that the jihadists remain a grave threat far beyond those war-torn countries, said Kerry.

Iraq cleric Sadr in 'Green Zone' sit-in protest

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 09:38 AM PDT

Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Sunday entered the perimeter of Baghdad's fortified "Green Zone" and began a sit-in to ramp up pressure for reforms. The symbolic move by the young Shiite cleric comes after thousands of his supporters have been camping outside the restricted area's entrances for more than a week. Sadr wants Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to enact reforms tackling corruption and announce a technocratic government to replace the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers.

Official Vatican text of pope's Easter Urbi et Orbi message

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 09:10 AM PDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Following is the Vatican's official English-language translation of Pope Francis' Easter "Urbi et Orbi" message delivered Sunday in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Spelling and style are the Vatican's.

Pope at Easter recalls victims of 'blind, brutal terrorism'

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 08:46 AM PDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of "blind" terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied welcome as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.

The most powerful passports in the world

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 08:30 AM PDT

One might reasonably and understandably assume that all passports are created equal, which is to say that a passport from most any country will provide a consistent level of travel access across all corners of the globe. The laws governing international travel, however, are much more nuanced than you might otherwise assume. In truth, the country associated with a given passport can have a significant impact on the degree of travel freedom a passport holder can enjoy. The following list, which was originally compiled by Arton Capital , highlights which countries offer travelers the most expansive travel options without requiring a visa for entry. DON'T MISS: See how the iPhone SE stacks up against the iPhone 6s and iPhone 5s Access to 147 countries U.K. United States Access to 145 countries South Korea Germany France Access to 144 countries Italy Sweden Access to 143 countries Singapore Japan Finland Denmark Luxembourg Netherlands Access to 142 countries Switzerland Canada Access to 141 countries Hungary Ireland Belgium Portugal Norway Spain As for which countries have the most restrictive passports, the least powerful passports are: Access to 28 countries Myanmar Solomon Islands Palestinian Territories Sao Tome and Principe South Sudan Access to 38 countries Iraq Afghanistan Nepal Ethiopia Djibouti Access to 39 countries Somalia Eritrea Access to 40 countries Burundi Haiti Bhutan Comoros Equatorial Guinea

Syria's Assad hails Palmyra capture as 'important achievement'

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 08:26 AM PDT

"This is an important achievement and fresh proof of the efficiency of the Syrian army and its allies in fighting terrorism," Assad said of the recapture of Palmyra, during a meeting with French parliamentarians in Damascus. Syria's government has strived to position itself as the primary anti-jihadist force in the country. The army pledged on Sunday to build on its win in Palmyra by pushing their offensives against IS strongholds in northern Raqa and Deir Ezzor in the east.