Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Eastern Libyan military's warplanes hit Islamists in Derna
• EU warns of 'significant gaps' in sharing of terror info
• Drop in refugees chance to step up EU border plans: Merkel
• Obama says political progress needed before more Iraq aid
• Despite tensions, Obama says US and Gulf united against IS
• VA study on whether dogs can heal vets with PTSD has critics
• Obama reaffirms U.S. to deter aggression against Gulf Arabs
• Iran denounces U.S. ruling awarding Iran money to bomb victims: TV
• Co-Existence through Democratic Autonomy and Self-Governance: The Kurdish Case
• Indonesia fears piracy surge on shipping route could make it 'new Somalia'
• The Latest: White House touts security agreements in Gulf
• Nearly half Australians shrink at prospect of President Trump: poll
• Obama: Gulf countries must work together, despite differences
• The Healing Power of Nature
• Israel worried Hezbollah group will obtain Syrian weapons
• Dutch intelligence agency warns of violent extremists threat
• Iraq identifies 6 victims from mass graves in IS-free Ramadi
• French minister raises possibility IS can be eradicated
• Neymar to play in home Olympics and not Copa, say Barcelona
• Israel says gives Jordan, Egypt intelligence help against Islamic State
• French defense minister says Islamic State can be eradicated
• Today in History

Eastern Libyan military's warplanes hit Islamists in Derna Posted: 21 Apr 2016 02:49 PM PDT By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Military forces loyal to Libya's eastern government said on Thursday they had carried out air strikes overnight against Islamist fighters in Derna after Islamic State militants retreated from positions close to the city. Derna has been the site of a three-way conflict between the forces loyal to the eastern government, an Islamist grouping known as the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council and Islamic State militants. Fighters from Islamic State had controlled the city until the Shura Council forces pushed them out last June.

EU warns of 'significant gaps' in sharing of terror info Posted: 21 Apr 2016 01:46 PM PDT There are still major gaps in intelligence sharing on Islamic State fighters returning to Europe in the wake of the Brussels and Paris attacks, the EU's anti-terrorism coordinator warned Thursday. The report by Gilles de Kerchove to interior ministers meeting in Luxembourg comes after repeated calls by European Union leaders for greater cooperation in dealing with jihadists returning from Syria and Iraq. The European police organisation's database contained only 2,956 foreign fighters despite official estimates saying that around 5,000 EU citizens had travelled to fight with the IS group.

Drop in refugees chance to step up EU border plans: Merkel Posted: 21 Apr 2016 01:45 PM PDT German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday fewer migrants were now reaching European shores, giving EU nations a chance to shore up plans to protect the continent's outer borders. "Now that the number of refugees coming to Europe has lessened, we have an opportunity to find together a European solution," Merkel said after talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Europe is struggling to deal with its worst refugee crisis since World War II, with a million migrants having arrived on its shores last year.

Obama says political progress needed before more Iraq aid Posted: 21 Apr 2016 12:30 PM PDT RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Barack Obama said Thursday that the U.S. and its Gulf partners should wait to see whether Iraq can resolve its political crisis before committing more financial aid, arguing that the paralysis is impeding U.S.-led efforts to defeat the Islamic State group and reconstruct the war-torn country.

Despite tensions, Obama says US and Gulf united against IS Posted: 21 Apr 2016 11:16 AM PDT President Barack Obama said Thursday the United States is united with Gulf Arab nations in fighting the Islamic State group and sought to reassure them about US overtures to regional rival Iran. In Riyadh for talks hosted by Iran's arch-foe Saudi Arabia, Obama said Washington still had "serious concerns" about Tehran, but insisted no country had an interest in conflict with the Shiite power. Obama, on likely his final presidential visit to America's historic Gulf allies, was in Riyadh seeking to reduce tensions with the Sunni Arab states.

VA study on whether dogs can heal vets with PTSD has critics Posted: 21 Apr 2016 10:45 AM PDT FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Army veteran Joe Aguirre opens a restaurant door, then steps aside to let his golden retriever take point. "Clear," Aguirre commands, and 3-year-old Munger pivots right, left, then right again, sweeping the room for potential threats.

Obama reaffirms U.S. to deter aggression against Gulf Arabs Posted: 21 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT By Roberta Rampton RIYADH (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pledged to "deter aggression" against Gulf Arab allies increasingly concerned about Iran's influence in the region but did not shy away from raising sensitive issues in talks aimed at addressing recent strains in U.S.-Gulf ties. Obama's visit to Riyadh to meet Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders was aimed at allaying fears in Saudi Arabia and its neighbors that Washington's commitment to their security had diminished. The president also hoped to use his fourth and probably final trip to the kingdom to dispel some of the frustration felt by Gulf countries toward his administration, in what one senior U.S. official said was a chance to "clear the air".

Iran denounces U.S. ruling awarding Iran money to bomb victims: TV Posted: 21 Apr 2016 09:41 AM PDT Iran has denounced as "theft" a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that almost $2 billion in frozen Iranian assets must be paid to American families of those killed in attacks blamed on the Islamic Republic, state television reported. The ruling was handed down on Wednesday as U.S. President Barack Obama visited Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, hoping to reduce Gulf states' fears over Iranian influence in the region. It is theft ... it is like stealing Iran's money and we condemn it," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted as saying.

Co-Existence through Democratic Autonomy and Self-Governance: The Kurdish Case Posted: 21 Apr 2016 09:10 AM PDT WASHINGTON, April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Opening Remarks by Deniz Ekici, Executive Director, Kurdish Policy Research Center (KPRC)The Crucial Role of Kurds in the Fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria 9:30am – 10:45amModerator: Yousif Ismail, Director of Media and Policy at the Washington Kurdish Institute WKISpeakers:Omar Saeed Hasan Saeed, Commander of the Sengal Resistance Units (YBS)*Redur Xelil, Spokesperson for People's Protection Units (YPG)*Polar Jangi, Commander of the Pesmerga's Counter Terrorism Group (CTG)*Kino Gabriel, Spokesperson of Syriac Military CouncilQuestion & ...

Indonesia fears piracy surge on shipping route could make it 'new Somalia' Posted: 21 Apr 2016 08:13 AM PDT By Fergus Jensen and Kanupriya Kapoor JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia fears piracy on a shipping route along its sea border with the Philippines could reach Somalian levels and has told vessels to avoid danger areas, officials said on Thursday, after a spate of kidnappings. Concerns over maritime attacks by suspected Islamist militants are disrupting the coal trade, with at least two Indonesian coal ports suspending shipments to the Philippines. Up to 18 Indonesians and Malaysians have been kidnapped in three attacks on tugboats in Philippine waters by groups suspected of ties to the Abu Sayyaf militant network.

The Latest: White House touts security agreements in Gulf Posted: 21 Apr 2016 07:57 AM PDT RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The Latest on President Barack Obama's meeting with top officials from six Arab nations in Saudi Arabia. (all times local):

Nearly half Australians shrink at prospect of President Trump: poll Posted: 21 Apr 2016 07:51 AM PDT By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - Nearly half Australian adults would support their country distancing itself from the United States if Donald Trump became U.S. president, a poll suggests, as the New York billionaire tightens his grip on the Republican nomination race. The telephone poll of 1,202 Australian adults found that 45 percent believed the country should distance itself from the U.S. "if it elects a president like Donald Trump", said researcher the Lowy Institute, which commissioned the research. Just 51 percent of Australians believed the country should remain close to the United States regardless of who became president in the Nov. 8 election, the lowest level of support in a generation.

Obama: Gulf countries must work together, despite differences Posted: 21 Apr 2016 07:12 AM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday said Gulf countries in the Middle East must be able to work together despite their differences, whether that is dealing with Iran or maintaining a stable, unified government within a country, such as in Iraq. "The prosperity and stability of the region depends on countries treating all their citizens fairly and that sectarianism is an enemy of peace and prosperity," Obama told reporters following the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit.

The Healing Power of Nature Posted: 21 Apr 2016 07:01 AM PDT DESTIN, Fla., April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of twelve injured veterans exchanged stories and shared personal coping mechanisms during a recent three-day fishing retreat at Mid Bay Shores Cabins in Destin, Florida. The outdoor therapy was offered through the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Alumni program, which brings injured veterans together to build camaraderie and bonds through events and programs. This specific event served two purposes: to place injured veterans in a relaxing environment that is close to nature and removed from outside influences, and to identify how the warriors could benefit from each other.

Israel worried Hezbollah group will obtain Syrian weapons Posted: 21 Apr 2016 06:21 AM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed concern to Russia's president that sophisticated weapons from Syria and Iraq could end up in the hands of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a close ally of the Syrian government.

Dutch intelligence agency warns of violent extremists threat Posted: 21 Apr 2016 06:04 AM PDT THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch intelligence agency has warned that the Netherlands faces a complex threat from violent extremists returning from Syria, those prevented from travelling to fight overseas, and people radicalized by Jihadi propaganda who may want to carry out attacks at home.

Iraq identifies 6 victims from mass graves in IS-free Ramadi Posted: 21 Apr 2016 05:27 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Six bodies have been identified so far from two mass graves unearthed this week in the western city of Ramadi, nearly four months after Iraqi forces routed Islamic State militants from the Anbar provincial capital, officials said Thursday.

French minister raises possibility IS can be eradicated Posted: 21 Apr 2016 12:46 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is voicing cautious optimism about the defeat of the Islamic State group, suggesting the possibility that it can be eradicated.

Neymar to play in home Olympics and not Copa, say Barcelona Posted: 21 Apr 2016 12:31 AM PDT Neymar will play in the Olympics in August and will miss the Centenary Copa America in the United States in June, his club Barcelona said on Wednesday to end months of speculation. "FC Barcelona expresses its gratitude to the Brazilian Football Confederation and its president Marco Polo del Nero for accepting the club's proposal for Neymar Jr to only play at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer...and not at the Copa America in the United States...," the Catalan club said in a statement.

Israel says gives Jordan, Egypt intelligence help against Islamic State Posted: 20 Apr 2016 11:58 PM PDT Israel provides Jordan and Egypt with intelligence assistance in their fight against Islamic State, a senior Israeli military officer said on Wednesday, describing the U.S.-backed Arab neighbours as stable despite the insurgent threat. Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994.

French defense minister says Islamic State can be eradicated Posted: 20 Apr 2016 11:56 PM PDT The conditions necessary to eradicate Islamic State in Syria and Iraq are "in the process of coming together", French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Info radio on Thursday. "I note that Daesh (Islamic State) is retreating and that Daesh is retreating significantly," Le Drian said. "Since Daesh's occupation of Syria and Iraq, since the attempt to attack Baghdad in June 2014, I think Daesh has lost between 30 and 40 percent of its territory." An international coalition is providing air support to Kurdish and Iraqi forces, which intend to liberate Mosul, in Iraq, and Raqqa, in Syria, by the end of the year, the minister added.

Today in History Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:05 PM PDT Today is Thursday, April 21, the 112th day of 2016. There are 254 days left in the year.

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