Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• The Latest: Saudis insist 47 executed had fair trial
• Saudi-Iran crisis a rebuke for US policy
• Democratic US Rep. Jim McDermott announces retirement
• Syria's opposition urges all Arab states to cut Iran ties
• Bill Clinton: Will He Help or Hurt Hillary in 2016?
• US treads warily amid Iran-Saudi tensions
• British Authorities Hope to Unmask New ‘Jihadi John’
• Iran hard-liners see Saudi Embassy attack as a win-win. Are they wrong?
• Iran-Saudi crisis deepens as diplomatic ties cut
• Saudi Arabia May Have Picked a Fight It Can’t Win
• AP Analysis: With execution, Saudis ignite regional tensions
• Allies follow Saudis in cutting ties with Iran amid tensions
• Exclusive: Saudi Arabia to halt flights, trade with Iran
• Iraqi Sunni mosques attacked in apparent retaliation for Saudi execution
• Sunnis and Shiites: Islam's ancient divide
• Saudi Arabia recruits Sunni allies in row with Iran
• A look at the troubled relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran
• Trump shrugs after terrorists use his speech to fire up recruits
• Injured Veterans Cycle Toward Recovery in the Sunshine State
• Fresh concern for Schengen as Sweden, Denmark tighten borders
• Britain denounces Islamic State video showing 'spies' shot
• UK's Cameron dismisses latest Islamic State extremist video
• Two Sunni mosques bombed, muezzin killed in Iraq
• Al-Qaeda in Yemen stones woman to death for adultery: witnesses
• IS attacks troops in western Iraq, killing 11
• Charlie Hebdo marks year since attack with provocative cover
• New IS group video 'desperate stuff': British PM
• Thousands protest in Iraq against Saudi Shi'ite cleric execution
• Factbox: Troubled history of Iran-Saudi relations
• Italian diplomat takes helm of UNHCR amid record refugee crisis
• U.S. leads 25 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq: statement
• Iraq PM vows to hunt down mosque bombers
• From Mideast to Moscow, These 3 Crises Could Wreck Obama’s Foreign Policy
• Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension
• China fears regional conflict as Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran
• Nose bandages symbolise Iran cosmetic surgery craze

The Latest: Saudis insist 47 executed had fair trial Posted: 04 Jan 2016 04:07 PM PST TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The latest developments after Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with Tehran amid a dispute over Riyadh's execution of an opposition Shiite cleric and attacks on Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran. (All times local.)

Saudi-Iran crisis a rebuke for US policy Posted: 04 Jan 2016 03:00 PM PST Washington's single-minded pursuit of the Iran nuclear deal damaged its alliance with Saudi Arabia, experts say, and fed the escalating crisis in the Gulf. The United States failed to manage its traditional Sunni Arab allies in the region while it reached out to mend ties with their bitter Shiite foes in Tehran. As a result, experts warn, Washington has suffered a loss of influence at a time when it needs to implement the nuclear accord and work with both Tehran and Riyadh to end the Syrian war.

Democratic US Rep. Jim McDermott announces retirement Posted: 04 Jan 2016 02:19 PM PST SEATTLE (AP) — Longtime Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott of Washington state announced Monday that he will not seek re-election for a 15th time when he completes his term at the end of the year.

Syria's opposition urges all Arab states to cut Iran ties Posted: 04 Jan 2016 01:35 PM PST Syria's political opposition in exile urged all Arab countries on Monday to sever diplomatic ties with Iran after Saudi Arabia, a strong supporter of the Syrian opposition, cut relations with Tehran. Saudi Arabia has been rallying Sunni allies to its side in a growing diplomatic row with Iran, deepening a sectarian split across the Middle East following its execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition declared its support for Riyadh's move, calling on "all Arab and Islamic countries to take a similar step" and criticized what it said was Iran's support for militias in Syria and Iraq.

Bill Clinton: Will He Help or Hurt Hillary in 2016? Posted: 04 Jan 2016 01:35 PM PST As Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton heads to events in Iowa, Nevada, and New Hampshire in the coming week, the former president spoke at two public events in support of his wife today in the Granite State. Hillary has called Bill her "secret weapon." Her GOP opponents, however, have wasted no time in trying to make him a liability. Republican candidate Rand Paul echoed Trump, calling Bill "a great abuser of women in the workplace." Carly Fiorina has also called Bill's past "fair game" for attack.

US treads warily amid Iran-Saudi tensions Posted: 04 Jan 2016 01:24 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Concerned that inflamed tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia may threaten key foreign policy objectives in Iraq and Syria, among other places, the Obama administration toed a careful line Monday in seeking to calm a diplomatic storm that many fear could lead the longtime regional rivals to direct sectarian conflict.

British Authorities Hope to Unmask New ‘Jihadi John’ Posted: 04 Jan 2016 12:52 PM PST Investigators are working to identify an Islamic State fighter with a British accent featured in a propaganda video released over the weekend, officials said. "We are examining the content of the video," a British Home Office spokesman told ABC News today. The jihadist reportedly could be Abu Rumaysah, a British national who was arrested in September 2014, skipped bail and fled to Syria.

Iran hard-liners see Saudi Embassy attack as a win-win. Are they wrong? Posted: 04 Jan 2016 12:49 PM PST When hard-line Iranian demonstrators torched part of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran Sunday night to protest Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, it wasn't just the building that was damaged. Up in smoke, too, went President Hassan Rouhani's effort to mend ties with Saudi Arabia as part of a broader engagement with Gulf states and the West. On Monday Saudi Arabia announced it was cutting diplomatic relations with Iran, and two of its Sunni Gulf allies and Sudan similarly cut or downgraded their ties.

Iran-Saudi crisis deepens as diplomatic ties cut Posted: 04 Jan 2016 12:47 PM PST Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran erupted into a full-blown diplomatic crisis Monday as Riyadh and its Sunni Arab allies cut or reduced ties with Tehran, sparking global concern. Following angry exchanges over Saudi Arabia's execution Saturday of prominent Shiite cleric and activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, Riyadh and then Bahrain and Sudan severed relations with Tehran, the main Shiite power.

Saudi Arabia May Have Picked a Fight It Can’t Win Posted: 04 Jan 2016 12:17 PM PST The sudden spike in tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of the most powerful regimes in the Middle East, is only going to exacerbate a trend toward high levels of oil production, says one expert on global oil markets. "The one general feature that most people, I think, are missing is that as the Middle East heats up and continues to spin out of control, there's the risk that the oil that is underground and in reserve right now won't be there for the pumping tomorrow," said Prof. Steve Hanke, who teaches applied economics at Johns Hopkins University and serves as a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. "There is a big incentive to take the money and run," said Hanke.

AP Analysis: With execution, Saudis ignite regional tensions Posted: 04 Jan 2016 12:04 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — By executing a senior Shiite cleric, Saudi Arabia effectively lit a match to set off regional sectarian tensions and its rivalry with Iran, threatening to derail already-shaky peace efforts over the wars in Syria and Yemen.

Allies follow Saudis in cutting ties with Iran amid tensions Posted: 04 Jan 2016 11:54 AM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom's lead Monday and scaled back diplomatic ties to Iran after the ransacking of Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic, violence sparked by the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Exclusive: Saudi Arabia to halt flights, trade with Iran Posted: 04 Jan 2016 11:42 AM PST By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia widened its rift with Iran on Monday, saying it would end air traffic and trade links with the Islamic republic and demanding that Tehran must "act like a normal country" before it would restore severed diplomatic relations. Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters in an interview that Tehran was responsible for rising tensions after the kingdom executed Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr on Saturday, describing him as a terrorist. Insisting Riyadh would react to "Iranian aggression", he accused Tehran of dispatching fighters to Arab countries and plotting attacks inside the kingdom and its Gulf neighbors.

Iraqi Sunni mosques attacked in apparent retaliation for Saudi execution Posted: 04 Jan 2016 11:25 AM PST By Stephen Kalin and Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least two Sunni Muslim mosques have been attacked in Iraq and two people killed in apparent retaliation for the execution of a senior Shi'ite cleric in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, officials and police said on Monday. Iraqi Shi'ites protesting the Jan. 2 execution of Saudi Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr separately marched in Baghdad and southern cities, while a powerful Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia group pressured the government to sever ties with Riyadh. Iraq's Interior Ministry confirmed the attacks on Sunni mosques late Sunday in Hilla, around 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

Sunnis and Shiites: Islam's ancient divide Posted: 04 Jan 2016 11:17 AM PST Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have reached new heights with Riyadh's execution on Saturday of a Shiite cleric despite Tehran's calls for clemency. Some felt his successor should be chosen from among his followers, while others -- the "Shiite Ali" or Partisans of Ali -- believed the position should stay within the prophet's family and that Mohammed had backed his cousin Ali for the post. Eventually, Abu Bakr, a confidant of the prophet, became the first caliph, and was succeeded by two other members of Mohammed's inner circle before Ali assumed the post.

Saudi Arabia recruits Sunni allies in row with Iran Posted: 04 Jan 2016 10:56 AM PST By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia rallied Sunni allies to its side in a growing diplomatic row with Iran on Monday, deepening a sectarian split across the Middle East following the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. Bahrain and Sudan cut all ties with Iran, following Riyadh's example the previous day. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters Riyadh would also halt air traffic and commercial relations between the rival powers.

A look at the troubled relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran Posted: 04 Jan 2016 10:05 AM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran and Saudi Arabia have had tense diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, although there have been occasional thaws. Here's a look at how ties between the Middle East rivals have shifted:

Trump shrugs after terrorists use his speech to fire up recruits Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:43 AM PST Donald Trump last year showed an openness toward setting up a federal database for all Muslims in the United States and also called for the outright ban of all Muslims entering the country for an indefinite time in the wake of the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, California. At least one terrorist group has predictably used The Donald's words in recruitment videos to convince people in the Muslim world that America's leading politicians are really on a new crusade against an entire religion of more than 1 billion people. When asked about this over the weekend on CBS's Face the Nation, however, the doughy billionaire only offered a shrug. MUST SEE:

Injured Veterans Cycle Toward Recovery in the Sunshine State Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:32 AM PST MIAMI, Jan. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cycling in the name of hope and perseverance, 35 injured service members will roll through Miami and Key West for an inspirational journey. Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride®, presented by USAA®, enables the triumph of these veterans with an uplifting experience through various physical health and wellness activities. Despite the daily challenges they face, WWP injured service members are encouraged to stay healthy and active once the ride is over.

Fresh concern for Schengen as Sweden, Denmark tighten borders Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:00 AM PST Sweden on Monday imposed controls on travellers arriving from Denmark in a bid to curb an unprecedented influx of refugees, prompting knock-on measures from Denmark that triggered fresh concern for Europe's Schengen passport-free zone. Hours after the Swedish controls on a major bridge-and-tunnel link with Denmark went into effect, the Danish government, which fears being saddled with large numbers of migrants, announced it would implement spot checks on its border with Germany. Alarmed by the restrictions, which come as both Germany and Sweden grapple with record migrant numbers, Berlin warned Europe's Schengen zone was "in danger".

Britain denounces Islamic State video showing 'spies' shot Posted: 04 Jan 2016 08:59 AM PST An Islamic State video showing a young boy in military fatigues and an older masked militant who both spoke with British accents is "desperate" propaganda from an organisation that is losing ground, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday. The video, which could not be independently verified, also shows the killing of five men accused of spying for Britain. The masked man threatens Cameron and vows that Islamic State will one day occupy Britain before shooting one of the alleged spies in the head.

UK's Cameron dismisses latest Islamic State extremist video Posted: 04 Jan 2016 08:26 AM PST LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday dismissed a new video in which five purported British spies are shot dead by masked Islamic State extremists as propaganda from a group that is losing control of territory in Syria and Iraq.

Two Sunni mosques bombed, muezzin killed in Iraq Posted: 04 Jan 2016 08:17 AM PST Blasts rocked two Sunni mosques in central Iraq Monday, amid fears of renewed sectarian strife following Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, police and medics said. As thousands demonstrated against the Gulf monarchy in Baghdad, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed to track down the attackers, whom he said were attempting to undermine national unity. After Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran over the firebombing of its embassy and was followed by Bahrain and Sudan, the protesters demanded Baghdad break off relations with Riyadh.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen stones woman to death for adultery: witnesses Posted: 04 Jan 2016 08:10 AM PST Al-Qaeda militants have stoned a woman to death in a southeastern Yemeni city that they control after accusing her of adultery and prostitution, several witnesses said on Monday. A copy of the purported verdict issued by the so-called Hadramawt court of Al-Qaeda's Ansar al-Sharia in December said the married woman had "confessed in front of the judges to committing adultery". The verdict said that the woman was sentenced to be stoned to death for "committing adultery as a married woman... and eighty lashes for consuming hashish".

IS attacks troops in western Iraq, killing 11 Posted: 04 Jan 2016 07:41 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants attacked Iraqi troops and allied tribal fighters outside the western town of Haditha on Monday, killing at least 11 and wounding dozens, officials said.

Charlie Hebdo marks year since attack with provocative cover Posted: 04 Jan 2016 07:00 AM PST French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo will mark a year since the jihadist attack on its offices with a cover featuring a bloodied, gun-toting, bearded God figure, under the headline: "One year on: The assassin still at large". One million copies of the special edition will go on sale in France Wednesday, on the eve of the first anniversary of the killing of 12 people at the magazine's Paris offices by brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi. Eight Charlie Hebdo staff were among the victims of the January 7, 2015 assault which brought millions of people onto France's streets in protest and transformed a fading publication into a global symbol of freedom of expression.

New IS group video 'desperate stuff': British PM Posted: 04 Jan 2016 06:05 AM PST British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday described an Islamic State group video apparently showing the execution of five British "spies" as "desperate stuff" designed to deflect from their recent military losses. The group threatened Britain in the Internet video Sunday showing the killing of five people it said worked with the international coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria. "It's desperate stuff from an organisation that really does do the most utterly despicable and ghastly acts and people can see that again today," Cameron said during a visit to east London.

Thousands protest in Iraq against Saudi Shi'ite cleric execution Posted: 04 Jan 2016 05:58 AM PST Riyadh's execution on Saturday of the cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, and three other Shi'ites on terrorism charges along with dozens of Sunni jihadists have stirred up protracted Middle East rivalries and driven up tension across the region. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Shi-ite Iran, and fellow-Sunni Bahrain and Sudan followed suit on Monday, two days after Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in protest at Nimr's death. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also downgraded its ties with Iran.

Factbox: Troubled history of Iran-Saudi relations Posted: 04 Jan 2016 05:53 AM PST (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran on Sunday over the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, in a deepening crisis between the regional adversaries following the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric. Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy early on Sunday and Shi'ite Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, predicted "divine vengeance" for the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, an outspoken opponent of the kingdom's ruling Al Saudi family. ...

Italian diplomat takes helm of UNHCR amid record refugee crisis Posted: 04 Jan 2016 05:10 AM PST Italian diplomat Filippo Grandi began work on Monday as the new head of the UN refugee agency, facing the mammoth task of leading efforts to deal with record levels of displacement worldwide. "UNHCR is navigating extraordinarily difficult waters," Grandi said in a statement Monday. "The combination of multiple conflicts and resulting mass displacement, fresh challenges to asylum, the funding gap between humanitarian needs and resources and growing xenophobia is very dangerous," he said.

U.S. leads 25 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq: statement Posted: 04 Jan 2016 04:28 AM PST The United States and its allies conducted 25 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq on Sunday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement released on Monday. The Combined Joint Task Force said the strikes were staged near nine Iraqi cities, including Falluja, Kisik, Mosul, Ramadi and Sinjar and hit 10 of the militant group's tactical units. One strike was also conducted in Syria, destroying five Islamic State buildings near Ayn Isa, the task force said.

Iraq PM vows to hunt down mosque bombers Posted: 04 Jan 2016 03:20 AM PST Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the security forces were tracking down the perpetrators of attacks against Sunni religious targets south of Baghdad on Monday. "We ordered Babil operations command to hunt down the criminal gangs of Daesh and their likes who targeted mosques to sow sedition and undermine national unity," Abadi said on Twitter. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group which Iraqi security forces are battling on several fronts.

From Mideast to Moscow, These 3 Crises Could Wreck Obama’s Foreign Policy Posted: 04 Jan 2016 02:15 AM PST In the course of a few days, Russia declares the U.S. a threat to its security taking relations to a perilous new low, and Iran announces it will escalate a new missile program in explicit defiance of U.S. policy. Messiest of all is the ever more evident failure of Obama's Mideast strategy. On Sunday, tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran boiled over when Riyadh abruptly cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in response to protests prompted by the Saudi kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension Posted: 04 Jan 2016 01:47 AM PST Iran's foreign ministry accused Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension Monday after the kingdom broke off diplomatic relations and said Iranian embassy staff must leave. "Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and attempts to resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside," said ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari. Saudi Arabia announced its measures after its embassy in Tehran was firebombed and its interior destroyed by a mob who attacked the building in protest at the kingdom's execution of a Shiite cleric.

China fears regional conflict as Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran Posted: 04 Jan 2016 01:41 AM PST China said on Monday it was concerned about the prospect of an intensification of conflict in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with rival regional power Iran. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran on Sunday, responding to the storming of its embassy in Tehran in an escalating row over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, an outspoken opponent of the ruling Al Saudi family. Tension between revolutionary, mainly Shi'ite Iran and Saudi Arabia's conservative Sunni monarchy has run high for years as they backed opposing forces in conflicts across the Middle East.

Nose bandages symbolise Iran cosmetic surgery craze Posted: 03 Jan 2016 07:55 PM PST Lying on an operating table in northern Tehran, Nazanine says she wants it all: a third nose job, her eyebrows tattooed and liposuction on her thighs to "fix" her figure. The patient in her 40s "had two nose jobs with another doctor, but wasn't happy and asked us to do it again," says her doctor Javad Amirizad, the latest surgeon to take her under the knife. In a conservative society where all women in public must wear at least a scarf over their hair and neck, such operations have boomed, with a nose job seen as a way to perfect their most visible asset.

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