Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama calls for U.S. to 'fix' its politics in final State of the Union speech
• Iran holds 10 U.S. sailors; White House expects prompt return
• Obama, with an eye toward history, will give a different kind of State of the Union
• Greece is using drones and robotic lifeguards to rescue shipwrecked Syrian refugees
• Tumbling oil trades below $30 a barrel for first time in 12 years
• Istanbul bombing was no surprise, Turks agree, but they differ on why
• How will Iraq respond to recent IS attacks?
• 10 dead, 15 wounded in Istanbul tourist district explosion
• As oil plunges, energy companies cut jobs, postpone projects
• Criminal complaints in Cologne rise to 561: prosecutors
• Iraq attacks shatter relative calm after IS losses
• Ahead of speech, Obama has regrets over U.S. political divisions
• Obama and State of the Union: What have presidents done in eighth year?
• Migrants brace for tough winter in Calais sister camp
• Merkel asks Algeria to help speed up return of migrants
• Suicide bomber kills 10 people, mainly Germans, in Istanbul
• Two Iraqi journalists shot dead, intel officer wounded
• The president's State of the Union: paving the way for Hillary?
• Sunni mosques in east Iraq attacked after ISIS-claimed blasts
• ISIS Cash Goes Up in Smoke as US Targets Terror Group’s Finances
• German state launches new legal classes for refugees
• New ICC courtroom opens for business with Kenya trial
• Five years after Arab Spring, hopes dashed for change
• U.S.-led coalition conducts 23 strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military
• Sanders campaign endorsed by MoveOn.org
• Saudi-Iran tensions overshadow Asian soccer tournaments
• The Big Challenge in Obama’s Final State of the Union Address
• To the Periphery--Without Fear
• High probability Islamic State militants responsible for Istanbul blast: officials
• ISIS video shows destruction from U.S. airstrike on Mosul bank
• Philippines says southern rebels not linked to Islamic State
• State of union in 2016: Strong job market, middling economy
• Suicide bomber kills two, wounds senior police officer in east Iraq: police
• Bombs laid by Islamic State hamper Iraqi troops in Ramadi after victory
• Suicide bomber kills four, wounds senior Iraqi officer

Obama calls for U.S. to 'fix' its politics in final State of the Union speech Posted: 12 Jan 2016 04:44 PM PST By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged U.S. leaders to "fix our politics" and lift Americans' standard of living in a final State of the Union speech designed to contrast his vision for the country with Republican presidential campaign rhetoric. Obama, who is delivering his last annual speech to Congress before leaving office next January, said political discourse was meant to be messy, but - in an apparent nod to proposals by Republican candidates such as Donald Trump - required "bonds of trust" between citizens. It will only happen if we fix our politics." Obama's speech, scheduled for 9 p.m. EST, is one of his few remaining chances to capture the attention of millions of Americans before the Nov. 8 election of a new president who will take office next January.

Iran holds 10 U.S. sailors; White House expects prompt return Posted: 12 Jan 2016 03:52 PM PST By Phil Stewart and Parisa Hafezi WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Ten sailors aboard two U.S. Navy boats were seized by Iran in the Gulf on Tuesday, and Tehran told the United States the crew members would be promptly returned, U.S. officials said. Two U.S. officials told Reuters that it was unlikely the sailors would be released overnight. Iran and six world powers forged a landmark nuclear accord last July.

Obama, with an eye toward history, will give a different kind of State of the Union Posted: 12 Jan 2016 02:37 PM PST The White House is billing President Obama's seventh and final State of the Union address as "untraditional," an opportunity to move beyond the usual laundry list of policy proposals and ambitions toward a broader consideration of the president's legacy and the country's direction.

Greece is using drones and robotic lifeguards to rescue shipwrecked Syrian refugees Posted: 12 Jan 2016 02:22 PM PST As the Syrian civil war rages on, more and more citizens are displaced by the violence. Every day, refugees stream across the borders of Syria into the neighbouring nations of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. Some even flee into Europe to escape the conflict — but rather than making the journey on foot, many choose to take a shortcut across the Mediterranean Sea and find their way into Greece. It's a quicker route, but more often than not the boats used to make the trip are rickety and unsafe, and life vests are often in short supply. More than 4,000 refugees have died at sea since the war broke out, so in an attempt to protect the roughly 2,000 refugees that arrive on the Greek island of Lesvos every day, the local Coast Guard has enlisted the help of a robot named EMILY: the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard. The Lesvos Coast Guard invited Texas A&M University's Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue to develop EMILY as a pilot project. The robot has been used to save stray swimmers in the United States, but it has never been tested as a lifesaving resource on the scale of the European refugee crisis. EMILY itself is basically just a four foot long buoy, controlled remotely by a human operator. The cable that tethers EMILY to a boat or shore outpost can extend up to 2,000 feet, so the operator can guide the robot to migrants lost at sea and then reel them in to safety. EMILY also works in conjunction with an array of Fotokites, which are tethered, camera-equipped quadcopter drones that can feed visuals to the operator from up to 30 feet in the air. Related:  Leeds could become the first 'self-repairing city' with a fleet of robotic civil servants EMILY can run at 20 miles per hour for about 20 minutes on a full charge, which is enough time to make a good number of rescue trips. Once the operator guides EMILY to a refugee at sea, both EMILY and the person holding on are reeled in manually, so no propulsion power is needed. Furthermore, with EMILY on the Coast Guard's team, human rescue experts and lifeguards can prioritize unconscious victims that wouldn't be able to actively grab on to the buoy without assistance. The Texas A&M team, the Lesvos Coast Guard, and more than 80 NGOs working in the region all have high hopes for the divide-and-conquer strategy EMILY has enabled. But even so, there are risks involved with integrated robot rescue, including the danger of EMILY's 2,000 foot tether getting caught in the propellers of uncoordinated rescue boats. Until now, the Coast Guard has prohibited any rescue groups from launching their own boats without express permission for precisely that reason. However, now that the Lesvos Coast Guard has given official consent to the collaborative robot rescue program with EMILY, it's possible that the rescue effort will be able to keep refugees safe on the dangerous crossing from countries like Syria.

Tumbling oil trades below $30 a barrel for first time in 12 years Posted: 12 Jan 2016 01:57 PM PST By Catherine Ngai NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil fell briefly below the widely watched $30-per-barrel level on Tuesday, extending a selloff that has sliced almost 20 percent off prices this year amid deepening concerns about fragile Chinese demand and the absence of output restraint. Prices settled down 3 percent, a seventh straight daily decline for oil.

Istanbul bombing was no surprise, Turks agree, but they differ on why Posted: 12 Jan 2016 01:37 PM PST A suicide bombing in the shadow of Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque, the heart of Turkey's tourism industry, killed 10 people Tuesday and wounded 15 others. Turkish officials blamed the Islamic State (IS) for the bombing in Sultanahmet Square, the third high-casualty terrorist attack to strike the country since July. Officials and Istanbul residents alike said the attack should have come as no surprise, though for different reasons.

How will Iraq respond to recent IS attacks? Posted: 12 Jan 2016 01:36 PM PST In the wake of recent Islamic State (IS) strikes, Iraq's prime minister Haider al-Abadi pledged Tuesday that his government would continue its fight against the militant group. Eighteen people were killed, and it was estimated that 50 were wounded before Iraqi forces contained the assault. The Islamic State later claimed responsibility.

10 dead, 15 wounded in Istanbul tourist district explosion Posted: 12 Jan 2016 01:07 PM PST ISTANBUL (AP) — A Syrian suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a historic district of Istanbul popular with tourists Tuesday morning, killing at least 10 people and wounding 15 others, Turkish officials said.

As oil plunges, energy companies cut jobs, postpone projects Posted: 12 Jan 2016 12:49 PM PST LONDON (AP) — The world's biggest oil companies are slashing jobs and backing off major investments as the price of crude falls to new lows — and there may be more pain to come.

Criminal complaints in Cologne rise to 561: prosecutors Posted: 12 Jan 2016 11:34 AM PST Authorities in the German city of Cologne said Tuesday that the number of criminal complaints arising from a rash of violence targeting women on New Year's Eve had risen to 561. In previous reports, authorities had said that about 45 percent of the crimes were of a sexual nature. Authorities told DPA news agency that criminal probes had been opened against 12 North African suspects, of whom five were being held in custody.

Iraq attacks shatter relative calm after IS losses Posted: 12 Jan 2016 11:20 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Deadly attacks in Baghdad and a nearby town have shattered the relative calm far from the front lines of the war against the Islamic State group, raising concerns Tuesday that the extremists may focus once again on attacking civilians after a string of battlefield losses.

Ahead of speech, Obama has regrets over U.S. political divisions Posted: 12 Jan 2016 11:12 AM PST By Jeff Mason and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama voiced regret for failing to unite Washington since taking office on a wave of hope in 2009, as he prepared to give a State of the Union speech on Tuesday to launch his final year in the White House. Asked about his inability to heal America's political divisions, Obama told NBC's "Today" show, "It's a regret." The president planned to speak optimistically about America's future in his speech in Congress, one of his few remaining chances to capture and hold the attention of millions of Americans before the Nov. 8 election of a new president who will take office next January. The Democratic president will give his final State of the Union address as campaign rhetoric for November's presidential election intensifies with candidates fighting over illegal immigrants, wage inequality and violence.

Obama and State of the Union: What have presidents done in eighth year? Posted: 12 Jan 2016 11:08 AM PST The White House has made clear that Tuesday night's State of the Union address, President Obama's last, will be like no other. There will be no laundry list of legislative proposals, most certainly destined to die in a balky Congress. Instead, Mr. Obama will lay out aspirations for the nation's future and hone his legacy – a mixture of touting accomplishments while acknowledging the challenges Americans still face, aides say.

Migrants brace for tough winter in Calais sister camp Posted: 12 Jan 2016 11:05 AM PST By Matthias Blamont GRANDE-SYNTHE, France (Reuters) - As thousands of migrants prepare for falling temperatures in the "jungle" of Calais on France's north coast, refugees in another makeshift camp just 35 kilometers away are coping with even more squalid conditions as the winter freeze sets in. In Grande-Synthe, a small town adjacent to the port city of Dunkirk, groups of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Asia have converged in recent months on a vast forest clearing to set up their tents. "We believe some 3,000 people are surviving here in atrocious sanitary conditions," Samuel Hanryon of charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) told Reuters on Tuesday.

Merkel asks Algeria to help speed up return of migrants Posted: 12 Jan 2016 11:00 AM PST Berlin and Algiers have in place a mutual agreement governing expulsions of their citizens, "but we have to ensure that it works properly," said Merkel at a press conference with visiting Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal. German authorities have been calling for greater efficiency in deportation procedures, and the issue has gained urgency given the rising numbers of Algerians arriving in recent months with thousands of migrants seeking asylum. Earlier this month, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had pointed to an increasing number of arrivals from Morocco and Algeria in December, describing it as a worrying trend.

Suicide bomber kills 10 people, mainly Germans, in Istanbul Posted: 12 Jan 2016 10:57 AM PST By Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber thought to have crossed recently from Syria killed at least 10 people, most of them German tourists, in Istanbul's historic heart on Tuesday, in an attack Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed on Islamic State. All of those killed in Sultanahmet square, near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia - major tourist sites in the center of one of the world's most visited cities - were foreigners, Davutoglu said. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the bomber was believed to have recently entered Turkey from Syria but was not on Turkey's watch list of suspected militants.

Two Iraqi journalists shot dead, intel officer wounded Posted: 12 Jan 2016 10:43 AM PST Gunmen shot dead two Iraqi journalists on Tuesday in Diyala, a province where Baghdad declared victory a year ago but which is still plagued by chronic violence. Iraq is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, especially those from the country, who are far more exposed to attacks than their foreign counterparts. The murders came as a suicide bomber killed four police and wounded a top intelligence officer elsewhere in the province, a day after other bombings claimed 20 lives.

The president's State of the Union: paving the way for Hillary? Posted: 12 Jan 2016 10:20 AM PST President Obama will address the nation Tuesday in his final State of the Union speech, as he seeks to reflect on achievements and prepare the ground for the future – both his final months in office, and his hoped-for Democratic successor. The question of his legacy may hinge on having a like-minded successor, as Republicans have repeatedly threatened to tear apart some of his signature achievements if they gain the White House. "There's no doubt that politics in Washington are so much more divided than the American people are," Obama told NBC.

Sunni mosques in east Iraq attacked after ISIS-claimed blasts Posted: 12 Jan 2016 10:17 AM PST By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least seven Sunni mosques and dozens of shops in eastern Iraq were firebombed on Tuesday, security sources and local officials said, a day after 23 people were killed there in two blasts claimed by Islamic State. Ten people were also shot and killed in Muqdadiya, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, security and hospital sources said. The rise of the Islamist militant group Islamic State, which follows a Sunni jihadist ideology, has exacerbated a long-running sectarian conflict in the country, mostly between the Shi'ite majority and minority Sunnis.

ISIS Cash Goes Up in Smoke as US Targets Terror Group’s Finances Posted: 12 Jan 2016 09:45 AM PST The U.S. military's push to cut off the cash flow to Islamic extremists has taken an explosive turn. On Monday, defense officials told CNN that the U.S. dropped a pair of 2,000-pound bombs on a building in Mosul, Iraq, that contained potentially millions in currency belonging to ISIS. The mission seems to be an extension of the recent Defense Department push to pinch ISIS in its wallet by hitting the extremist network's oil infrastructure.

German state launches new legal classes for refugees Posted: 12 Jan 2016 08:25 AM PST BERLIN (AP) — A German state has launched a program to teach refugees the basics of law in their new host country, with about 800 judges, prosecutors and judicial officials as their teachers.

New ICC courtroom opens for business with Kenya trial Posted: 12 Jan 2016 08:18 AM PST THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The International Criminal Court held the first public hearing in its new permanent headquarters Tuesday, with prosecutors urging judges not to throw out a crimes against humanity case against Kenya's deputy president.

Five years after Arab Spring, hopes dashed for change Posted: 12 Jan 2016 07:46 AM PST On January 14, 2011, Tunisians packed the streets of their capital and shocked the world by overthrowing longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The revolution shook the Middle East, setting off the hopeful uprisings that came to be known as the Arab Spring. The democracy fever spread," Hafez Ghanem, the vice president of the World Bank, wrote in a recent book to mark the start of the Arab Spring.

U.S.-led coalition conducts 23 strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military Posted: 12 Jan 2016 06:01 AM PST The United States and its allies conducted 23 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Monday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement. Four strikes in three cities in Syria wounded two fighters, hit a tactical unit and destroyed two Islamic State buildings, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement released early Tuesday.

Sanders campaign endorsed by MoveOn.org Posted: 12 Jan 2016 05:52 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has won the endorsement of MoveOn.org, a grassroots organization that has been at the forefront of liberal causes.

Saudi-Iran tensions overshadow Asian soccer tournaments Posted: 12 Jan 2016 05:31 AM PST The political tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran may filter onto the soccer pitch in the coming weeks with teams from the two nations due to play each other in the Asian Champions League and the Asian Under-23 Championships.

The Big Challenge in Obama’s Final State of the Union Address Posted: 12 Jan 2016 05:00 AM PST While the White House has plenty of good arguments about the benefits of Obama's economic policies, such as last week's announcement that 11.3 million people signed up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act or the steady addition of hundreds of thousands of job each month, world affairs have opened the president to a prolonged deluge of criticism that is unlikely to let up before he leaves office next year. Starting almost two years ago with Russia's blitzkrieg annexation of the Crimea Peninsula, the president has been forced to battle the perception that global affairs have overwhelmed him. Since then, the U.S. has sent about 3,500 advisers back into Iraq to battle ISIS, Syria has become a bitter stalemate and Russia has reasserted itself on the world stage, with Russian President Vladimir Putin thumbing his nose at the administration's effort in Syria and other parts of the globe.

To the Periphery--Without Fear Posted: 12 Jan 2016 04:00 AM PST NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2016 New York Encounter, an annual three-day public cultural festival featuring panel discussions, artistic performances, and exhibits, will take place January 15-17 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan on 215 West 18th Street.The Encounter's 2016 theme, Longing for the Sea and Yet [Not] Afraid, is pertinent to our world today. In the journey of life we are spurred on by a great desire and promise of happiness, yet fear of the unknown can cause us to hesitate, to think our dreams unreachable. ...

High probability Islamic State militants responsible for Istanbul blast: officials Posted: 12 Jan 2016 03:23 AM PST ANKARA (Reuters) - There is a high probability that Islamic State militants were responsible for an explosion in the heart of Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet tourist district which killed at least ten people on Tuesday, two senior Turkish security officials told Reuters. The attack at the heart of one of the world's most visited cities comes as NATO member Turkey plays a role in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and as it battles Kurdish militants in its southeast. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Nick Tattersall)

ISIS video shows destruction from U.S. airstrike on Mosul bank Posted: 12 Jan 2016 02:07 AM PST Islamic State published a video on Monday purporting to show the destruction from an airstrike on a bank in its northern Iraqi stronghold which the U.S.-led coalition said had been aimed at disrupting the group's financing activities. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the footage posted by a news agency that supports the militant group, but two Mosul residents contacted by Reuters confirmed the location of al-Zuhour bank in an eastern district of the city. Targeting Islamic State's finances is a key part of the coalition's strategy to defeat the group.

Philippines says southern rebels not linked to Islamic State Posted: 12 Jan 2016 02:01 AM PST Islamic State militants have no known links with Muslim rebel groups in the Philippines, security officials said on Tuesday, dismissing a video suggesting as much as propaganda. A video emerged last week indicating the possible merger of four Islamist militant groups, including Abu Sayyaf, establishing a "wilayat", or an Islamic State province, in the southern Philippines. "There is no credible, verified and direct link established and the possibility of establishing a satellite is unlikely," military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla told reporters, adding some of the personalities in the video had been killed in more recent clashes with security forces.

State of union in 2016: Strong job market, middling economy Posted: 12 Jan 2016 12:42 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union address on Tuesday night to a nation whose economy is far sturdier than it was when he took office in 2009.

Suicide bomber kills two, wounds senior police officer in east Iraq: police Posted: 12 Jan 2016 12:35 AM PST A suicide bomb attack critically wounded a senior Iraqi police officer and killed two of his guards on Tuesday near the eastern city of Baquba, police said. Brigadier Qasim al-Anbuki, the local head of police intelligence, was leading a force to check tips about a suspected car bomb parked on a highway linking Baghdad to eastern Diyala province, where Baquba is located. After reaching the site, a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle near the officer's convoy, two police sources said.

Bombs laid by Islamic State hamper Iraqi troops in Ramadi after victory Posted: 12 Jan 2016 12:00 AM PST (Story refiled to correct official's title in paragraph 14) By Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State militants left Ramadi's streets and buildings boobytrapped with bombs, hampering efforts to rebuild the city two weeks after Iraq's elite counter-terrorism forces claimed victory against the militant group there, officials said. Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was touted as the first major success for Iraq's army since it collapsed in the face of Islamic State's lightning advance across the country's north and west 18 months ago. The militants have been pushed to Ramadi's eastern suburbs, but almost all of the city, which was battered by U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State, remains off-limits to its nearly half a million displaced residents, most of whom fled before the army advance.

Suicide bomber kills four, wounds senior Iraqi officer Posted: 11 Jan 2016 04:11 PM PST A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at a checkpoint north of Baghdad on Tuesday, wounding a senior intelligence officer and killing four police, security officials said. The bomber attacked the convoy of Colonel Qassem al-Anbaki, the head of police intelligence in Diyala province, at a checkpoint, army and police officers said. The blast in the Jdaidat al-Shatt area, south of Diyala capital Baquba, also killed four policemen, including a first lieutenant, and wounded nine other police, the officers said.

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