| Protests against migrants' presence in Greece and Turkey Posted: 02 Apr 2016 02:19 PM PDT  IDOMENI, Greece (AP) — A plan to send back migrants from Greece to Turkey sparked demonstrations by local residents in both countries Saturday, two days before the deal brokered by the European Union is set to be implemented.
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| Slumping ‘Bacon Cheeseburger Index’ gives Fed leeway to move slowly Posted: 02 Apr 2016 01:32 PM PDT A deflationary Bacon Cheeseburger Index combined with optimistic Google searches for timeshares reflect a U.S. economy in flux—and, likely, a Federal Reserve in flux. These readings, plus snapshots of ... |
| Trapped civilians slow Iraqi army's battle against IS in Hit Posted: 02 Apr 2016 01:22 PM PDT  HIT, Iraq (AP) — As ground forces push west across Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State group, civilians are increasingly caught in the crossfire.
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| Iraq forces free prisoners from underground IS jail: officials Posted: 02 Apr 2016 01:10 PM PDT  Iraqi forces freed a large number of prisoners from an underground Islamic State group jail during a battle to retake a western town from the jihadists, officials said on Saturday. Security forces have recaptured parts of Heet, which was one of the largest population centres in Anbar province still held by IS, but other areas remain under jihadist control. "During their advance to liberate and clear the town of Heet from the (IS) organisation, security forces were able to discover a large prison," police Colonel Fadhel al-Nimrawi.
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| Mass grave of victims of IS found in Syria's Palmyra Posted: 02 Apr 2016 12:45 PM PDT  Syrian troops have found a mass grave containing the bodies of 42 people executed by Islamic State jihadists in Palmyra, as Washington warned the group's leader will eventually "taste justice". IS has in recent months claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in Brussels and Paris, but has lost ground in Syria and Iraq. Days after Syrian troops backed by Russian forces recaptured Palmyra and its ancient ruins, the army "uncovered a mass grave of officers, soldiers, members of the popular committees (pro-regime militia) and their relatives," a military source told AFP on Saturday.
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| Iraq's PM orders probe into oil corruption allegations Posted: 02 Apr 2016 11:56 AM PDT  BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister on Saturday ordered an investigation into corruption allegations against senior oil officials following an expose into bribe-taking published in international media outlets.
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| US weighs more special forces troops for Syria: official Posted: 02 Apr 2016 10:47 AM PDT  Washington (AFP) - US officials are weighing sending more special forces troops to Syria, where the contingent of American fighters currently numbers around 50, a senior military official told AFP on Saturday.
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| U.S., allies conduct 26 strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military Posted: 02 Apr 2016 09:09 AM PDT The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State militants in Iraq with 20 strikes on Friday and six in Syria, the U.S. military said on Saturday. Seven of the strikes in Iraq were near Qayyarah, hitting three Islamic State tactical units and an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the militant group. In Syria, four of the strikes were near Mar'a and destroyed 10 Islamic State fighting positions. |
| 'Madmen' must not be allowed to get nuclear material: Obama Posted: 02 Apr 2016 06:19 AM PDT  By Roberta Rampton, Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged world leaders on Friday to do more to safeguard vulnerable nuclear facilities to prevent "madmen" from groups like Islamic State from getting their hands on an atomic weapon or a radioactive "dirty bomb." Speaking at a nuclear security summit in Washington, Obama said the world faced a persistent and evolving threat of nuclear terrorism despite progress in reducing such risks. Obama said no group had succeeded in obtaining bomb materials but that al Qaeda had long sought them, and he cited actions by Islamic State militants behind recent attacks in Paris and Brussels that raised similar concerns.
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| Foreign fighters are evading Europe's security net Posted: 02 Apr 2016 06:05 AM PDT  BRUSSELS (AP) — When Ibrahim El Bakraoui blew himself up in the Brussels Airport check-in area, killing and maiming scores of travelers, it was at least the third time he had passed unimpeded through an airport terminal in recent months.
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| Obama, world leaders urge action on nuclear security, terror Posted: 02 Apr 2016 02:42 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — World leaders declared progress in safeguarding nuclear materials sought by terrorists and wayward nations, even as President Barack Obama acknowledged the task was far from finished.
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| UN: Violence kills at least 1,119 Iraqis in March Posted: 02 Apr 2016 01:10 AM PDT  BAGHDAD (AP) — The United Nations says violence killed at least 1,119 Iraqis in March, a sharp increase from the previous month, as the Islamic State group stepped up attacks on civilians despite suffering battlefield setbacks.
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| Today in History Posted: 01 Apr 2016 09:01 PM PDT Today is Saturday, April 2, the 93rd day of 2016. There are 273 days left in the year. |
| It's home bittersweet home for returning Iraqi migrants Posted: 01 Apr 2016 08:46 PM PDT  Disappointment, simple homesickness and even the high cost of cigarettes are pushing a growing number of Iraqis to return home after risking everything to reach Europe last year. Hundreds are coming back every month, most of them with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration. Every day is the same here," Murtada Hamid said of Aziziyah, the town where he was born and which he left last year to join the flow of migrants who braved perilous sea crossings to knock on Europe's doors.
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| IS leader Baghdadi will 'taste justice': US official Posted: 01 Apr 2016 06:50 PM PDT  The Pentagon warned Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that he will eventually "taste justice" as the US military continues to target the jihadist group's upper ranks. "We are hunting him, and we will find him," military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said. Just like we found the grand master of terrorism, Osama bin Laden, we killed him.
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| Iraq PM calls for legal action over oil bribery scandal Posted: 01 Apr 2016 05:56 PM PDT  Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called Saturday for legal action over allegations that senior officials took millions of dollars in bribes to help major firms secure lucrative oil sector contracts. Abadi instructed the country's anti-corruption commission to take "legal measures" and called for the judiciary to pursue prosecutions connected to the scandal, a statement from his office said. The allegations of corruption came to light in an investigation by The Huffington Post and Fairfax Media, which reviewed thousands of internal documents from Monaco-based firm Unaoil.
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