Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Hundreds hurt as migrants confront Macedonian border police
• Factbox: Suspects linked to the Paris, Brussels attacks
• Police fire tear gas as migrants try to break through Greek border
• Political blocs aim to scrap Iraq PM cabinet nominees
• Saudi monarch addresses Egyptian parliament
• Cruz, Sanders notch gains in White House primaries
• Former Saddam aide seeks to reshape Iraq's Sunni insurgency
• Iraq forces fight to retake chemical attack town: commanders
• SYRIA ISLAMIC STATE
• U.S., allies report 24 strikes in Iraq, one in Syria: coalition
• Turkish airstrikes empty dozens of villages in northern Iraq
• King Salman calls for joint fight against 'terrorism'
• Thousands return to Iraq's Ramadi, where IS was driven out
• Staff evacuated from shuttered Libyan oil fields due to militant threat
• German spy chief says Islamic State wants to attack but no specific plot known
• Islamic militants kill 18 Philippine soldiers in worst clashes this year
• War photographer and mother, the woman at centre of new Spielberg film
• Philippine troops clash with Muslim rebels; 23 killed, 73 hurt
• AP Analysis: Arab democracies? Not so fast, say some

Hundreds hurt as migrants confront Macedonian border police Posted: 10 Apr 2016 01:48 PM PDT IDOMENI, Greece (AP) — Migrants waged running battles with Macedonian police Sunday after they were stopped from scaling the border fence with Greece near the border town of Idomeni, and aid agencies reported that hundreds of stranded travelers were injured.

Factbox: Suspects linked to the Paris, Brussels attacks Posted: 10 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT Following the Islamic State attacks in Brussels on March 22, below is a list of principal suspects and, in some cases, their links to the Nov. 13 Paris attacks: * Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, Belgian, blew himself up on a metro train at Maelbeek station. On the run since breaking parole again in October, he used fake ID to rent an apartment in Charleroi that was used as a safe house by some of the Paris attackers. * Brahim El Bakraoui, 29, Belgian, blew himself up at Brussels airport.

Police fire tear gas as migrants try to break through Greek border Posted: 10 Apr 2016 01:07 PM PDT At least 260 people needed medical attention Sunday after police fired tear gas at migrants as they tried to break through the Greek-Macedonia border, where over 11,000 people are stranded, a charity said. It was the latest violence to erupt at the flashpoint Idomeni crossing, where huge numbers of migrants and refugees -- many fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and beyond -- have been camped out since mid-February after Balkan states closed their borders, cutting off access to northern Europe. Macedonian police accused the crowds of hurling stones and other objects at them in a bid to break down the fence, saying they had used tear gas to protect themselves.

Political blocs aim to scrap Iraq PM cabinet nominees Posted: 10 Apr 2016 11:58 AM PDT Iraqi political blocs want to replace some or all of the premier's cabinet nominees, a move likely to continue the system of party-affiliated ministers he called to change, officials said Sunday. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said that "fundamental" change to the cabinet is needed so that it includes "professional and technocratic figures and academics".

Saudi monarch addresses Egyptian parliament Posted: 10 Apr 2016 11:32 AM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia's king addressed the Egyptian parliament on Sunday, the fourth day of a visit that saw the oil-rich kingdom pledge billions of dollars in investment and aid to Egypt but sparked an outcry over Cairo's intention to surrender sovereignty over two Red Sea islands to the Saudis.

Cruz, Sanders notch gains in White House primaries Posted: 10 Apr 2016 11:31 AM PDT Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Ted Cruz both scored weekend victories against their front-running rivals in a tightening race as the two major parties prepare to pick their White House nominee. Cruz, the Texas Senator, chipped away at Donald Trump's lead by taking all 13 Colorado delegates at stake in a state Republican convention Saturday, notching his fourth win in a row against the brash billionaire with 10 days to go until a pivotal primary in New York. "Today was another resounding victory for conservatives, Republicans, and Americans who care about the future of our country," said the arch-conservative Cruz, who had already swept the previous 21 delegates at play in Colorado through a series of county elections.

Former Saddam aide seeks to reshape Iraq's Sunni insurgency Posted: 10 Apr 2016 11:02 AM PDT By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A rallying cry to Iraqi Sunnis from former President Saddam Hussein's top surviving aide aims to bolster the old ruling Baath party's appeal with Sunni Muslims fearing new reprisals by Shi'ite militias, experts said. The broadcast purportedly featuring Ezzat al-Douri coincided with the anniversary of the fall of Saddam's Sunni-led rule when U.S. troops stormed Baghdad in 2003. Douri, a wiry man with a ginger moustache, evaded capture during the 2003-11 U.S. occupation and Iraqi and U.S. officials accused him of organizing an insurgency by minority Sunnis against U.S. troops and the new Shi'ite led authorities in 2005-7.

Iraq forces fight to retake chemical attack town: commanders Posted: 10 Apr 2016 10:35 AM PDT Iraqi Shiite paramilitary forces have launched an operation to retake a town from which the Islamic State group launched a chemical weapons attack that killed three children, commanders said Sunday. The jihadist group fired rockets suspected of carrying a mustard agent last month from Bashir on Taza Khurmatu, another town in the northern province of Kirkuk. The attack killed three children, wounded a large number of people and pushed thousands more to flee Taza out of fear that it would be repeated.

SYRIA ISLAMIC STATE Posted: 10 Apr 2016 09:54 AM PDT Map locates the Islamic State group's area of support and control in Syria and Iraq; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm;

U.S., allies report 24 strikes in Iraq, one in Syria: coalition Posted: 10 Apr 2016 08:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 24 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and one in Syria on Saturday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement. The strike near Raqqa in Syria destroyed two Islamic State oil pump jacks, the Combined Joint Task Force said. In Iraq, the air strikes focused on Islamic State fighting positions near nine cities, including Mosul, where eight strikes hit three Islamic State tactical units and five communication facilities, as well as destroyed two vehicles and a boat, the statement said. ...

Turkish airstrikes empty dozens of villages in northern Iraq Posted: 10 Apr 2016 07:58 AM PDT MERGA, Iraq (AP) — Dozens of villages have been abandoned and hundreds of families displaced close to Iraq's northern border with Turkey as a result of Turkish airstrikes targeting militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, better known as the PKK.

King Salman calls for joint fight against 'terrorism' Posted: 10 Apr 2016 06:58 AM PDT Saudi King Salman called Sunday for a joint fight against "terrorism" in the Middle East at a time when Riyadh is engaged in several conflicts in the region. The 80-year-old monarch is on a rare five-day visit to Egypt, a trip seen as a clear show of support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former military chief who toppled his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The two leaders have already signed a slew of multi-billion-dollar investment deals, and on Saturday Egypt agreed to demarcate its maritime borders with Saudi Arabia by officially placing two islands in the Straits of Tiran in Saudi territory.

Thousands return to Iraq's Ramadi, where IS was driven out Posted: 10 Apr 2016 06:35 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Thousands of Iraqis have returned to the western city of Ramadi three months after Iraqi troops backed by U.S.-led airstrikes drove the Islamic State group out of the provincial capital, the city's mayor said Sunday.

Staff evacuated from shuttered Libyan oil fields due to militant threat Posted: 10 Apr 2016 05:28 AM PDT Staff have been evacuated from three oil fields in eastern Libya because of fears of attacks by Islamic State militants, but production has not been affected because the fields are shut, oil and security officials said on Sunday. Islamic State militants have launched frequent attacks on Libyan oil fields and terminals in recent months, damaging facilities but not taking control of them. Unlike in Syria and Iraq, Islamist militants have never controlled oil fields in Libya, but officials worry this could happen in the future, along with existing material and human damage.

German spy chief says Islamic State wants to attack but no specific plot known Posted: 10 Apr 2016 04:43 AM PDT Islamic State wants to carry out attacks in Germany and the security situation is "very serious", the head of the country's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) told a Sunday newspaper, adding that he knew of no concrete plot to strike. Hans-Georg Maassen told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag the group wanted to carry out attacks against Germany and German interests, but added: "At the moment we don't have any knowledge of any concrete terrorist attack plans in Germany." He said Islamic State propaganda was aimed at encouraging supporters to take the initiative to stage attacks in Germany. Maassen said there were several cases linking Germans returning from Syria to attack plans and warned that the danger posed by jihadists from Germany remained "virulent".

Islamic militants kill 18 Philippine soldiers in worst clashes this year Posted: 10 Apr 2016 12:08 AM PDT A Philippine offensive against the extremist Abu Sayyaf group after a spate of kidnappings has left 18 soldiers and five fighters dead in the worst violence in the troubled south this year, authorities said Sunday. Saturday's clashes on the strife-torn island of Basilan came after an April 8 ransom deadline set by Abu Sayyaf, who had threatened to behead some of their foreign hostages. At least four soldiers were beheaded in the fighting, which involved about a hundred Abu Sayyaf rebels, regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan said.

War photographer and mother, the woman at centre of new Spielberg film Posted: 09 Apr 2016 11:15 PM PDT Her parents were hairdressers in a small town in Connecticut -- so it wasn't exactly written in the stars that Lynsey Addario should become one of the world's best known war photographers. In her book, "It's What I Do", Addario tries to make sense of what got her into one of the world's most dangerous professions. Despite several scrapes with death documenting wars from Iraq to Congo, "I didn't think anyone would read the book," she said.

Philippine troops clash with Muslim rebels; 23 killed, 73 hurt Posted: 09 Apr 2016 08:33 PM PDT Philippine soldiers battled a group of about 120 Muslim rebels linked to Islamic State in a ten-hour assault on a southern island that killed 23 people, an army spokesman said on Sunday. Major Filemon Tan said the military attacked a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf rebels on the island of Basilan led by Isnilon Hapilon, an insurgent for whom the U.S. State Department has offered a bounty of up to $5 million. "I can confirm 18 soldiers were killed and 53 were wounded," Tan said, adding that five militants, including a Moroccan, Mohammad Khattab, and Ubaida, a son of Hapilon, were killed in Saturday's incident, which wounded 20 rebels.

AP Analysis: Arab democracies? Not so fast, say some Posted: 09 Apr 2016 12:22 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — A new-old idea is rattling around the Middle East five years after the Arab Spring stirred democratic ambition: that restoring stability, especially if accompanied by some economic and political improvements, should be reform enough for the moment.

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