Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Trump struggles to explain 'America first' foreign policy
• Pentagon chief to visit Germany
• Trump vows 'America first' foreign policy
• Female suicide bomber wounds eight in Turkish city of Bursa
• Female suicide bomber hits Turkish city, wounds at least 13
• Dems block spending bill in dispute over Iran nuclear deal
• Syrian Archbishop to Speak in New Haven on Christian Genocide
• Saudi Arabia will struggle to kick its addiction to oil
• Kurds, Shi'ites agree to withdraw forces from north Iraq town after clashes
• UK Targets ISIS Bunker With Royal Air Force’s Largest Bombs
• Carter troubled by House GOP plan to cut wartime money
• Austria adopts tough new asylum laws amid far-right surge
• A look at key events in Syria since March 2011
• Iraqi army makes modest advance south of Mosul
• Syrian Kurdish leader sees Turkish hand in border closure
• Immigration puts Swedish schools to the test
• Oil majors' results surprise, but output fall, volatile trading lurk
• Civilian casualties from Boko Haram suicide attacks up in 2015: charity
• Abdeslam: pot-smoking 'little moron' of Paris attacks
• Civilian toll from explosives jumps more than half in five years: charity
• Knights of Columbus CEO to Speak on Christian Genocide at Holy-See Sponsored UN Event
• China and Turkey vow greater anti-terrorism cooperation
• Nearly two dozen U.S.-led strikes hit Islamic State in Iraq: statement
• Russia says Britain's human rights report not objective
• Vice Taps NBC News Vet Madeleine Haeringer as EP of HBO Nightly News Show
• Big wins by Trump, Clinton give rivals little breathing room

Trump struggles to explain 'America first' foreign policy Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump strained to lay out a clear vision of his "America first" foreign policy on Wednesday, vowing to substitute hard-headed realism for what he called a post-Cold War era replete with U.S. national security failures.

Pentagon chief to visit Germany Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:49 PM PDT Washington (AFP) - Pentagon chief Ash Carter is traveling to Germany next week to meet with defense ministers from the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, an official said Wednesday.

Trump vows 'America first' foreign policy Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:11 PM PDT Republican White House frontrunner Donald Trump promised a top-to-bottom overhaul of US foreign policy Wednesday to put "America first" and make its allies pay up. In a major foreign policy speech short on specifics that left Washington experts scratching their heads, Trump warned that Europe and Asia may have to defend themselves. "'America First' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump told supporters, co-opting the slogan of America's pre-World War II isolationists.

Female suicide bomber wounds eight in Turkish city of Bursa Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:09 PM PDT By Orhan Coskun and Humeyra Pamuk ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A female suicide bomber wounded eight people when she blew herself up near the main mosque in the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa on Wednesday, officials said, the fifth suicide bombing in a major urban center this year. The local governor's office said the woman was thought to have detonated a device she was wearing at 5:26 pm (1426 GMT) near the western gate of Bursa's Grand Mosque. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said eight people were wounded, reducing the toll from 13 given by the health minister earlier.

Female suicide bomber hits Turkish city, wounds at least 13 Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:57 PM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — A female suicide bomber blew herself up in a historic district of Turkey's fourth largest city on Wednesday, wounding 13 people, according to officials.

Dems block spending bill in dispute over Iran nuclear deal Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:50 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on Wednesday blocked the Senate's first spending bill of the year in a last-minute fight over a Republican effort to undercut the Iran nuclear deal and scuttle U.S. plans to buy Iranian "heavy water."

Syrian Archbishop to Speak in New Haven on Christian Genocide Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:26 PM PDT NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean Clément Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria, will speak on the genocide being waged against his people and the future of Christianity in the Middle East at St. Mary's Church, 5 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven, on Sunday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. The event will be sponsored by St. Mary's Church and the Knights of Columbus, which is also based in New Haven, Conn. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. The largest city in Syria, Aleppo has been shattered by civil war and genocide at the hands of ISIS.

Saudi Arabia will struggle to kick its addiction to oil Posted: 27 Apr 2016 11:56 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - "King Abdulaziz and the men who worked with him for the establishment of the state did not depend on oil and they established the kingdom without oil, and they ran this state without oil, and they lived in this state without oil," Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an televised interview on Monday. The deputy crown prince criticized the kingdom's subsequent "addiction" to oil which has "disrupted the development of many sectors in the past years" implying this was a relatively recent problem. The prince claimed his national transformation program would enable the kingdom to "live without oil" as early as 2020 ("Transcript of Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Interview", Al Arabiya, April 25).

Kurds, Shi'ites agree to withdraw forces from north Iraq town after clashes Posted: 27 Apr 2016 11:45 AM PDT The clashes in Tuz Khurmato, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, marked the latest violence in the town since Islamic State militants were driven back in 2014 by Kurdish peshmerga and Shi'ite militia, nominal allies against the Sunni militants.     Mayor Shalal Abdul said that under the deal, local police would take control of Tuz Khurmato - home to Kurds, Shi'ite Turkmen and Sunni Arabs.     A Kurdish official in the town, Kareem Shkur, said the peshmerga and Shi'ite militias would pull out once the police forces achieved a balance between the town's various ethnic and sectarian groups, estimating that would take around one month. In the meantime, Tuz Khurmato will be secured by a unit from each force coordinated through a joint operations room.     Previous agreements have broken down and residents of Tuz Khurmato were skeptical the deal would be implemented.     Fighting began several days ago after members of a Shi'ite militia threw a grenade into the house of a Kurdish leader.

UK Targets ISIS Bunker With Royal Air Force’s Largest Bombs Posted: 27 Apr 2016 10:55 AM PDT The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) has ramped up its bombing campaign against ISIS. Enhanced Paveway III (EPW III) bombs, the largest in RAF's arsenal, successfully hit two entrances to an underground bunker as part of the coalition's efforts to combat ISIS. The strikes, which occurred on April 21, targeted a large complex of tunnels and bunkers in the terraced hillsides above the Euphrates in western Iraq, according to a press release from the Ministry of Defense.

Carter troubled by House GOP plan to cut wartime money Posted: 27 Apr 2016 10:53 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that he's deeply troubled by a House Republican proposal to reduce wartime funding by $18 billion to pay for weapons and troops the Pentagon didn't request.

Austria adopts tough new asylum laws amid far-right surge Posted: 27 Apr 2016 10:32 AM PDT The Austrian parliament on Wednesday adopted one of Europe's toughest asylum laws, as the country's political leaders struggle to halt the surging far-right which is leading in presidential polls. The hotly-disputed bill, which passed by 98 votes to 67, allows the government to declare a "state of emergency" if migrant numbers suddenly rise and reject most asylum seekers directly at the border, including those from war-torn countries like Syria. Opposition parties and rights groups have slammed the legislation, with the UN's refugee agency warning that it "removes a centrepiece of refugee protection".

A look at key events in Syria since March 2011 Posted: 27 Apr 2016 09:45 AM PDT A cease-fire that for two months brought relief to war-stricken Syrians has effectively collapsed, particularly in northern Syria, which has seen intense fighting and a military buildup. Here are some of the key events in the conflict:

Iraqi army makes modest advance south of Mosul Posted: 27 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT Iraqis armed forces backed by U.S.-led coalition air power captured a village in Nineveh province from Islamic State on Wednesday, the first advance on the northern front since the offensive was paused three weeks ago. Mahana, sitting south of a main east-west road, became just the fourth village seized by the army in the Makhmour area, which is set to be a staging ground for a future assault on Mosul, about 60 km (40 miles) further north. The advance brings Iraqi forces slightly closer to the oil town of Qayyara on the western banks of the Tigris River, control over which would help to isolate Mosul, the largest city held by the militants, from territory they control further south and east.

Syrian Kurdish leader sees Turkish hand in border closure Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:53 AM PDT By Tom Perry and Rodi Said BEIRUT/AMUDA, Syria (Reuters) - The Kurdish government in Iraq has dealt a blow to Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria by keeping the border closed for more than one month, an economic and political setback for the Syrian region as it plans for wider autonomy. The Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria believes it is being targeted by the Kurdish government in Iraq in coordination with regional power Turkey, which is deeply concerned by growing Kurdish sway in Syria. The move has laid bare Kurdish divisions across the frontier that could complicate the Syrian Kurds' political ambitions: Iraqi Kurds took the step the very week the Syrian Kurds and their allies announced plans for a new system of autonomous government in northern Syria.

Immigration puts Swedish schools to the test Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:46 AM PDT Sweden's schools were already struggling with demoralised teachers and declining test scores before the arrival of masses of young migrants whose needs have put unprecedented strain on the system. The Swedish school system already faces major challenges including an acute shortage of qualified teachers -- 60,000 more are needed by 2019 -- and declining scores in standardised international tests. A UNICEF report published in April showed that Sweden, along with neighbouring Finland, is the country where school results declined most between 2006 and 2012.

Oil majors' results surprise, but output fall, volatile trading lurk Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:39 AM PDT Europe's big oil producers had been expected to report their worst quarterly earnings in the current downturn but instead BP, Total and Statoil have delivered share-boosting first-quarter results. The British oil major does not disclose figures for its energy trading divisions, or give details on its performance. Statoil's trading unit suffered from lower margins, it said, but a cost-cutting program helped the company beat expectations.

Civilian casualties from Boko Haram suicide attacks up in 2015: charity Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:27 AM PDT Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombings caused a massive increase in the number of civilian deaths and injuries in Nigeria last year, according to a new report published Wednesday. The London-based non-profit group said the increase was part of a global trend that had seen a rise in civilian casualties from "explosive weapons" for the fourth consecutive year. "Explosive weapons" include artillery shells, landmines, air strikes, improvised explosive devices, car bombs and suicide attacks.

Abdeslam: pot-smoking 'little moron' of Paris attacks Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:13 AM PDT Salah Abdeslam, the key Paris attacks suspect who was transferred to France on Wednesday, showed little sign of religious fervour before the bloodshed and was known to enjoy a beer and a joint. The 26-year-old French national of Moroccan origin, whose older brother Brahim blew himself up during the November 13 attacks on the French capital, was arrested in Brussels in March after four months on the run as Europe's most wanted man. Although the attacks were claimed by Islamic State extremists, the two brothers were far from being religious fanatics and known to enjoy a drink and some pot in Les Beguines, the bar they ran in Molenbeek, an immigrant neighbourhood of Brussels.

Civilian toll from explosives jumps more than half in five years: charity Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:11 AM PDT By Magdalena Mis LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The number of civilians around the world killed or injured by explosives such as bombs and mortars has risen by more than 50 percent in the past five years, a charity that monitors the casualties said on Wednesday. The highest numbers of civilian casualties in 2015 were recorded in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, followed by Nigeria and Afghanistan, the UK-based Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) said in a report. Seventy-six percent of the almost 43,800 people killed or injured by explosives such as bombs, mortars and improvised explosive devices (IED) last year were civilians, spread across 64 countries and territories, the report said.

Knights of Columbus CEO to Speak on Christian Genocide at Holy-See Sponsored UN Event Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:00 AM PDT NEW YORK, April 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson will be among leading experts gathering at the United Nations this week to examine and help bring an end to the persecution of Christians worldwide. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See's Permanent Observer to the UN, will open the session with remarks at 10 a.m. Anderson will speak on the first panel.

China and Turkey vow greater anti-terrorism cooperation Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:19 AM PDT Turkey will not allow its soil to be used for activities that damage China's security, the two countries' foreign ministers agreed on Wednesday, following recent disputes over China's Muslim Uighur ethnic minority that had soured ties. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Uighurs keen to escape unrest in China's western Xinjiang region have traveled clandestinely via Southeast Asia to Turkey, where many see themselves as sharing religious and cultural ties. Beijing says some Uighurs then end up fighting with militants in Iraq and Syria.

Nearly two dozen U.S.-led strikes hit Islamic State in Iraq: statement Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT The United States and its allies conducted 23 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq on Tuesday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement on its latest round of daily strikes against the militant group. The strikes were concentrated near Falluja, Mosul, Qayyarah and Tal Afar, the Combined Joint Task Force said in the statement released on Wednesday. The coalition is working to retake Mosul, the largest Iraqi city still under the control of Islamic State.

Russia says Britain's human rights report not objective Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:16 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday the British Foreign Office's report on human rights record in Russia amounted to interference in its internal affairs and was detached from reality and not objective. London should address its own problems, such as alleged war crimes committed by British soldiers in Iraq, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn, writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov)

Vice Taps NBC News Vet Madeleine Haeringer as EP of HBO Nightly News Show Posted: 26 Apr 2016 09:00 PM PDT The ten-time Emmy winner most recently served as EP of MSNBC's news coverage.

Big wins by Trump, Clinton give rivals little breathing room Posted: 26 Apr 2016 06:49 PM PDT Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rolled up wins in Northeastern states on Tuesday in a major show of strength and immediately turned their fire on each other in a possible preview of a general election matchup. The New York billionaire easily defeated rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz in all five states that held contests, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware, with a margin of victory rivaling that of his home state of New York a week ago. Clinton, already in control of the Democratic race, defeated challenger Bernie Sanders in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

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