Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• US boosts aid to Syria war-affected by $439 million
• Accused Islamic State sympathizer pleads innocent in Arizona plot
• Syrian rebels say Russian jets hit refugee camp along Jordan border
• US Air Force in the Pacific gets new top commander
• Clinton vetting retired U.S. Navy Admiral Stavridis for VP: source
• Iraqi forces link up south of Mosul, tightening noose around Islamic State
• Big Show Talks About WWE's Special Olympics Partnership And The Time A Mummy Tried To Kill Hulk Hogan
• What young Americans think on top issues facing the country
• Iran summons French ambassador over dissident meeting in Paris
• Dutch woman escapes IS-held, northern Iraqi city of Mosul
• A ruling tells China why no country is an island
• Pentagon chief praises Afghan forces, touts new rules
• US to base hundreds of troops outside Afghanistan
• Iraq calls for demo reprieve over security concerns
• 'The Rock' Screenwriter Can't Believe U.K. Officials Used Film in Iraq Weapons Reports
• After Clinton Embraces Sanders’ Costly Spending, He Endorses Her
• A Trump-Flynn matchup could be complicated by party politics
• French intel chief predicts new, deadlier model for attacks
• 240 unity fighters dead in battle for IS Libya bastion: medic
• EU watchdog calls for tighter rules as Barroso takes Goldman job
• UN seeks to raise $952 mln in aid for Sudan
• Battle for upstate NY House seat expected to be intense
• Iraq: Suicide bombing in Baghdad Shiite district kills 12
• Islamist attacks, migrant crisis make Germans anxious
• Germany to affirm stronger role on world stage
• Bombing at market near Baghdad kills seven: officials
• Hidden angel mosaic at Bethlehem shrine sees the light
• A look at senior Lebanese Hezbollah figures killed in Syria
• Tehran bazaar blends hope, caution a year after nuclear deal
• Car bomb kills nine north of Baghdad, say sources
• U.S. to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul offensive
• New U.S. troops in Iraq to bolster Iraqi successes: White House
• Mass killings, forced evictions threaten indigenous, minority groups to point of "eradication": rights group

US boosts aid to Syria war-affected by $439 million Posted: 12 Jul 2016 05:47 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it will provide another $439 million in humanitarian aid to refugees and others affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Accused Islamic State sympathizer pleads innocent in Arizona plot Posted: 12 Jul 2016 05:10 PM PDT PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona teenager accused of being an Islamic State sympathizer pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of plotting to attack a Phoenix-area state motor vehicle office with bombs and other weapons and was ordered kept in jail without bond.

Syrian rebels say Russian jets hit refugee camp along Jordan border Posted: 12 Jul 2016 04:42 PM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jets believed to be Russian on Tuesday struck a refugee camp along Jordan's north-eastern border with Syria, killing at least 12 people and injuring scores in the first such Russian strike near the Jordanian border, rebels said. Several jets flying at high altitudes struck at noon a makeshift camp where a few hundred, mostly women and children, are stranded in a no-man's-land on the Syrian side of the border, they said. The Russian Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. ...

US Air Force in the Pacific gets new top commander Posted: 12 Jul 2016 04:30 PM PDT JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP) — A fighter pilot and former U.S. Air Force commander in South Korea has taken over as the top U.S. Air Force leader in the Pacific.

Clinton vetting retired U.S. Navy Admiral Stavridis for VP: source Posted: 12 Jul 2016 03:57 PM PDT By Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign is vetting retired Navy Admiral James Stavridis as a potential vice presidential running mate, a source with knowledge of the process told Reuters on Tuesday. Stavridis is dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University near Boston and a former supreme allied commander of NATO. "Admiral Stavridis is one of the finest military officers of his generation," Michele Flournoy, a former under secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense, told Reuters in a statement.

Iraqi forces link up south of Mosul, tightening noose around Islamic State Posted: 12 Jul 2016 03:20 PM PDT Iraqi government forces advancing on the Islamic State-held city of Mosul retook a village from IS on Tuesday and linked up along the Tigris river with army units pushing from a separate direction, Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi said. The territorial gain, which followed the recapture of a key air base nearby at the weekend, further isolated Mosul in preparation for a government assault to recover Iraq's second largest city 60 km (40 miles) to the north. "Forces from the 9th Armoured Division and the counter-terrorism service liberated Ajhala village north of Qayara base," Obeidi said on Twitter.

Big Show Talks About WWE's Special Olympics Partnership And The Time A Mummy Tried To Kill Hulk Hogan Posted: 12 Jul 2016 02:41 PM PDT Special Olympics and WWE announced an international partnership, can you tell me a little about that? The Big Show: Yeah, WWE has a longstanding relationship with the Special Olympics, and we're helping them spread the word, so to speak, on their Play Unified campaign. In some countries that aren't quite as up to speed as we are in the U.S., we're ringing Special Olympics awareness to them with the Play Unified campaign through the WWE brand.

What young Americans think on top issues facing the country Posted: 12 Jul 2016 02:22 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Young Americans have education and the economy at the top of their minds as they think about this year's presidential election. But their thoughts on some of the other top issues facing the country — and which of those issues are most important to them — vary among young people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Iran summons French ambassador over dissident meeting in Paris Posted: 12 Jul 2016 01:54 PM PDT Iran summoned the French ambassador on Tuesday to protest about a meeting held in Paris by Iranians in exile who seek the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. The rally was held on Saturday by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political wing of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), sometimes known as the MEK or MKO, a group that waged armed struggle against the Iranian government after the 1979 revolution and assassinated dozens of its top officials. The MKO sided with Saddam Hussein during Iraq's war with Iran in the 1980s but fell out of favor with Baghdad after he was toppled by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Dutch woman escapes IS-held, northern Iraqi city of Mosul Posted: 12 Jul 2016 01:52 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A Dutch woman has surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters near the Islamic State-held city of Mosul in northern Iraq, saying she had been trying to escape the "hell" she was living in "all the time."

A ruling tells China why no country is an island Posted: 12 Jul 2016 01:32 PM PDT It is not easy for a country, especially one as powerful as China, to be held responsible for its mistakes by the international system of justice. The ruling, handed down by a panel of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, raises immediate practical issues. Will China defy the decision and threaten any foreign ship or plane that transits near the rocks and reefs it now commands with artificial outposts in the Spratly Islands?

Pentagon chief praises Afghan forces, touts new rules Posted: 12 Jul 2016 01:10 PM PDT Pentagon chief Ashton Carter reiterated Washington's support for "courageous" Afghan security forces Tuesday and touted new rules of engagement that make it easier for US forces to help them strike the Taliban. Carter's visit came just days after the United States and NATO pledged to keep thousands of troops in the troubled country, a move warmly welcomed by President Ashraf Ghani, who said it highlighted an "environment of trust" between Washington and Kabul. Local forces have been providing security in Afghanistan since the start of 2015, when they took over from NATO combat troops.

US to base hundreds of troops outside Afghanistan Posted: 12 Jul 2016 12:51 PM PDT BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AP) — The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday that "some hundreds" of U.S. forces — in addition to the 8,400 that President Barack Obama announced would stay in the country last week — will be based outside Afghanistan, but will be ready to quickly deploy into the warzone if needed.

Iraq calls for demo reprieve over security concerns Posted: 12 Jul 2016 12:23 PM PDT Iraq's government called Tuesday for a reprieve in protests, saying demonstrations would distract security forces, disrupt plans to push the Islamic State group back and ultimately aid the jihadists. The appeal was issued a day after powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called the for a "massive" protest on Friday in Baghdad's Tahrir Square to push for "true and real reform". "The cabinet calls on the sons of our people to carry their historic responsibilities in supporting the armed forces, and postpone the protests," said Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office.

'The Rock' Screenwriter Can't Believe U.K. Officials Used Film in Iraq Weapons Reports Posted: 12 Jul 2016 12:10 PM PDT The film's nerve gas weapons were described in MI6 intelligence and served as part of the justification for military intervention in 2002, according to the Iraq War report.

After Clinton Embraces Sanders’ Costly Spending, He Endorses Her Posted: 12 Jul 2016 12:00 PM PDT It started out sounding a lot like another Bernie Sanders campaign rally, as the Vermont senator recalled his string of 22 Democratic primary and caucus victories over Hillary Clinton, the 13 million Democrats and independents who rallied to his side and the "political revolution" he sought to stoke to crack down on the excesses of Wall Street and provide adequate health care, education and other services to the middle class and working families. "Together, we have begun a political revolution to transform America," Sanders declared. After 30 minutes or so, Sanders finished his stem-winder and finally delivered a full-throated embrace of Clinton and vowed to help Clinton defeat billionaire Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

A Trump-Flynn matchup could be complicated by party politics Posted: 12 Jul 2016 11:16 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn's tenure as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency came to an abrupt end just as the U.S. was reluctantly pulled back into war in Iraq because of the Islamic State group's brutal blitzkrieg across the country.

French intel chief predicts new, deadlier model for attacks Posted: 12 Jul 2016 09:38 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — France's intelligence chief predicts that Islamic extremists like those who carried out two waves of attacks in Paris last year will look to increase their capacity to kill by using booby-trapped cars and bombs.

240 unity fighters dead in battle for IS Libya bastion: medic Posted: 12 Jul 2016 09:35 AM PDT The two-month battle for the Islamic State group's Libyan stronghold of Sirte has killed more than 240 unity government fighters and wounded over 1,400, a medic said Tuesday. Forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord began an operation in May to recapture the coastal city which the IS jihadists overran in June last year. By retaking Sirte, the hometown of late dictator Moamer Kadhafi, the GNA forces would deal a major blow to IS which has faced a series of setbacks in Iraq and Syria.

EU watchdog calls for tighter rules as Barroso takes Goldman job Posted: 12 Jul 2016 09:12 AM PDT By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Ombudsman called on Tuesday for the EU to tighten rules on commissioners taking appointments on leaving office after former chief executive Jose Manuel Barroso moved to a senior job at Goldman Sachs. Heavy criticism has been aimed at the former Portuguese premier for taking the Brexit-linked London job at the U.S. bank, 20 months after stepping down as European Commission president. Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly said adhering to technical rules did not absolve former staff of a wider duty to show "integrity". ...

UN seeks to raise $952 mln in aid for Sudan Posted: 12 Jul 2016 08:40 AM PDT The United Nations Tuesday launched a global appeal for $952 million to fund Sudan's humanitarian needs in 2016, most of it to help people affected by the deadly conflict in Darfur. The much delayed appeal expects to address the humanitarian needs of up to 4.6 million people, including tens of thousands of South Sudanese refugees who have entered Sudan to escape the violence and food shortages in their country. "Women, men, refugees and internally displaced people want us to exert our maximum efforts to provide support to them," said Naeema Al-Gasseer, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan.

Battle for upstate NY House seat expected to be intense Posted: 12 Jul 2016 07:19 AM PDT KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — A college professor who launched a liberal challenge to New York's governor faces a former Republican lawmaker who has been a sharp-tongued critic of liberal policies in a marquee congressional battle for an open seat north of New York City.

Iraq: Suicide bombing in Baghdad Shiite district kills 12 Posted: 12 Jul 2016 05:47 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide car bomb ripped through an outdoor market in a Shiite-dominated northeastern district of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people, officials said, as government forces deployed across much of the Iraqi capital in preparation for a major military parade later this week.

Islamist attacks, migrant crisis make Germans anxious Posted: 12 Jul 2016 05:39 AM PDT Germans have become far more fearful in the last year, with a possible terrorist attack, political extremism and the social effects of Europe's migrant crisis topping their list of worries, a survey showed on Tuesday. Just over a year before a federal election in Europe's biggest economy, the annual study by insurer R+V showed a 10 percentage point increase in its annual "fear index" of Germans to 49 percent. "Never before in the course of our surveys have peoples' fears risen so drastically within a year as in 2016," said Brigitte Roemstedt, head of the R+V Info Centre which conducted the survey of 2,400 Germans.

Germany to affirm stronger role on world stage Posted: 12 Jul 2016 04:35 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — Germany is affirming its growing role on the world stage in new security guidelines that mark another step away from its caution after World War II.

Bombing at market near Baghdad kills seven: officials Posted: 12 Jul 2016 01:53 AM PDT A suicide bombing at a market near Baghdad killed at least seven people on Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a series of deadly attacks in and around the capital. The suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at a wholesale vegetable market northeast of the city, also wounding at least 29 people, security and medical officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting civilians.

Hidden angel mosaic at Bethlehem shrine sees the light Posted: 11 Jul 2016 11:30 PM PDT It was hidden for decades at the church on the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born until conservationists uncovered it -- an ancient mosaic of an angel. Since 2013, Italian restorationists have been working with the Palestinian government in a mammoth effort to restore the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank -- hailed by Christians as built on the site where Jesus was born. In the course of the work they were surprised to uncover an angel that had been hidden under plaster for decades.

A look at senior Lebanese Hezbollah figures killed in Syria Posted: 11 Jul 2016 11:25 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Since the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group joined Syria's civil war in 2012 to support President Bashar Assad's forces, it has lost several prominent members in combat and has gained a broader range of enemies. More than 1,000 of its foot soldiers have been killed in the Syrian conflict, which began in 2011, compared to the 1,276 fighters killed during its 18-year guerrilla war with Israeli forces that occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.

Tehran bazaar blends hope, caution a year after nuclear deal Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:56 PM PDT As a tailor in Tehran's fabled Grand Bazaar for over 60 years, Mostafa Javedan has lived through coups, wars, a revolution -- and now the ups and downs of international sanctions. When Iran's nuclear deal with world powers struck in July 2015 led to many of the sanctions being lifted in January, small family-run stores in general saw little obvious change.

Car bomb kills nine north of Baghdad, say sources Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:18 PM PDT At least nine people were killed and 32 wounded on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives was detonated in a district just north of Baghdad, security and medical sources said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in Rashidiya, but Islamic State regularly carries out such bombings in the capital and other parts of Iraq, where it seized large swathes of territory in 2014. Baghdad is on high alert for attacks after a blast in the central Karrada district on July 3 killed at least 292 people, making it one of the deadliest bombings in Iraq since U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago.

U.S. to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul offensive Posted: 11 Jul 2016 07:12 PM PDT By Yeganeh Torbati and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States is stepping up its military campaign against Islamic State by sending hundreds more troops to assist Iraqi forces in an expected push on the city of Mosul, the militants' largest stronghold, later this year. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter made the announcement on Monday during a visit to Baghdad, where he met U.S. commanders, as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi.

New U.S. troops in Iraq to bolster Iraqi successes: White House Posted: 11 Jul 2016 07:12 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The 560 additional troops the United States is sending to Iraq will bolster the battlefield successes the Iraqi military was already enjoying, the White House said on Monday. "The United States and our coalition partners will be committed to supporting Iraqi forces as they take the fight to ISIL," White House Spokesman Josh Earnest told a regular media briefing, using an acronym for Islamic State. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Adam DeRose; Editing by Tim Ahmann)

Mass killings, forced evictions threaten indigenous, minority groups to point of "eradication": rights group Posted: 11 Jul 2016 06:56 PM PDT By Lin Taylor LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Mass killings, forced evictions and conflicts over land put indigenous and minority groups at risk of being eradicated from their ancestral lands, a human rights group said on Tuesday. From Ethiopia, China and Iraq, the combination of armed conflicts and land dispossession has led to the persecution of minority groups and the erosion of cultural heritage, according to a report by the Minority Rights Group (MRG). Carl Soderbergh, MRG director of policy and communications, said while discrimination against ethnic or religious minorities is not new, the level of targeted abuse is getting worse.

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