Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Exxon CEO could face struggle getting confirmed as Trump secretary of state
• Kremlin blames lack of US cooperation for Palmyra blow
• Senators struggle with Exxon CEO as Trump secretary of state
• Factbox: Trump fills top jobs for his administration
• Lasting IS defeat unlikely anytime soon: report
• Syria rebels retreat in Aleppo in 'terrifying' collapse
• Unlearning the caliphate at reopened schools in Iraq
• Pro-Kurd party members arrested in wake of Istanbul bombings
• Timeline: The battle for Syria's Aleppo city
• Status of main battle fronts in Syria and Iraq
• Turkish warplane crashes near southeastern city of Diyarbakir: army
• Sisi says suicide bomber behind church attack in Egypt
• Factbox: Combatants fighting in Aleppo
• Pope urges new culture of nonviolence for world politics
• Kosovo citizen charged with joining terror group in Syria
• Turkey detains Kurds, hits militants after twin bombings
• Iraqi police say ready to join assault on east Mosul
• Bosnia preparing for return of Islamic State fighters
• John Kelly, the Marine General to head Homeland Security
• Trump's cabinet picks so far -- a quick guide
• Kenya giving 'serious thought' to quitting ICC
• Report criticizes lack of transparency in IS fight
• Trump taps retired general Kelly for Homeland Security chief
• Help Heal Veterans Announces Partnership with Coffee Bunker
• Iraq to abide by OPEC cut, expects output growth in future
• Even if IS ousted, Christians' return to Mosul unlikely
• Turkey detains 235 over Kurdish militant links after Istanbul blasts
• Egypt mourns victims of church bombing, angry survivors say security lax
• The Last 100 Days: From Old Wounds to New Ties Edition
• Trump and immigration: tough talk masks a complex reality
• Turkey hits Kurdish militants in Iraq after attacks: report
• Cairo church bombing kills 25, raises fears among Christians
• Mosul doctors struggle to save civilians on Iraq front line
• Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq: army
• Today in History
• 10 Things to Know for Monday

Exxon CEO could face struggle getting confirmed as Trump secretary of state Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:19 PM PST By Doina Chiacu and Gina Cherelus WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, the front-runner to be named secretary of state in President-elect Donald Trump's administration, faces a struggle getting confirmed by U.S. senators concerned about his close ties to Russia. Trump said on Twitter on Monday he would name his pick as secretary of state on Tuesday morning, and Fox News, citing unnamed sources, said it would be Tillerson. Lawmakers from both major parties have raised questions about Tillerson and former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, who has been mentioned as a possible No. 2 State Department official and has voiced hawkish views on Iraq and Iran.

Kremlin blames lack of US cooperation for Palmyra blow Posted: 12 Dec 2016 03:09 PM PST The Kremlin on Monday deplored the lack of cooperation with the United States in Palmyra after Islamic State jihadists re-entered the ancient Syrian city over the weekend. "We regret that we have yet to completely neutralise their offensive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the fighters' return to the fabled city after an eight-month absence. Peskov added that jihadists from neighbouring Iraq, where a Western coalition is supporting the Iraqi military's efforts to retake the city of Mosul from IS, had been flooding into Syria.

Senators struggle with Exxon CEO as Trump secretary of state Posted: 12 Dec 2016 02:23 PM PST By Doina Chiacu and Gina Cherelus WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The front-runner for secretary of state in President-elect Donald Trump's administration, Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson, faces a struggle getting confirmed by U.S. senators concerned about his close ties to Russia. Lawmakers from both major parties also raised questions on Monday about former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, who has been mentioned as a possible No. 2 State Department official and has voiced hawkish views on Iraq and Iran. Republicans and Democrats said Tillerson, who is also president of Exxon Mobil Corp, would be asked about his ties to Russia, having met President Vladimir Putin several times and won fresh praise from Moscow on Monday.

Factbox: Trump fills top jobs for his administration Posted: 12 Dec 2016 01:04 PM PST (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump named Goldman Sachs Group Inc executive Gary Cohn on Monday to head his White House National Economic Council, a group tasked with coordinating economic policy across federal agencies. The following is a list of Republican Trump's selections for top jobs in his administration. All the posts but that of national security adviser, the White House chief of staff, White House director of the National Economic Council and White House strategist require Senate confirmation: U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: JEFF SESSIONS Sessions, 69, was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump's presidential bid and has been a close ally since.

Lasting IS defeat unlikely anytime soon: report Posted: 12 Dec 2016 01:02 PM PST In a report, 20 experts on the Middle East and jihadism also described how organizations such as Al-Qaeda and the group formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front are adapting methods and continuing to expand. A US-led coalition has since 2014 been striking IS targets in Iraq and Syria, pushing the extremist group out of vast areas and forcing it try to cling to two remaining power centers, Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria. "Eliminating an extremist group physically does not defang its ideology or change the underlying circumstances that allowed the group to gain traction in the first place," the report states.

Syria rebels retreat in Aleppo in 'terrifying' collapse Posted: 12 Dec 2016 12:55 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels retreated from former strongholds in eastern Aleppo in a "terrifying" collapse Monday, holding onto a small sliver of territory packed with fighters and thousands of civilians as government troops pressed on with their rapid advance.

Unlearning the caliphate at reopened schools in Iraq Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:05 AM PST Huge smiles lit the faces of the Iraqi children lining up outside the newly opened school in Jadaa displacement camp, for many hadn't seen a classroom in two years. The government, the United Nations and their partners are slowly trying to repair the damage done by the Islamic State group, whose rule had a devastating impact on a generation of children. Many parents simply refused to send their children to school under the "caliphate" that IS proclaimed over around third of Iraq in June 2014.

Pro-Kurd party members arrested in wake of Istanbul bombings Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:55 AM PST Turkish authorities arrested more than 200 people Monday following suicide bombings near an Istanbul stadium that killed 44 people. The arrests primarily targeted members of a Kurdish political party that ...

Timeline: The battle for Syria's Aleppo city Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:54 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Restoring full control over Aleppo, Syria's most populous city before the war, has been seen as critical to the fortunes of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a multi-sided civil war now in its sixth year. Insurgents who have held the eastern part of the city since the early days of the war have now lost most of their besieged enclave to a government assault. Famous for textiles, soap and its UNESCO-listed citadel, Aleppo was Syria's economic hub and of huge historic and cultural importance. ...

Status of main battle fronts in Syria and Iraq Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:27 AM PST The crucial battle for Aleppo entered what the army called its "final phase" on Monday after Syrian rebels retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances. President Bashar al-Assad's forces held more than 90 percent of the onetime opposition stronghold of east Aleppo, a monitor and military official said, and appeared on the verge of retaking the entire city. An estimated 130,000 people have poured out of east Aleppo since late November, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Turkish warplane crashes near southeastern city of Diyarbakir: army Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:23 AM PST A Turkish fighter jet on a training mission crashed on its final approach to an airport in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Monday, Turkey's military said on Monday, noting that the pilot had ejected from the plane and was unharmed. Commercial flights to predominantly Kurdish Diyarbakir's civilian airport, next to the military air base, were rerouted to nearby airports, sources said.

Sisi says suicide bomber behind church attack in Egypt Posted: 12 Dec 2016 10:02 AM PST By Amina Ismail and Lin Noueihed CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday a suicide bomber carried out the attack that killed 25 people at Cairo's Coptic cathedral, the deadliest on the Christian minority in years. Speaking at a state funeral for the victims, Sisi said four people had been detained, including a woman, and security forces were seeking two more people believed to be involved.

Factbox: Combatants fighting in Aleppo Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:50 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - The battle for Aleppo, for months the focal point of Syria's multi-sided civil war, is approaching a bloody end as the army and its allies swept through rebel-held areas in recent days. The historic city of Aleppo had for years been divided into a government-held west and rebel-held east, with the army leaning heavily on foreign militias and the rebels divided among an array of factions. Finally taking Aleppo will give Syrian President Bashar al-Assad his biggest battlefield victory yet after nearly six years of conflict. ...

Pope urges new culture of nonviolence for world politics Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:21 AM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is calling for a renewed culture of nonviolence to inform global politics today, saying military responses to conflicts only breed more violence.

Kosovo citizen charged with joining terror group in Syria Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:18 AM PST PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Prosecutors in Kosovo say they have charged a citizen from the Balkan country with being part of a terror group for allegedly joining the Nusra Front in Syria.

Turkey detains Kurds, hits militants after twin bombings Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:15 AM PST Turkey detained over 200 people including dozens of officials from pro-Kurdish parties and struck Kurdish militants in Iraq on Monday in response to this weekend's twin bombings claimed by a radical Kurd separatist group. The toll from Saturday's attacks near an Istanbul football stadium and an adjacent park rose to 44 on Monday, Health Minister Recep Akdag said. Most of the dead were police officers.

Iraqi police say ready to join assault on east Mosul Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST By Ahmed Rasheed and Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Several thousand Iraqi federal police are ready to join the assault against Islamic State in east Mosul, a spokesman said on Monday, reinforcing troops who have faced weeks of fierce counter-attacks from the militants. The extra forces are being deployed as the grueling U.S.-backed campaign to crush Islamic State in its Iraqi stronghold enters its ninth week. Elite army troops have retaken a quarter of the city, but their advance has been slow and punishing.

Bosnia preparing for return of Islamic State fighters Posted: 12 Dec 2016 08:57 AM PST SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnian officials said Monday they expect citizens who joined the Islamic State group will soon return home and pose a threat to the country or elsewhere in Europe.

John Kelly, the Marine General to head Homeland Security Posted: 12 Dec 2016 08:40 AM PST John Kelly, the retired Marine Corps general picked Monday by Donald Trump to be Homeland Security secretary, will take the lead in the new administration's promised fight against Islamic extremists and illegal immigration. The third former general chosen for President-elect Trump's cabinet, Kelly capped a 45-year military career as head of the US Southern Command, an assignment that immersed him in border security issues, migrant flows and counter-drug operations in the Caribbean and Central and South America. With 240,000 civil servants, Homeland Security includes the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, immigration and customs enforcement, and the agency that protects airports.

Trump's cabinet picks so far -- a quick guide Posted: 12 Dec 2016 08:14 AM PST US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday formally nominated retired Marine general John Kelly to be his secretary of homeland security -- the third former general tapped to join the Republican billionaire's inner circle. One of Trump's earliest supporters during the campaign, the anti-immigration senator from Alabama has a much criticized record on race relations and was once denied a judgeship amid concerns over past comments about blacks. A retired four star Marine general, Mattis commanded US forces in the Middle East and Southwest Asia from 2010 to 2013, capping a career as a combat commander that earned him the nickname "Mad Dog." A scholar of warfare, he is said to have a particular interest in the challenge posed by Iran.

Kenya giving 'serious thought' to quitting ICC Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:31 AM PST Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Monday his country was seriously thinking of quitting the International Criminal Court, after three other African nations moved to pull out of the tribunal. Kenya has been one of the most vocal critics of the court based in The Hague, which put Kenyatta and his Vice President William Ruto on trial for orchestrating political violence that left over 1,200 dead after 2007 elections. Charges were dropped against both leaders, with ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda blaming a relentless campaign of victim intimidation, but bitterness remains in Kenya where the battle against "imperialism" became a cornerstone of Kenyatta and Ruto's successful 2013 election bid.

Report criticizes lack of transparency in IS fight Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:08 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A report released Monday by Airwars, a London-based project aimed at tracking the U.S.-led coalition's air strikes targeting the Islamic State group, criticized the coalition's lack of transparency when assessing civilian casualties. Coalition airstrikes have been critical in the fight against IS in Iraq where Iraqi forces are currently trying to push the militant group out of Mosul.

Trump taps retired general Kelly for Homeland Security chief Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:19 AM PST Donald Trump announced Monday he will nominate retired general John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security, the third ex-military man tapped for a top job in his presidential administration. "General John Kelly's decades of military service and deep commitment to fighting the threat of terrorism inside our borders makes him the ideal choice to serve as our Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security," Trump said in a statement. "He is the right person to spearhead the urgent mission of stopping illegal immigration and securing our borders, streamlining TSA (Transportation Security Administration) and improving coordination between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies," Trump said.

Help Heal Veterans Announces Partnership with Coffee Bunker Posted: 12 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST WINCHESTER, Calif., Dec. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Help Heal Veterans (Heal Vets), the nation's largest provider of free therapeutic arts and craft kits to U.S. veterans and active duty military personnel is partnering with Coffee Bunker, a veterans' peer center that supports service members and veterans towards successful reintegration with their families and communities based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Through the partnership, the Coffee Bunker will distribute craft kits which will be used as therapy to help veterans suffering from mental and physical disabilities. The Coffee Bunker was founded in 2010 by Mary Ligon following the death of her son, Cpl Daniel Y. Ligon, an infantryman and language translator in the Marine Corps.

Iraq to abide by OPEC cut, expects output growth in future Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:51 AM PST Iraq is committed to cutting its production to comply with a global pact to support prices, the country's oil minister said, adding he was nevertheless confident OPEC's No. 2 producer has the potential to boost its output in coming years. Iraq is reviewing several options to implement the reduction, including cuts from Kirkuk oilfield, southern fields being developed by oil majors or other state-run areas, Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi said in an interview. "The cuts will aim at the figures we agreed with OPEC definitely, but (for) the areas of the cuts there are many options on the table," Luaibi told Reuters on Saturday.

Even if IS ousted, Christians' return to Mosul unlikely Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:29 AM PST GENEVA (AP) — Authors of a report on minority groups in Iraq and Syria say the possible ouster of the radical Islamic State group from the Iraqi city of Mosul won't be enough alone to encourage to Christians who have long faced inter-communal tensions there to return from exile.

Turkey detains 235 over Kurdish militant links after Istanbul blasts Posted: 12 Dec 2016 04:29 AM PST By Daren Butler and Tuvan Gumrukcu ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey detained 235 people over alleged links to Kurdish militants in nationwide raids on Monday, two days after twin bombings killed 44 people and wounded about 150 outside an Istanbul soccer stadium. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu vowed those responsible for Saturday's attacks, claimed by an offshoot of the PKK militant group, would be "wiped from this geography". "Our people expect us to defeat and eliminate this terrorist organization, which has attacked our nation for 40 years," Soylu said while paying a condolence visit to a riot police headquarters in Istanbul.

Egypt mourns victims of church bombing, angry survivors say security lax Posted: 12 Dec 2016 02:44 AM PST By Amina Ismail CAIRO (Reuters) - Mourners packed an Egyptian church on Monday for a funeral service for 24 people killed in the bombing of Cairo's main Coptic cathedral, while angry survivors accused authorities of security lapses. Tearful Christians gathered at the Virgin Mary and St Athanasius Church in Cairo where Coptic Pope Tawadros II prayed over the wooden coffins of the victims of Sunday's bombing, one the deadliest attacks on the Christian minority in recent memory. "There were large numbers so people entered without being searched," said Mina Francis, who was in the cathedral with his mother who was killed in the blast.

The Last 100 Days: From Old Wounds to New Ties Edition Posted: 12 Dec 2016 02:05 AM PST Ever since the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, presidents have been judged on the successes they notch during their first 100 days. Now, as Barack Obama prepares to end his historic turn on the political stage, Yahoo News is running The Last 100 Days, a look at what Obama achieved during his consequential presidency, how he navigates the struggles of his last months in office and what lies ahead for him after eight years filled with firsts. As Obama himself is fond of noting, he also spent his two terms as father to daughters Malia and Sasha and husband to first lady Michelle Obama.

Trump and immigration: tough talk masks a complex reality Posted: 12 Dec 2016 02:00 AM PST Immigration challenges are far more complex than Trump's heated rhetoric would make it appear.

Turkey hits Kurdish militants in Iraq after attacks: report Posted: 12 Dec 2016 12:41 AM PST Ankara (AFP) - Turkey hit Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq less than 24 hours after twin attacks in Istanbul killed 38 that were claimed by a Kurdish splinter group, local media reported Monday.

Cairo church bombing kills 25, raises fears among Christians Posted: 12 Dec 2016 12:38 AM PST By Ahmed Mohammed Hassan and Ali Abdelaty CAIRO (Reuters) - A bombing at Cairo's largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people and wounded 49, many of them women and children attending Sunday mass, in the deadliest attack on Egypt's Christian minority in years. The attack comes as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi fights battles on several fronts. The militant group has also carried out deadly attacks in Cairo and has urged its supporters to launch attacks around the world in recent weeks as it goes on the defensive in its Iraqi and Syrian strongholds.

Mosul doctors struggle to save civilians on Iraq front line Posted: 11 Dec 2016 10:07 PM PST MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — A crowd of men rushed through the narrow hallway of Mosul's al-Zahra clinic carrying a slight 10-year-old boy. Yousef Oday's face was covered in blood.

Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq: army Posted: 11 Dec 2016 09:16 PM PST Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq late on Sunday, destroying a headquarters of the militants and surrounding gun positions and shelters, Turkey's military said. The strikes, which a statement said targeted Iraq's Zap region, came hours after a PKK offshoot claimed responsibility for Saturday night's twin bombings that killed 38 people and wounded 155 outside an Istanbul soccer stadium. PKK militants, who have fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast, are based in northern Iraq's mountains and have been regularly targeted by Turkish warplanes since a two-year ceasefire collapsed in July last year.

Today in History Posted: 11 Dec 2016 09:01 PM PST Today in History

10 Things to Know for Monday Posted: 11 Dec 2016 06:02 PM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday.

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