4/7/15

* Iraqi teams exhume mass graves of soldiers in Tikrit Iraqi forensic teams are exhuming bodies from the suspected mass graves of soldiers killed by Islamic State (IS) militants while they controlled the city of Tikrit.

* Yemen conflict: Aden a 'ghost city' as death toll rises The battle for the Yemeni port of Aden has turned it into a "ghost city", the head of the ICRC has told the BBC.

* Together in Tehran, Erdogan and Rouhani call for end to bloodshed in Yemen Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani agreed to boost trade and signed a slew of deals at a meeting on Tuesday, but steered clear of directly addressing differences over conflict-ridden Yemen.

* Americans Help Raise Anti-ISIS Christian Militia in Iraq After fighting with rebels in Libya and embracing the revolt in Syria, Matthew VanDyke has rolled up in northern Iraq, but the celebrity American revolutionary-cum-filmmaker has traded his fatigues for a three-piece suit.

* Tehran to showcase '839' Holocaust cartoons in order to highlight Western hypocrisy Individuals from fifty countries are scheduled to participate in the Second International Holocaust Cartoon Contest to be held in Iran in early May, according to multiple Iranian media outlets.

* 'Iran and US irritating each other with conflicting statements on nuclear deal' Iran and the United States have irritated each other with conflicting statements made about the nuclear framework agreement reached last week in Switzerland, the lead US negotiator said on Tuesday.

* Watch: Israel threatened with 'electronic Holocaust' on April 7 The hacker group Anonymous said that they will attempt to hack a number of Israeli websites on Tuesday, with cyber attacks possibly beginning on Monday.

* Thousands of Christians from around globe celebrate Easter in Old City As thousands of Christians from around the world made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem's Old City on a sunny Easter Sunday afternoon, many expressed awe of being so close to history, as well as hope for a peaceful future.

* 'Arab League to submit timetable for an end to Israel's occupation' Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, said on Monday that a special committee of Arab League ministers will publish a detailed timetable "for an end to Israel's occupation."

* Greece ready to pay debts, but flirting with Moscow Greece reassured its lenders on debt commitments over the Easter weekend, but is continuing to cast doubt on its long-term relationship with the EU ahead of a visit to Moscow by prime minister Alexis Tsipras.