Gunmen attacked a minibus carrying Shiites north-east of Baghdad today, killing six men and wounding one woman, an official said. Elsewhere, at least 20 others were killed, many in drive-by shootings.

Sunni Arabs are ready to end their boycott of talks to form a new government if rival Shiites return mosques seized in last week’s sectarian attacks and meet other unspecified demands, a Sunni official said today.

The family of American journalist Jill Carroll issued another public appeal for her release today, a week before a deadline set by her Iraqi kidnappers for their demands to be met or they will kill her.

Iraq’s state television has begun broadcasting appeals for the release of kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll including footage of her mother and a major Sunni Arab politician describing the 28-year-old freelancer as a friend of Iraq.

Al-Jazeera aired a new video today of what appears to be kidnapped US journalist Jill Carroll wearing a veil and weeping.

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S chief lawyer yesterday said that the deposed Iraqi president wanted British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush tried on allegations of committing war crimes.

The US military handed over five Iraqi women to their families today, a demand sought by militants holding a kidnapped American journalist.

THE family of an American reporter abducted in Baghdad appealed for mercy after her captors threatened to kill her if US authorities don’t release all Iraqi women in military custody by tomorrow.

A US Senate committee probing corruption in the UN oil-for-food programme released new evidence purporting to show that two leading politicians from Britain and France received millions of barrels of Iraqi oil in exchange for their support of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

A new form of hunting which allows participants to shoot wild boar and antelope by a simple click of the mouse is stirring up great controversy in the United States.

British MP George Galloway accepted undisclosed High Court libel damages and a public apology today over an article which said he had opposed the conflict in Iraq because he had been paid by Saddam’s regime.

SUSPENDED Labour MP George Galloway yesterday said British Prime Minister Tony Blair should investigate forged documents which alleged he took millions of pounds from Saddam Hussein.

Suspended British Labour MP George Galloway today attacked the newspaper which has apologised for claiming the anti-war campaigner had taken millions of pounds from Saddam Hussein.

GEORGE GALLOWAY has been suspended from the Labour Party pending “internal party investigations”.

An American freelance journalist has been ordered out of Iraq by the Pentagon for revealing the location of a Marine unit during a television interview.