Iraqi lawmakers have approved a law that clears the way for parliament elections early next year.

IRAQ’S parliament yesterday approved the return of a limited number of British troops to Iraq to help protect its southern oil ports.

A series of bombs struck US and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul today killing at least 32 people and wounding dozens.

US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday said Iraq’s national reconciliation has moved along “quite remarkably”, citing a new law that lets thousands of former members of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath party reclaim government jobs or pensions.

American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to Iraq today, scotching rumours that President Bush would travel there himself.

Iraq’s national oil company will develop the country’s giant West Qurna field and decide which foreign companies to work with, the country’s oil minister said today, after meeting with the top executive from the Russian oil giant seeking to resume its work at the field.

Al-Qaida’s Number 2 mocked both US President George Bush and the US Congress bill setting a pullout timetable for US troops from Iraq, in a new insurgent video intercepted tonight by a US-based group.

The UN Security Council today condemned the terrorist attack on Iraq’s parliament “in the strongest terms” and called for national dialogue and reconciliation to restore peace and security in the violence-wracked country.

A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in the Iraqi parliament cafeteria in an assault in the heart of the heavily fortified, US-protected Green Zone today, killing at least eight people including three politicians, the American military said.

Iraq’s Baghdad parliament today voted to extend the country’s state of emergency for 30 more days.

Iraq’s parliament approved new ministers of defence, interior and national security today, ending a three week stalemate among Iraq’s sectarian and ethnic parties over the crucial posts.

Dealing with a civil war in Iraq would be the responsibility of Iraq’s own security forces, at least initially, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Congress yesterday.

No meeting of the Iraqi parliament to decide on the draft constitution will be held today and no date for a new session has been set, said the head of the assembly’s media department.

The Iraqi parliament delayed a session today on whether to approve a new constitution hours before a deadline as faction leaders failed in last-minute talks to agree on a federated state and other divisive issues.

ONE of the Sunni Arabs appointed to a committee to draft Iraq’s constitution was assassinated yesterday in a drive-by shooting.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister today called on Baghdad to accept the UN resolution allowing arms inspectors to return, suggesting the Iraqi parliament’s rejection was the result of “emotions.”

US President George Bush last night scoffed at the Iraqi parliament’s recommendation that the latest United Nations arms-inspection resolution be rejected, calling it “nothing but a rubber stamp for Saddam Hussein.”

President George Bush tonight scoffed at the Iraqi parliament’s recommendation that the latest United Nations arms-inspection resolution be rejected, calling it “nothing but a rubber stamp for Saddam Hussein.”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair today issued a fresh warning to Saddam Hussein after the Iraqi parliament voted unanimously to reject the United Nations resolution calling for disarmament.

The Iraqi parliament today unanimously recommended rejection of a a UN resolution on arms inspections, but said the final decision would be left to President Saddam Hussein.

The Iraqi parliament today unanimously recommended rejection of a UN resolution strengthening the mandate of international arms inspectors, but said the final decision would be left to President Saddam Hussein.