Police and rescue crews sifted through the rubble of a mosque and dozens of damaged homes today looking for survivors of the worst attack in Iraq this year - a truck bombing blamed on al-Qaida that killed 72 people.

The Iraqi president today raised objections to the planned execution of Saddam Hussein’s former defence minister, who is due to be hanged with two other former regime officials for their roles in a massacre of Kurds.

A SHARPLY divided US House of Representatives voted yesterday to order President George W Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year — a victory for Democrats in an epic war-powers struggle and Congress’ boldest challenge yet to the administration’s policy.

Iraq’s Sunni deputy prime minister was wounded today in a suicide bombing near the heavily fortified Green Zone that killed as many as six, authorities said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today promised to crack down on sectarian gangs in Basra and declared a month-long state of emergency in the southern city amid increasing violence in the restive region.