Iraq's parliament approved key leadership positions today in the first step towards forming a new government, after a breakthrough deal that returns Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to office.

Iraq’s prime minister Nouri al-Maliki will return to power for another four-year term after MPs working late into the night agreed on a deal to form a new government.

A wave of bombings targeting Baghdad’s Christian community killed at least four people and wounded 19 today less than two weeks after a siege at a Baghdad church left scores dead.

President Barack Obama will mark a promise kept in a speech today, declaring the end of America’s combat mission in Iraq and wagering the wobbly Baghdad government can hold together against a still-dangerous uprising.

A session of the Iraq parliament expected today will not be held as discussions faltered again over the formation of a new government, a politician from the country's largest Shiite bloc said.

A suicide bomber driving a minibus blew himself up in front of the Baghdad office of a popular Arabic news station today, killing six people, and burying a politician alive under the rubble of his collapsed home.

Two people have been killed and seven injured, some critically, after a suicide bomber blew herself up in a Governor's compound in Iraq's western Anbar Province.

US vice president Joe Biden landed today in Baghdad on what appeared to be a dual mission: to visit US troops during the Fourth of July weekend and coax Iraqi leaders into ending their government impasse.

Iraq’s new parliament convened for just less than 20 minutes today in what was little more than a symbolic inaugural session because of unresolved differences over key government positions, three months after inconclusive elections.

Iraq’s new parliament convened today, more than three months after inconclusive national elections left the country in political limbo.

IRAQI election officials argued publicly with supporters of the prime minister who demanded a halt to a partial recount of votes just as the process got under way, a sign of tensions over the measure that could change the outcome of the closely fought contest.

Thousands of Iraqis marched through the city of Najaf today for an annual march to mark the anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.

A co-ordinated al Qaida bombing attack on apartment buildings across Baghdad killed at least 39 people today in the latest sign Iraq’s fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of its unresolved election.

The vote winner in Iraq’s parliamentary elections said today he wanted to negotiate with all parties to form a government that can restore Iraq’s place in the Arab and Muslim world.

Iraq’s secular former prime minister edged out Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as final results of the parliamentary elections were released today.

Iraqis anxiously awaited the final result in their parliamentary election today amid fears the expected razor-thin margin could spark violence.

Iraq’s president today called for a recount in this month’s parliamentary elections.

A secular challenger to Iraq’s prime minister has again edged ahead in parliamentary elections now that the vote count is nearly complete.

The Iraqi prime minister’s bloc said today it has started laying the groundwork to form a coalition government after preliminary election results showed it winning in at least two southern provinces.

Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition took an early lead in the country’s key election according to results today.

Iraq was counting the votes today in national elections whose run-up cost scores their lives in insurgent attacks.

US president Barack Obama praised Iraqis who turned out to vote in national elections despite “acts of violence” to discourage participation.

Iraqis voted today in an election testing the mettle of the country’s still-fragile democracy as insurgents killed 25 people across the Iraq, unleashing a barrage of mortars intent on disrupting the historic day.

Iraqis voted today in an election testing the mettle of the country’s still-fragile democracy as insurgents killed eight people across the capital with a barrage of mortars intent on disrupting the day.

Saddam Hussein’s former deputy has vowed that loyalists to the deposed dictator will continue fighting until the US withdraws from Iraq, according to an interview published today.

Iraq’s political crisis worsened today as five more ministers announced a boycott of Cabinet meetings – leaving the embattled prime minister’s unity government with no members affiliated with Sunni political factions.

Iraq’s beleaguered prime minister Nouri al-Maliki today warned against “conspiracies” in foreign capitals against his government.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has accepted the resignation of Justice Minister Hashim al-Shebli and named a temporary replacement.

Police found nine severed heads in fruit boxes near a volatile city north-east of Baghdad today, authorities said, the second such discovery in less than a week.

Gunmen in police uniforms staged a brazen daylight raid on bus stations in central Baghdad today, kidnapping at least 50 people, including would-be travellers, merchants and vendors selling tea and sandwiches.

Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-Maliki said today that the formation of the Cabinet was “mostly complete,” but an influential Shiite group and some Sunni Arab politician signalled the deal was far from done.

The Bush administration is sending a stay-the-course message on Iraq on the third anniversary of the US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, although a top military commander acknowledges the insurgency is more fierce than expected.

VIOLENCE continued across Iraq yesterday on the eve of the anniversary of the US-led invasion.

Leaders of Iraq’s main political blocs began a round of marathon meetings today with the US ambassador in an attempt to reach agreement on a broad-based government.

Prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari today cancelled a meeting with Iraq’s political leaders after they agreed to mount a campaign to deny him another term in a bid to jump-start stalled talks on a new national unity government.

SHI’ITE lawmakers yesterday chose Ibrahim al-Jaafari to be Iraq’s new prime minister, taking a key step in forming a government nearly two months after national elections, officials said.

Shiite lawmakers today chose Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to head the new government, selecting the incumbent by a one-vote margin over Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Shiite officials said.

Shiite religious parties captured the biggest number of parliament seats in last month’s election but not enough to govern without partners, according to the first official returns.

AN ALLIANCE of Shi’ite religious parties won the most seats in Iraq’s new parliament, results showed yesterday, but not enough to rule without coalition partners as Sunni Arabs gained seats over previous ballots.

SUNNI Arab and secular groups refused yesterday to open discussions with the Shiite religious bloc, leading in Iraq's parliamentary elections, until a full review of the contested results is carried out.

Sunni Arab and secular groups refused to open discussions with the Shiite religious bloc leading in Iraq’s parliamentary elections until a full review of the contested results is carried out.

A UNITED NATIONS official said yesterday that Iraq’s recent parliamentary elections, which have given a strong lead to the Shi’ite religious bloc dominating the current government, were credible and that there was there was no justification in calls for a rerun.

MUNICIPAL workers in the Shi’ite holy city of Karbala have found remains believed to be from a mass grave dating to 1991, when Saddam Hussein’s regime put down a Shi’ite uprising in the south.

Preliminary results released from ballots cast by expatriate Iraqis and an early vote carried out for soldiers, hospital patients and prisoners, showed a coalition of Kurdish parties and the main Shiite religious bloc each taking about a third of the vote.