One day after Iraq’s National Assembly approved the country’s first democratically-elected government, insurgents launched a series of attacks in the country today, killing at least 14 Iraqis and wounding 50, officials said.

IRAQ’S deputy president Rowsch Shways said talks on a new government between the main Shi’ite alliance and Kurds would continue after parliament meets for the first time on Wednesday.

IRAQ’S main Shi’ite alliance proposed a religious conservative for prime minister yesterday, signalling that he will almost certainly get the job after the alliance’s success in last month’s election.

Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket’s candidate for Iraq’s next prime minister today, after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid.

Former Washington favourite Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid to be the next prime minister of Iraq today.

Recent information links one of Saddam Hussein’s most notorious former generals to the massacres of Shiites in southern Iraq, a human rights group said today.

Top Shiite politicians in Iraq have failed to reach a consensus on their nominee for prime minister, shifting the two-man race to a secret ballot and exposing divisions in the winning alliance.

LEADERS of the Shi’ite political alliance that won Iraq’s election failed to agree on a single nominee for prime minister yesterday.

Leaders of the Shiite political alliance that won Iraq’s election failed to agree on a single nominee for prime minister today.

THE contest for Iraq's next prime minister narrowed yesterday after French-educated finance minister Adel Abdul Mahdi stood down from consideration within the Shi'ite alliance that won the most votes in the elections.

Mariam Fam, Baghdad

US AUTHORITIES are investigating why $300 million in American bills was taken out of Iraq’s Central Bank this month and flown to Lebanon.

SEVEN truck drivers held hostage in Iraq since July were freed yesterday after a $500,000 (€411,000) ransom was paid.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire today on a convoy carrying former Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi in an apparent assassination attempt that wounded two of his bodyguards, Chalabi’s spokesman said.

SADDAM HUSSEIN scrapped all Iraqi weapons of mass destruction after the first Gulf War, his chief nuclear scientist has claimed.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said today it had “no intention” of arresting former Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi in the near future on counterfeiting charges, despite an arrest warrant issued by an Iraqi court.

AHMAD Chalabi, the former Iraqi Governing Council member who fell out of favour with the US, has returned to Iraq to face counterfeiting charges, an official in his party said yesterday.

Ahmad Chalabi, a former governing council member wanted in Iraq on counterfeiting charges, has returned to the country to face the charges, an official from his political party said today.

Former Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi and his nephew Salem – head of the tribunal trying Saddam Hussein – have dismissed charges against them as "ridiculous".

The interrogation of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has stopped until he appoints lawyers, the director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal said.

Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein appeared before an Iraqi judge in Baghdad today to hear charges of crimes committed during his 24-year rule, the Arab language television stations Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya reported.

Saddam Hussein and 11 of his top lieutenants will not be asked to respond to specific charges when they appear today before an Iraqi judge today.

IRAQ'S new authorities took legal control of Saddam Hussein and 11 others in Baghdad yesterday, setting the stage for a court appearance for the former Iraqi dictator to face war crimes charges on his 24 years in power.

Iraq’s new authorities took legal control of Saddam Hussein and 11 others in Baghdad today, setting the stage for a court appearance to face war crimes charges on his 24 years in power.

Legal custody of Saddam Hussein and 11 others was transferred to the Iraqis today, an international official said in Baghdad.

Iraqis and the world will get their first glimpse of Saddam Hussein since his capture in December when he and 11 of his top lieutenants are brought to court tomorrow to face war crimes charges likely to include the 1988 chemical weapons massacre of Kurds and the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

SADDAM HUSSEIN could face the death penalty, the head of Iraq's war crimes tribunal said yesterday.

Saddam Hussein could face the death penalty, the head of Iraq’s war crimes tribunal said today.

Iraqi authorities hope to file criminal charges against Saddam Hussein and others in the former regime before the June 30 transfer of sovereignty to the new government, a senior official said today.

TWO car bombs exploded in separate cities in Iraq yesterday, killing at least 14 Iraqis and one US soldier. Dozens were wounded, including 10 soldiers.

Fighting raged in the Shiite holy city of Kufa early today, killing two US soldiers and further eroding a deal to halt clashes with followers of a radical Muslim cleric.

A Shiite surgeon, who survived a Saddam Hussein ordered assassination attempt in London while in exile, tonight appears set to Iraq’s new prime minister.

Iraq’s governing council has reacted with fury after police backed by American soldiers raided the home and offices of Ahmad Chalabi, a prominent politician once groomed by the Pentagon as a possible replacement for Saddam Hussein.

Ahmed Chalabi was once the Pentagon’s favourite Iraqi – seen as a possible president following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Ahamd Chalabi, once the Pentagon’s favourite Iraqi, found himself the target of a US army raid in Baghdad today.

US soldiers and Iraqi police surrounded the residence of Iraqi political leader Ahmad Chalabi today, and an aide said the troops raided the house to search for fugitives.

Saddam Hussein will recognise no court if he goes to trial in Iraq, where a “justice of vengeance” would be meted out, the French lawyer on a team defending the toppled Iraqi dictator said in Paris.

The head of Iraq’s war-crimes tribunal said today that the United States had pledged to hand over Saddam Hussein and about 100 other suspects to Iraqi authorities before July 1, when Iraq assumes sovereignty from its US-led occupiers.

The United Nations envoy who is helping draft an Iraqi interim government urged President George W Bush’s administration today to “tread carefully” in besieged Fallujah and avoid alienating an already angry populace.

The new Iraqi army will start recruiting former senior officers from Saddam Hussein’s military and today also lifted a ban on members of Saddam’s disbanded Baath party from teaching in schools.

Iraqi leaders have set up a tribunal of judges and prosecutors to try ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

IRAQ is still intent on trying former leader Saddam Hussein at home despite his current status as a prisoner of war in US hands, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said yesterday.

An interim Iraqi constitution, put together after a stormy debate in Baghdad, established a bill of rights and struck compromises on the structure of a future presidency and the role of Islam.

Saddam Hussein has been captured alive in his hometown of Tikrit, a member of the US-appointed Governing Council said.