A suicide truck bomber struck a police station in a mainly Sunni area of Baghdad today, killing at least 18 people, police said, as insurgents apparently step up their campaign against fellow Sunnis seen as collaborating with the US and the Iraqi government.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lashed out at MPs today, ordering them to stop criticising his government and instead declare their loyalty to a unified Iraq - not their religious sects or political parties.

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.

IRAQ’S most influential Shi’ite political leader called yesterday for Sunni-Shi’ite unity as religious figures sought to calm passions and pull the nation from the brink of civil war.

Iraq’s most influential Shiite political leader today called for Sunni-Shiite unity as religious figures sought to calm passions and pull the nation from the brink of civil war after the bombing of a Shiite shrine two days ago and a wave of deadly reprisal attacks.