British troops have quelled an attack in Basra by hundreds of Iraqi militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the British Ministry of Defence said today.

The US is to bring members of Saddam Hussein’s disbanded Baath party in from the cold – allowing thousands of former army officers and teachers back in their jobs.

BRITAIN’S Prince Charles paid a surprise visit to Iraq yesterday, strolling around one of Saddam Hussein’s old palaces to inspect British troops and share a traditional Arabic coffee with local dignitaries.