A series of bombings struck predominantly Shiite areas in Baghdad today, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens, police said, as insurgents persist in their relentless bid to terrorise the capital in the final days before US and Iraqi soldiers plan to begin a massive crackdown.

A suicide bomber killed four civilians in a crowd outside a police station today in the northern Iraqi city Tal Afar, police said.

At least 15 people were killed and another four injured when a bomb blew up in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighbourhood today, police said.

Parliament approved Iraq’s new national unity government today, achieving a goal it is hoped will reduce widespread violence so that allied forces can eventually go home. But as the legislators met, at least 27 people were killed and 68 wounded in a series of attacks.

A BOMB hidden in a minibus exploded near the offices of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in eastern Baghdad yesterday, killing two Iraqi civilians and wounding three, police said.

A BOMB hidden in a minibus exploded near the offices of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in eastern Baghdad yesterday, killing two Iraqi civilians and wounding three, police said.

Police found 30 more victims of the sectarian slaughter ravaging Iraq – most of them beheaded – dumped on a village road north of Baghdad.

BRITAIN is to cut by 10% the number of troops in Iraq. Defence Secretary John Reid announced yesterday the 800 soldiers could be withdrawn in May because Iraqi forces were now capable of taking over many tactical responsibilities.

IRAQI security forces in bulletproof vests took to the streets in the bloodied capital yesterday to enforce a daytime ban on private vehicles.

Thousands of Muslims rioted in Beirut today, setting fire to the Danish Embassy, burning Danish flags and lobbing stones at a Maronite church to show their anger over caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.

A SUNNI Arab coalition yesterday submitted its list of candidates for the December elections, signalling the intention of many Sunnis to join the political process despite their failure to block ratification of the new constitution.

An attack by a suicide car bomber near an American patrol in southern Baghdad killed two US soldiers and wounded four, an official said today.

Insurgents staged attacks against US forces, schools to be used as polling stations and political party offices today, as they pressed a bloody campaign to undermine Iraq’s weekend elections.

A CLERIC with links to Iran leads the candidate list of Iraq’s mainstream Shi’ite Muslim groups for next month’s election.

A US soldier pleaded guilty today to murdering a severely-wounded 16-year-old Iraqi, the military said.

Strong explosions have been heard in Baghdad’s north-eastern Shiite district of Sadr City this morning following a US warplane blasted three people who were planting a roadside bomb, US officials and witnesses said.

Iraq’s most powerful Shiite cleric arrived home from Britain today and his aides called for a nationwide march to Najaf to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between US forces and Shiite militants in this holy city.

Iraq’s most powerful Shiite cleric was expected to return home from Britain today in a bid to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between US forces and Shiite militants in the holy city of Najaf.

Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr removed their weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf today as a two-week-old uprising centred on the holy site appeared to be drawing to an end.

British journalist James Brandon told today of terrifying beatings and mock executions at the hands of kidnappers in Iraq.

The US military struck a suspected terror network for a third time in a week in Iraq today, firing precision weapons at an alleged safehouse of the group believed behind coordinated attacks that killed more than 100 people this week.

Explosions rocked a compound surrounding the mosque in Kufa, one of Iraq’s holy cities, today.

American gunships and tanks pounded militia positions near two shrines in the centre of the Iraqi holy city of Karbala today,

American troops fought militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr today in the southern city of Karbala, but the city of Najaf was relatively quiet following intense clashes yesterday.

HEAVY gunfire and huge explosions resounded in Karbala yesterday as US forces battled Iraqi militiamen near a gold-domed shrine that is one of the most sacred sites for Shi’ite Muslims.

Gunmen killed two journalists south of Baghdad today, and militiamen loyal to a radical Shiite cleric dug in for a confrontation with US troops, clashing with soldiers in two holy cities.

A year after Saddam Hussein’s statue was toppled in a central Baghdad square, US Marines are battling Sunni Muslims west of the capital.

SHI'ITE Muslim militants were in full control of two key Iraqi cities yesterday as violence escalated and Sunni fighters killed a US marine in the battle for Fallujah.

Militiaman loyal to an anti-US Shiite cleric controlled large swathes of three Iraqi cities today after clashes with US-led coalition forces, while US marines backed by airstrikes fought insurgents for the second day around a mosque in the Sunni Muslim stronghold of Fallujah.