AUDIENCE seats for Tony Blair’s highly-anticipated appearance before the Iraq inquiry will be allocated by public ballot, it was announced yesterday.

Downing Street closely managed efforts to try to stabilise Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion of 2003, the inquiry into the conflict was told today.

Iraqi forces battled with Shiite militia today for control of the southern oil port of Basra.

Iraq’s prime minister distanced himself from a raid by US and Iraqi forces today on Sadr City – the stronghold of the Shiite militia led by radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al Sadr.