Few Iraqi MPs managed to attend a rare emergency legislative session today after a suicide bomber ripped through their cafeteria in a brazen attack inside Baghdad’s US-guarded Green Zone.

A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in the Iraqi parliament cafeteria in an assault in the heart of the heavily fortified, US-protected Green Zone today, killing at least eight people including three politicians, the American military said.

Two Iraqi politicians were killed today when a bomb rocked the parliament building in the heavily-fortified Baghdad Green Zone.

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.

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 Shiite alliance nominated tough-talking politician Jawad al-Maliki as prime minister, in a move that broke the long impasse over forming a new government to pull the country out of its sectarian strife.

THE political impasse over Iraq’s new government tightened yesterday as Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari’s party indicated it was standing firm for him to keep the post despite opposition from Sunni Arabs and Kurds.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari’s party will stick by him as the Shiite nominee for a second term and will put forward the name of a new candidate only if the premier decides to step aside, a top party official said today.

A top Shiite politicians today said names of selections for top posts in the new Iraqi government must be agreed upon before parliament can convene next week, casting doubt on whether the legislature will meet as announced.

SHI’ITE politicians failed yesterday to resolve the deadlock over their candidate for prime minister, which is blocking formation of a new government.

Insurgents blew up a small Shiite mosque north-east of Baghdad today, while police reported the discovery of nearly 40 bodies in several neighbourhoods of the Iraqi capital. The US military reported the death of three American soldiers.

Sunni Arab politicians called today for a government of national unity and signalled they will use their increased numbers in parliament to curb the power of rival Shiites who have claimed the biggest number of seats in the new legislature.

AN ALLIANCE of Shi’ite religious parties won the most seats in Iraq’s new parliament, results showed yesterday, but not enough to rule without coalition partners as Sunni Arabs gained seats over previous ballots.

The election commission today announced that an alliance of Shiite religious parties won the biggest number of seats in Iraq’s new parliament, but too few to rule without coalition partners.

THOUSANDS of angry Shi’ites rallied yesterday in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum against a spree of attacks that killed almost 200 people and to protest what they claim was American backing for Sunni Arabs politicians who have supported insurgent groups.

Thousands of angry Shiites today rallied in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum against a spree of attacks that killed almost 200 people and to protest what they claim was American backing for Sunni Arabs politicians who have supported insurgent groups.

Sunni Arab and secular political groups joined forces today to decide whether to reject the results of last week’s parliamentary election and call for a revote.

RESIDENTS fled an Iraqi town on the Syrian border yesterday during a lull in fighting between 3,500 US and Iraqi troops and suspected al-Qaida insurgents armed with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

IRAQ’S landmark constitution was adopted by a majority of voters during the country’s October 15 referendum, as Sunni Arab opponents failed to muster enough support to defeat it.

Iraqi officials are investigating “unusually high” numbers of “yes” votes in about a dozen provinces during the landmark referendum on a new constitution, raising questions about possible ballot fraud.

Iraq’s constitution seemed assured of passage today despite strong opposition from Sunni Arabs who turned out in surprisingly high numbers in an effort to stop it.

Iraqi negotiators have reached a breakthrough deal on the constitution, and at least one Sunni Arab party said it would now urge its followers to approve the charter in this weekend’s referendum.

US and UN officials urged the Shiite-led government to reverse last-minute changes to voting rules for a referendum on Iraq’s new constitution and head off a threatened Sunni boycott.

Thousands of Sunni demonstrators rallied in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit today to denounce Iraq’s new constitution a day after negotiators finished the new charter without the endorsement of Sunni Arabs.

Thousands of Sunni demonstrators rallied in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit on today to denounce Iraq’s new constitution – a day after negotiators finished the new charter without the endorsement of Sunni Arabs.

The US military has released 1,000 prisoners from Abu Ghraib jail after Iraqi authorities requested they be set free.

IRAQI negotiators finished the country's new constitution yesterday without the endorsement of Sunni Arabs who helped prepare it, dealing a blow to the Bush administration.

Sunni Arab negotiators in a joint statement today rejected the Iraqi draft constitution and asked the United Nations and Arab League to intervene.

President George Bush today asked Americans to be patient with the military mission in Iraq as he faced a weekend of boisterous anti-war rallies planned in his hometown of Crawford in Texas and a new survey showing less than half of those polled supported his Iraq policy.

The United States military has released nearly 1,000 prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison after Iraqi authorities requested that they be set free, a military statement issued in Baghdad said today.

A top Sunni Arab negotiator said today that no agreement has been reached on the draft constitution and called on Iraqis to reject it in the October 15th referendum.

Iraqi leaders again delayed a vote on a draft constitution, in another dramatic last-minute stand-off.

Iraqi politicians tried to reach compromises with Sunni Arab leaders today on the country’s draft constitution, one day after synchronised bombings near at a bus station and nearby hospital killed up to 43 people in the capital.

Iraqi politicians are scrambling to reach a deal as today’s deadline to finish the country’s new constitution looms.

A suicide car bomber struck a US convoy waiting at a crossroads today in central Baghdad, killing seven people – including one American soldier – and wounding more than 90. More than a dozen others died in scattered attacks across the capital.

A blinding sandstorm in Baghdad forced the postponement of a meeting scheduled by Iraqi political leaders to discuss issues blocking agreement on a new constitution, President Jalal Talabani’s office announced.