Large demonstrations broke out across Iraq today to denounce parliamentary elections that protesters called rigged in favour of the main religious Shiite coalition.

Eight Iraqi soldiers have died and another 17 have been injured in an attack on a checkpoint north of Baghdad this morning.

Insurgents today killed 19 Iraqi soldiers and wounded four others in a co-ordinated ambush northeast of Baghdad just two days after the deadliest attack against United States Marines in four months.

Insurgents killed a dozen Iraqi police and soldiers today during attacks in a province north of Baghdad, officials said.