Iraqi PM al-Jaafari cancels govt talks

Prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari today cancelled a meeting with Iraq’s political leaders after they agreed to mount a campaign to deny him another term in a bid to jump-start stalled talks on a new national unity government.

Al-Jaafari had called the meeting to discuss ways to resolve the political stand-off and contain a surge of sectarian violence that has pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.