State of emergency declared in Basra

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today declared a state of emergency in the southern city of Basra, amid mounting violence, officials said.

Al-Maliki declared the month-long state of emergency during a visit to the city, 340 miles south-east of Baghdad, said Syed Muhammad al-Haidari, a top Shiite official who was travelling with the prime minister.