Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-maliki

With a new Iraqi government finally in place and a growing Mideast consensus on defeating insurgent threats, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraq's Shiite leader on Wednesday to quickly deliver more power to wary Sunnis - or jeopardize any hope of defeating the Islamic State group.

Embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced late Thursday that he was relinquishing his post to his nominated replacement, ending a political deadlock that has plunged the country into uncertainty as it fights a Sunni militant insurgency.

Gunmen attacked a prisoner convoy north of Baghdad on Thursday, setting off a gunbattle with troops in which 52 prisoners and eight soldiers were killed, officials said.

Iraq's prime minister on Sunday condemned the Islamic State extremist group's actions targeting Christians in territory it controls, saying they reveal the threat the jihadists pose to the minority community's "centuries-old heritage."

Kurdish security forces took over two major oil fields outside the disputed northern city of Kirkuk before dawn Friday and said they would use some of the production for domestic purposes, escalating a dispute the central government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The Iraqi soldiers tell of how they can hardly live with the shame of their rout under the onslaught of the Islamic militants. Their commanders disappeared. Pleas for more ammunition went unanswered. Troops ran from post to post only to find them already taken by gunmen, forcing them to flee.

Iraq's parliament is expected to hold an emergency session to vote on declaring a state of emergency after Islamic militants seized key cities in the country's Sunni heartland.

US Vice President Joe Biden has called Iraq's prime minister and parliamentary speaker as leaders in both countries fret about escalating sectarian violence and its ties to al-Qaida.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamil al-Maliki on Saturday assured a secure investment and business climate and asked Indian companies to participate in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will arrive in India today on a four-day visit, the first high-level bilateral visit between the two countries in 38 years.

Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has travelled to Qatar on what the Gulf nation's state news agency called an "official visit." The trip could deepen tensions between Baghdad's Shiite-led government and the Sunni monarchies of the Gulf.

Russia will play a substantial role in the Iraqi economic recovery, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said after Russia-Iraq negotiations.

With a new Iraqi government finally in place and a growing Mideast consensus on defeating insurgent threats, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraq's Shiite leader on Wednesday to quickly deliver more power to wary Sunnis - or jeopardize any hope of defeating the Islamic State group.

Embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced late Thursday that he was relinquishing his post to his nominated replacement, ending a political deadlock that has plunged the country into uncertainty as it fights a Sunni militant insurgency.

Gunmen attacked a prisoner convoy north of Baghdad on Thursday, setting off a gunbattle with troops in which 52 prisoners and eight soldiers were killed, officials said.

Iraq's prime minister on Sunday condemned the Islamic State extremist group's actions targeting Christians in territory it controls, saying they reveal the threat the jihadists pose to the minority community's "centuries-old heritage."

Kurdish security forces took over two major oil fields outside the disputed northern city of Kirkuk before dawn Friday and said they would use some of the production for domestic purposes, escalating a dispute the central government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The Iraqi soldiers tell of how they can hardly live with the shame of their rout under the onslaught of the Islamic militants. Their commanders disappeared. Pleas for more ammunition went unanswered. Troops ran from post to post only to find them already taken by gunmen, forcing them to flee.

Iraq's parliament is expected to hold an emergency session to vote on declaring a state of emergency after Islamic militants seized key cities in the country's Sunni heartland.

US Vice President Joe Biden has called Iraq's prime minister and parliamentary speaker as leaders in both countries fret about escalating sectarian violence and its ties to al-Qaida.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamil al-Maliki on Saturday assured a secure investment and business climate and asked Indian companies to participate in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will arrive in India today on a four-day visit, the first high-level bilateral visit between the two countries in 38 years.

Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has travelled to Qatar on what the Gulf nation's state news agency called an "official visit." The trip could deepen tensions between Baghdad's Shiite-led government and the Sunni monarchies of the Gulf.

Russia will play a substantial role in the Iraqi economic recovery, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said after Russia-Iraq negotiations.