AFP - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki took a slender lead over his rivals on Friday, preliminary results from the country's general election showed, as opposition blocs alleged blatant fraud.

AP - The Iraqi prime minister's bloc said Friday it has started laying the groundwork to form a coalition government, signaling growing confidence after preliminary election results showed it winning in at least three provinces in the southern Shiite heartland.

AFP - European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton will next week be urged to lodge a formal protest over "widespread fraud" during the Iraqi election count.

AFP - A senior member of Iraq's main secular opposition bloc on Friday protested of blatant fraud in favour of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during Iraq's general election last weekend.

AFP - A Briton held hostage in Iraq for more than two-and-a-half years has revealed harrowing details of the torture meted out to him by his captors.

AP - As the U.S. military prepares to leave Iraq, the State Department is blaming the Iraqi government for arbitrary killings of civilians and other human rights abuses.

AFP - The United States reported Thursday that US-backed governments in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq had mixed results in protecting human rights in 2009.

AFP - Initial results from Iraq's election released on Thursday put Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's bloc ahead in two predominantly Shiite provinces.

AFP - The commander of US forces in Iraq has predicted it would take "a couple of months" for leaders to form a post-election government but downplayed fears of instability.

AFP - The commander of US troops in Iraq on Tuesday praised Oscar-winning drama "The Hurt Locker," saying that unlike some media coverage it showed the complexities on the field.

AP - The U.S. military says two American soldiers have died in a vehicle accident in Iraq.