IRAQ: Iraq's Shias and Kurds said yesterday they expected to strike a deal before the country's new parliament meets again next Thursday, when voting is expected for the positions of president, prime minister and cabinet.
Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani is expected to become president, with Shia Ibrahim Jaafari the preferred candidate for prime minister.
The post-January election talks have struggled over who would fill top government positions and Kurdish demands for an extension of their de-facto autonomous territory to include the oil city of Kirkuk.
Iraqis have become frustrated with the prolonged talks and say politicians have left a vacuum, allowing insurgents to step up attacks.