Iraq's new gov't to include Sunni-backed bloc

Iraq's squabbling politicians have agreed to return Shiite Nuri al-Maliki as prime minister, ending an eight-month deadlock that raised the specter of new sectarian violence.

The deal on the top government posts brings together Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds in a power-sharing arrangement that could help forestall a slide back into Shiite-Sunni bloodshed that raged after the 2003 US-led invasion which ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. (Reuters)