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Iraqis carry an injured employee at Baghdad's al-Salhiya communications centre after it was hit by a missile during a coalition air raid yesterday.Agence

Baghdad rocked by more blasts on 12th day of war

Two large blasts rocked central Baghdad early on Monday as US and British warplanes kept up a fierce barrage on the Iraqi capital.

Washington too optimistic entering Iraq war: poll

More than half of Americans believe the US government was too optimistic in its assessments of the probable course of the war in Iraq, and one in three would not support the war if more than 500 US troops were to die, according to a poll released early on Monday (HK time).

Casualty toll may be high in battle for Baghdad

The defences of Baghdad do not look much: sandbagged emplacements outside government offices, trenches in parks and palm groves, ditches of blazing oil belching out smoke to interfere with the US and British laser-guided bombs. Six-lane motorways ideal for fast-moving armour snake into the city.

Iraqi suicide bomber offers up a prayer before dying

"After he kissed a copy of the Koran, he got into his booby-trapped car and went to an area where enemy armoured cars and tanks were gathered on the fringes of Najaf and turned his pure body and explosives-laden car into a rocket and blew himself up."

Rumsfeld's strategy is questioned

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's influence in crafting the plan for the Iraq war is facing scrutiny as it becomes apparent the campaign will not be as quick or easy as some American leaders had predicted.

Death and uncertainty put a family's faith to the test

When Americans Jane and Athos Riley heard that their son had been taken prisoner in Iraq, they thought things couldn't get much worse. Then their daughter died.

Father cheers attack on radical Islamists

Nabi Aga sheds no tears at the thought that US special forces are closing in on the mountain hideout of his youngest son and his fellow radical Islamists.

Hundreds turn out at China's first public protests

China allowed its first public protests against the war in Iraq yesterday as hundreds of people demonstrated at several different locations.