Iraq's parliament failed Tuesday to elect its speaker, with the interim prime minister and president storming out of the session that exposed deep divides among the National Assembly's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish members. According to The AP, the short session adjourned until this weekend.
The assembly is expected to name a president and two deputies, who in turn will nominate a prime minister. The presidency is due to go to Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani and the prime minister's post to prominent Shiite politician Ibrahim al-Jaafari. However, after Tuesday's session the exact timeline is unclear.
On the ground, one Iraqi was killed and at least 18 other people were reported injured on Tuesday in a car bombing in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The blast took place in a predominantly Kurdish neighbourhood of the city, police said. Five of the wounded were in a serious condition.
Meanwhile, three Romanian journalists have gone missing in Iraq and authorities believe they may have been kidnapped, officials said Tuesday.
According to The AP, the journalists, who went missing Monday, are reporter Marie Jeanne Ion and cameraman Sorin Dumitru Miscoci from Bucharest-based television station Prima TV and daily Romania Libera reporter Ovidiu Ohanesian.
They went missing shortly after an interview with interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the newspaper's director Petre Mihai Bacanu told The Associated Press.
Romania has about 800 troops in Iraq.
