Further delays probable for upcoming Iraqi elections after lawmakers amend election bill The Iraqi parliament has amended a new election law, which would see more parliament seats allocated to Kurds in northern Iraq, and a fewer to Sunni Arabs. The law has already been vetoed once by vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi, who, it is expected, will also veto the new draft of the bill. The parliament, however, seems determined to push through some form of electoral reform even though it now seems likely that elections planned for the end of January will be further delayed. The successful holding of the poll is a prerequisite for the proposed US withdrawal of all combat troops by August 2010, before a full withdrawal by 2011. German rail company Deutsche Bahn signs Qatar contract Deutsche Bahn, the company responsible for running and maintaining Germany’s railways, has signed a $25 billion contract to build and operate high-speed railway lines in Qatar and Bahrain. The deal will likely see a new company formed, the Qatar Railway Development Company that would oversee the construction of a new railway line that will ultimately connect the Middle East to Turkey and Europe. Four Hajj pilgrims die from swine flu in Saudi Arabia Four people making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca have died after contracting H1N1, according to Saudi authorities. Three of the victims were in their seventies and the fourth was a girl aged 17. None had received the H1N1 vaccination that some nations, including Egypt and Tunisia made compulsory for those making the journey to Saudi Arabia. Despite the deaths and the apparent risks posed by up to 3 million people converging on Mecca, press reports from Saudi suggest that many pilgrims aren't worried about swine flu. The Saudi government has spent millions of dollars distributing pamphlets, facemasks and anti-bacterial hand sanitisers, whilst preparing over 150 hospitals to receive sick pilgrims and stockpiling 1.5 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine. Leader of UK inquiry into Iraq war promises “thorough job†The man charged with carrying out the inquiry into the UK's decision to invade Iraq has promised that his report will not be a “whitewash”. Sir John Chilcot is under intense pressure to avoid allegations of bias as he prepares to hear from senior politicians and governmental figures about Britain's role in the war. He has promised that he and his team will do “not merely a thorough job but one that is frank and will bear public scrutiny.” With a remit to “consider the UK’s involvement in Iraq, including the way decisions were made and actions taken, to establish, as accurately as possible, what happened and to identify the lessons that can be learned”, the panel of specialists Sir Chilcot leads is expected to hear from former Prime Minister Tony Blair in January. Mr Blair and his role in the Iraq war has been the focus of several reports in the British press this week, with the Telegraph claiming that Blair's plans for war in Iraq had started as early as February 2002 and that he concealed these plans from parliament. BM
