The U.S. military in Iraq says a suicide car bombing has killed four American soldiers and an interpreter in the northern city of Mosul.
The bombing happened Monday in a city the U.S. military considers to be al-Qaida in Iraq's last urban stronghold. It was the deadliest attack against U.S. forces in nine months.
It happened as Iraqi lawmakers failed yet again to elect a parliamentary speaker, postponing debate on the country's budget.
Officials say lawmakers plan to meet again next week to try to fill the post, which has been vacant nearly two months because of political rivalries.
Without a speaker, parliament cannot debate or approve a new budget and oil laws considered key to rebuilding the country.
Five candidates are vying to replace Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who resigned last December.
The controversial Sunni politician stepped down after insulting lawmakers during a heated debate about foreign troops in Iraq.
Separately, an Iraqi military spokesman told VOA's Kurdish service a roadside bomb killed a guard and wounded four others Monday in oil-rich Naft Khaneh, near the Iranian border.
Further north in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, officials say another roadside bomb wounded one person in an attack targeting a police patrol.
Kirkuk is home to many ethnic groups, each of which envisions a different future for the disputed area.
The large Kurdish community wants Kirkuk to be incorporated into the Kurdistan autonomous region. But many Arabs and some Turkmen want the city to remain under the control of Iraq's central government.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
