In Iraq, former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is holding a slight lead over current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in early returns from last week’s national elections. With 80 percent of votes counted, Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc is ahead of Maliki’s State of Law bloc by around 9,000 votes. It appears likely no political bloc will win enough votes on its own to avoid forming a coalition with other parties.