A folklore dancing troupe was banned from performing their dance routine at the opening of fourth annual Al Marbud festival in Basra, Iraq, due to local government officials claiming the dance was too liberal. In response, the group's female dancers came out for the performance dressed in the typical Islamic veil. The group's trainer, Jabar Belal, told the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat that the group chose a patriotic song about Iraq for their number. "We chose that song to please the festival organizers along with dance routines that will not upset them," Belal said. Al Hayat added that the orders for the higab, or Islamic veil, was employed after a member of the local government saw a rehearsal on television with the female dancers wearing their normal attire. He called what they were wearing "indecent. "

A British soldier serving in Iraq is the doppelganger of Britain's Prince Harry. Serviceman Wayne Ayers not only looks just like the prince, but at 22 he is the same age and drives the same Scimitar tank in his regiment. The similarity is so great his comrades have nicknamed him Prince Harry, but there is a fear that Wayne may be targeted by terrorists who believe he is the prince.

Britain's Prince Harry's fellow soldiers have bought ginger wigs to wear in Iraq, in a comical bid to stop insurgents identifying the young royal. The prince's Blues and Royals colleagues purchased 12 ginger wigs as a joke, and Harry, 22, is said to have found the prank hilarious. According to Britain's The Sun newspaper, redheaded Harry was genuinely touched by the humorous show of support, after questions were raised about the safety-implications surrounding his deployment in the war-torn country.

Soldiers from Britain's Princes William and Harry's Army regiment are reeling in shock after a thief stole their war medals. The culprit forced open more than 15 lockers at the Household Cavalry's Windsor Comberemere Barracks, escaping with six medals earned by soldiers who bravely fought the Taliban last year.