Iraq announces flag design competition

Baghdad: Iraq has announced a competition to design a new flag for the country, and is calling on everyday Iraqis, artists and designers inside and outside Iraq to take part.

Lawmaker Mufeed Al Jazairi announced the competition on Monday. He says interested people have until the end of September to submit their designs.

Al Jazairi says an arbitration committee will select three designs to be presented to parliament, which will vote on a new flag by the end of this year.

Earlier this year, Iraq's parliament voted to strip the three green stars of Saddam Hussain's toppled Baath party from the country's flag.

But parliament kept the script of Allahu Akbar, or God is Great in green.