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• Al-Maliki, a Shiite, faces a growing challenge from Sunni and Kurdish parties as well as other Shiites within his unity government who accuse him of monopolizing power.
• But al-Maliki also has allies such as President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, whose office must affirm that a petition for a no-confidence vote has enough signatures. Talabani's refusal to ratify the no-confidence campaign's letter is a setback for al-Maliki's opponents, although the constitution gives them other ways of trying for the vote.

• Coalition rebels said in a statement they would keep trying to unseat al-Maliki and to "put an end to the monopoly (on power) and domination" by the prime minister.
• Talabani has close ties to Iran, which has been using its leverage in Iraq to keep al-Maliki in place. Divisions among the prime minister's opponents may also be undercutting the no confidence push.
• ___

• NEW YORK (AP) -- Once upon a time, a quirky film made on a shoestring turned into an unlikely Oscar-winner and, even more improbably, a Broadway show.
• Now, "Once" has completed its Cinderella story, winning the coveted best-musical Tony award Sunday for its bittersweet love story that has captured the

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