Separate air crashes killed four American and four Italian troops, officials said today, and the governor of Anbar province was killed during clashes between US forces and the insurgents who abducted him three weeks ago.

INSURGENTS in Iraq staged a series of car bombings and other attacks yesterday, killing at least 27 people and wounding dozens a day after the country's first democratic government was approved.

Insurgents unleashed a series of deadly attacks today, including 10 car bombings in and around the capital, the day after the country’s first democratically elected government was approved.