A suicide bomber blew himself up among mourners at a funeral in Saddam Hussein’s hometown today, killing at least 10 people and injuring another 18, police said.

On the day of the first session of Iraq’s new parliament today, and within days of the third anniversary of the US-led invasion, the country lie under the shadow of a feared civil war and politicians report a stalemate over the next government.

A brother of one of Iraq’s two vice presidents was shot and killed today on his way to work in Baghdad, officials said.

Gunmen kidnapped and killed a university professor in southern Iraq and a physician in a central city in separate incidents, police said today.