Iraqi soldiers hoisted the nation’s flag over the Basra palace compound today after British troops withdrew from their last garrison in the city.

Shia worshippers in three Iraqi cities today suffered bombings and ambushes, killing at least 39 people, during the climax of ceremonies marking Ashoura, the holiest day in the Shia calendar.

A militant Palestinian group that claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Israel today vowed to send suicide bombers to Iraq to fight off US and British forces.