A suicide bomber in the northern city of Tikrit and gunmen in the Iraqi capital killed a total of seven people today, officials said.

A body found in Iraq resembling a Japanese hostage held by Islamic militants has been examined and is unlikely to be that of the civilian captive, Japan’s top government spokesman said today.

A body found in Iraq resembles a Japanese civilian taken hostage by Islamic militants and threatened with death, but the government has not yet positively identified it, a Japanese government official said today.