Iraq elections still on despite increasing violence

The governor of the Baghdad region, known for co-operating closely with American troops, was assassinated along with six bodyguards as he drove to work in yet another bloody day of insurgent attacks that exposed grave security flaws in Iraq with elections less than a month away.

Other assaults yesterday killed five American troops as well as eight Iraqi commandos and two civilians, bringing the death toll in the last three days to more than 70.