At least 40 killed in Iraq bombings

A double truck bombing tore through a Shiite community near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today, while a series of blasts struck Baghdad in a wave of pre-dawn violence which killed at least 40 people, according to officials.

The attacks provided a grim example of US military warnings that insurgents are expected to step up efforts to derail security gains as the Americans scale back their presence and political tensions rise in advance of national elections next year.