Bomb explosions and clashes between rebels and Iraqi forces and US troops have left 23 dead.
Four US soldiers were killed in a bombing on Monday near Haswa, about 50 kilometres south of Baghdad, a defence release said.
Wednesday's attack coincided with the swearing in of the new government led by Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari.
Iraqi captors have killed British hostage Kenneth Bigley, reports Abu Dhabi television.
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied reports that $1 million had been paid as ransom.
Time, quoting a former intelligence analyst, says that insurgents tied to Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi patrol Haifa Street, a busy Baghdad thoroughfare from where the US embassy lies within mortar range.
On Tuesday, devout Shiite Muslims commemorated the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson with mass flagellation ceremonies.
The Saudi and Iraq offer to replace Iranian crude supplies comes with a catch: Higher prices for the same quality of crude. The new government will face a tough decision over fuel price hike, says Aveek Sen.
'It looked as if India had been a major player in science at that time, raising the question when and why things changed,' says distinguished aerospace scientist Professor Roddam Narasimha.
These include 15 headless bodies found inside an abandoned army base in Latifiya.
the suicide car bomber drove into a crowd of people queued up for work at a government office in Hilla, about 96 km south of Baghdad.
Hatim S Kathiria went to the US with dreams of being a software sultan.
The US Army said a member of family 'close' to Saddam provided information about the deposed Iraqi leader's whereabouts.
At least 27 people were dead but the violence had slowed and voting picked up.
'Drone warfare has come to stay.' 'India should exploit the expected Reaper acquisition from the US to build an effective counter terror campaign,' argues Group Captain Murli Menon (retd).
As allies and opponents of the US-led occupation of Iraq swung behind the UN text to legitimise the Baghdad government, saboteurs blew up part of the Kirkuk-Turkey pipeline, the second such attack in less than 24 hours.
Suicide bombers killed 12, including a US soldier, as the UN edged closer to a resolution on Iraq.
The United States and its allies have expanded their war against the Islamic State by launching aggressive airstrikes against an array of targets of the militant group in Syria, the Pentagon has said.
CBS TV says it has "dozens" of pictures - taken by US troops - showing prisoners being subjected to a wide range of maltreatment.
As the Iraqi people prepare to vote in nationwide elections in January, multinational forces are determined to capture or kill those who desire to destabilise the elections process, said a US military statement.
A US jet has bombed a mosque in Fallujah, killing at least 40 inside.
'I have no idea (what did happen). Looks to me like somehow the multinational force didn't stay on top of this,' said the Deputy Secretary of State.
A 30-member Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry business delegation will visit Baghdad to meet the newly appointed ministers and representatives of the UN bodies for renegotiating their contracts worth Rs 500 crore.
Malik Javed, an employee of the Pakistan embassy in Baghdad, was kidnapped April 9 people who claimed to be from the Omar bin Khattab group.
The explosions came a day after American forces regained tenuous control of the rebel stronghold of Samarra, 60 km north of Baghdad, and continued airstrikes on selected targets in the city of Fallujah in the west.
Victory in Ramadi deprives Islamic State militants of their biggest prize of 2015.
