World Briefs

Baghdad suicide bomber kills 23
BAGHDAD – A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed car outside a Shi’ite Muslim office in central Baghdad yesterday, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 in an attack bearing the hallmarks of Iraq’s al Qaeda affiliate.

The bombing on a Shi’ite religious office comes at a sensitive time, with the country’s fractious Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs locked in a crisis that threatens to unravel their power-sharing deal and spill into sectarian tension.The attacker targeted the Shi’ite Endowment – a government-run body that manages Shi’ite religious and cultural sites – leaving dead and wounded scattered along a main street nearby and badly damaging its headquarters, police and witnesses said.’It was a powerful explosion, dust and smoke covered the area. At first I couldn’t see anything, but then I heard screaming women and children,’ said policeman Ahmed Hassan, who was at a nearby police station when the bomb went off.5.1 tremor hits quake-struck ItalyROME – The quake-struck Emilia Romagna region in northeast Italy was hit by a 5.1-magnitude quake on Sunday, sparking widespread panic among jittery inhabitants but causing little damage to buildings.No people were hurt in the quake, according to police.The quake hit towns in the Emilia Romagna region just weeks after the area was devastated by two strong tremors which left 23 dead.Thousands of homeless have been living in tent camps or their cars since the quakes on 20 and 29 May.