Iraqi cities hit by deadly wave of violence

At least 34 people have been killed in a twin bombing in the south-eastern Iraqi city of Kut, Iraqi officials say.

The two near-simultaneous bomb attacks - one a roadside bomb, the other a car bomb - injured at least 64 people, reports say.
The violence came as other attacks were reported in the country, including in Diyala where 10 people died.
There has been a recent flurry of violence across Iraq, although it is much reduced since a peak in 2006-2007.
The latest violence was quickly condemned by the speaker of parliament, Osama al-Nujaifi.
The blasts appeared to be co-ordinated to go off in the morning and included a combination of parked car bombs, roadside bombs and suicide bombers. But there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
US withdrawal In Kut, which lies 150m (95 miles) south-east of Baghdad, the roadside bomb exploded in a public square in the city, Reuters news agency quoted police as saying.
Then a car bomb detonated when security forces arrived on the scene, police said.
"Hospitals are still receiving casualties, but the situation is under control," Khamis al-Saad, Iraq's deputy health minister, told Reuters.
In Diyala province, at least five blasts resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people.
Two weeks ago, Iraqi political leaders announced they would hold talks with the US over whether to keep a small number of American forces in the country from next year.
All US forces are due to leave the country by the end of the year, but Iraqi and US officials have expressed concern about the ability of Iraqi forces to protect the country.