Wave of bombs kills at least 43 in Iraq

Car and roadside bombs killed at least 43 people in cities and towns across Iraq on Tuesday, extending a spate of violence ahead of next week's Arab League summit in Baghdad.
 The deadliest attack occurred in the southern Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala, where twin explosions killed 13 people and wounded 48. In the northern city of Kirkuk, a car bomb exploded near a police headquarters, killing nine people and wounding 42, while in Baghdad, a car bomb near the provincial council building killed four and wounded 11. Blasts also occurred in Baiji, Samarra, Tuz Khurmato, Daquq and Dhuluiya, all north of Baghdad, in Ramadi in the west, and Hilla, Latifiya and Mahmudiya in the south. Police in the northeastern city of Baquba said they had also found and defused eight bombs and police in Falluja in the west said they had defused a roadside bomb.
The toll from all the bombings stood at 43 killed and 232 wounded.
On Monday evening, bombers struck five times in the northern province of Diyala, killing at least three people and wounding more than 30, police said.
The Arab League summit is due to be held in Baghdad on March 27-29, the first time Iraq will host the event in more than 20 years.