BAGHDAD // A suicide bomber blew up his car today outside government offices in a province west of the Iraqi capital, killing 17 people, including women and elderly people waiting to collect welfare checks, officials said.
Six police officers were also among the dead in the latest strike on a favorite insurgent target, according to police and hospital officials.
At least 23 people were also wounded in today's blast outside the provincial council compound in Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, according to the officials.
Anbar 's deputy governor, Saadoun Obeid, who was at his office when the explosion hit, touching off a fire in the compound, said: "We rushed out of the office complex and saw many people injured and dead, lying on the street. I saw two women who were dead, their bodies burnt."
Mr Obeid said a traffic jam kept the suicide bomber from driving his explosives-laden car to the front gate. Eyewitnesses said the car exploded about 200 metres from the compound, creating a crater several meters wide.
Officials immediately blamed al Qa'eda in Iraq for the attack in Anbar, a former stronghold of al Qa'eda militants and Sunni insurgents that stretches all the way from just west of Baghdad to Iraq's borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Police found a second bomb in a nearby parking lot a few minutes later, but said they detonated it in a safe area. The compound in Ramadi, 115 kilometers west of Baghdad, also houses the Anbar police headquarters and the governor's office.
The chairman of the Anbar council, Jasim Mohammed al Halbusi, put the casualty count much lower, at eight killed and 12 wounded, but said the death toll would probably rise because many of the wounded were in critical condition. Obeid said as many as 57 people were wounded.
Conflicting casualty tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of insurgent attacks in Iraq.
Mr Al Halbusi said the dead and wounded were Anbar residents who had come to the office complex to fill out paperwork or receive government aid.
"The bombing came after a period of calm in the province," Mr al Halbusi said, blaming it on "powers of hatred who killed innocent civilians."
Government officials in Anbar and across Iraq have frequently been targeted by insurgents since shortly after the US-led invasion in 2003 led to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Last December, the Islamic State of Iraq, an al Qa'eda front group, claimed responsibility for an attack on the same compound. That attack caused Anbar's governor, Qasim al Fahadawi, to lose an arm and undergo leg surgery in the United States. Mr Obeid said neither Mr al Fahadawi nor many other senior Anbar officials were in the building during today's strike.
In July, a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a reception room outside Mr al Fahadawi's office. Mr al Fahadawi was not there at the time, but the blast coincided with a trip to Iraq by the US vice-president, Joe Biden, undercutting his optimistic predictions of a peaceful transition of power as the nation was beset by political uncertainty.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
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Rating: 5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
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Started: August 2020
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Investments: Grants/private funding
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
