Two car bombs in Baghdad have killed at least 22 Iraqis and wounded about 80 others.
Authorities say both bombs exploded near police targets in eastern Baghdad. The dead include police and civilians.
Separately, Iraqi officials say the bodies of 60 men who were tortured and shot to death were found overnight in the capital, apparent victims of sectarian death squads.
In other news, a militant group in Iraq is threatening to kill a Turkish hostage unless his employer shuts down its operations in Iraq within 72 hours.
The U.S. military announced Wednesday that two more American soldiers were killed in combat.
Meanwhile, the lead prosecutor in the trial of Saddam Hussein has asked the chief judge to step down. The prosecutor said the judge has allowed the court to become a political forum for Saddam and his co-defendants. The judge dismissed the request, saying he treats everyone fairly.
Saddam and six co-defendants are accused of ordering the killing of tens of thousands of Iraqi Kurds during the 1980s.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.