Two car bombs have gone off in southern Iraq killing at least 20 people. More than 50 others were injured. Gabriel Gatehouse has the details.

Thousands of Shiite pilgrims have been making their way from across Iraq and beyond to Karbala for an important festival which culminates later this week. Most of the worshipers made the journey on foot and it’s these people who bore the brunt of the blasts. Sectarian violence has declined markedly in Iraq since 2007 when Shiite and Sunni militias fought a bitter civil war. But insurgent attacks continue on a daily basis and Shiite pilgrims remain a frequent target.

The European Union is imposing tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. The measures agreed by EU foreign ministers in Brussels include a halt to new investment in Iran's oil and gas sector. The EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the sanctions targeted people, companies and sectors involved in the nuclear industry, and were designed to get Iran back to the negotiating table. Canada has announced similar sanctions of its own. EU countries and the United States accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran says the program is for peaceful purposes.

World news from the BBC.

The army in Uganda says the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia has no choice but to go on the offensive against Islamist insurgents in the country. The army spokesman told the BBC that this was the only option following this month's deadly bomb attacks in Uganda carried out by the Somali Islamist group al-Shabab. The mandate of the AU force is currently limited to peacekeeping and defending the transitional government. An AU summit in Uganda is discussing whether to increase the number of peacekeepers in Somalia.