BBC News with Iain Purdon

Federal authorities in the United States have made 115 arrests in what the US Attorney General Eric Holder called the largest ever single-day operation against the mafia. Those detained include prominent members of at least six organised crime families. They face charges ranging from extortion to drug dealing and murder. Mr Holder said it was part of an ongoing battle against the mafia.

"Today's arrests mark an important and encouraging step forward in disrupting La Cosa Nostra's operations. But the reality is that our battle against organised crime enterprises is far from over. This is an ongoing effort, and it must and will remain a top priority for all of us in law enforcement. Members and associates of La Cosa Nostra are among the most dangerous criminals in our country."

Suicide bomb attacks near the Iraqi city of Karbala have killed at least 50 people and injured many more. Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.

The Karbala bombings came despite very stringent security measures to protect the many hundreds of thousands of Shia faithful making their way to the city on foot from all over the country in a pilgrimage that reaches its climax early next week. Even before that, the earlier spate of attacks had prompted questions here about the effectiveness of security arrangements not just for pilgrims but even for the security forces themselves increasingly targeted as American forces withdraw.