Gunmen on Wednesday threw a hand grenade at the office of Iraq's parliament deputy speaker, Shakhwan Abdullah, in the northern city of Kirkuk, a security official said.
The Iraqi News Agency said damage to the building was minimal and no casualties were reported.
Mr Abdullah, who is affiliated with the powerful Kurdistan Democratic Party, described the attack as a "terrorist and cowardly act".
He said the attack was a "desperate attempt to disturb stability and security in the city".
Iraqi security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident.
Mr Abdullah was appointed to the position nearly a week ago after Iraq's new parliament elected Sunni legislator Mohammed Al Halbousi as speaker.
Hakim Al Zamili, who ran for populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr’s party, was elected as Mr Halbousi’s first deputy speaker. Mr Abdulla was voted in as a second deputy during the session.
The development was an important step towards establishing a new government three months after a national election.
Over the past few days, Baghdad experienced attacks against the offices of politicians, civilians, and security personnel, using firearms, explosive devices and hand grenades.
On Saturday a hand grenade was tossed into the office of Sunni politician Abdul-Karim Abtan Al Jubouri in Baghdad’s south-west neighbourhood of Sayyidiyah.
Last Friday, unknown gunmen attacked the Baghdad offices of two main Sunni parties. No injuries were reported in the attacks against the Taqadum party, led by Mr Al Halbousi, and the Azim coalition headed by tycoon Khamis Al Khanjar.
Security officials reported only minor damage.
Two people were hurt when two explosions rocked Baghdad late on Sunday, when the bombs simultaneously detonated at two branches of privately-owned banks in Baghdad’s Karrada neighbourhood.
The outcome of the country's early election showed the Sadrist bloc led by Mr Al Sadr as the biggest group with 73 seats, prompting an unsuccessful challenge to the election result by his Shiite rivals.
They include former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, whose State of Law bloc won 33 seats, and the Iran-backed Fatah Alliance, which won 17 seats in the 329-member Iraqi Parliament.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Most wanted allegations
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- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
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