30 people have been killed and at least 25 others injured in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq.
Police say the bomber blew himself up on a bus in Baghdad. The bus was en route to the southern Shi'ite town of Nassiriyah.
The victims, mostly students, women and children, were people living in Baghdad travelling south for the weekend.
The bus was destroyed and two nearby stalls selling food and drinks were gutted as the explosion sent shrapnel flying.
UN special envoy to Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, has expressed 'serious concern' over continued election-related violence.
Separately, an Iraqi militant group holding four Western peace activists hostage has extended the deadline for their execution by 48 hours.
The original deadline set by the group for the US to release all Iraqi detainees was extended from today to Saturday.
The four men - two Canadians, a Briton and an American - were seized last month in Baghdad by a group calling itself the Swords of Truth.
The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, has renewed calls for the men's release.
