Insurgents have routinely targeted Shiites and Christians in an attempt to undermine the country’s security gains and its Shiite-dominated government. Security forces have voiced concern in recent days that Christmas gatherings and Shiite Ashura holiday observances two days later would draw large-scale attacks.

In the first of Wednesday’s attacks, a bomb exploded near a historic church in the northern city of Mosul, killing two men — both Muslims — and wounding five other people. “Instead of performing Christmas Mass in this church, we will be busy removing rubble and debris,” a priest at the church said.

Later Wednesday, bombs exploded at different times in three Baghdad neighborhoods, killing six Shiite pilgrims preparing for Ashura and wounding 43 others, including women and children, police said.

– Associated Press

RUSSIA

Top court bends in oil tycoon case

In a surprise ruling Wednesday, Russia’s Supreme Court agreed with the European Court of Human Rights that a 2003 decision to arrest a business partner of oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was illegal.

The ruling was not expected to lead to Platon Lebedev’s release, but observers said it did signal a new willingness to come into line with the decisions of the European court, which found in 2007 that Lebedev’s rights had been violated during his arrest and pretrial detention. It was not clear what the ruling’s specific implications would be.

The court decision coincided with a visit to Moscow by the Council of Europe’s secretary general, Thorbjorn Jagland, who discussed human rights issues with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.