<span style="color: #222222;">In Iraq, security forces fired tear gas and live rounds during clashes with anti-government protesters overnight and this morning in Baghdad. Thirteen demonstrators have been wounded during the clashes.<br />''<br />''The tear gas and live rounds were fired near the city's Sinak Bridge and nearby Tayaran Square, which have been the scene of violence in recent days.<br />''<br />''The security official said, nine arrests have been made so far after the National Security Council authorized security forces to arrest demonstrators.<br />''<br />''In the southern city of Nasiriyah, protesters blocked the highway linking the city to the southern oil-rich province of Basra.<br />''<br />''The uprising began in October when thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to decry rampant government corruption, poor public services and a scarcity of jobs. Protesters are demanding an end to Iraq's sectarian political system, alongside early elections and the stepping aside of its ruling elite. More than 500 people have died under fire from security forces since the protests first erupted.</span><br />