IRAQ

The Iraqi government faced more pressure late Saturday from a surprise sit-in by lawmakers linked to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr amid persistent mass protests across the country.Thousands of Iraqis returned to the streets in the capital Baghdad and across the south over the last two days, defying curfews and violence that has left over 60 dead.Sadr, a firebrand former militia leader, has thrown his weight behind the protests by demanding the government resign and Iraq hold early parliamentary elections.

Iraqi lawmakers linked to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr began an indefinite sit-in on Saturday night at parliament headquarters, two MPs told AFP, amid widespread anti-government protests.A second wave of demonstrations demanding an end to corruption and an overhaul of the political system have rocked the capital Baghdad and the south since late Thursday.Sadr has already demanded the current government resign, but on Saturday members of his Saeroon bloc -- parliament's largest with 54 MPs -- said they would escalate.

Activists called for protests to resume from Friday, but they began hours ahead of schedule on Thursday evening

Iraqi security forces bar the route to protestors trying to reach the Green Zone, which hosts government offices and foreign embassies