A demonstrator gestures as he stands close to burning tires blocking a road, during a protest over unemployment, corruption and poor public services, in Baghdad, Iraq Oct. 2, 2019. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters) Much of Iraq woke up to a curfew and an Internet blackout Thursday, as the government tried to quell widening protests as the death toll among demonstrators rose. Hundreds have been wounded and at least 18 killed, medical officials say, since security forces used tear gas and live ammunition Tuesday on crowds of protesters in Baghdad and many cities in the south. The violent security response spurred a second day of protests, which grew angrier as the crackdown continued. Clashes in Baghdad stretched well into the night Wednesday, hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi declared an indefinite curfew in the capital. Hours later, the U.S.-led coalition reported a series of explosions inside or near the city’s […]