Protesters face off against security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan for 4th day

Hundreds of protesters faced off with security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan for a fourth day Thursday, demanding the resignation of politicians accused of graft, AFP reports. Police were deployed in the town of Rania, where five demonstrators were shot dead and dozens wounded Tuesday amid public anger over an economic crisis partly triggered by an independence vote. Since Monday, around 20 party offices and a town hall have been set ablaze across the autonomous region as protesters ramped up calls for the government to quit. The demonstrations follow a September independence referendum that triggered a crisis between the regional government and Baghdad, which slammed the poll as unconstitutional.