Baghdad , Nov. 22 : Iraq’s Mahdi Army, which is led by rebel leader Hojatoleslam Moqtada al-Sadr, has warned of a new insurgency across the country if the United States decides not to withdraw its troops till 2011.

“No, no to the agreement of humiliation,” al-Sadr’s followers chanted at a demonstration against the pact in a square in Baghdad on Friday.

Baghdad - Thousands of demonstrators loyal to anti-US Shiite cleric Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr staged protests on Friday against the controversial US-Iraq security pact, a day after a heated debate on the agreement in the Iraqi parliament.

Holding flags and chanting slogans, protestors flooded Firdous Square in central Baghdad amid tight security, in opposition to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which paves the way for continued US and coalition presence in Iraq beyond the end of the UN mandate at the end of 2008.

Baghdad , Nov 21 : A new ‘status-of-forces agreement’ between Washington and Baghdad will make it mandatory for the US forces in Iraq to first obtain warrants before searching Iraqi homes or detaining terrorist suspects.

The agreement comes into effect on Jan. 1.

Baghdad - Kurdistan's Regional Premier Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday launched the autonomous region's first news agency, Kurdistan News Agency (Akanews) in Arbil.

"Establishing this agency aims at reporting local news from Kurdistan to the world and reporting world events to the region," Barzani said in a statement, adding that being neutral was one of the agency's priorities.

Baghdad - Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Thursday that his country is concerned about violence against Iraq's minorities, especially Christians, during a surprise visit to Iraq.

Iraqi Christians in the northern Mosul city have been subjected to killings and death threats since September, and many thousands have fled the city.

Around 400 Christians fled to Syria in October alone to escape the harsh conditions at home.

The Vatican said in October the Iraqi government needed to do more to protect Christians in Mosul.

Frattini said Iraq's government had taken positive steps to protect Christians.

Baghdad  - Five people