IRAQI security forces have fired live bullets and tear gas at protesters in Baghdad, despite a curfew that was announced in the Iraqi capital hours earlier.

The protests arose during a period of deadly violence gripping the country and anti-government protests that killed 19 people this week.

In a desperate attempt to quell the unrest, which was in part sparked by outcry over deteriorating economy and lack of jobs and services, authorities have cut internet access across much of Iraq.

Reports said that before dawn yesterday, explosions were heard inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government offices and foreign embassies.

The US-led coalition said an investigation is under way, adding that no coalition forces or assets were hit in the violence.

MEANWHILE, an American, a Russian and the first astronaut to fly into space from the United Arab Emirates have safely landed in Kazakhstan after a six-hour flight from the International Space Station.

The capsule carrying Nick Hague, Alexey Ovchinin and Hazzaa al-Mansoori touched down yesterday.

Al-Mansoori, the first of two men chosen by the United Arab Emirates to fly to the space station, returned after an eight-day mission while space veteran Ovchinin and Hague, who was on his maiden flight, returned from spending six months aboard the station.

The three men were extracted from the capsule and put on fold-out chairs to rest.

ELSEWHERE, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau (below) grilled the leader of the Conservative party on his personal beliefs on abortion in Trudeau’s first debate of the campaign for this month’s elections.

At the French-language event in Montreal, Trudeau and the leaders of other opposition parties tried to corner opposition Conservative leader Andrew Scheer on his personal position on abortion.

Scheer said that, if elected to govern in the October 21 parliamentary elections, a Conservative government would not change abortion rules in Canada.

He did not, however, answer the questions on his personal beliefs on abortion.

FINALLY, a protester was killed and five were wounded as forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government used live ammunition to disperse a rally by separatists in the southern province of Shabwa.

According to officials, dozens of supporters of separatists took to the streets of the southern town of Azzan, to denounce President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

A security official with Hadi’s government says most of the protesters were armed.