Iraq

The U.N. refugee agency says the number of people fleeing violence and repression worldwide has risen to 11.4 million, largely due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Launching the report, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said that for the second year in a row the number of people fleeing their countries and displaced from their homes is on the rise.

"We have today 11.4 million refugees worldwide, but we have 26 million people displaced within the borders of their own countries," he said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for expansion of ties between his country and Iraq following a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Iran's state news agency (IRNA) reports that President Ahmadinejad said stronger relations between the two nations will help Iraq's development and stability.

The two leaders met late Sunday as part of Mr. Maliki's state visit to Iran, his third since he became prime minister.  President Ahmadinejad made a landmark visit to Iraq in March.

A senior Turkish general says Turkey and Iran have carried out coordinated strikes against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq. Over the past few months, Turkey has reportedly intensified its attacks against bases of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

The deputy head of Turkey's armed forces General Ilker Basbug told Turkish television that Turkish forces have collaborated with Iran in attacking bases of the Kurdistan Workers' Party in northern Iraq, and will do so again if necessary.

A deadly truck bombing in a busy market in northern Iraq has killed 105 people and injured 240, police say.

The morning blast destroyed the market in the small town of Amirli, south of Kirkuk, killing many people instantly and trapping dozens among the rubble.

It was the deadliest single attack in Iraq since April, correspondents say.

It came as 29 people were killed in separate violence, including 22 people who died overnight in Diyala province when a suicide bomber hit a cafe.

Clashes between Iraqi police and Shia militants in southern Iraq have left five people dead.

The police in the town of Samawa said the fighting broke out on Thursday with militiamen loyal to the Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.
Also in southern Iraq, four Iraqi soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb near the town of Hilla.
In south Baghdad, a car bomb exploded on Thursday night, killing 15 people, including a group of wedding guests.
Three children were among the dead. About 27 people were injured, including the bride and groom.
The explosion occurred in front of a photo studio in Abu Dshir where the wedding party had gathered for pictures.