Car Bombs Kill 18 in Iraq

South of Baghdad

BAGHDAD: Five car bombs on Monday killed 18 people south of Baghdad, the latest deaths in a week of violence, as Iraq's parliament speaker called for the government to resign to ease spiralling tensions.

 Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met Nechirvan Barzani, the premier of the autonomous Kurdistan region, with both agreeing to enhance security coordination after the deployment of Kurdish forces in disputed Kirkuk province threatened another crisis.