Pope opens debate on allowing married Catholic priests in Amazon region

The big picture: Trump has been criticized in the past for his warm relations with strongmen like Erdoğan, who has consolidated power and cracked down on the media and political dissenters over the past few years. Other authoritarian-minded leaders to visit the White House include Hungary's Viktor Orbán, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Flashback: During Erdoğan's last visit to the White House in 2017, Turkish security personnel attacked Kurdish protestors in Washington. Fifteen of the bodyguards were indicted, but charges were later dropped in March 2018 ahead of a meeting between Erdoğan and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Go deeper: Safe zone in northern Syria depends on U.S.-Turkey balancing act

Details: Maan said 8 members of the Iraqi security forces were among those killed and 51 public buildings and 8 political party headquarters had been torched by protesters, per Reuters.

• At least 18 people were killed in clashes in Baghdad between police and anti-government protestors on Saturday night. Iraqi security forces first opened fire on protesters on Oct. 3.

Context: Iraq currently has a 25% youth unemployment rate, despite the government’s increased oil revenues and an end to the war against the Islamic State.

• Demonstrators believe that not enough money is being invested in jobs programs or improving services.

The big picture: Iraq's parliament is at risk of collapsing. The leaders of 2 large political parties have criticized the government and called for reform. One leader called for his bloc to stop participating in parliament and for the government to resign.

Go deeper ... NYT: Deaths mount as protests catch Iraqi government off guard

• The negotiations had been a hopeful precursor to another summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after February talks in Hanoi collapsed.

What they're saying: The North Korean spokesperson claimed the U.S. had "not made any preparations" and is "misleading the public opinion."

• "The recent negotiations have left us skeptical about the U.S. political will to improve the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]-U.S. relations and made us think if it isn't its real intention to abuse the bilateral relations for gratifying its party interests."
• "As we have clearly identified the way for solving [the] problem, the fate of the future DPRK-U.S. dialogue depends on the U.S. attitude, and the end of this year is its deadline."

Go deeper: North Korea fires first submarine-launched missile since 2016, officials say

Details: The emergency law also gives the Hong Kong government powers to impose curfews, censor media and seize control of ports and transport links, but police are only enforcing the ban on masks.

What they're saying: “We’re not afraid of getting arrested,” one woman who was at the protest on Sunday and declined to give her last name told the Wall Street Journal. "The government is trying to suppress us even more—that’s exactly why this movement started in the first place."

• In a speech Saturday, Lam condemned the demonstrations and said they are evidence that the government's ban on face masks is necessary.

In photos

Go deeper: Hong Kong suspends business, transit following protests

What they're saying: The U.S., through a State Department spokesperson, says it plans to return to Stockholm in 2 weeks to continue what it frames as productive denuclearization talks — but North Korea is suggesting the talks "broke down."

• “The negotiation did not live up to our expectations and broke down. I am very displeased,” North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Myong Gil said, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
• "The early comments from the DPRK delegation do not reflect the content or the spirit of today's 8 1/2 hour discussion. The U.S. brought creative ideas and had good discussions with its DPRK counterparts," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said a few hours after North Korea's statement.

Where it stands: The State Department claims it previewed "a number of new initiatives" that would allow the U.S. to "make progress in each of the four pillars of the Singapore joint statement."

• The language in the four-point document brokered between the two countries in Singapore last year is vague on the process of denuclearization, as North Korea wanted it to be.

Go deeper: The 4 pillars of Trump and Kim’s “historic” document

What they're saying: “We did step up our attacks on the Taliban since the [September peace] talks broke down," Esper told reporters this week, according to Task & Purpose. “The president spoke about this publicly. We did pick up the pace considerably."

• Esper added the plans include "air and ground" attacks, Politico notes, but declined to provide further details.
• The U.S. military headquarters that manages operations in Afghanistan has not publicly addressed new directives from Trump.

Background: The Trump administration paused peace talks last month that aimed to conclude the 18-year-old conflict with the Taliban and cut troops in Afghanistan from 14,000 to 8,600.

Go deeper:

• Where U.S. troops and military assets are deployed in the Middle East
• U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan as Taliban peace talks fizzle

• The government continues to carry out public beheadings. In April, there was a mass execution of 37 individuals allegedly linked to terrorism.
• Saudi Arabia continues to jail peaceful activists and hold them for years without granting trial, per a 2018 Human Rights Watch report.

The big picture: The strategic push is part of MBS' Saudi Vision 2030 plan to reduce the country’s economic dependence on oil. Salman wants to boost tourism to eventually account for 10% of the nation’s economy.

• The policy shifts come as the country prepares a massive IPO of state oil giant Saudi Aramco — also part of the government's economic diversification plan.
• Saudi Arabia wants to mirror the success of its regional neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, which has turned Dubai into a hub for tourists.

On visas: The Saudi government recently announced plans to ease visa restrictions for tourists.

• Restrictions remain in place for the Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina.
• Saudi officials have previously promised to provide tourist visas to foreigners from beyond the kingdom's neighboring countries, but failed to deliver, reports NBC.
• Foreign women with visas to Saudi Arabia won’t have to follow the strict dress code, but must cover their shoulders and knees, per NBC.

On women's rights: The country has given women more freedom recently as MBS tries to paint Saudi Arabia as less repressive.

• Male guardianship laws were eased so Saudi women don’t always need a male guardian with them, reports Vox. They are now allowed to travel overseas by themselves as well.
• The female driving ban was lifted in 2017 and went into effect in 2018. The change received international praise, but some of the women who advocated for the ban’s removal remain in prison, per CNN.
• Domestic abuse was criminalized in 2013, according to Human Rights Watch, but the government does little to enforce the law. An estimated 35% of Saudi women experience some type of violence in their lifetime, per HRW.

On Western entertainment: Saudi Arabia has eased restrictions for concerts, movies and amusement parks.

• Singer Mariah Carey, Korean pop-band BTS, DJ David Guetta and others have performed in Saudi Arabia this year, reports DW.
• Each performance was met with staunch criticism. Hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj canceled her scheduled concert.
• Six Flags plans to open a theme park in 2023 in Qiddiya, a leisure and entertainment destination.

Go deeper: A year after Jamal Khashoggi's murder, Saudi trial veiled in secrecy

• The protesters are largely unaffiliated with any political party, per the FT.
• Protesters in Baghdad have adopted a popular 2011 Arab Spring chant: "the people want the fall of the regime."

The big picture: Iraq remains fragile amid regional tensions and ongoing threats from ISIS.

• ISIS is restoring strength in Iraq and Syria as it rebuilds its resources and finds new recruits, reports the New York Times.
• Iraq could also find itself caught in the middle of inflamed tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, following an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities that some have accused Iranian proxies of carrying out, per the Times.

What we know:

• Iraqi forces opened fire on protesters on the 4th day of demonstrations. The United Nations is calling on the Iraqi government to launch transparent investigations into the use of police force, reports the Washington Post.
• Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, whose party has the largest number of parliamentary seats, announced his bloc will suspend its participation until the protesters' demands are met, reports Bloomberg. He is calling on Mahdi to step down.
• There is a near-total internet blackout across Iraq, and curfews have been imposed in several cities, adding to the tensions between protesters and the government, per Al Jazeera.
• The central government is struggling to contain the protests, which have spread to major cities around the country and are now in their 5th day, per Al Jazeera.
• Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have issued travel warnings to Iraq.
• Thousands of people have been injured, per Al Jazeera.

Go deeper: Witnessing the fall of the Islamic State

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information following the fifth day of protests.

• A plain-clothes officer claims to have fired shots at protesters in self-defense Friday around 9 pm.
• A 14-year-old boy was admitted to a hospital Friday evening, and the police senior superintendent believes the incidents are related.
• Other protesters vandalized businesses linked to mainland-China and burned at least one train, notes Bloomberg.

What they're saying:

• Lam said Friday's chaos left Hong Kong "semi-paralyzed," according to AP.
• Some peaceful protesters say the violence has become a "means to an end, the only way for young masked protesters to force the government to bend to clamors for full democracy and other demands," writes AP.

Go deeper... China's split-screen: Hong Kong protests vs. Communist celebration