Iraqi prime minister to resign

A day after Iraqi security forces killed more than 40 people, Prime Minister Abdel Abdul-Mahdi on Friday said he would send his notice of resignation to parliament so it can review its choices. Ahead of his resignation, Islamic cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called on the parliament that elected Abdul-Mahdi’s government to “reconsider its options.”

Are the protests getting worse? Demonstrators died in clashes in Baghdad and the southern cities of Najaf and Nasiriyah, bringing the death toll to 400 since protests began on Oct. 1. Iraqis crowded city streets in frustration over a lack of jobs and basic services, and the protests grew into calls to bring down the government. Demonstrators also accuse Iran of meddling in Iraq’s affairs. On Wednesday, protesters burned down the Iranian Consulate in Najaf as they chanted “Iran out of Iraq.”

Dig deeper: Read my report in World Tour on what has driven the protests.