Iraqi protests intensify

Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and guns on Friday for the second day when protesters tried to break past a security barricade in Baghdad. On Thursday, another 10 protesters died and more than 100 others sustained injuries.

Why the spike in violence? The clashes heightened after protesters tried again to cross a bridge leading to the seat of the government. More than 320 protesters have died and thousands of others have been injured since Oct. 1 as frustration over lack of jobs and basic services has grown into calls to bring down the government. In his Friday sermon, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani reiterated his call for political parties to implement electoral reform laws and listen to the protesters’ demands.

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