In a controversial move, China and the Vatican are preparing to sign a landmark deal this month allowing each side a voice in choosing the church's bishops in China, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The details: Pope Francis will recognize excommunicated Chinese bishops that were approved without the Vatican's green light, and China will acknowledge the Pope as leader of the nation's Catholics and allow the Vatican a voice in bishop selection moving forward. The deal comes with controversy as China's current regime is largely atheist and authoritarian. The agreement is also seen as China recognizing religious autonomy — something the government has notably refused to do in the past. However, WSJ notes the deal "could still fall through or be delayed due to unforeseen events."
Paul Manafort — who took notes (apparently on his phone) during the notorious Trump Tower meeting with Russians — agreed to tell all he knows to special counsel Robert Mueller as part of a deal to plead guilty and avoid a second trial.
Why he matters, per N.Y. Times: "Of all Mr. Trump’s campaign advisers, Mr. Manafort arguably had the deepest ties to Russian operatives and oligarchs."
During a press conference Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia has actively undermined the United Nations Security Council's resolutions by lifting pressure to denuclearize on North Korea.
The big picture: Pompeo previously warned countries about interfering with North Korea's denuclearization process, and has specifically called out Russia explaining offenses would be taken "very seriously" by the United States. Today, Pompeo said he spoke with U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley about Russian interference with North Korean denuclearization and called the process "necessary" for the Korean peninsula.
Various reports of around one million Uyghur Muslims being detained in mass detention camps in Xinjiang are rapidly increasing.
What's happening:"Transformation" is the goal of China detaining vast numbers of Muslims, per Sunday's New York Times, in the center of the print front page. Anwar Ibrahim, likely the next premier of Malaysia, criticized the crackdown in Xinjiang, per Bloomberg.
North and South Korea have opened a joint liaison office — on North Korea's side of the border — in order to "directly discuss issues 24 hours, 365 days," South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said on Friday according to Reuters.
The big picture: This comes days before a third summit between the two countries' leaders, Reuters reports. The hope is that the office will also move talks forward between the U.S. and North Korea, which have been stalled in recent weeks due to little progress on denuclearization.
As the U.S. and China struggle for dominance in artificial intelligence, they are locked in a parallel, behind-the-scenes race to master quantum technology, a contest that could result in lasting military superiority and a possible new industrial revolution.
The big picture: Though still far off, conquering quantum technology could enable uncrackable communications, supercharged radar and more deadly undersea warfare. And as of now, China has some serious advantages.
