Global News 10/17/19 – US tries to salvage Syria ceasefire, ambassador to EU to testify that Trump delegated Ukraine to Giuliani, and EU and UK sign tentative Brexit deal

American Special Forces soldiers in the northern Syrian city of Manbij in February 2018. Credit Mauricio Lima for The New York Times

This Thursday, Pence & Pompeo to meet with Erdogan, but Trump undermines their efforts; ambassador to EU to testify the Trump delegated Ukraine policy to Giuliani; UK and EU sign tentative Brexit deal, but Northern Irish DUP party threatens to derail it in Parliament; hecklers removed from contentious Hong Kong legislature session; and longtime Congressman & civil rights activist Elijah Cummings dies.

• Pence and Pompeo to meet with Erdogan after Trump undermines their effort (CNN)

  • More: Trump tries to distance himself from chaos in Syria as tensions with lawmakers in both parties escalate (Washington Post)

  • More: The hasty U.S. pullback from Syria is a searing moment in America’s withdrawal from the Middle East (Washington Post)

• Ambassador to E.U. to testify that Trump delegated Ukraine policy to Giuliani (NY Times)

• Brexit scramble looms over fraught EU summit, Merkel says deal possible (Reuters)

  • More: EU and UK reach Brexit deal but DUP refuses support (BBC)

• Hong Kong: Hecklers dragged out in new parliament chaos (BBC)

• Elijah Cummings: Veteran US Democrat dies aged 68 (BBC)

• Yemeni government, separatists seen inking deal to end Aden standoff (Reuters)

• New frontier in disinformation: Human actors (Axios)

• New study: Opioid crisis cost US economy $631B over 4 years (AP)

• Gunvor oil ordered to pay $95m for Congo oil corruption (BBC)

• Nine deaths confirmed in Guinea 'third term’ protests (BBC)

• Trump administration unfreezes some aid to Central American countries (Wall Street Journal)

• Qatar to abolish ‘kafala’ labour next January before 2022 World Cup (The Guardian)

• Dutch farmers protest efforts to cut emissions, reduce herds (AP)

• Despite their promises, giant energy companies burn away vast amounts of natural gas (NY Times)

• The China Connection: How one D.E.A. agent cracked a global fentanyl ring (NY Times)

• How unpredictable work hours turn families upside down (NY Times)