As Turkey continued a military operation to clear Kurdish forces from northern Syria, the United States announced plans to withdraw its remaining one thousand troops (WSJ) in the area by the end of the month. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish forces are in control of nearly seventy square miles (NYT) in northern Syria, while Kurdish fighters said they made a deal (FT) with Damascus and Moscow to receive military support. The United States has reportedly been unable to transfer “high-value” detainees from the self-proclaimed Islamic State out of Kurdish-run prisons, as hundreds of suspected militants and their families reportedly escaped from one detention camp. At the same time, Washington is preparing sanctions (Politico) against Ankara over the incursion.

Hagibis, the nineteenth typhoon this season, caused record rainfall that led to flooding and landslides. At least fifty-three people were killed and more than a dozen remained missing. Around thirty-eight thousand people evacuated their homes (Kyodo) ahead of the storm.

Philippines: The national police chief has stepped down (Rappler) over his alleged mishandling of a 2013 operation in which police accepted drugs as a bribe to allow a suspect to escape.

China pledged nearly $500 million (Al Jazeera) in aid to Nepal as part of more than twenty agreements between the countries to boost cooperation in areas including security, trade, and tourism. Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal was the first by a Chinese president in twenty-three years.

Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan, meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, said Pakistan can help mediate tensions (Dawn) between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Rouhani said he welcomed the gesture.

Law professor Kais Saied, an independent candidate who did little campaigning, was projected to win a landslide victory (FT) in the country’s presidential election. Saied, a social conservative, was backed by Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that won last week’s parliamentary election.

The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for mortar attacks (VOA) around the Somali capital city’s airport that injured at least seven people. The area is home to facilities for the African Union and the UN mission in Somalia.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at the origins of al-Shabab.

South Sudan: Leaders from Sudan and Ethiopia are in Juba today for a round of peace talks (AP) between the South Sudanese government and rebel groups. The two sides had set a mid-November deadline to reach a power-sharing deal.

Nine leaders from the Spanish region were given prison sentences of between nine and thirteen years for their roles in a failed 2017 independence bid (Guardian). Police have been deployed across Barcelona ahead of planned protests opposing the verdict. 

Poland: The ruling populist party, Freedom and Justice, won Sunday’s parliamentary election (Guardian) with about 45 percent of votes, according to preliminary results.

President Lenin Moreno agreed to cancel an austerity package (AP) with the International Monetary Fund that mandated higher fuel costs. In exchange, indigenous leaders will bring an end to two weeks of street protests. 

Mexico: Authorities broke up a caravan (Al Jazeera) of more than one thousand U.S.-bound migrants near the southern city of Tapachula. Police blocked roads out of the city, and some were taken into custody. 

CFR looks at whether “safe third country” agreements can resolve the asylum crisis.

U.S. and Taliban representatives have reportedly discussed confidence-building measures with the aim of reviving peace talks (WSJ) that President Donald J. Trump called off last month. The measures could include a prisoner swap or a cease-fire.

CFR’s Max Boot discusses how Washington can reset the mistake-riddled negotiations.