The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the two countries have agreed to phase out tariffs (SCMP) that have been imposed in their trade war, though the details of the interim deal have not been finalized.

Both Chinese and U.S. negotiators said in recent days that progress toward canceling the tariffs (WaPo) has been made, and they are reportedly looking at possible locations for signing the deal. Chinese customs and agricultural officials said they are considering lifting restrictions (Reuters) on U.S. poultry imports. Any interim trade deal is also expected to prevent new U.S. tariffs on $156 billion worth of Chinese goods that are set to take effect in December.

Security officials said they suspect the gunmen who ambushed a security checkpoint (Reuters) were separatist militants. It was the deadliest attack in years in the region, which has been home to a separatist insurgency for more than a decade.

India’s space agency was warned of a cyberattack during a September lunar mission though officials said their systems were not compromised, according to a report by the Financial Times. At least four other government bodies, including the atomic energy organization, reportedly suffered cyberattacks by suspected North Korean hackers in recent months.

Pakistan: Health officials reported a record forty-four thousand cases (Al Jazeera) of dengue fever so far this year, citing climate change as a driver of the surge.

A top Iraqi military official said that security forces have been ordered not to use live ammunition (Al Jazeera) on protesters as the country’s human rights commission reported at least three people were killed in Wednesday demonstrations. On Tuesday, a UN spokesperson condemned reported human rights violations by security forces. 

CFR’s Max Boot explains what’s behind the deadly protests shaking Iraq.

Palestinian territories: The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees resigned following the release of preliminary results of a misconduct investigation (UN).

Foreign ministers from the three countries met with U.S. President Donald J. Trump at the White House for talks aimed at resolving a long-running dispute (VOA) over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is still under construction. The ministers said they will aim to reach an agreement by January 15.

Burkina Faso: Gunmen killed thirty-seven people (NYT) in an ambush on a convoy carrying workers from the Canadian mining firm Semafo in the country’s east. It was the third deadly attack on the company in fifteen months.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will come to Washington next Wednesday, U.S. President Trump announced on Twitter. Ahead of the visit, a U.S. delegation will travel to Turkey (National) to meet with senior Turkish officials and members of the Syrian opposition. 

The Hague: The International Criminal Court sentenced former Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda to thirty years in prison (BBC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is the longest-ever sentence by the court.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at the role of the International Criminal Court.

Defense Minister Guillermo Botero quit following a congressional hearing that described civilian deaths (WSJ) during August air strikes on a drug-trafficking group’s jungle camp. Eight children between the ages of twelve and seventeen were killed in the bombing, officials said.

In Foreign Affairs, CFR’s Paul J. Angelo writes that peace is slipping away in Colombia.

Brazil: An auction of four deep-sea oil exploration areas (FT) that was projected to raise as much as $25 billion in licensing fees instead yielded the lowest possible bids or no bids at all.

The Justice Department said the former employees spied for Saudi Arabia (WaPo) by accessing company information on dissidents who used the social media platform.