Trump’s Syria policy: Tuesday edition

Trump’s policy shifting on Syria The White House messaging on the troop pullout from Syria continues to evolve as Trump faces more criticism for the decision that leaves Kurdish forces vulnerable to a long-planned Turkish attack. At the same time, the White House has ordered a top diplomat to not provide testimony to House committees in the impeachment inquiry and South Park’s creators have “apologized” for a recent episode addressing censorship in China. (We’re still beta-testing this newsletter. Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.) [US and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol in northeast, Syria.]( Trump’s policy shifting on Syria Turkey said on Tuesday it had completed preparations for a military operation in northeast Syria after the US began pulling back troops, opening the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington. But President Donald Trump has warned Turkey he [would "obliterate" the NATO ally's economy]( if it took action in Syria. The seeming chaotic series of pronouncements has blindsided foreign allies, [caught senior Republican supporters off guard]( and sent aides scrambling to control the damage. So, [what’s going on in northern Syria?]( Also: US pullout from Syria [could bring 'another rise of ISIS']( Trump administration blocks testimony in impeachment inquiry Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, has been [directed by the Trump administration]( not to appear before House committees seeking information about his activities. Sondland’s [texts with Bill Taylor](, former Ambassador to Ukraine, were released last week as part of the inquiry. The texts discussed the withholding of military assistance to Ukraine, which is at the center of the inquiry. The House committees were expected to ask Sondland to explain why he became involved in dealings with Ukraine. How long will Republicans stand by amid Trump's 'abuse of power' [Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona in Manchester, New Hampshire.]( House Democrats on Monday issued subpoenas to the Pentagon and the Office of Management and Budget as part of their impeachment inquiry. But, unlike the GOP defections from Trump concerning his new Syria plans, Republicans in Congress have continued to back Trump, with few showing support for the impeachment inquiry. Former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who chose not to seek re-election last year, has been one of the few outspoken critics of Trump in the Republican party. In an interview with The World, Flake predicted there will be a breaking point for Republican support of the president. "At some point the Republicans will simply say, 'We can't do this anymore," [he told The World](. Also: As US focuses on impeachment, [Ukraine worries about being left to Russia]( Nobel prize for physics On day two of Nobel prize week, Canadian-American cosmologist James Peebles and Swiss scientists Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz [won the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics on Tuesday]( for revealing the wonder of the evolution of the universe and discovering planets orbiting distant suns. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the scientists' research had "transformed our ideas about the cosmos." South Park’s ‘apology’ to China [South Park creators Matt Stone (R) and Trey Parker in New York.]( Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, issued a [mocking "apology" to China]( after word got out that episodes of the show were no longer available on some Chinese websites. The ["Band in China" episode]( released on Oct. 2 critiqued China's policies on free speech. "Like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. We too love money more than freedom," Parker and Stone [wrote on Twitter](. "Long live the Great Communist Party of China! May this autumn's sorghum harvest be bountiful! We good now China?" Also: Chinese state TV has [canceled broadcasts of NBA preseason games]( over Hong Kong comments Apple hides Taiwan flag 🇹🇼 emoji If you have your iPhone region set to Hong Kong or Macau, you [won’t be able to see Taiwanese flag emoji]( with Apple’s new iOS. It appears Apple has dropped the Taiwan flag from the emoji keyboard for users in those regions. The emoji will still display in apps and on websites but Apple’s move has raised concern among activists. Morning meme K-pop: [Twitter is obsessed]( with the return of [K-pop super group ATEEZ](. Start your day with [this jam]( off their new album. In case you missed it on The World: [A US soldier oversees members of the Syrian Democratic Forces at an outpost.]( - [Climate activists again disrupting London]( - [Israel elections and Netanyahu corruption hearings]( - [Ukraine in the spotlight]( - [Senate Republicans are in a tough spot]( - [Ginger Baker's time in Lagos]( - [NBA manager's comments on Hong Kong ignite international controversy]( - [New Zealand and Captain Cook 250 years later]( - [Dramatic shift in US policy toward Kurds]( - [US troops pull back in Syria, exposing Kurdish allies to attack]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is brought to you by [PRI's The World](.