Axios

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper declared Friday that "Turkey must stop this incursion now," referring to the ongoing offensive against Kurdish forces in Northern Syria. He insisted the U.S. had "not abandoned the Kurds," whom he noted had "helped us destroy the physical caliphate of ISIS."

Why it matters: Esper said his top priority since taking office had been to prevent the exact scenario that has unfolded since President Trump's announcement Sunday that U.S. troops would move out of the way of an impending Turkish attack. He said administration officials are urging Turkey to halt, but he's had "no indication they are willing to."

Russia attempted to use an Israeli-American woman sentenced today to 7.5 years in prison on drug charges as a bargaining chip in a failed prisoner swap, Israeli officials tell me.

Why it matters: Russia's proposed prisoner swap included the release of Naama Issachar, who was sentenced on Friday in Moscow, in exchange for a Russian hacker set to be extradited to America. Israeli officials tell me they believe Russia's security services were behind the effort, and that the affair will inflame tensions between the countries.

Recent controversies over free speech about the Hong Kong protests are highlighting the widening schism between the U.S. and China and creating a messy situation for tech companies with business ties to both countries.

Why it matters: Both the U.S. and China aim to make their tech industries less interdependent, but the deep ties are tough to sever, and doing so would disrupt business on both sides of the Pacific.

European Council President Donald Tusk said Friday that there have been "promising signals" in Brexit talks between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, adding that both have seen "for the first time ... a pathway to a deal."

The big picture: The major sticking point in the negotiations continues to be the Irish backstop, deciding precisely which regulatory and customs system Northern Ireland, which is a part of the U.K., will be aligned with after Brexit — and for how long — and how that will affect its border with Ireland.

Axios has obtained a lobbying disclosure form showing President Trump's former Pennsylvania campaign director, David Urban, will be working to free Paul Whelan, an American who has been detained in Russia since December 2018. A source with direct knowledge said Urban will be working pro-bono for Whelan's family.

Why this matters: Russian authorities have accused Whelan of espionage — a charge he denies. Whelan could be sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in a Russian jail, according to the New York Times.

One of the few winners from the Brexit mess was the anonymous consignor of “Devolved Parliament,” a Banksy painting that sold for £9.9 million, or $12.1 million, a few days ago at Sotheby’s in London.

The big picture: The painting is a decade old, but it has never been more timely, given that the only politician disliked more than Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

There's a double standard in corporate America.

What's happening: CEOs-turned-activists are experimenting with taking bold stances on social and political issues at home — but that activity stops at the nation's borders. It certainly doesn't reach as far as China.

The Brexit omnishambles continues. The chance of Britain agreeing to any kind of a deal with the European Union seems to have fallen to zero, and no one has a clue what will happen after Oct. 17, the date of the last EU summit before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Why it matters: By law, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is going to have to officially ask the EU for yet another extension. Whether he'll do so, however, is unclear; he certainly doesn't want to.

Iranian women were freely allowed Thursday to attend a World Cup qualifying soccer match in Tehran for the first time since 1981, reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: It marks a significant step in the push for increased gender equality in Iran and turned the team's throttling of Cambodia (final score: 14-0) into what the Times branded one of "the most consequential sporting events to be played in years."