China

• The U.S. and China reportedly struck a deal that will see the U.S. lift some restrictions on China's forensic police institute - which the U.S. accuses of human rights violations - in exchange for China enacting tougher restrictions on exporting chemicals used to make fentanyl. The deal is expected to be announced tomorrow when Presidents Biden and Xi meet.
• Nepal became the latest country to ban TikTok, which is owned by China's Bytedance. Unlike U.S. and UK restrictions on the app - which were motivated by concerns about Bytedance sharing data with the Chinese government - Nepal's ban complains the app is "disrupting our social harmony."

• Israeli forces have closed in on Gaza's Al Shifa hospital, which they claim houses an underground Hamas command center that leeches from the hospital's fuel supply.
• Israeli troops who have entered the hospital shared photos and videos suggesting some of Hamas's hostages were held there.

• Exxon Mobil announced plans to drill for lithium from the Smackover formation in southern Arkansas. This is part of Exxon's efforts to diversify away from fossil fuels and carve out a role in the value chain for electric vehicles (EVs): the company aims to produce enough lithium for one million EV batteries per year from 2030 onwards.