Italy withdraws from BRI: Reports 
Putin visits ‘dear friend’ Xi in show of no-limits partnership 
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, a booster for economic growth in Bangladesh 
India-West Asia-Europe Economic corridor to give ‘fillip’ to Gujarat’s potential: official 
Azerbaijan halts Karabakh offensive after ceasefire deal with Armenian separatists Global arms industry report hiked sales, buyers mostly in Global South
After the USA, China accounted for the second largest share of 2019 arms
sales by the top 25 arms companies, at 16 per cent.
Blog
UN pledges humanitarian support as Armenia and Azerbaijan negotiate ‘lasting, peaceful settlement’ over Nagorno-Karabakh
A ceasefire was agreed through a joint statement by the President of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of Armenia, and Russia’s President, on 9 November, leading to the deployment of several thousand Russian peacekeepers to the enclave and border regions.
How Iran Expands Its Influence in Iraq: By Building Shrines
Iraq’s government grants religious projects special privileges, including tax exemptions on imports of Iranian cement, steel and other materials
COVID-19 worsening gender-based violence, trafficking risk, for women and girls
With the COVID-19 pandemic heightening the dangers of gender-based violence and human trafficking, action on these two fronts is needed now more than ever, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Monday.
First COVID-19 vaccine in the world approved! UK approves Pfizer-BioNTech Corona vaccine
The British regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), says the jab, which claims to offer up to 95 per cent protection against COVID-19 illness, is safe for roll out.
As Mosul Recovers From ISIS Rule, a Native of the City Is Fighting to Recover Its Jewish Past
Jews had lived in Iraq since biblical times, until they were driven out by the anti-Zionist government in the early 1950s. Omar Mohammed is devoted to maintaining their memory in the city from which they were erased
Is China’s BRI becoming a fault line within the SCO?
India has said it cannot accept the project, which includes the China Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as it ignores concerns on territorial integrity
COVID-19: Testing still vital even as vaccines roll out
Testing will still be a critical tool against COVID-19, even as vaccines are deployed against the disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday during his regular briefing on the crisis.
How close is Iran to producing a nuclear bomb?
The accord’s restrictions on Iran’s atomic work had one objective: to extend the “breakout time” for Tehran to produce enough fissile material for a bomb, if it decided to make one, to at least a year from about two to three months.
China to build a major dam on Brahmaputra river: Official
Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corp of China, said China will “implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River” (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) and the project could serve to maintain water resources and domestic security, the Global Times reported.