The Catholic cathedral Sacred Heart at Pekon in the Diocese of Pekhon in Burma’s Shan state was among several structures that were reportedly hit by military artillery fire on Nov. 9 amid continuing armed clashes between government and rebel forces. (Catholic News Agency)(Fides)
Beijing imposes new restrictions on conferences and events, recommending that both be held remotely and also recommending that in-person conferences be managed as a "closed loop" after the city reported six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
Israel begins the world's first nationwide COVID-19 drill named "Omega Drill" consisting of three sessions that will test the country's preparation for the possible outbreak of a new and more lethal variant of the virus. (Bloomberg News)
France reports a new strain of SARS-CoV-2, known as lineage B.1.X or B.1.640, which was first found on 15 October in a school in Bannalec in the north-western region of Brittany, where 24 people got infected; but it was only identified to be a separate strain until much later. The origin of the Bannalec outbreak seemed to be a man in Nantes who had come from abroad a few days before. No cases related to the strain were reported since October 26, but it remains under surveillance. (Jerusalem Post)
Following several record-breaking daily increases in new COVID-19 cases, including a record 16,364 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, the government deliberates on potential partial lockdown scenarios, which if enacted would be the first partial lockdowns in Western Europe since the summer. (AFP via Barron's)
Ukraine deploys a further 8,500 soldiers and police officers, as well as 15 helicopters, to the border with Belarus to prevent possible attempts by stranded migrants to cross into the country in order to reach the European Union. (Voice of America)
Belarusian PresidentAlexander Lukashenko says he "would recommend the leadership of Poland, Lithuanians and other empty-headed people to think before speaking," suggesting Belarus would halt natural gas supplies into Europe, if the EU pushes more sanctions. EU member states are to decide some time next week on new sanctions for human trafficking which led to the crisis. (BBC News)