1. US Seeks to Reassure Beijing After Trump Call With Taiwan Leader
The White House said it has sought to reassure China after President-elect Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwan’s leader last week, which the Obama administration warns could undermine progress in relations with Beijing.
2. West Mosul Shelled as Iraq Steps Up Fight Against Islamic State
Western-backed Iraqi forces have begun shelling parts of west Mosul, residents said, in preparation for a new front against Islamic State seven weeks into a difficult campaign to drive the militants from the city.
3. Abe to Become First Japanese PM to Visit Pearl Harbor
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Pearl Harbor this month with US President Barack Obama, becoming his country's first leader to travel to the site of the Japanese attack 75 years ago that drew the United States into World War Two.
4. Titans of Korea Inc Face Questions in Political Scandal
The heads of South Korea’s biggest corporate groups arrived at the country's National Assembly building for an unprecedented hearing into the political scandal that appears poised to bring down President Park Geun-hye.
5. French PM Valls Launches Presidential Bid, Quits Government
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls declared that he would seek the Socialist Party's nomination for next year's presidential election and says he is quitting the government to focus on campaigning.
6. Renzi to Resign After Referendum Rout, Leaving Italy in Limbo
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced on Monday that he would resign after suffering a resounding defeat in a referendum over constitutional reform, leaving the euro zone's third-largest economy in political limbo.
7. Sioux Chief Asks Protesters to Disband, Trump to Review Pipeline Decision
A Native American leader asked thousands of protesters to return home after the federal government ruled against a controversial pipeline, despite the prospect of President-elect Donald Trump reversing the decision after he takes office.
8. UK Government Begins Legal Fight Against Ruling That Could Derail Brexit
The British government launched a Supreme Court battle over who has the power to trigger the formal process of leaving the European Union, seeking to overturn a legal ruling that could derail its Brexit strategy.
9. Libyan Forces Close to Securing Last Islamic State Holdouts in Sirte: Officials
Libyan forces have said they are close to securing a final patch of land where Islamic State militants have been holding out in their former North African stronghold of Sirte.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)