THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I. DOJ says US ‘stands ready’ to try man who killed journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/532032-doj-says-us-stands-ready-to-try-man-who-killed-journalist-daniel
II. Biden Is Expected to Expand U.S.-India Relations While Stressing Human Rights
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/world/asia/biden-india.html
III. Will Pakistan’s Military Lose Its Grip on Power?
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/pakistan/2020-12-22/will-pakistans-military-lose-its-grip-power
IV. How 2020 Shaped U.S.-China Relations
https://www.cfr.org/article/how-2020-shaped-us-china-relationsTaliban team in Pakistan as calls grow for Afghan cease-fire
V. U.S.: Trump Vetoes Defense Spending Bill, Setting up Showdown With Congress
https://worldview.stratfor.com/situation-report/us-trump-vetoes-defense-spending-bill-setting-showdown-congress
VI. The New China Scare
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2019-12-06/new-china-scare
VII. Can the Military’s Layered Defenses Protect It From a Cyber Attack?
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/can-military%E2%80%99s-layered-defenses-protect-it-cyber-attack-173209

RUSSIA & EUROPE

I. Brexit: Landmark UK-EU trade deal to be signed
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55476625
II. UK, Turkey reach post-Brexit free trade agreement
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/29/britain-turkey-reach-post-brexit-free-trade-agreement
III. Portugal officially assumes rotating presidency of EU
https://www.geo.tv/latest/327620-portugal-officially-assumes-rotating-presidency-of-eu
IV. Russia’s Military Is All In on Hypersonic Weapons
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russia%E2%80%99s-military-all-hypersonic-weapons-174744
V. A New Path Forward for NATO and Russia
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/new-path-forward-nato-and-russia-173952
VI. Three geopolitical lessons of 2020
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2020/12/geopolitical-lessons-from-2020

MULTILATERALISM

I. The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene (UN Report)
http://hdr.undp.org/en/2020-report/download
II. The virus that shut down the world: Economic meltdown
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080762
III. The virus that shut down the world: The plight of refugees and migrants
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080742
IV. FROM THE FIELD: India’s pandemic of violence against women
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080182

POLITICAL ECONOMY & NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS

I. SBP Weekly Data Report
http://www.sbp.org.pk/ecodata/index2.asp
II. Stocks close year 2020 at 30-month high
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598999/stocks-close-year-2020-at-30-month-high
III. ‘IT exports to reach $5bn by 2023’
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597863/it-exports-to-reach-5bn-by-2023
IV. December inflation eases to 8pc
https://www.dawn.com/news/1599058/december-inflation-eases-to-8pc
V. Pakistan’s textile sector receives 6-mth export orders
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/765901-pakistan-s-textile-sector-receives-6-mth-export-orders
VI. PM felicitates exporters on achieving 18% ‘record growth’
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2278278/pm-felicitates-exporters-on-achieving-18-record-growth
VII. Govt prepares to hold early census after clamour over last headcount
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2278089/govt-prepares-to-hold-early-census-after-clamour-over-last-headcount
VIII. CCoP approves PSM privatisation structure
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/763919-ccop-approves-psm-privatisation-structure
IX. Industry warns looming gas shortages could hamper exports
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598808/industry-warns-looming-gas-shortages-could-hamper-exports
X. Trapped in a maze of cross-subsidies
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598117/trapped-in-a-maze-of-cross-subsidies
XI. A people’s census
https://www.dawn.com/news/1599022/a-peoples-census
XII. Big ideas, bold moves
https://www.dawn.com/news/1599023/big-ideas-bold-moves?preview
XIII. Supply chains choke as container shortage persists
https://www.dawn.com/news/1598612/supply-chains-choke-as-container-shortage-persists
XIV. COVID-19 shook, rattled and rolled the global economy in 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-economy-yearend-graphic/covid-19-shook-rattled-and-rolled-the-global-economy-in-2020-idUKKBN2950GH
XV. Energy sector’s woes mount
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2278044/energy-sectors-woes-mount
XVI. Covid-hit tourism sector may recover in late 2021
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2278043/covid-hit-tourism-sector-may-recover-in-late-2021
XVII. Asian prices jump to six-year highs on record imports
https://www.reuters.com/article/global-lng/asian-prices-jump-to-six-year-highs-on-record-imports-idINKBN2950EU
XVIII. Why 2021 could be turning point for tackling climate change
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55498657
XIX. The pandemic taught us how not to deal with climate change
https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/01/01/1015533/covid-lessons-for-climate-change-emissions-renewables/
XX. 2020 Was a Year of Climate Extremes. What Can We Expect in 2021?
https://time.com/5922963/climate-change-2021/
XXI. 10 steamy signs in 2020 that climate change is speeding up
https://www.livescience.com/climate-change-worsening-2020.html
XXII. Climate change: Extreme weather causes huge losses in 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55416013