The Donald J. Trump administration notified the United Nations (State Dept.) that it is pulling the United States from the Paris Agreement, citing an “unfair economic burden” the accord imposes on American workers and businesses. The withdrawal will take effect in one year.
 
The U.S. notification was made on the earliest date (WaPo) allowed under the agreement—three years after it entered into force, in November 2016. As the United States has stepped away from the pact, other countries have pushed to boost incentives (NYT) for major polluters such as China to reduce their emissions. Still, scientists and leaders such as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warn that progress has been insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global temperature rise to within 2°C above preindustrial levels. 

An update to a free trade agreement between the two countries will give New Zealand (Al Jazeera) preferential access to wood and paper from China for the next decade and reduce compliance costs for its exports, New Zealand’s trade ministry announced.
 
China: President Xi Jinping said he has “high trust” (SCMP) in Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam during their first in-person meeting since pro-democracy demonstrations began in Hong Kong in June.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is pulling out of negotiations (Hindu) for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, saying the deal would hurt India’s farmers, small and medium-sized businesses, and its dairy sector. The remaining fifteen countries in RCEP said they will proceed with plans to sign the pact in 2020.
 
Bangladesh: An anticorruption campaign (AP) launched in September by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reportedly recovered millions of dollars in cash, frozen more than six hundred bank accounts, and implicated several members of the ruling party.
 
At this September CFR event, Hasina discussed the major challenges facing her country.

The head of Iran’s atomic agency said the country is now producing (Guardian) five kilograms of enriched uranium per day, more than a tenfold increase from two months ago. At the same time, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will activate its Fordow facility (WaPo), where enrichment was banned under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
 
CFR’s Ray Takeyh writes that Rouhani has punctured hope for a U.S.-Iran thaw.
 
Syria: Turkey has captured the sister (Anadolu) of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State who died during a U.S. raid in Syria last month, the country’s communications chief said.

A new Human Rights Watch report details a crackdown in Kampala in recent weeks in which Ugandan authorities have arrested and beaten journalists and student protesters. Police used tear gas (VOA) on press-freedom activists on their way to the capital city yesterday.

The new center-right government won a confidence vote (RFE/RL) and will now nominate a European commissioner. The collapse last month of the left-leaning government has held up the debut of a new European Commission, which was due to take over last week.
 
This CFR Backgrounder explains how the European Union works.
 
France: The country will for the first time implement quotas (Reuters) for the number of immigrant workers it permits from outside the European Union, the labor minister announced.

Incoming President Alejandro Giammattei, who takes office in mid-January, told reporters that he will recognize (Reuters) Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s president and cut all diplomatic ties with Nicolas Maduro’s government.
 
Chile: Thousands of anti-government protesters returned to the streets (AP) on Monday despite a cabinet reshuffle and new social welfare measures undertaken by President Sebastian Pinera.
 
CFR discusses what’s behind Chile’s protests.

A new report from the research and advocacy group Freedom House found that free speech and privacy on the internet declined this year due to increased government surveillance and election interference around the world.