*) Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity

The Canadian government has designated the Proud Boys group as a terrorist entity noting they played a pivotal role in the insurrection at the US Capitol.

The Proud Boys is a far-right, male chauvinist extremist group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies, and Canada is the first country to designate them as a terrorist entity.

During a September presidential debate, Donald Trump urged them to “stand back and stand by” when asked to condemn them by a moderator.

*) EU sends top envoy to Moscow as Navalny controversy grows

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell jets to the Kremlin over the jailing of Alexey Navalny and a crackdown on protesters.

The visit has drawn criticism from some European capitals worried Moscow will spin it as evidence Brussels is keen to return to business as normal.

the former Spanish foreign minister said: "It is when things are not going well that you must engage."

*)Facebook disrupted in Myanmar as UN chief warns coup must fail

Facebook services in Myanmar have been disrupted, days after the army seized power.

The Facebook disruption came as Myanmar saw its first street protest against this week's army coup, images on social media showed.

Myanmar plunged back into direct military rule when soldiers detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, later charging her over possession of illegal walkie-talkies.

*) UK, EU to intensify efforts to fix North Ireland's post-Brexit woes

Britain and the European Union have agreed to work "intensively" to resolve post-Brexit problems plaguing Northern Ireland, after border checks on goods were suspended this week.

The commitment was made at talks between senior UK minister Michael Gove, EU Commission Vice-president Maros Sefcovic and Northern Irish leaders.

It follows British demands for "rapid action" from the bloc and Prime Minister Boris Johnson renewing criticism of its role in the province.

And finally...

*) With ‘Mank’ and ‘The Crown,’ Netflix dominates Globes noms

After a year where the pandemic nearly emptied cinemas, Netflix has dominated nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards.

David Fincher's “Mank" lead film nominees with six nods and “The Crown” topped all television series.

Netflix led with a commanding 42 nominations, with 22 coming in film categories and 20 in television. No other studio came close.