The once-elegant city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, has become the main battlefield in the war with Russia. We hear why much is riding on the fight to control Bakhmut. And COVID-19 infections in China are spiking — jumping from very few cases to tens of thousands per day — and China’s government says that’s OK. After years of “all-out war” on the virus, officials suddenly insist it’s actually not much worse than the flu. Also, the UN Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, concluded with a deal to mitigate wildlife extinctions, in part, by setting aside more land and sea for preservation than ever before. Plus, to kick off the Hanukkah season, we hear diverse stories from the Old City, Jerusalem. 

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