ISRAEL'S PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU CLAIMS WIN IN PARTY LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed a "huge win" in a vote that challenged his leadership of the Likud party. About 49% of Likud's 116,000 eligible members voted on Thursday, party figures show. Challenger Gideon Saar conceded defeat, saying he would now back Mr Netanyahu in March's general election. The internal party vote was seen as a test of Mr Netanyahu's hold on power at a time of mounting difficulties. Mr Netanyahu, 70, faces trial on bribery and corruption charges, as well as a third national election within a year. Previous elections held in April and September saw Likud deadlocked with the centrist Blue and White party - with neither able to form a government. After polls closed at 23:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu tweeted a claim that he had won, although a result is not expected until early on Friday. "With God and with your help, I will lead the Likud to a big victory in the upcoming elections and continue to lead the State of Israel to unprecedented achievements," he posted (in Hebrew). Mr Saar, a 53-year-old former minister, later conceded defeat in a tweet (in Hebrew). "I am content with my decision to have stood. Those who are unwilling to take a risk for what they believe in will never succeed," Mr Saar wrote. "My colleagues and I will stand behind [Netanyahu] in campaigning for the Likud's success in the general elections," he added. Mr Saar, a well-known figure in the party, had wanted to take Likud on a new path. AFTER FRANCE, ITALY APPROVES DIGITAL TAX ON LARGE TECH COMPANIES Following in the footsteps of France, Italy has approved a new tax to be levied on large tech companies, a move that is likely to put more strain on the country's relations with the U.S. The new tax passed this week by Italy's Parliament will come into force on January 1, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The Italian parliament has approved a three percent digital tax on some digital revenue of technology companies that make over $831 million in global revenue, including least $6 million in Italy. The tax is similar to the one France implemented earlier this year which has attracted severe criticism from the U.S. According to a report in The Epoch Times, dozens of countries are working on proposals to change corporate tax schemes to capture money from tech firms that have users across the world, such as Facebook and Google's parent company Alphabet. In a recent letter to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a think-tank of rich economies, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that there were concerns about a proposal put forward by some countries. The U.S. "firmly opposes digital services taxes because they have a discriminatory impact on U.S.-based businesses and are inconsistent with the architecture of current international tax rules, which seek to tax net income rather than gross revenues," Mnuchin wrote. PROTESTS CONTINUE IN IRAQ OVER PRIME MINISTER PICK Iraq's President said on Thursday he was "ready to resign" rather than put forward the candidate of a pro-Iranian coalition for the post of Prime Minister, deepening the country's political crisis. Barham Saleh's announcement came as anti-government protesters blocked roads and bridges in Baghdad. In the southern city of Nasiriyah, demonstrators set the provincial government building ablaze overnight for a second time since the protests began. Protesters also torched the new headquarters of a pro-Iran militia in Diwaniyah. In a letter to Parliament, Mr. Saleh said he wished to guarantee the "independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity" of Iraq. But he cited the Constitution, which obliges the President to task the candidate put forward by Parliament's biggest bloc with forming a government. "With all my respect to (Basra province governor) Mr Assaad al-Aidani, I decline to put him forward" for the post, Mr. Saleh wrote. As that could be seen as violating the constitution, "I place before members of Parliament my readiness to resign from the position of President", Mr. Saleh added. Mr. Aidani is considered as the candidate of Iran, which protesters accuse of meddling in Iraqi affairs. IRAN REIMPOSES INTERNET BLACKOUT IN VARIOUS PROVINCES: REPORT Iranian authorities have shut down mobile internet access across several provinces and security has been heightened in Tehran, the Iranian Labour News Agency reported, as mourning ceremonies approach for protesters killed last month in a government crackdown. The mourning services are scheduled to begin on Thursday. The independent Shargh newspaper said five unidentified provinces will be subject to the blackout, while ILNA said internet users in those areas will have access to a limited number of state-approved Iran websites and applications. Social media footage whose authenticity cannot be verified appeared to show an increased presence of security forces and riot police in the capital. Iran was rocked by protests in November after the government increased gasoline prices by as much as 200% and introduced rationing as the economy struggles under crippling U.S. sanctions. The unrest soon took a broader anti-establishment turn, sparking a violent government crackdown and similar restrictions on internet access. Amnesty International, the London-based human rights group, has said at least 304 protesters were killed, while Reuters, citing unidentified Iranian government officials, has put the figure around 1,500. Iran has acknowledged its security forces shot and killed protesters, but hasn't given a toll. It's called the Reuters number a lie and an exaggeration. PAKISTAN GOVT. FILES REVIEW PETITION IN ARMY CHIEF'S EXTENSION CASE The Pakistan government on Thursday filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision about legislation on the extension of service of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. A three-member apex court Bench headed by then Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on November 28 granted a six-month extension to Gen. Bajwa after being assured by the government that Parliament will pass a legislation on the extension/reappointment of an army chief within six months. The ruling came in the nick of time as Gen. Bajwa, 59, was set to retire at midnight on November 28. In the review petition filed by Attorney General Anwar Mansoor, the government has urged the apex court to form a larger Bench to hear the case and set aside the earlier judgment. It also requested the court to keep the proceedings in-camera. Firdous Ashiq Awan, the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said the review petition was filed "because our legal team thoroughly, comprehensively, and closely reviewed all aspects of the decision and concluded that there are several legal gaps in the verdict. "With due respect to the judiciary, the government wants rectification of the faults and thus decided to file the review petition," she said. INDIA COULD CARRY OUT 'ACTION OF SOME SORT' IN POK, CLAIMS PAK PM IMRAN KHAN Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday claimed that India could carry out "an action of some sort" in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to divert attention from its domestic issues and warned that his army was prepared for any such move. Khan made the remarks while addressing a public gathering in Jhelum district, hours after the army said that two of its soldiers were killed in "unprovoked firing" by the Indian troops along the Line of Control (LOC). "I have been telling the world for the past five months that the Modi-RSS government, in order to divert the world attention away from Kashmir and the protests against the (citizenship) law, will definitely conduct some sort of action" in PoK, Khan said. The prime minister said he had told army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa about the threats from India and the general "told me that Pakistan is prepared for them". He extended condolences to the families of the two soldiers killed on Thursday. Khan said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens attracted large-scale protests for being against 200 million Muslims living in India. He also said Pakistan would not do anything as what Prime Minister Modi was doing "would create a backlash that would bring his downfall". CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN TO HOLD JOINT NAVAL DRILLS STARTING FRIDAY China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China's defence ministry said on Thursday, amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States. China will send the Xining, a guided missile destroyer, to the drills, which will last until Monday, and are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries' navies, ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a monthly news briefing. The drill was a "normal military exchange" between the three armed forces and was in line with international law and practices, Wu said. "It is not necessarily connected with the regional situation," he said, without elaborating. The Gulf of Oman is a particularly sensitive waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz - through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes - which in turn connects to the Gulf. The drills are also coming at a time of fraught tensions between the United States and Iran. Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit Saudi Arabia next year as it is the host of the 2020 G20 summit.