WION Evening News Brief, November 17, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only world statesman to have stood up to China's Belt and Road Initiative, also known as One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), even though the US has been silent on the ambitious project till recently, a top American expert on China said on Friday.

P V Sindhu's title defence lay in tatters after suffering a shock straight-game loss to hitherto unknown Chinese Gao Fangjie in the quarterfinals of the China Super Series Premier here on Friday. Sindhu's loss drew curtains on India's campaign at the China Open, following the ouster of Saina Nehwal and H S Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals yesterday.

The Election Commission has recognised Janta Dal United's faction led by Nitish Kumar. EC 's decision comes after it rejected the plea filed by Gujarat party leader Chhotubhai Amarsang Vasava to recognise his group as real JD(U). He is the working president of the JD(U) faction led by Sharad Yadav.

The BJP today released its first list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat elections, including five Congress rebels and 49 sitting MLAs. The state's ruling party has fielded 16 fresh faces in its first list for elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, to be held in two phases on December 9 and 14.

Taylor Swift is back on the Billboard with her latest album "Reputation" breaking all records by selling 1.05 million copies in the first four days of its release on streaming services. "Reputation" is Swift's fourth consecutive album to sell more than a million copies in its first week.