Moscow
Lebanon detains Syrian who helped funnel funds to pro-Assad fighters, sources say
His arrest came nearly a month after top Syrian security officials asked Lebanon to track down and hand over more than 200 officers who fled there after Assad was overthrown.
What Maduro’s fall tells Tehran about Trump’s Iran strategy - opinion
Global Monopoly game: How a small state like Israel survives in ruthless geopolitics - opinion
Animated Putin joins talking cat, dog for New Year's message in popular Russian cartoon
Russia rejects major concessions on Ukraine as leaked call shows Witkoff advising Moscow
Russia rejects major concessions on Ukraine despite a leaked call showing US envoy Steve Witkoff advising Moscow on how to pitch a peace plan to Trump.
What are the regions Ukraine could lose under the US-backed plan? - explainer
Under the original US-backed plan, which has since been revised, Ukraine would lose Crimea and most of the Donbas region, including parts that have not officially been taken by Russia.
Putin says authorities must galvanize Russian identity in Ukraine
Putin signed a decree ordering the consolidation of the Russian language and identity in annexed parts of Ukraine. The strategy aims to reach 95% of "Russian civic identity" by 2036.
Rubio says the Ukraine peace proposal was authored by US
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington authored the 28-point Ukraine peace proposal, as senators disputed the claim and US, Ukrainian, and European officials opened talks in Geneva.
US draft peace plan would model Ukraine security on NATO's Article 5, Axios reports
The deal would be valid for 10 years and states that an attack by Russia across the armistice line would be considered an attack threatening transatlantic peace.
Russia says it held talks with China on missile defense
Russia and China held talks in Moscow on missile defense and agreed to strengthen cooperation.
UK accuses Russian spy ship of directing lasers at British pilots, threatens military response
British defense minister John Healey said directing lasers at RAF pilots was "deeply dangerous" and Britain was poised to react depending on the Yantar's next move.
Russian-Israeli released from Libyan jail after breaking into Tripoli synagogue
The man, who lives in Russia, entered through a border crossing between Tunisia and Libya.
Ukraine seeking exchange of 1,200 prisoners with Russia
Ukraine says it is pushing to restart prisoner exchanges with Russia, aiming to bring home 1,200 Ukrainians.
Russian, Syrian defense ministers talk bilateral cooperation in Moscow
The meeting comes following Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Moscow in mid-October, in which he pledged to honor the agreements between the two countries.
