Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Rustem Umerov, the former Minister of Defense of Ukraine and later Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, has refused to return to Ukraine.

He personally informed President Zelensky about his decision, according to media reports.

Somalia: SNA and Jubaland forces reported killing 56 Al-Shabaab militants in Lower Jubba and capturing 20 others in a raid in Jamaame.

UPDATE: Sources speaking to Clash Report say there is no truth to the claim that Rustem Umerov does not plan to return to Ukraine.

According to individuals in direct contact with Umerov, he will indeed return.

Historian Yaroslav Hrytsak warns that Ukraine is entering a serious internal crisis fueled by three forces: intensifying Russian military pressure, declining foreign support, and the fallout from the latest corruption scandal.

He notes that elections are impossible during active war, yet the situation is already creating growing uncertainty around the country’s political leadership.

According to Hrytsak, three names are increasingly mentioned as potential post-war leaders: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Kyrylo Budanov, and Andriy Biletskyi.

Source: Corriere della Sera

Russia's Medvedev:

The war will continue until the Russian Federation achieves its objectives.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams meets with Netanyahu in Israel.

New international student enrolments in the US dropped 17% this year — one of the steepest declines ever outside the pandemic — largely due to visa delays, refusals, and tougher Trump-era policies.

Source: FT

The Trump Organization and Saudi-backed Dar Global plan to build an 80-villa luxury resort in the Maldives, using blockchain “tokenisation” to let outside investors buy digital shares of the project.

The announcement comes just before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House.

Russia’s flagship Urals crude dropped to its lowest level in more than 2.5 years last week, just days before US sanctions take effect on the country’s two biggest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.

Urals from the Black Sea fell to $36.61 a barrel, the weakest since March 2023.

Source: Bloomberg

Ted Cruz is gearing up for a 2028 presidential run by aggressively attacking Tucker Carlson’s isolationist foreign policy.

The strategy is winning over pro-Israel GOP donors but could clash with a Republican base that now leans “America First,” where JD Vance is the early frontrunner.

Source: Axios

Trump:

Democrats are trying to steal our seats everywhere, and we’re not going to let this happen!

NYC Mayor Eric Adams:

In New York, I think that the community must prepare itself.

I think this is a period where they need to be very conscious that there's a level of global hostility towards the Jewish community.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams:

If I was a Jewish New Yorker with children, I would be concerned right now.

I became senator, borough president, and mayor because of the Jewish community, and I thank you for that.

Turkish President Erdogan:

Hamas is standing by the agreement it signed and is meeting its obligations despite all the provocations from the Netanyahu government.

Turkish President Erdogan:

With the weather getting colder and the rains starting, the situation in Gaza is steadily worsening.

The people of Gaza urgently need to be moved out of makeshift tents.

Sending the containers currently available in our country to Gaza will bring significant relief on the ground.

Turkish President Erdogan:

As long as the occupation continues in Palestine, as long as Palestine bleeds and Palestinians’ lands are seized, no country in the region can be secure.

Zohran Mamdani:

I've said time and again that I believe this is a city of international law and being a city of international law means looking to uphold international law.

And that means upholding the warrants from the International Criminal Court, whether they're for Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin.

EU officials told POLITICO they’re stunned by Steve Witkoff’s poor grasp of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and have zero confidence he can accurately pass messages between Moscow and Washington.

Turkish President Erdogan:

Türkiye considers all the peoples in Syria its brothers and wants peace, security, and well-being for everyone.

The European Solidarity Party (led by Petro Poroshenko) and the Voice Party have formally presented their demands to President Zelensky following a major corruption scandal involving senior officials.

They are calling for:

• The full resignation of the government

• A new parliamentary coalition

• A newly appointed Cabinet

• The dismissal of Andriy Yermak and a reset of the President’s Office

Both parties argue that the corruption revelations have severely damaged public trust and could undermine Ukraine’s stability and international support.

Although the two parties together hold only 45 seats in parliament — far short of a majority — they say the scale of the scandal requires immediate political action.