Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is challenging President-elect Donald Trump to reject the isolationist voices within their party and build his foreign policy around military strength, arguing that if the U.S. retreats from global engagement, “its enemies will be only too happy to fill the void.” In an essay published Monday in Foreign Affairs, McConnell took the rare step of warning Trump directly as he plans to step down from his post in the coming weeks. The Kentucky Republican plans to stay in the Senate and has made clear that his top priority will be pushing for the United States to maintain and improve its global strength.

IDF troops who entered the Syrian part of Ramat HaGolan in the wake of the fall of the Assad regime took over Syrian army outposts without firing a shot, as the Syrian soldiers abandoned the outpost and positions facing Israel when it became clear that the end of the regime was nearing, Ynet reported. Four battalion combat teams from the Paratroopers, Commando Brigade and the 188th Armored Brigade are operating at the outposts in what the IDF calls “forward defense” – seizing key posts on enemy soil near the border during emergencies to preempt and deter potential threats to Israeli civilians. “The IDF quickly understood the importance of stabilizing the situation proactively this time, learning from past lessons in Gaza and southern Lebanon,” explained a senior commander.

At least two internal Amazon studies found a link between how quickly the online retailer’s warehouse workers perform tasks and workplace injuries, but the company rejected many safety recommendations out of concern the proposed changes might reduce productivity, according to a U.S. Senate committee report. The 160-page review issued Sunday night was compiled by the Democratic majority staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The report is the final product of a probe into Amazon’s warehouse safety practices that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders initiated last year. The Vermont independent, a frequent critic of Amazon who chairs the panel, released an interim report in July that featured some findings from the investigation.

Following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the rise of jihadist rebel groups, there has been a surge in the number of Druze-Israelis in the Golan seeking to enlist in the IDF, Channel 14 News reported. There are currently about 200 Druze-Israelis at various stages of the recruitment process. This is a very significant number considering the size of the Druze community in the Golan – just over 20,000 residents concentrated in four main villages: Majdal Shams, Buqata, Mas’ade, and Ein Qiniyye. Since the Six-Day War in 1967, an overwhelming majority of the Druze in the Golan hesitated to identify with the State of Israel and often displayed identification with Syria and the Assad regime.

An alleged Chinese spy who cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew said Monday he has done “nothing wrong or unlawful” as Britain’s government faced questions about what it is doing to thwart security threats from China. British authorities allege businessman Yang Tengbo — known only as “H6” until a High Court judge lifted an anonymity order Monday — was working on behalf of the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party that is used to influence foreign entities. It’s the most high-profile case in a series of espionage scandals in recent years that involved suspected or confirmed Chinese intelligence-gathering in Britain’s establishment, including in Parliament. Here’s a look at Yang’s case: Who is Yang Tengbo?

Birthdays are a time for celebration, tradition, and sometimes a little humiliation, depending on where you’re from. In Nova Scotia, birthday revelers delight in ambushing the celebrant with a healthy smear of butter or lard on their nose. In Germany, single men turning 30 are conscripted into step-sweeping duty at the town hall. In South Korea, birthdays are celebrated with a steaming bowl of seaweed soup.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his receipt of notes from aides during his corruption trial testimony in Tel Aviv on Monday, arguing it was necessary for balancing his role as prime minister with court proceedings. Following a break in the trial, during which Netanyahu was seen responding to a note handed to him by an aide, the prosecution questioned the practice, arguing the content of such notes should be known to both the judges and prosecutors. Netanyahu responded forcefully, asserting that it was impractical to consult the court on every note he received. “I want to give my testimony. But I am the prime minister,” Netanyahu said, noting the unique challenges of his dual responsibilities.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency claimed Monday that around 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded in fighting against the Ukrainian army at the weekend in Russia’s Kursk border region. This is the first reported casualties since the Pentagon and Ukraine announced North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. The casualties occurred around three villages in Kursk, where Russia has for four months been trying to quash a Ukrainian incursion, the agency, known by its acronym GUR, said in a public post on the Telegram messaging app. At least three North Korean servicemen went missing around another Kursk village, GUR said. It was not possible to independently verify the Ukrainian claims.

Israel’s security system and the IDF are preparing to carry out a “significant” attack in Yemen, Kan News reported on Monday. Senior security officials assess that following the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the subsequent fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are trying to take the lead in their role in Iran’s Axis Of Resistance. Houthi attacks on Israel have been steadily increasing. Since the beginning of November, the Houthis have fired six ballistic missiles and five drones at Israel. Under the behest of Iran, the Houthis are attempting to strike strategic sites in Israel, including the ports of Ashdod and Haifa, power stations, and off-shore gas rigs. Israel has not attacked Yemen for about three months, since the end of September.

The Supreme Court turned back an appeal Monday from Peter Navarro, the former White House official who is set to return in Donald Trump’s second term after serving prison time on contempt of Congress charges. The court declined to hear the appeal in a brief order without explanation, as is typical. It comes after the Justice Department sued Navarro, saying he had retained presidential records on an unofficial email account he used during his previous White House tenure under Trump. The government says the records must be turned over to the National Archives. Lower courts have agreed, but Navarro argues that the Presidential Records Act doesn’t allow the federal government to search email accounts and retrieve records.