Almost exactly seven years ago, President Vladimir Putin stood with Russian troops at their air base in Syria and proudly declared victory over “terrorists” in that country as part of the Kremlin’s military intervention to prop up the government of Bashar Assad amid a civil war. This weekend, those hard-won gains seemed a distant memory. Assad hastily fled to Moscow as his power crumbled during a lightning offensive by rebels that his main international allies, Russia and Iran, were unable to stem. The Kremlin’s failure to prevent Assad’s swift downfall has exposed limits of Russia’s power and dented its international clout at a pivotal stage of its war in Ukraine.

Israeli officials on Monday dismissed a Qatari report claiming significant advancements in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas for a temporary ceasefire that would include a hostage exchange. “These reports are not true,” the Hostage Affairs Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office stated in a message to the families of Israeli captives. “We continue to work tirelessly to bring the hostages home, while maintaining strict information security regarding the matter. We recommend relying exclusively on information from official sources.” The denial followed a report from the London-based, Qatari-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news outlet, which claimed that negotiations had reached an advanced stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that he’s open to the potential deployment of Western troops in Ukraine to guarantee the country’s security as part of a broad effort to end the almost three-year war with Russia. The deployment would be a step toward Ukraine joining NATO, Zelenskyy said in a post on his Telegram channel. “But before that, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO,” Zelenskyy said. His proposals tread a delicate diplomatic path amid international efforts to find a way of ending Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II at a time when Russia has gained an upper hand in the fighting. U.S.

A Jewish man was seriously injured Monday afternoon after being stabbed in the neck on President Street in Crown Heights. Crown Heights Hatzolah paramedics quickly arrived at the scene, providing immediate medical care before transporting the victim to Kings County Hospital in serious condition. The suspect, described as a white male, fled the scene following the assault, and police are actively searching for him. Developing. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Omnicom is buying Interpublic Group in a stock-for-stock deal that will create an advertising powerhouse with combined annual revenue of almost $26 billion. The New York City agencies have had a hand in iconic marketing campaigns like “Got Milk” for the California Milk Processor Board, “Priceless” for Mastercard, “Because I’m Worth It” for L’Oreal and “Think Different” for Apple. The combined company will be worth more than $30 billion. Shareholders of The Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. will receive 0.344 Omnicom shares for each share of Interpublic common stock that they own. Omnicom shareholders will own 60.6% of the combined company and Interpublic shareholders will own 39.4% after the transaction is complete.

A man with a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was taken into police custody Monday for questioning in Pennsylvania, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The man is being held near Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles  west of New York City, the official said. He also had a gun, silencer, four fake IDs and other items “consistent” with what authorities were looking for in the case, sources said.

CNN has truly outdone itself this time, publishing a glowing puff piece about Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a man internationally recognized as a terrorist who is now the leader of Syria. Yes, this is the same Jolani who was, as CNN itself admits, sent to Syria in 2011 by none other than Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the infamous founder of ISIS, with a monthly stipend of $50,000. Yet, somehow, Jolani is now being spun as a misunderstood “revolutionary” and potential Western ally. You can’t make this up. The piece details Jolani’s rise, casually noting that he was tasked with establishing Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, and even acknowledges his deep roots in jihadism.

A passenger aboard a domestic Mexican flight attempted to hijack the plane and steer it toward the United States on Sunday morning. The suspect, identified only as Mario, a 31-year-old Mexican national, reportedly attacked a flight attendant and tried to force his way into the cockpit. The incident occurred on Volaris Flight 3041, which was traveling from El Bajío Airport in León to Tijuana. In a statement, Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) confirmed the suspect’s actions and credited the flight crew with intervening quickly to restrain him. The pilot issued an alert code and diverted the flight, safely landing at Guadalajara International Airport in central Mexico.

While the election was over a month ago, voters in some parts of the country are discovering that having their say at the ballot box is not necessarily the final word. Lawmakers in several states have already initiated or indicated plans to alter or nullify certain results. Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are moving to undercut the authority of the incoming Democratic governor, Republicans in Missouri are taking initial steps to reverse voter-approved abortion protections, and Democrats in Massachusetts are watering down an attempt by voters to hold the Legislature more accountable. The actions following the Nov. 5 election continue a pattern that has accelerated in recent years and has been characterized by critics as undemocratic.