The arrival of the first top Russian diplomat in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad’s fall kicks off negotiations over the fate of Moscow’s bases in Syria.

The country’s leader, Gustavo Petro, backed down after a clash with President Trump, which started when Mr. Petro turned back U.S. military planes carrying deportees.

President Trump jabs at the Russian leader with threats; Vladimir Putin responds with flattery. But there are notable signals in their jousting, including a revived discussion about nuclear arms control.

Russia’s president flattered his American counterpart as “smart” and “pragmatic,” and repeated Mr. Trump’s baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

The determination comes as the United States prepares to announce sanctions against the Sudanese military chief, saying there is strong evidence of atrocities in the country.

Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to be Treasury secretary, will be in charge of steering the president’s economic agenda if confirmed by the Senate.

Mr. Rubio expressed views aligned with those of most senators who work on foreign policy, while taking care not to break from Donald J. Trump’s unorthodox ideas.

Responding to a question from a reporter, the president said he believed Americans “want to tell the truth.”

The United States will also extend temporary protections for roughly 600,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States.

The Biden administration is cracking down on the Russian “shadow fleet” and taking steps to curb oil and gas production.

President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for another six years on Friday, after claiming to win an election in July that many inside and outside Venezuela say he lost decisively.

The action put the measure on track for likely enactment given strong support for it among Republicans, who now control the Senate, and President-elect Donald J. Trump.

The tech industry is fighting new regulations, expected soon, that aim to keep the cutting-edge technology in the United States and allied countries.

The authorization comes after rebels toppled the Syrian government last month and is intended to allow humanitarian groups to operate more freely without running afoul of U.S. sanctions.

The agency imposed penalties on a company it blamed for supporting the Chinese hacking group Flax Typhoon in a 2022-23 infiltration.

Top diplomats from Germany and France went to Damascus on behalf of the European Union. It’s the first such trip in years, part of a flurry of Western outreach.

The chaotic country is now a magnet for criminal syndicates, particularly from China, destabilizing law enforcement across much of Asia.

Russia has assembled a fleet of hundreds of vessels to covertly ship its oil. With so many ships at sea, the idea of using some to cause havoc may be proving irresistible to the Kremlin.

Finland seized an oil tanker that authorities believe might have deliberately cut vital undersea cables. Finnish authorities believe the tanker may be linked to Russia.