Spotlight
Iran urged the U.S. Congress on Wednesday to issue a "political statement" that Washington will stay committed to a possible agreement in Vienna talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.

The near simultaneous release of propaganda videos in which the Lebanese Army and Hizbullah flaunt their alpine skills triggered an avalanche of comments online Wednesday, some jokingly referencing the Winter Olympics.
Hizbullah looked keen to demonstrate it was undeterred by recent heavy snowfall in a slick two-minute production released late Tuesday that soon started trending on social media.

The European Union on Wednesday urged Russia to take "concrete" steps to ease tensions around Ukraine, as Moscow said it was pulling back more forces from the border.

The Kremlin said Wednesday it was "positive" that U.S. President Joe Biden wanted to continue talks on the Ukraine crisis, as Moscow said it was pulling back some troops from its neighbor's border.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday said Russia's military build-up seemed to be continuing around Ukraine despite Moscow announcing the pullback of more forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday that Moscow urged "pragmatic dialogue" as the West looks for signs of a de-escalation over Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he saw some hints of progress in talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on easing regional tensions.

Ukraine said on Tuesday that the sites of the country's defense ministry and two major state banks were hit by a cyberattack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he was ready to continue working with the West on security issues to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine.

The European Parliament on Tuesday agreed to an urgent vote on a 1.2-billion-euro ($1.4-billion) EU aid package for Ukraine, as fears of a potential Russian invasion threaten its economy.
