MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Syria's foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani in Moscow on Thursday, the first visit by a top official from Syria's new government since the toppling of longtime Russian ally Bashar al-Assad in December.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday promised reconstruction aid to Syria and extended an invitation to President Ahmed al-Sharaa to visit Moscow. "We expect President al-Sharaa to be able to attend the first Russia-Arab League summit,

Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus, headed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharra, have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow.

Kyiv is observing a day of mourning after a Russian drone and missile attack killed 31 people, including five children, and injured over 150

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for stronger international sanctions on Russia after a deadly attack on Kyiv killed at least 31 people. Zelensky said five children - the youngest aged two - were among the dead and 159 people had been wounded in the assault on Thursday.

Donald Trump claimed Russia is losing 7,000 soldiers each week on the frontline of the Ukraine war and insisted Russia's actions are 'disgusting'