The Kremlin was a key supporter of Bashar al-Assad in his government's brutal attempts to defeat rebels, and that memory may make it difficult for Moscow to regain its foothold in Syria. Meanwhile, a Turkish-backed Syrian militia is moving against Kurdish forces in Syria. The corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is back on in Israel. A look at the woman nominated to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., and the implications of President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to shut the U.S. Department of Education.