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MOSCOW (Reuters) -The chief of Russia’s general staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russian forces had taken control of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk. Putin had visited the command post of the Russian forces “West” grouping where he had met with Gerasimov, and top military brass, the Kremlin said earlier.

(Reuters) -The Syrian central bank on Thursday sent its first Swift message to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, central bank Governor AbdulKader Husrieh told Reuters. “We sent (a) greeting message to all our international correspondent banks. We started with the Federal Reserve,” Husrieh said.

By Daphne Psaledakis and MacDonald Dzirutwe WASHINGTON/LAGOS (Reuters) -The United States is considering actions such as sanctions and Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism as part of a plan to compel the Nigerian government to better protect Christian communities and religious freedom, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Thursday.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Thursday after missing Wednesday’s session with an ankle injury. It is the second straight week the two-time MVP did not practice on Wednesday of a game week. Last week, it was knee soreness that interrupted his preparations. If the pattern holds, Jackson should be ready to start on Sunday when the streaking Ravens (5-5) host the New York Jets (2-8) while looking for their fifth straight win.

Ryan Garcia has announced that he is signed to fight WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on Feb. 21. Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs), who held the WBC interim lightweight title in 2021, has never won a fight at welterweight. The 27-year-old Garcia lost a 12-round unanimous decision to welterweight Rolando Romero on May 2 in New York. That result followed a no contest against Devin Haney in April 2024, when Garcia failed a drug test after winning the fight.

MINOT, N.D. (KFGO) – Minot police say a warrant has been issued for a man wanted in a murder. Chozey Morsette, 30, of Minot is the suspect in the November 7 murder of Anthony Redmond. Police had earlier asked residents in a northeast Minot neighborhood to check home security footage for activity that may assist in the investigation. Police say Morsette should not be approached.

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday that calls by President Donald Trump to urge the agency to rescind licenses held by ABC stations would fail in court. Trump on Tuesday said broadcasting licenses used by affiliates of Walt Disney’s ABC should be “taken away” after the Republican president objected to a question posed by a reporter for the network.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the handling of a mortgage fraud probe of Senator Adam Schiff led by President Donald Trump-appointees Ed Martin and Bill Pulte, CNN reported on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Negotiations between the Trump administration and Harvard University are close to being finalized, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon told reporters at the White House on Thursday. The administration has opened a number of investigations into the university to monitor its compliance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s directives, an effort critics say amounts to political persecution. (Reporting by Nandita Bose and Gram Slattery; Editing by Chris Reese)

Slugger Kazuma Okamoto and right-hander Kona Takahashi became the latest Japanese stars posted for MLB free agency on Thursday. Both players can negotiate with teams during a 45-day window that opens Friday at 8 a.m. ET. and closes on Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET. If either remains unsigned, he would return to his Nippon Professional Baseball club. Okamoto, 29, was posted by the Yomiuri Giants and Takahashi, 28, by the Saitama Seibu Lions.