Syrian security forces used gunfire on Tuesday to break up two rival groups of demonstrators in the coastal town of Latakia, heartland of the country’s Alawite minority, witnesses and officials said.

A record number of Americans had been expected to fly during Thanksgiving, but a 43-day government shutdown dampened demand for one of the year’s busiest travel seasons.

When the BBC launched an expansion into the U.S. in June, its head of news promised “trust at a time of dramatic global uncertainty”.

Ukraine on Tuesday signalled support for the framework of a peace deal with Russia but stressed that sensitive issues needed to be fixed at a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan needs improvement to make it acceptable for Ukraine and Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron told RTL radio on Tuesday.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon has sharply criticised US President Donald Trump’s recent comments on Ukraine, saying he doubts the president will ultimately support Kyiv as peace negotiations continue. Bacon said Trump’s remarks accusing Ukraine of showing “zero gratitude” were “reprehensible” and ignored repeated expressions of thanks from President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people. He argued that Trump too often “wavers back to the Russian camp” despite occasionally making supportive statements about Ukraine.

Russia launched a new barrage of drones and missiles at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, officials said, killing seven people, wounding 21, and disrupting electricity and heating systems as Ukraine raced to finalise a U.S.-backed peace deal.

A US Air Force drone, part of a squadron permanently assigned to South Korea amid simmering military tensions in the region, crashed early Monday off the country’s west coast, according to military and media reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan needs improvement to make it acceptable for Ukraine and Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron told RTL radio.

China’s President Xi Jinping pledged fresh investment in Tonga when he met King Tupou VI of the South Pacific island nation in Beijing, as the Asian giant works to extend its influence across the Asia-Pacific.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul plans to visit China before the end of this year, he said at a policy forum in Berlin, after postponing a planned October trip at the last minute.

China’s first emergency space launch went ahead without incident, as the country plugged safety risks at its crewed space station after a vessel was damaged in orbit earlier this month.