Bashar Assad and Vladimir Putin. Photo of the Kremlin press service Russia is ready to resign the current president of Syria Bashar al -Assad. It is reported by Reuters, referring to their own sources in Western diplomatic circles. "The Russians in private conversations say that they will agree to Assad’s departure at the end of the transition period. However, so far they are not ready to declare this publicly," one of the sources said.

The building of the Council of the European Union in Brussels. Photo: europahouse-tm.eu The Committee of regular representatives of the EU countries decided to extend the sanctions of the European Union against Russia for six months, until July 31, 2016. It is reported by Reuters with reference to a diplomatic source. On Monday, the decision will enter into force after approval by the Council of the European Union and the next day will be published in the EU official journal.

Vitaly Portnikov. Photo from the site www.day.ua Vladimir Putin has always been considered a man who "does not give his own." No loud scandal, no clan games could make him get rid of an unpopular minister or a presumptuous governor. And this has always been presented as presidential valor, as the ability of Putin to keep a blow and protect his associates from any vicissitudes of fate.

Four years ago, on December 18, 2011, the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq was completed. Thus, the campaign promise of President Barack Obama was fulfilled. After that, the activities of militants of the Islamic State extremist group, which seized the northern third of Iraq, intensified. A significant part of the Iraqi government army from among the Sunnis went over to their side.

Flags of Ukraine and the European Union The European Commission confirmed the implementation of the Action on visas and recommended the EU Council to consider the introduction of a visa -free regime for Ukraine in 2016. This is stated in the officially published sixth report of the EC on visas. "The European Commission believes that Ukraine has fulfilled all the target conditions established in the four blocks of the second phase of the action plan for visa liberalization.

Announcement of the NTV film "Brighter and Co." The NTV channel announced the show of Bright and Co., dedicated to the head of the Hermitage Capital investment fund William Brauder. "Who is William Brauder? A foreign intelligence officer, an international -scale scamirist and a puppeteer of the Russian opposition," the film says. Its show will be held as part of the Extraordinary Program.

Kirill Shamalov. Photo from the site sibur.ru Sibura shareholder Kirill Shamalov, who is called the husband of the alleged daughter of Vladimir Putin Katerina Tikhonova, together with his partners Leonid Michelson and Gennady Timchenko closed one of the largest transactions in 2015, selling the Chinese company Sinopec 10 percent in a chemical holding. According to RBC, now the company is estimated at 13.4 billion dollars.

Yuri Chaika. Photo from the site Pravoirk.ru The presidential administration processes all the data on officials who are involved in publications in the media, including the prosecutor general Yuri Chaika, for a conflict of interest. According to RIA Novosti, this was stated by presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov. According to him, under the AP there is a whole control mechanism, which includes, in particular, the Presidential Office for Combating Corruption, led by Oleg Padn.

Ilya Milstein. Courtesy Photo "And the daggers need to be returned. Thank you very much. That's it, we finish this. Thank you." Perhaps this was the most dramatic moment of yesterday's press conference . The audience came to taste, knowing for sure that Putin was able to answer questions for many hours in a row, and people still pulled his hands, shouted and waved with posters, and he was already rising. Although only three hours have passed with a little.

Nikita Mikhalkov. Photo ruskino.ru The film directed by Nikita Mikhalkov "Sunny Bun" did not fall into the short list of the American film award "Oscar". As RIA Novosti reports , the Prize Committee stated this. Initially, the committee watched 80 films in the category "Best Foreign Language Film".

Kirill Barabash. Photo: CVK2012.org The Khamovnican District Court of Moscow arrested an activist of the initiative group for the referendum "For responsible power!" Kirill Barabash, according to the group’s website. At the trial, the interests of the activist were represented by a lawyer for their appointment. The drum was placed in the SIZO Sailor Silence.

Vitaly Churkin at a meeting of the UN Security Council. Frame webtv.un.org The UN Security Council may impose sanctions on Turkey companies that are involved in the implementation of oil by terrorists of the Islamic State. According to TASS, this was stated by the Permanent Representative of Russia at the United Nations Vitaly Churkin.

Su-24 on-board self-recorder. Photo from the site kremlin.ru The boards of the memory module of the “black box” of the Su-24 aircraft, shot down by Turkey, have damage. According to TASS, this was stated by the head of the information and analytical department of the flight security service of the Armed Forces Aviation Andrei Semenov. According to him, because of this, part of the data may be lost.

Vaclav Radzivinovich. Photo from the site cogita.ru The correspondent of the Polish publication Gazeta Wyborcza in Moscow Vaclav Radzivinovich will be expelled from Russia. This was announced on his Twitter by the managing editor of the publication Roman Imelsky. In his opinion, this step will be Russia's response to the expulsion of Leonid Sviridov from Poland MIA Russia Today.

The Russian paratrooper detained in Ukraine. Photo of the SBU Russia did not send military specialists to Ukraine, volunteers were traveling to the southeast of this country, the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. As Interfax reports , in this way he commented on the words of Vladimir Putin at the final press conference on December 17. Putin said that Russian citizens are present in Ukraine, but there is no talk of a regular Russian army.