After a storm of controversy following a series of statements, Daniel Davis, who was slated to be appointed as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration—a position very close to the US president—will not take up the role, an informed source told the Jerusalem Post.In the past, Davis condemned US support for Israel in the war against Hamas and accused the United States and Israel of pushing Iran to accelerate its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, while referring to Tehran as a "marginal regional power."

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday it had prevented a series of attacks against military and civil servants, the Interfax news agency reported.According to the FSB, "Ukrainian special services" planned to send explosive devices in parcels by mail.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine backed by the US and Ukraine needed to be reworked to take account of Russia's own interests, the RIA state news agency reported."The document, it seems to me, has a hasty character... It will be necessary to work, think, and take into account our position, too. It outlines only the Ukrainian approach," RIA cited Ushakov as saying.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow for talks with Russian officials about the Ukraine war, a source briefed on the matter said on Thursday.The source, who requested anonymity, did not have details of Witkoff's itinerary in the Russian capital. However, President Donald Trump is seeking Russian support for a ceasefire deal that Ukraine agreed to during US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.