Here's the wrap-up so far from our news desk:
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will never agree to any outside force deciding on whether Bashar al-Assad should remain Syrian president, and added that the crisis in Syria can only be resolved politically.
Putin, speaking at an annual question and answer session at the Kremlin, said Russia will continue to fight in Syria as long as Assad's forces are fighting against Islamist militants.
The United States, Germany, France, and Britain, among others have insisted that Assad must not be a part of any transition government in Syria.
Putin also said he was undecided on whether Russia needed to establish a permanent military base in Syria.
"If we have to reach somebody [in the world], we shall do so," he said, in reference to Russia's long-range missile capabilities.
Russia has been conducting bombing raids in Syria since September 30 at the invitation of Assad's government.
Western countries have accused Russia of attacking moderate forces opposed to Assad's rule instead of the Islamic State militants and other extremist groups in Syria that Moscow claims to be targetting.
Putin added that Moscow generally supported the U.S. initiative to prepare a resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council.
On question about tense relations between Russia and Georgia:
"It's their fault completely."
Dozhd TV channel jokes about a journalist holding a drawn poster of Putin with Yaroslavl written on it and a red heart : "And you have to hold this for five hours."
"All the money from the Platon initiative, 100 percent, would go directly into development of roads in Russia." Putin addresses the truck drivers' protest.