BBC News with Julie Candler.

The American Secretary of State John Kerry has staunchly defended Washington’s decision to let the UN Security Council pass last week's resolution declaring Israeli settlements illegal. Mr. Kerry said the move was designed to preserve the two-state option from serious jeopardy. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep disappointment at what he called a radical shift in American policy.

Syrian rebel groups say they are discussing a ceasefire with Turkey, but that it's too early to say whether it has any chance of success. One of the main rebel groups said that one of the points of contention was exclusion of a rebel-held area on the outskirts of Damascus from the deal.

German prosecutors have arrested a 40-year-old Tunisian man in connection with the truck attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin. They say his number was found on the phone of Anis Amri, the radicalized Tunisian who drove the truck. Meanwhile, German media report that an automatic braking system kicked in when the lorry hit the first stalls in the market preventing Amri continuing the attack.

A group of high-ranking US senators has warned that Russia could face harsh sanctions for its alleged attempts to influence the US elections through cyber-attacks. The Republican and Democratic Senators said the measures would also target President Putin.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says it came under a major cyber-attack in November. It said the incident had put the integrity of its computer network at risk, but that the systems were safe now.

The last military president of Uruguay Gregorio Alvarez has died in prison at the age of 91. Mr. Alvarez led the brutal persecution for left-wing Tupamaro’s guerrillas in 1970s. He became President of Uruguay in 1981 and stood down four years later. BBC News.