MOSCOW -- The modern weapons rate in the Russian army reached an unprecedented level of 61.5 percent of its total armament, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.

"In total, we have received over 1,500 models of weapon and over 80,000 pieces of equipment. This is a huge number. In general, we have reached 61.5 percent in terms of modernity," Shoigu said at a meeting of the ministry's public council. (Russia-Military)

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BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said Monday that the U.S. troops' withdrawal from neighboring Syria would have a negative impact on Iraq.

"We have discussed ... the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from Syria, because this has great repercussions on Iraq," Abdul Mahdi told a press conference after a weekly cabinet meeting. (Iraq-US-Syria)

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NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks plunged on Monday, with most of the major indices booking their worst Christmas Eve decline, extending their huge losses in the previous week's rout.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 653.17 points, or 2.91 percent, to 21792.20. The S&P 500 decreased 65.52 points, or 2.71 percent, to 2,351.10. The Nasdaq Composite Index slid 140.08 points, or 2.21 percent, to 6,192.92. (US-Stock Market)

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TRIPOLI -- Libya's Interior Ministry on Monday announced discovering a mass grave containing bodies believed to be of Ethiopian Christians executed by the Islamic State (IS) militants in 2015 in the city of Sirte.

According to the ministry's Criminal Investigation Department, the mass grave has been revealed during investigations with detained IS members. (Libya-IS-Mass Grave)

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MEXICO CITY -- The governor of Mexico's central state of Puebla, Martha Erika Alonso, and her husband Rafael Moreno Valle, ex-governor of the state, were killed in a helicopter crash on Monday, the head of the National Action Party Marko Cortes confirmed. (Mexico-Helicopter Crash) Enditem

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