The Soviet Union’s former KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, one of Russia’s most influential hardline spy masters, has died aged 83, Russia’s foreign intelligence service said on Sunday.

Syria said on Sunday it would attend a U.S.-led conference aimed at launching talks to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, giving another boost to U.S. efforts to enlist wide Arab support a new peace drive.

Israel said on Sunday it believed Syria had decided to attend this week’s U.S.-hosted conference about Palestinian statehood.