There's been no shortage of major stories to break this week.
From China's president amassing unseen levels of power since Mao to the Syrian government's ongoing Russia-backed offensive, the news has kept on coming.
With that in mind, we've put together some of this week's most important stories that you may have missed:
- A Chinese defector who went missing in California after his brother's arrest in China revealed some closely guarded secrets of the Chinese military.
- Based off of the FBI's tracking of violent crimes, Business Insider assembled a list of the most violent city in each state.
- The Pentagon unveiled some of the weapons and research it wants to pursue with its upcoming 2017 budget.
- The DEA broke down which powerful Mexican cartels are operating throughout the US.
- The F-35, the most expensive weapons program in history, is expected to miss a key deadline.
- The Assad regime, with significant Russian backing, is poised to accomplish a potentially devastating blow against the rebels.
- Russia said there are numerous signs that Turkey could be preparing to enter Syria too.
- According to a defense think tank, Russia could force NATO out of the Baltics in 36 hours.
- The US is preparing to sell Saudi Arabia $1 billion worth of arms.
- Iraq's economy could be on the verge of falling off of a fiscal cliff with dire results.
- Hundreds of thousands of Chinese are waiting in and around mass transit stations to get home in time for Chinese New Year.
- Stratfor released their chilling predictions for the next decade.
- South Korean special forces go through this insane knife training to prepare for duty.
SEE ALSO: The world in photos this week
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