Death toll from Gaza war passes 46,000 amid ceasefire 'progress'

Israel, US, UK bomb sites across Yemen

Israel, the US and the UK all carried out air strikes on Yemen Friday as protesters carried out their weekly pro-Palestine march in the capital.

Dozens of strikes were reported on Sanaa, targeting the Hezyaz power station and other cites in the capital. Al-Hudaydah and the Ras Isa port were also targeted.

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and swathes of Yemen, have continued to launch missiles and drones at Israel in support of Gaza.

Italy PM offers Lebanon's new president support

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her support on Friday for new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, saying he would be a "trustworthy" leader for the country.

"I am convinced that President Aoun will be a trustworthy and authoritative leader for Lebanon, a friendly nation to Italy to which we are linked by historic and deep ties," Meloni said in a statement.

Cypriot president to meet Lebanon president in Beirut Friday

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides will travel to Beirut on Friday afternoon to congratulate Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his election as head of state, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

Christodoulides will be the first foreign official to visit Aoun since his election a day earlier after a more than two-year presidential vacuum.

Cyprus and Lebanon witnessed some tension last year when slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made threatening remarks against the neighbouring island nation, accusing it of letting Israel use its territory to wage war on Lebanon.

Stampede at Damascus' Umayyad Mosque kills 3 women

At least tree women have died following a stampede at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Friday, a statement by Syria’s civil defence said.

Several children were reported injured.

The incident took place during a event in the city's iconic landmark organised by a popular Syrian chef.

Thousands of armed militia in Iran march against 'threats'

Thousands of fighters linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face "threats".

Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets. Fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.

Some dragged coffins decorated with Israeli flags, as flags of Hezbollah flew along with Iranian and Palestinian banners.

A Guards commander, General Mohammadreza Naghdi, singled out Iran's enemies the United States and Israel during the gathering.

The US, he said, was "behind all the misfortune in the Muslim world." As for Israel, "if we are able to destroy the Zionist regime and withdraw the American bases in the region, one of our big problems will be resolved," he said.

Italian FM meets Syria's de factor leader in Damascus

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus Friday, state media said, in the latest such visit from a European diplomat since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

State news agency SANA did not give further details about Tajani and Sharaa's discussions, just over a month after Islamist-led rebels seized Damascus and Assad fled to Moscow.

Tajani earlier met his new counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani, after which the Syrian official said he would soon make his first official tour of Europe.

US House votes to sanction ICC over Israel

The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court in protest at its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel's war in Gaza.

The vote was 243 to 140 in favor of the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act," which would sanction any foreigner who investigates, arrests, detains or prosecutes US citizens or those of an allied country, including Israel, who are not members of the court.

Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republican voted against it.

"America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel," Representative Brian Mast, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a House speech before the vote.

The House vote, one of the first since the new Congress was seated last week, underscored strong support among President-elect Donald Trump's fellow Republicans for Israel's government, now that they control both chambers in Congress.

Lebanon's bonds rally as parliament elects president

Lebanese government bonds extended their three-month-long rally on Thursday as the crisis-ravaged country's parliament voted in a new head of state for the first time since 2022.

Its battered international bonds have almost trebled in value since September, when the regional conflict with Israel weakened Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, long viewed as an obstacle to overcoming its political paralysis.

Those bonds, which have been in default since 2020, rallied shortly after Aoun's victory was announced and stood around 1.3 cents higher on the day at just over 16 cents on the dollar as local trading wound down.

One bondholder described Aoun's election as "a very positive development" in the broader context of the ceasefire with Israel, the downfall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and strong support for Lebanon both regionally and internationally.

"We expect the government formation to be relatively quick so they can start to work on reforms towards a deal with the IMF and banking sector restructuring," said Ted Pincus at Switzerland-based fund Mangart.

With economic support from Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, the United States and others also on the table, "Lebanon's future now looks a lot brighter," he added.

(Reuters)

France ignoring Turkey's security concerns in Syria: Ankara

Turkey on Friday accused France of ignoring Ankara's security concerns in Syria by not repatriating French jihadists but leaving them to be guarded by a group Ankara views as a terror threat.

"They have a policy, they do not bring ISIS prisoners back to their own countries. But they do not care about our security," Turkey's top diplomat Hakan Fidan told reporters in Istanbul.

Syria must be given chance to address Kurd militants: Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that the new Syrian administration should be given an opportunity to address the presence of Kurdish militants in the country, but reiterated that Ankara would act against them otherwise.

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Fidan said it was wrong to classify Turkey's battle against Kurdish militants as a battle against Kurds, adding Ankara was now evaluating its presence in Syria in light of the new situation there.

He said Russia had taken a very rational decision when it cut support for ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and that it could have militarily supported him in stopping the rebels' advance.

He added that he did not expect any problems with the United States in counter-terrorism in Syria despite its support for groups that Ankara views as terrorists.

Lebanon PM will meet Syria's de facto leader on Saturday

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will meet Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday, a Lebanese source told Reuters on Friday.

Mikati had received an invitation from Sharaa over the phone last week to visit Syria.

Iran welcomes election of new Lebanese president

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday welcomed the election of his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun after the country went more than two years without a head of state, saying unity will "defeat" Israel.

"There is no doubt that reinforcement of stability and unity will defeat the greed of the Zionist enemy against Lebanese territory," Pezeshkian said in a message to Aoun published by the official IRNA news agency after his election on Thursday.

Pezeshkian expressed hope that "this election will bring political stability, economic growth and greater progress as well as peace and comfort to the dear people of Lebanon."

He added that Iran was ready to further develop cooperation with Lebanon "in all areas".

Italian FM meets Syrian counterpart in Damascus

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani began his first official visit to post-Assad Syria on Friday with a tour of the landmark Umayyad mosque in Damascus.

"It's a great pleasure... to be here this morning to visit and pay homage to all Syrian believers," he told AFP from the mosque, which is about 1,300 years old and he described as "one of the most beautiful" in the world.

He met his counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani at the presidential palace later in the morning, and is expected to meet Syria's de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Tajani arrived after hosting talks with European counterparts and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome, where Tajani said they are seeking a "stable and united Syria". The Italian minister has said he plans to announce an initial development aid package for impoverished, sanctions-hit and war-battered Syria.

EU could ease Syria sanctions if 'tangible progress': Kallas

The European Union could begin lifting sanctions on Syria if the war-torn country's new rulers take steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities, the bloc's top diplomat said Friday.

"The EU could gradually ease sanctions provided there is tangible progress," foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X, a day after a meeting of Western powers in Rome.

Turkey has no intention of taking over any part of Syria: FM

Turkey has no intention of taking over any part of Syria following the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday.

"Turkey has no eye on any part of Syrian territory," he said at a news conference in Istanbul as fears grow over Ankara's threats against Kurdish forces in the war-torn country.

He added that "ridding Syria of terrorists" is among Turkey's key priorities for this year, as he called on France to take back jihadists that left to join the war in Syria and put them on trial.

State to begin disarming south of Litani river: Lebanon PM

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.

"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

US President Biden hails Aoun as 'right leader' for Lebanon

US President Joe Biden welcomed the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon's president on Thursday, saying in a statement that the army chief was the "right leader" for the crisis-ridden country.

"President Aoun has my confidence. I believe strongly he is the right leader for this time," said Biden, adding that Aoun would provide "critical leadership" in overseeing an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

"We finally have a president," Biden said later, at the end of a meeting on the response to major wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles.

He said he had spoken to Aoun by phone on Thursday for "20 minutes to half an hour," describing the Lebanese leader as a "first-rate guy."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Aoun's election "a moment of historic opportunity," which offered Lebanon a chance to "establish durable peace and stability."

Body recovered in Gaza confirmed to be Hamzah Al-Zayadni

Israel’s army confirmed Friday that one of the bodies recovered from Gaza earlier this week was that of 23-year-old hostage Hamzah Al-Zayadni.

His body was retrieved with that of his father, Yosef Al-Zayadni , who were taken together when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel 15 months ago. His father was quickly identified, while his son’s remains were sent for verification.