Mena Today

Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday he will resign within weeks and announced early presidential and parliamentary elections. 

Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Raggi received a call Saturday from his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, who congratulated Beirut on signing the framework agreement with Israel negotiated under American auspices.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected a U.S.-brokered security agreement between Lebanon and Israel on Saturday a day after it was signed, describing it as a surrender to Israel.

The framework agreement reached Friday between Lebanon and Israel at the fifth round of Washington negotiations is drawing sharply contrasting reactions across Lebanon's political landscape, with Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel declaring victory and Aounist figure Gebran Bassil sounding notes of caution.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received a phone call Saturday from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), in a show of Gulf solidarity following the announcement of the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement in Washington.

Iran said it struck targets linked to U.S. forces on Saturday in response to U.S. airstrikes on its southern coast, as each side continued to accuse the other of violating last week's agreement meant to end the four-month-old war.

France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.

Hezbollah supporters stormed the streets of Beirut on Friday night, riding motorcycles through central neighbourhoods near Parliament and along the road leading to Beirut's international airport, in a furious reaction to the framework agreement signed in Washington between Lebanon, Israel and the United States.

Egypt qualified for the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup but left Seattle with concerns over Mohamed Salah after the star forward was substituted off in the 57th minute during Friday's 1-1 draw against Iran, applying an ice pack to his left thigh.

Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings on Friday at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf after a near four-month halt, shipping data showed, as the world's biggest oil exporter joined a rush to move cargoes amid industry hopes of a return to normal.

Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington on Friday following several days of talks to secure an end to fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, though both sides framed the deal as an initial step.

Naim Qassem took to the podium Friday for the Ashura commemorations and delivered precisely the speech the world expected, word for word, beat for beat, with all the spontaneity of a hostage reading from a script prepared in Tehran.