Saudi Arabia says air defences destroyed Houthi drone near Mecca
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks...
The Syrian Ministry of Defense on Thursday accused Hezbollah militias of firing artillery shells from Lebanese territory toward Syrian army positions in the al-Qusayr area west of Homs.
“Lebanese Hezbollah militias fired several artillery shells from Lebanese territory toward positions of the Syrian Arab Army in the al-Qusayr area west of Homs,” Syria’s state news agency SANA reported, citing a Defense Ministry source.
“Our forces immediately targeted the sources of fire after locating the sites” from which the five shells were launched, the source said.
The Syrian military halted its strikes on the Lebanese side after the Lebanese army requested a pause and pledged to sweep the area and pursue the groups responsible, the source added. The statement did not specify if there were any casualties or material damage.
While there has been no official response from Beirut, Lebanon’s state news agency reported Thursday that eight Syrian refugees were injured and transferred by the Lebanese Red Cross to hospitals in Hermel following the explosion of a booby-trapped drone in a farm in the border town of Hosh al-Sayyid Ali.
The Lebanese army reportedly dispatched reinforcements to the area after hearing gunfire. No party has claimed responsibility for the drone attack, and Hezbollah has not commented on the Syrian accusations.
Tensions along the 375-kilometer Lebanese-Syrian border have escalated in recent months, exacerbated by accusations last month that Hezbollah abducted and killed three Syrian soldiers — a claim the group denies. Syria’s government has vowed to tighten border security, targeting drug smuggling and other destabilizing activities.
Late last month, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa met in Saudi Arabia, agreeing on the importance of border demarcation and closer security coordination.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks by the Iran-aligned group deepen regional tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was carrying out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit overnight.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is outlining the EU's priorities in her annual State of the Union address, covering security, support for Ukraine, trade with China, migration, climate and artificial intelligence.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held high-level talks in Seoul aimed at expanding South Korean investment, industrial cooperation and partnerships in technology, finance and infrastructure.
From new Asia-Europe trade routes to investment, energy and security cooperation, the Organization of Turkic States has grown far beyond its original focus on shared language and culture.
Central Asia and South Korea are targeting annual trade of $20 billion by 2030, almost double last year’s record of more than $10 billion, following a proposal at their first leaders’ summit in Seoul.
Representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan have concluded a two-day visit to Garabagh and Eastern Zangezur, touring key cultural, educational, economic and infrastructure sites in the region.
A skyscraper, a six-tower district, and a launch event timed to coincide with Georgian Dream's long campaign for warmer ties with the Trump administration — even as Washington has kept its distance.
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