Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko visits Russia and China, meeting with Putin and Xi Jinping amid tensions with Ukraine
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned on Saturday that the Middle East faces deliberate attempts to reshape its map under extremist ideological pretexts, amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing Iran war. Speaking on Sinai Liberation Day, he stressed the need to respect state sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejecting efforts to fragment countries or seize resources. In Nicosia the previous day, he met with Arab and EU leaders to discuss Iran war implications, emphasizing that any Iran deal must address Gulf states' security concerns. He also called for full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire's second phase, including humanitarian aid and reconstruction, while rejecting Palestinian displacement.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said planned talks with Israel aim to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire holds. New talks between Lebanese and Israeli US ambassadors will take place on Thursday in Washington, the first direct talks between the countries in decades. Hezbollah has sharply criticised the negotiations, with a Hezbollah lawmaker saying it was in Aoun's and Lebanon's interest to withdraw from the talks.
