A delegation of Yemeni separatists in Riyadh said their group was dissolving on Friday after a failed land grab, but the announcement was dismissed by its spokesman who called it "ridiculous".

Southern Transitional Council (STC) secretary general Abdulrahman al-Subaihi appeared distracted as he read a prepared statement on a Saudi TV news channel.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday insisted that the Islamic republic would "not back down" in the face of protesters who he called "vandals" and "saboteurs", in a speech broadcast on state TV.

Speaking to supporters in his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei said U.S. President Donald Trump's hands "are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians" and predicted the "arrogant" U.S. leader would be "overthrown" like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution.

Russia on Friday said the United States had decided to release two Russian members of the crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker that Washington seized earlier this week.

"In response to our request, U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens aboard the Marinera tanker, previously detained by the United States during an operation in the North Atlantic," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he cancelled a second wave of attacks on Venezuela after it began releasing "large numbers" of political prisoners this week.

"Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of "Seeking Peace."... Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks," he said on his Truth platform.

Kurdish fighters rejected a call to leave Syria's Aleppo on Friday after the government announced a truce in deadly fighting that forced thousands of civilians to flee.

Since Tuesday, government forces had been fighting the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, the country's second city.

Top officials from the European Union visited Syria for the first time Friday and met with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in another sign of the country's improving relations with the West.

The visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council António Costa was part of a regional tour.

Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City cannot think about catching Arsenal in the Premier League title race after their winless run extended to three matches.

Guardiola's side wasted a chance to put pressure on Arsenal as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Israel on Thursday condemned the Syrian government over what it described as attacks against the Kurdish community in Aleppo, just days after the two sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism aimed at lowering bilateral tensions.

"Attacks by the Syrian regime's forces against the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo -- are grave and dangerous... Systematic and murderous repression of Syria's various minorities contradicts the promises of a 'new Syria'," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X.

Turkey's military was ready to "support" Syria in its battle with Kurdish fighters in the northwestern city of Aleppo if Damascus asks for help, a defense ministry official said Thursday.

Deadly clashes erupted this week between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) after the two sides failed to reach a year-end deadline to merge the Kurdish fighters into the main Damascus military.

Israel said Thursday that Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah were encouraging but "far from sufficient", after the Lebanese army announced it had completed the first phase of the process.

"The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.