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Mass drone barrage on Moscow kills two

Hundreds of drones targeting Moscow and its surrounding region killed at least two people and damaged a major refinery on the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, the authorities said Sunday.

The capital's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow.

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US fears rapid escalation in Mideast after Houthis attack Riyadh

The United States warned Saturday that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could "escalate rapidly" after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed.

U.S. President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David, a secluded presidential complex in rural Maryland, to return unexpectedly to the White House on Saturday.

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Trump cuts short weekend, returns to White House

U.S. President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David to return unexpectedly to the White House, as tensions rose in the Middle East.

There was no explanation from the administration why Trump was no longer returning on Sunday from Camp David, a secluded presidential complex in rural Maryland, as had been previously announced.

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Lebanon slams 'barbaric' act after Israel burns Mays al-Jabal hospital

Israeli forces has set fire to a government hospital in the southern border town of Mays al-Jabal, inside Israel's self-declared security zone, Lebanon's National News Agency said.

Lebanon's health ministry meanwhile condemned the act as a "barbaric crime."

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Turkey revokes license of Iran's Bank Mellat

Turkey has revoked the license of Iran's Bank Mellat, a semi-private financial entity that has been subject to Western sanctions for years, the official gazette said early Saturday.

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Saudi capital issues first air raid alert since renewed fighting in Yemen

Explosions were heard in Riyadh early Saturday, AFP journalists reported, after Saudi authorities issued their first air raid alert in the capital since fighting returned to neighboring Yemen.

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Denmark says 'binding' US deal on Greenland 'strengthens security'

Denmark's foreign minister said Saturday that a "binding" agreement on Greenland's security with the U.S. "strengthens security" in the Arctic, ahead of its expected signing in the coming days.

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Anti-Assad music star Assala makes triumphant return to Syria

Syrian singer Assala Nasri has made a triumphant return to Damascus with a sold-out concert following 15 years of exile due to her opposition to ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of fans welcomed the 57-year-old, known mononymously as Assala, at a venue in the Syrian capital where she bowed and opened the show with songs hailing the Syrian people.

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Macron says Lebanese army 'indispensable' for stability

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, as Paris hosted security talks to drum up international support for the cash-strapped Lebanese army that Lebanon's army is "indispensable" for bringing stability to the country.

Macron said that the talks aimed to "strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and enable it to fully ensure its security", after years during which political factions, such as Hezbollah, wielded greater authority than the Lebanese state.

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Israeli forces seize Deir Mimas post after standoff with Lebanese Army

Israeli forces on Friday seized control of a position established by the Lebanese Army on the outskirts of the southern town of Deir Mimas following the withdrawal of the Lebanese troops, Al-Jadeed TV said.

The Israeli army had earlier hurled six stun grenades at the entrance of Deir Mimas, demanding that the Lebanese Army remove the checkpoint from the area and arguing that it lies within the Israeli-designated Yellow Zone.

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