Every Wednesday, retiree Zhang Zhili travels an hour by bus to an education center, drawn by the pulsing rhythms of the African drum she plays there in a classroom filled with fellow retirees whose hands move in unison, every beat lifting her spirits.

Zhang, 71, has found joy and new friends at the "elderly university" in Beijing. Besides African drums, the former primary school teacher joins social dance classes, paying about 2,000 yuan ($280) for two courses this semester. Seeing herself standing tall in dance class boosts her confidence. After class, she hangs out with her friends.

The European Union on Monday widened sanctions against Iran over its support for Russia's war on Ukraine, including targeting vessels and ports used to transfer drones and missiles.

The 27-nation bloc agreed to prohibit any transaction with ports "used for the transfer of Iranian UAVs or missiles or related technology and components to Russia," said a statement issued as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels.

More than a year of clashes that escalated into war in September have cost Lebanon more than $5 billion in economic losses and damaged nearly 100,000 housing units, the World Bank said Thursday.

The World Bank report provided estimates for damage between October 8, 2023, and October 27, 2024, saying "the conflict has caused $5.1 billion in economic losses" and that it "damaged an estimated 99,209 housing units" -- mainly in Lebanon's war-torn south.

Israel says it has reached an agreement to purchase 25 advanced F-15 fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing for $5.2 billion.

The Defense Ministry said the agreement, concluded Wednesday, was part of a broader aid package approved by the U.S. government earlier this year. Deliveries will begin in 2031, and there’s an option for the purchase of an additional 25 aircraft.