SEOUL -- The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said the test-fire of the country's latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was "a legitimate and just exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence" and part of the counteraction in response to the provocative moves by hostile forces, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday. (DPRK-ICBM)

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BEIRUT -- Fifty-two people were killed and 72 others injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on the city of Baalbek and surrounding towns and villages in eastern Lebanon, said the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Israeli forces have intensified their attacks on eastern Lebanon over the past days after issuing warnings to citizens, calling for the evacuation of entire cities, villages, and towns in the area. (Lebanon-Israel-Casualties)

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WASHINGTON -- Two top White House officials have returned to Washington from the Middle East after what was the Joe Biden administration's last effort before the U.S. presidential election to resolve a range of issues surrounding the conflict in the region, U.S. media reported Friday.

The trip by Amos Hochstein, Washington's top envoy tasked with avoiding a war between Israel and Hezbollah, and Brett McGurk, National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, concluded without "any concrete resolutions to any of the range of issues," including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, CNN reported, citing a U.S. official. (US-Middle East Conflict)

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ISTANBUL -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani held a closed-door meeting on Friday in Istanbul, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential office.

During their discussions, Erdogan highlighted the serious security threats that terrorist organizations pose to both Türkiye and Iraq. He called for a unified strategy to combat these threats, stressing the importance of peace and stability for both nations. (Türkiye-Iraq-Ties) Enditem

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