DAMASCUS -- French and German foreign ministers urged Syria's new interim government on Friday to embrace diversity and inclusivity during a visit to Damascus, marking the first such European diplomatic mission since President Bashar al-Assad's fall from power in December.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with the de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who leads the coalition that ousted Assad and now controls the Syrian capital. (German, French Foreign Ministers-Visits-Syria)

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JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in two statements that it had intercepted a missile and a drone fired by the Houthi group in Yemen on Friday.

The missile, fired at about 4:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT), activated sirens across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, sending millions of residents to shelters. (Israel-Missiles-Interception)

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GAZA -- At least 24 Palestinians were killed on Friday as Israeli warplanes carried out fresh airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli military warning it would bomb a hospital in northern Gaza, local sources said.

Airstrikes targeted a group of Palestinians in the Al-Sayed Ali area of the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, killing seven people, including four children and a woman, Gaza's Civil Defense said in a statement. (Gaza Strip-Hamas-Israel)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Italian Ambassador to Tehran Paola Amadei for her country's detention of Iranian national Mohammad Abedini.

The Italian envoy was summoned by Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, director for Western European nations at Iran's Foreign Ministry, to protest Italy's detention of Abedini, who was arrested by Italian authorities on Dec. 16, 2024, at Milan's Malpensa Airport after flying in from Istanbul and is currently being held in a Milan jail, according to the ministry's statement. (Iran-Italy-Citizen Arrest) Enditem

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