Saudi Arabia and Qatar are engaged in efforts to halt deadly fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Friday.

The diplomatic drive comes as fears of a spiraling conflict grew after Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan, declaring that they were in an "open war" with the Taliban.

The leading candidate to become Iraq's next prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, met with U.S. diplomat Tom Barrack on Friday after refusing to withdraw his nomination despite the U.S. threatening to stop supporting the country if he returns to the post.

Barrack, the U.S. envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, has recently visited Iraq multiple times to meet with senior officials.

France's agriculture minister said Friday she regretted the European Union's provisional application of a mammoth trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc.

"It is a decision that I regret," Annie Genevard told reporters at the Salon de l'Agriculture following EU chief Ursula von der Leyen's announcement. "It is not in line with the respect that should have been shown for the European Parliament's decision."

The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem announced on Friday it was allowing non-emergency government personnel and family members to leave Israel "due to safety risks," adding that people who wished to leave should do so while flights were still available.

"On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks," the embassy said on its website.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that the latest round of talks with the United States dealt with the nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions, adding that negotiators made "good progress".

"We made very good progress and entered into the elements of an agreement very seriously, both in the nuclear field and in the sanctions field," Araghchi told state TV after the talks in Geneva ended.

Israeli military strikes in eastern Lebanon killed a Syrian teenager on Thursday, the Lebanese health ministry reported, while the Israeli army said it had struck eight compounds belonging to an elite Hezbollah unit.

"Israeli enemy air strikes on the Bekaa this evening resulted, according to an initial toll, in the killing of a 16-year-old Syrian boy and the injury of another person," the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials were meeting in Geneva on Thursday to discuss advancing efforts to end Russia's four-year invasion of Ukraine, just as Moscow signaled it was in no hurry to sign a deal.

Human-driven climate change intensified torrential downpours that killed dozens and forced thousands of people from their homes across Spain, Portugal and Morocco earlier this year, a network of climate scientists said Thursday.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said his team's 2-1 win against Benfica on Wednesday to reach the Champions League last 16 was a victory for "everyone who is against racism".

Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he had acquired a 25 per cent stake in Saudi-owned Spanish second-division club Almeria.