Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.

Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that "resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates," according to the Israeli statement. The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020.

Russia targeted Ukraine's capital with a mass drone and missile attack early Thursday morning that killed at least one and injured 33 people, local authorities said.

Ukraine's Air Force said its air defenses shot down or jammed 693 targets overnight, including 41 missiles and 652 drones of various types across the country. Fifteen missiles and 23 drones scored direct hits across 24 locations, the Air Force said. Debris from downed drones fell across an additional 18 locations.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping offered stark warnings about avoiding possible clashes between his nation and the U.S. on Thursday, and even cautioned visiting President Donald Trump that Washington's handling of its relations with Taiwan could lead to "conflicts."

His tone was a sharp contrast to Trump, who opened the highly anticipated summit with Xi by praising his Chinese counterpart and declaring that "it's an honor to be your friend."

Lebanon's health ministry said 22 people including eight children were killed on Wednesday as Israel intensified strikes on the country.

Israeli airstrikes struck seven vehicles in Lebanon — three of them on the main highway just south of Beirut — killing 12 people including a woman and her two children.

The U.N. peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL said Wednesday it is increasingly concerned about fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers near its positions, putting peacekeepers at risk, including with explosions of drones in and around U.N. bases.

UNIFIL said that a presumed Hezbollah drone detonated inside its headquarters in the coastal town of Naqoura on Tuesday, following earlier presumed Hezbollah drone detonations on Monday and Tuesday. No one was injured, but some buildings were damaged.

More than 100 Russian drones targeted areas of Ukraine on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, hours after another barrage of civilian areas killed at least eight people.

"Russia continues its strikes and is doing so brazenly — deliberately targeting our railway infrastructure and civilian sites in our cities," Zelensky said in a post on X.

King Charles III on Wednesday will deliver the government's legislative program for the coming year to lawmakers with all the pomp and historic trappings that accompany the ceremonial opening of Britain's Parliament.

The question is whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be around to implement it and, even if he survives the latest government crisis, whether he will have the authority to push his proposals through Parliament.

Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth and likely final World Cup will be the first for the Portugal great since he left Europe to play in Saudi Arabia.

The surprise move in late 2022 shocked many in the soccer world and prompted widespread doubts about whether his form would be affected by facing lower-level competition.

Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz is throttling the world's energy supplies and inflicting global economic pain, but the struggles of the Islamic Republic's own economy are testing its ability to withstand the war and defy Washington's demands.

Iranians have been hit by spiraling prices for food, medicine and other goods. At the same time, the country has seen mass job losses and business closures caused by strike damage to key industries and the government's monthslong shutdown of the internet.

Nearly 750,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona on Monday to celebrate the team's La Liga title parade, according to Spanish media citing local authorities.

Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-0 on Sunday at Camp Nou and clinched its second consecutive league title. The Catalan club earned an insurmountable 14-point lead over second-placed Madrid with three matches remaining.