Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has rejected reports he had direct contact with an Israeli official on the sidelines of the UN climate conference Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Lebanon does not recognise Israel and the two countries technically remain in a state of war with each other.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese political party and armed group, has frequently fought with its arch foe Israel.
Israeli media had claimed that representatives from several countries, including Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and Israel, had agreed to co-operate on climate change action at a closed-door meeting for regional countries.
Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg's office said an agreement by parties to the meeting would help “strengthen regional co-operation” and “act in a co-ordinated way” on global warming.
“The countries of the region share the warming and drying climate and just as they share the problems they can and must share the solutions. No country can stand alone in the face of the climate crisis,” Ms Zandberg said.
A picture posted online shows Ms Zandberg in the foreground around a large table sat next to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with Egyptian President Abdel Fateh El Sisi to the left and Mr Mikati in the background.
Mr Mikati's office accused Israeli media of overblowing the regional forum and creating “uproar”.
“To be clear, the expanded meeting took place at the invitation of the presidents of Egypt and Cyprus and with their presence and with wide international and Arab participation, as was the case with other activities of the [Cop27]. It did not involve any contact with any Israeli official,” his office said.
Lebanon and Israel recently signed a landmark maritime deal following indirect US shuttle mediation that would demarcate their sea borders and allow gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean for both countries.
But Lebanese officials have repeatedly emphasised that the deal in no way represents any sort of working partnership.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
