Noontime News Recap: Iran mourns Khamenei as regional tensions rise and Europe sees protests and policy moves

Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran as Iran began six days of funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with crowds filling the Grand Mosque courtyard and surrounding streets for the first day of commemorations.  🔗

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The scale of the turnout was also reported as large crowds continued to swell in the capital, underlining the political and symbolic weight of the rites as the country marks the death of one of its most powerful figures.  🔗

In the Middle East, the Saudi led coalition said it would respond with unprecedented determination and force after Houthi threats against Saudi airports and other targets, as tensions sharpened further. The same report said an Iranian flight landed in Sanaa, adding another sign of the region's volatile diplomatic and security picture.  🔗

Elsewhere in the region, the European Union welcomed a framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in Washington that calls for Hezbollah to disarm and for the IDF to withdraw, describing it as a significant step in the wider security picture.  🔗

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In Africa, Mali's army said insurgents carried out coordinated attacks at five locations early on Saturday, including a prison in Kenieroba and multiple towns, in a fresh sign of pressure on the country's security forces.  🔗

In Europe, thousands of opponents of Germany's Alternative for Germany gathered in Erfurt and blocked roads leading to the party's annual conference, as protests mounted ahead of eastern state elections.  🔗

Also in Europe, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Anastasiia Berezovska, whom Monaco authorities say is the chief suspect in a parcel bombing that injured a Ukrainian businessman, while German police searched a flat linked to the case.  🔗

On the policy front, the Council backed reinstatement of an interim rule allowing online service providers to voluntarily detect and remove child sexual abuse material, restoring a measure that had been under discussion in the EU.  🔗

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