DUBAI -- Leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday mourned the passing of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the second president of the UAE and the 16th ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, who died at the age of 73.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, said on his official Twitter account that "with great sadness, we mourn the death of our leader and President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Khalifa was a dedicated leader who served and loved his people, a love they reciprocated." (UAE-President-Pass Away-Mourn)

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ISTANBUL -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey does not have a positive opinion on the idea of Finland and Sweden joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"We are currently following the developments regarding Sweden and Finland, but we do not have a positive opinion," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers. (Turkey-NATO-Disfavor)

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ANKARA -- Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the French embassy's undersecretary in the capital Ankara over an "attack" on Turkey's consulate general in Paris.

Turkish officials conveyed Turkey's discomfort over the attack, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. (Turkey-Discomfort-France-Attack)

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DAMASCUS -- Five people were killed and seven others injured after Israel attacked military sites in central Syria on Friday, state news agency SANA reported.

Several missiles fired by Israel hit targets near the Masyaf area of Hama province, SANA reported, citing a military statement. (Syria-Israel-Attack-Casualty)