U.S. President Joe Biden has decided to step down from the presidential race, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.

In Lebanon, Israeli shelling continued on southern Lebanese towns, while Hezbollah responded by shelling Israeli sites and settlements, achieving direct hits.

On the occasion of Saint Charbel's Day, Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi presided over a celebratory mass at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya. In his sermon, he stated: "Saint Charbel tells us firstly that Lebanon, his homeland, will not perish. Secondly, he intercedes for Lebanon, and we must also pray for Lebanon and its salvation from the war in the south and for the establishment of a just and comprehensive peace in Lebanon and Gaza. Thirdly, Lebanon cannot continue without a President of the Republic. Every concerned individual must move beyond their personal interests and inflexible positions to unite around electing a president, for the sake of the nation, its people, and its constitutional institutions."

Similarly, Metropolitan Elias Audi of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut and its Dependencies expressed his hope that "parliamentarians expedite their duty in electing a president for the benefit of this country and its people."

In Ain al-Tineh, former Progressive Socialist Party leader and former MP Walid Jumblatt, after meeting with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, stated: "No matter how big the problems or how dark the clouds may seem at times, we will not lose hope in pursuing any effort to halt the war in the south and achieve the presidential election."

In Baghdad, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid received Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who noted that "the ties between the two brotherly countries are stronger than those between Lebanon and any other state."

Regionally, as the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip entered its 289th day, the Israeli army announced the spread of polio in Gaza and decided to vaccinate its soldiers stationed in the area. Meanwhile, several were killed and wounded in a series of separate air raids in Gaza, with fierce battles raging in Rafah.

The Houthi group also declared a "special military operation" in Eilat in response to Israeli airstrikes on the city of Hodeidah, promising a "great retaliation," and claimed to have hit an American ship in the Red Sea.

Additionally, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the use of warplanes in the West Bank to eliminate militants.

On another front, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community and influential parties to fulfill their roles and responsibilities in ending conflicts in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed his country's readiness to establish a naval base in Cyprus "if necessary."

Internationally, U.S. President Joe Biden has decided to step down from the presidential race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. He remarked, "Over the past three and a half years, we have made significant progress as a nation. Today, America boasts the strongest economy in the world. We have made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, reducing prescription drug costs for seniors, and expanding affordable healthcare for a record number of Americans."

Meanwhile, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that defeating Harris would be much easier than Biden, and the U.S. Secret Service admitted to refusing to enhance Trump's security for two years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Russia's support for Damascus in defending Syria's unity and sovereignty. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern about the risk of further escalation in the region.

Economically, Kingdom Holding Company, Sumo, and Jeddah Economic Company signed an agreement today to acquire the Alinma-Jeddah Economic City Fund, which owns the project to build the world's tallest tower in Jeddah (western Saudi Arabia), valued at 6.8 billion SAR (1.8 billion USD).