MOSCOW, April 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Putin and Erdogan discussed the situation in the Middle East, the Kremlin added.

(Reporting by Ksenia Orlova; Writing by Anna Peverieri; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

ROME, April 3 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Saudi Arabia on Friday for a previously unannounced trip that will also include meetings in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, government sources said.

The sources said the visit would reaffirm Italy's support for the three nations in the face of Iranian attacks on their territories, and was also aimed at bolstering Italy's national energy security through closer engagement with Gulf producers.

ALTYN-EMEL NATIONAL PARK, Kazakhstan, April 3 (Reuters) - With a loud thwack of their wings, the falcons took flight, quickly soaring high above the rocky desert landscape of Altyn-Emel National Park in southeastern Kazakhstan.

The 34 birds were on an important mission: to help restore Kazakhstan's population of saker falcons, which for centuries have symbolised nobility and freedom for the nomadic peoples of the Kazakh steppe, as well as serving as faithful hunting companions.

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, April 3 (Reuters) - After more than a month of being stalked by targeted assassinations, Iran's leadership has adopted a new tactic to show it is still in control - with senior officials walking openly in the streets among small crowds who have gathered in support of the Islamic Republic.

By Nerijus Adomaitis and Dominique Vidalon

PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - A container ship belonging to French shipping group CMA CGM has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, MarineTraffic vessel tracking data shows, in a sign that Iran may not consider France a hostile nation.

The Malta-flagged Kribi, owned by CMA CGM, crossed the Strait on April 2. It is the first French-owned vessel to make it through the channel since U.S.-Israeli attacks began on Iran at the end of February.

During the war in the Gaza Strip and two wars with Iran in the space of a year, Israel has used artificial intelligence to fine-tune its missile early warning system.

In last year's 12-day conflict with Iran, incoming missiles would spark city-wide air raid alerts, and Israelis would have to rush for cover, often several times a day.

But now the systems that warn of an impending attack have become increasingly more sophisticated and localised.

VATICAN CITY, April 3 (Reuters) - Pope Leo spoke on the phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Friday and urged him to "reopen all paths of dialogue" to end the Iran war, the Vatican said.

The pope, who has emerged as a sharp critic of the regional conflict, also urged Herzog to protect civilians and promote respect for international and humanitarian law, the Vatican added.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

By Sybille de La Hamaide

PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - World food prices climbed in March to their highest level since September last year and could rise further if the Middle East conflict that pushed up energy prices continues, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday.

"Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushioned by ample global cereal supplies," FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said in a statement.

A container ship declaring itself to have a French owner has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according Marine Traffic data analysed by AFP Friday.

The Maltese-flagged Kribi belonging to the French maritime transport group CMA CGM crossed the strait -- which has been virtually blocked by Iran since early in the Middle East war -- to exit the Gulf on Thursday afternoon, the maritime tracking website showed.

BEIJING, April 2 (Reuters) - Negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are advancing steadily, China said on Friday following reports that the South Asian neighbours were meeting there to try to end their worst conflict since ‌the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

China, which shares a western border with both nations, has been trying to mediate between the allies turned foes, holding telephone calls with their foreign ministers and sending a special envoy on visits in March.