* Romuald Wadagni, elected president of the Republic of Benin following the April 12 poll, will be sworn in to his constitutional duties on May 24, the president of Benin's Constitutional Court, Dorothe Sossa, announced Thursday at a special plenary session for the proclamation of the final presidential election results.
* Romania's Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan of the National Liberal Party (PNL) on Thursday unveiled new cabinet candidates during a live press conference after the Social Democratic Party (PSD) withdrew all its ministers from the government.
* Russia said Thursday it struck 138 energy infrastructure facilities supporting Ukrainian military operations, and Ukrainian military deployment sites in the past 24 hours.
* The Arctic holds vital strategic significance for Russia's economic development and the protection of its national sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose hefty tariffs on Britain if the British government does not drop its digital services tax (DST), The Telegraph reported Friday.
* France's decision to increase its national nuclear arsenal and deploy elements of its nuclear forces on ally territory proves that NATO is a nuclear bloc, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Thursday.
* European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday that the European Union (EU) has approved a 90-billion-euro (105 billion USD) loan package for Ukraine, along with a 20th round of sanctions against Russia.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has ordered the U.S. Navy "to shoot and kill" any boat putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy waterway bordering Iran.
* U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that he has no "rush" to end the weeks-long U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as negotiations have been stalled, while expecting U.S. citizens to spend more money on gasoline "for a little while."
* Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that Israel is prepared for a renewed war with Iran once it receives "the green light" from the United States.
* Tehran is ready to resume negotiations with Washington in order to achieve peace but doubts U.S. sincerity, Iran's ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said on Thursday.
* Iran has granted exemptions to some countries, including Russia, in transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali has said, quoted by RIA Novosti.
* The third U.S. aircraft carrier, Nimitz-class USS George H.W. Bush, and its accompanying warships, has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, the command announced Thursday.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian have been in close contact since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began, Iran's Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said Thursday.
* The German government said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz must be kept open permanently and reliably, without any restrictions or tolls.
* The European Union (EU) warned Friday that any new agreement with Iran could be weaker than the 2015 nuclear deal if U.S.-Iran talks proceed without nuclear experts.
* U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the current 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks, shortly after the two countries held their second ambassador-level talks here Thursday afternoon.
* Eight Muslim-majority countries (including Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) on Thursday condemned Israel's approval of more than 30 new settlements and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
* Kuwait reopened its airspace at Kuwait International Airport on Thursday, allowing flights to resume immediately, the civil aviation authority said.
* Hezbollah fired several rockets at northern Israel on Thursday night, the Israeli military said. The rockets crossed into Israeli territory before they were intercepted by the air force, according to a statement from the military.
* The U.S. forces intercepted and boarded an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight, the Department of War said Thursday. The vessel, named "Majestic X," was reportedly transporting oil from Iran.
* International flights at Haifa Airport in northern Israel resumed on Thursday after being suspended when the conflict with Iran broke out on Feb. 28, according to statements issued by the Israel Airports Authority and the transport ministry.
* Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Thursday called on Lebanese authorities to stop direct talks with Israel, warning that continued engagement gives political cover to ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
* A joint international humanitarian aid convoy departed from Jordan on Thursday for Lebanon, carrying essential food supplies, tents, and basic relief materials.
* The first group of roughly 470 Congolese refugees in Burundi began returning voluntarily to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday, the United Nations refugee agency said.
* The Libyan Red Crescent Society said Thursday that its Tobruk branch rescued 404 migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern city of Tobruk, about 1,600 km east of the capital, Tripoli.
* Pakistani security forces killed 22 militants during a joint intelligence-based operation in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Friday.
* Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on Thursday announced that Kazakhstan plans to build 5,000 km of new railways over the next four years to boost its railway transportation capacity for both passengers and cargo.
* The Indonesian Ministry of Investment and Downstream Industry said Thursday that the downstream investment realization for the first quarter of 2026 reached 147.5 trillion rupiahs (around 8.54 billion USD), up 8.2 percent year-on-year.
* The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday renewed its call for intensified immunization efforts across the Western Pacific region, warning of a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
