* Iran and the United States have agreed to a 2-week ceasefire less than two hours before the deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, and will hold negotiations in Pakistan. Trump announced Tuesday he has agreed to "suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks."
* The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday it has ceased fire in its operation against Iran following a large-scale wave of airstrikes overnight targeting missile launch sites and launchers across the country.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said early Wednesday that subject to coordination with the Iranian armed forces and consideration of technical limitations, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible for a period of two weeks.
* Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that an immediate ceasefire has been agreed between Iran and the United States, along with their allies, saying it applies "everywhere including Lebanon."
* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the two-week ceasefire announced by the United States and Iran, his spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement.
* China welcomes the announcement by relevant parties of reaching a ceasefire arrangement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, expressing support for the mediation efforts made by countries such as Pakistan.
* New Zealand on Wednesday welcomed the announced ceasefire between the United States and Iran, calling for a lasting ceasefire through "significant important work" in the days ahead.
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone conversation on Tuesday with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, to discuss the escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf.
* Jordan, Syria and Türkiye on Tuesday signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation and integration in the transport sector, according to a statement by the Jordanian Ministry of Transport.
* European leaders and United Nations officials have voiced growing alarm over a potential wider regional confrontation after U.S. President Donald Trump set an 8 p.m. Eastern Time deadline on Tuesday for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning to annihilate a "whole civilization" if no deal can be reached.
* Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday urged "all parties" in the Iran war not to target civilians following repeated threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump.
* French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday firmly opposed any strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, following U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to strike Iran's civilian sites and energy infrastructure.
* The Italian government on Tuesday emphasized the importance of safeguarding civilian infrastructure in Iran and protecting the safety of the Iranian population.
* The UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a draft resolution that "strongly encourages" states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels.
* The Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired an unidentified projectile toward the eastern waters.
* Preliminary findings indicate Israeli tank fire and a Hezbollah explosive were likely responsible for the deaths of three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon last week, a UN spokesperson said Tuesday.
* Russia has received "many requests" to purchase energy resources amid a global energy crisis, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
* The Dutch government signed a contract with the American company Raytheon on Tuesday to acquire an additional Patriot air defense system, the Ministry of Defence announced.
* French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called for defending multilateralism in global health governance amid a shaken international order, at the One Health Summit, which concluded the same day in Lyon.
* The global inflationary pressure will increase amid the situation in the Persian Gulf, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Tuesday.
* The Nepali government on Tuesday decided to cut taxes on petroleum products to ease the financial burden on consumers, as fuel prices have risen sharply due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
* Malaysia must accelerate a decisive shift towards more sustainable, diversified and cost-effective energy sources to ensure it is protected from global energy shocks and geopolitical tensions, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday.
* Myanmar exported over 2.74 million tonnes of rice and broken rice in the 2025-26 fiscal year (from April 2025 to March 2026), according to the Myanmar Rice Federation on Wednesday.
* Kazakhstan plans to increase coal output to 128.9 million tons in 2026, the Kazinform news agency reported Tuesday, citing Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.
* The Malagasy government declared on Tuesday a state of energy emergency across the entire territory for a period of 15 days to address a major energy supply crisis currently affecting the country.
* Air passenger traffic at Cyprus airports dropped significantly in March, reflecting the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East on regional tourism, the Cyprus Mail reported on Tuesday.
* Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has signed a cooperation deal (valued at 1,523,597 USD) with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to support returnee families, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
* Russia does not rule out extending the operation of the International Space Station (ISS) until 2030, Dmitry Bakanov, head of Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos, said on Tuesday.
* A series of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean since March 28 have left more than 180 people feared dead or missing, pushing the total number of deaths or disappearances in the region this year to nearly 1,000, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
