* Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova on Thursday asked the newly appointed caretaker prime minister-designate Andrey Gurov to propose the lineup of a caretaker government shortly.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied plans to announce a presidential election and a referendum on a peace agreement on Feb. 24, the Ukrinform news agency reported Wednesday.
* The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed an election bill requiring new voter ID and proof-of-citizenship documents for federal elections, a measure President Donald Trump has urged Congress to enact.
* The economic and trade teams of China and the United States have maintained close communication at various levels through their economic and trade consultation mechanism, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
* Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez met with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright at the Miraflores Palace on Wednesday to review the bilateral energy agenda.
* India's Defence Acquisition Council on Thursday cleared proposals worth 39.7 billion USD to buy Rafale fighter jets, combat missiles and airship-based high altitude pseudo satellite. The aim is to enhance the capability of undertaking air dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and boost the deterrence capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
* Singapore's Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday unveiled a series of measures in the 2026 financial year budget aimed at boosting artificial intelligence (AI), including business tax deductions, employee training, and free access to advanced AI tools for the public.
* Russia hopes to resolve issues surrounding the U.S. oil embargo against Cuba through constructive dialogue with the United States, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
* The United States strives to transform the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into an alliance based on partnership rather than dependency, U.S. Defense Department Undersecretary for Policy Elbridge Colby said ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting on Thursday.
* Russian airstrikes targeted energy infrastructure across multiple regions of Ukraine, causing widespread disruptions to electricity, heating and water supplies, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday.
* China's Ministry of Emergency Management said Thursday that the distribution of 4.44 billion yuan (about 639 million USD) in relief funds from the central budget has been completed, benefiting 26.01 million people.
* U.S. President Donald Trump is considering exiting the North American trade pact, a Bloomberg News report cited people familiar with the matter on Wednesday as saying.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S.-Iran talks will continue to see whether a deal can be consummated, shortly after his closed-door meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday.
* China believes a two-state solution is the fundamental way to resolve the Palestinian question, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday, adding that China has consistently opposed the construction of new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
* The Pentagon is ready to deploy the second aircraft carrier in the Middle East in two weeks amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump began a closed-door meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, which is expected to center on the U.S.-Iran talks and the second phase of the Gaza peace deal, local media reported.
* Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has said that Tehran had not sent any letter to the United States during his recent visit to Oman and Qatar.
* Palestinian factions would not give up their weapons unless Israel fully adheres to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said Thursday.
* Israel said recently it had completed tests on its David's Sling air defense system, incorporating combat lessons and new capabilities designed to counter cruise missiles, attack drones and simultaneous multi-target barrages.
* The U.S.-led international coalition on Wednesday fully withdrew from the al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria, ending years of deployment at the strategic tri-border area with Iraq and Jordan, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
* The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced on Wednesday that it is maintaining its previous forecasts for global oil demand growth in 2026 and 2027.
* China will impose countervailing measures on certain dairy products imported from the European Union (EU) for a period of five years starting on Friday, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. According to the final ruling announced by the ministry, company-specific duty rates range from 7.4 percent to 11.7 percent.
* India's retail inflation rose to 2.75 percent in January this year with the revised base year 2024, the latest government data showed Thursday. Officials said the base has been revised from 2012 to 2024 using the household consumption expenditure survey 2023-24.
* The Philippines' total approved foreign investments (FI) surged 79.1 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 103.33 billion pesos (about 1.78 billion USD), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.
* Pakistan's economy is projected to grow between 3.75 percent and 4.75 percent in fiscal year 2025-26, indicating a gradual recovery amid improving macroeconomic conditions, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said on Thursday.
* Storm Nils swept across southern France, leaving about 850,000 households without electricity and prompting the highest-level weather alerts in some departments, authorities said on Thursday.
