* The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed a thumping win on Friday in the first elections held since a deadly 2024 uprising, with leader Tarique Rahman poised to become prime minister. According to the Election Commission, a total of 2,028 candidates are contesting for 299 out of the 300 directly-elected parliamentary constituencies.
* Two Mexican navy vessels carrying over 814 tonnes of humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The aid, including food and hygiene items, was sent under "the instruction of the President Claudia Sheinbaum," the ministry said.
* The UN General Assembly appointed 40 members to the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence on Thursday. The members' three-year term will begin on Feb. 12, 2026, and run until Feb. 11, 2029.
* The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has urged Republic of Korean authorities to take measures to ward off any infringement upon its sovereignty as in the case of drone incursion at the beginning of this year, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.
* The United States has ordered the second aircraft carrier to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, local media reported on Thursday. The move was taken as U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing whether to take military action against Iran over its nuclear program or not.
* European Union (EU) leaders on Thursday agreed to speed up efforts to strengthen the bloc's single market, with enhanced cooperation among at least nine member states possible if progress stalls, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
* Britain announced a new half-a-billion-pound (680 million USD) package for urgent air defense support to Ukraine on Thursday during a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.
* Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Thursday urged the country's partners to urgently supply PAC-3 interceptor missiles to help protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Thursday that the conditions for a good deal between the United States and Iran may be created.
* Palestinian Finance and Planning Minister Estephan Anton Salameh warned on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority's (PA) financial situation has become "extremely critical," threatening the continued provision of basic services, as Israel has withheld Palestinian tax revenues for the 10th consecutive month.
* The Israeli Navy carried out a large-scale drill to safeguard Israel's strategic and economic waters in the Mediterranean Sea, state-run Kan TV News reported Thursday.
* Portugal's parliament on Thursday approved a bill restricting children's and young people's access to online platforms and social networks. Under the bill presented by the Social Democratic Party, minors under the age of 16 will no longer have unrestricted access to social networks and online platforms in Portugal.
* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday pledged to strengthen economic ties between the two countries, following talks in Ankara.
* South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday the decision to deploy the army to help tackle organized crime, describing it as the most immediate threat faced by the country.
* The 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) concluded on Thursday with a call for enhanced unity, sustainable development, and collective action to address the continent's pressing challenges.
* The United Nations has allocated 3 million USD for emergency aid to Madagascar following devastating Tropical Cyclone Gezani, UN humanitarians said Thursday.
* Europe's newest heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, successfully placed 32 Amazon low-Earth-orbit (Leo) satellites into orbit on Thursday, Arianespace announced. Liftoff took place at 1:45 p.m. local time (1645 GMT) from Kourou, French Guiana. The mission, designated VA267, marked the sixth flight of Ariane 6 and its first launch in the Ariane 64 configuration.
* China's outstanding inclusive loans for small and micro businesses in 2025 totaled 37 trillion yuan (about 5.3 trillion USD) by the end of the fourth quarter, which was up 11 percent year on year, according to data released by the National Financial Regulatory Administration on Thursday.
* New Zealand and Singapore have signed a new electronic certification arrangement to streamline trade in food and primary products, a senior New Zealand official said Friday.
* The Republic of Korea's government saw an economic recovery trend for the fourth straight month, driven by improved consumption and semiconductor export boom, a finance ministry report said Friday.
* Egypt's Petroleum Ministry on Thursday announced new gas and oil discoveries in the Western Desert, with an expected daily output of about 34 million standard cubic feet, alongside over 5,200 barrels of crude oil and condensates.
* Foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments to Nepal increased by 33 percent in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2025-26, the government said on Friday.
* Mongolia welcomed nearly 60,638 foreign tourists in the first two months of 2026, up 33 percent year-on-year, official data showed on Friday.
* The death toll from Cyclone Gezani in Madagascar has risen to 38, with more than 260,000 people affected, according to the latest update released Thursday by the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).
* Australia's Northern Queensland grapples with a mounting public health threat from surging mosquito-borne viruses, fueled by climate change and rapid urban growth, new research warns.
