* Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) President Kassio Nunes Marques said Wednesday that the country's 2026 elections proceeded normally and complied with legal and constitutional requirements.
* Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council on Wednesday rescheduled the first round of the country's presidential election for July 18, 2027, postponing it from Dec. 13 this year, according to reports from Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.
* The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for an end to the decades-old U.S. embargo on Cuba. The resolution was adopted with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions.
* Cuba on Wednesday celebrated the overwhelming approval by the UN General Assembly of a resolution to lift the U.S. embargo, calling it a "victory" in the face of unprecedented pressure from Washington to defeat the initiative.
* Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has been sent to Australia for urgent medical treatment following his admission to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara over the weekend, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply saddened and shocked at learning of the train accident in Spain that killed over 60 people, his spokesman said Wednesday.
* Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday announced three days of national mourning following a collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain that killed at least 68 people, pledging a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy.
* Mexico is advancing talks with Washington to resolve issues related to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade before the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday.
* Malaysia has called for stronger international cooperation to ensure stable global gas markets and reliable energy supplies, emphasizing that energy security is fundamental to industrial competitiveness, investment confidence and sustainable economic growth, the Ministry of Economy said on Thursday.
* The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a 100-million-U.S.-dollar loan to help Uzbekistan modernize its electricity distribution system, according to a bank statement.
* Customs duties on goods imported into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have been fully eliminated for 32 African countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
* Britain would provide 10 billion pounds (13 billion USD) of additional economic and military support to Ukraine, said British Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey on Wednesday.
* Portugal's government announced Wednesday a new package of electric vehicle subsidies that includes, for the first time, a dedicated program for low-income households covering up to 80 percent of the purchase price, Environment Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho told parliament.
* Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft budget worth about 26 billion euros (29 billion USD) for 2027, featuring tax cuts and social support measures.
* Kazakhstan will allocate approximately 6.5 trillion tenge (over 14 billion USD) from its National Fund by the end of 2029 to modernize social, transport and engineering infrastructure, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Wednesday.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it approved a 700-million-U.S.-dollar loan to help the government of Türkiye develop disaster-resilient public hospitals in earthquake-affected and high-risk provinces.
* Afghan forces launched retaliatory strikes after Pakistan's armed forces carried out drone strikes on Afghanistan's border areas on Tuesday, causing casualties among Pakistani personnel, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday.
* The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Wednesday of a worsening humanitarian crisis after an estimated 50,000 people fled violent clashes in Ethiopia and crossed into Kenya.
* At least four Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to Palestinian medical and local sources.
* Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday the country remains in contact with mediators to ensure the implementation of its recently proposed seven-day plan to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
* Heavy fighting and strikes swept multiple fronts across Yemen on Wednesday, as government forces attacked Houthi targets while the Houthis reported a fresh wave of Saudi airstrikes.
* Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday called on the United States and the international community to pressure Israel to halt its attacks in southern Lebanon and withdraw from occupied areas, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy along the border.
* The death toll from fresh communal violence in Tonj North County, South Sudan, has risen to 84, a local official said Wednesday. William Wol Mayom Bol, caretaker minister of information and communication services in Warrap State, said an additional 12 people were killed in an attack on Bundir village in Akop Payam on Tuesday.
* The Arab League on Wednesday called for an end to outside interference in Sudan and urged support for an inclusive, Sudanese-led national dialogue to help end the country's devastating war.
* Sri Lankan police have identified 112 suspects wanted under Interpol Red Notices who are believed to be hiding in 13 countries, Police Spokesman F.U. Wootler said on Thursday.
* Sudan on Wednesday accused Ethiopia of providing platforms on its territory for launching drones that recently targeted Sudan, warning of risks to regional security and stability.
* Eight people were killed and four others injured when an oxygen cylinder exploded inside an ambulance in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Wednesday night, police said. The explosion occurred in an ambulance in Nagarparkar city of Tharparkar district, according to police.
* Three tankers exploded and caught fire over the past 24 hours after striking sea mines south of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday.
* At least five people were killed and 27 others injured when a passenger bus plunged into a drain in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Thursday, rescue officials said.
