* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday (April 30) called for "maximum restraint" in Venezuela to avoid violence and restore calm.
* Japan's Emperor Naruhito declared his succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday to mark the start of a new imperial era in Japan. In a ceremony called "Kenji to Shokei no gi" held earlier in the morning, the 59-year-old emperor, dressed in a formal black suit, inherited the imperial regalia as proof of his ascension to the throne.
* Myanmar's military announced late Tuesday to extend the suspension period of all its military action against armed groups in five military command regions for two months, according to an announcement of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services. The suspension period was set to extend until June 30 this year, the announcement said.
* China and the United States held "productive" trade talks in Beijing on Wednesday and will continue discussions in Washington next week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, as the two try to end their trade war.
* Israeli naval forces on Wednesday arrested two Palestinian fishermen and wounded another one off the coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said.
* Kuwait firmly supports the peace and stability in Libya, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said on Tuesday. He reaffirmed Kuwait's stance when meeting with a Libyan delegation.
* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss situation in Syria and Libya, Turkish presidency said in a statement. The two leaders agreed to continue close coordination in Syria as part of Astana peace process.
* Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Russia in June to discuss coordination against the U.S. peace plan on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a senior Palestinian official said Tuesday.
* China has acted to ensure travelers a safe trip during the May Day holiday starting Wednesday. Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency, estimated that about 160 million trips will be made during this year's four-day May Day holiday.
* India and France will hold their bilateral naval exercise, christened as "Varuna", starting from Wednesday, said official sources from the Indian Defence Ministry here on Wednesday.
* The China-Russia "Joint Sea-2019" military exercise Tuesday held contests between the two countries' naval marine contingents. Contestants on both sides took part in competitions including riflery, sniping and steeplechase.
* The 52nd annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Board of Governors kicked off in Nadi, Fiji, on Wednesday with the participation of finance ministers, central bank governors, government officials, private sector representatives, development partners and media from Asia and the Pacific region.
* WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a London court on Wednesday to be sentenced for breaking bail after almost seven years holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy.
* The African Union said on Tuesday that Sudan's military rulers should hand over power to a civilian-led transitional authority within 60 days.
* Suspected leftist insurgents killed at least 15 police and a civilian driver in a landmine attack on two security vehicles on Wednesday in the western state of Maharashtra, police said, as the state celebrated its foundation day.
* Police charged a man with murder early on Wednesday after a gunman opened fire in a University of North Carolina (UNC) building during final exams, killing two people and wounding four.
* American and Taliban officials resumed talks in Qatar to end a 17-year war in Afghanistan on Wednesday while the Afghan government hosted a rare assembly in Kabul to ensure its interests are upheld in any peace deal.
* At least three soldiers were killed and seven others injured in a cross-border attack from Afghanistan on Pakistani security forces on Wednesday, a military statement said.
* At least 10 police personnel were wounded Wednesday after Naxals triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting their vehicle in western Indian state of Maharashtra, officials said.
* The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday said that over 42,000 people in and around the Libyan capital Tripoli fled their homes because of the ongoing fighting.
