In his inauguration address to parliament, the former junta chief said peace and democracy was his priority, and his government would spur foreign investment, develop agriculture and form effective, long-term strategic plans.

The Philippine Coast Guard unveiled on Thursday its first dedicated command center in the Spratly island chain, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of repeated confrontations with Chinese vessels.

A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large Thursday, authorities said, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued.

Any potential reshuffling could serve as a reset for the White House as it confronts a politically challenging stretch: The five-week-old war has driven up gas prices, dragged down Trump's approval ratings and intensified anxiety about the consequences for Republicans heading into November's midterm elections.

A Russian tanker full of crude oil has entered Cuban waters and was expected to reach port on Monday, possibly granting a lifeline to Cuba as US President Donald Trump appeared to relax a de facto oil blockade on the Caribbean island.

Organizers said "at least 8 million people gathered today at more than 3,300 events across all 50 states," from big cities and small towns. US authorities provided no national crowd estimate.

Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Cuba reached Havana on Saturday after disappearing during a longer-than-expected journey from Mexico that triggered a search-and-rescue operation.

The Kremlin said earlier this week that there were a huge number of requests for Russian energy from different countries amid a global energy crisis that was shaking the foundations of the oil and gas markets.

Leo, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, said that mistrust and fear have been allowed to "sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations."

Zelenskiy proposed a halt in strikes for Easter holidays, and said Ukraine would reciprocate if Russia stopped attacks on the energy sector, but Moscow rejected the idea.

It is the first time since 2022 that the pope has personally taken part in the Way of the Cross, which has been organized at the Colosseum since 1964.

While Iran agreed to reopen the thoroughfare during the two-week truce with the United States, it has also spoken of a toll system to fund reconstruction following punishing US-Israeli attacks.

In the joint statement, the countries urged the UN Security Council to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents in Southern Lebanon that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers and wounded several others, including from France, Ghana, Nepal, and Poland.