Iran's parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has emerged as a possible U.S. contact for talks even as the Iranian leadership remains under fire during the war. Reports suggest Washington may see him as a negotiating partner. Iran’s theocracy has been in turmoil since a Feb. 28 Israeli strike killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba has taken over. But he hasn't been seen after reports of having been wounded. Qalibaf is a former Revolutionary Guard commander and Tehran mayor. Critics link him to violent crackdowns and corruption claims. He denied on Tuesday that there are any talks with the U.S. underway. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency called the reports about Qalibaf a Western plot to divide Iran.

Jurors in Ohio have begun deliberating in the corruption trial of two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives charged for their alleged roles in the $60 million bribery scheme centered on a $1 billion nuclear plant bailout. Former CEO Chuck Jones and ex-senior vice president Michael Dowling face charges of corruption, bribery, conspiracy and aggravated theft for paying $4.3 million to the state’s future top utility regulator. Prosecutors allege Jones and Dowling bribed Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair-to-be Sam Randazzo for legislative and regulatory favors. The defense told jurors in closing arguments Tuesday that the payment represented an aboveboard legal settlement.

Hungary’s election fight is intensifying as Viktor Orbán and challenger Péter Magyar stage rival mass rallies in Budapest to show strength. On Sunday, both sides are marching in the capital on the March 15 national holiday. Observers are treating the crowds as a test of momentum with the April 12 vote approaching. Orbán campaigns on nationalism and warnings about dangers posed by the EU and Ukraine. Magyar has focused on living costs, public services and corruption claims. He also promises to rebuild democratic institutions and shift Hungary back toward Western partners. Polls show Magyar's Tisza ahead, but Orbán's Fidesz still dominates rural areas and much of the media.

Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted has testified remotely in Akron, Ohio, in the high-profile corruption trial of two former FirstEnergy Corp. executives. As a defense witness for former CEO Chuck Jones and former lobbyist Michael Dowling, Husted confirmed his presence as lieutenant governor-elect at a key dinner with Jones, Dowling and then-Gov.-elect Mike DeWine held in 2018, shortly before DeWine appointed Sam Randazzo the state's new top utility regulator. Husted said FirstEnergy’s preferred candidate wasn't Randazzo, who prosecutors allege Jones and Dowling bribed in exchange for his help with a $1 billion nuclear plant bailout. He later acknowledged he wouldn't have known what the two men discussed privately.

Sen. John Cornyn is going on offense against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as they fight for a Republican Senate runoff, and President Donald Trump’s endorsement hangs over it all. On Thursday, Cornyn’s campaign is releasing a new video that highlights corruption and personal allegations against Paxton. The video revisits Paxton’s impeachment trial and a securities fraud case. On Wednesday, Trump said he plans to endorse one of them before the May 26 runoff and expects the other candidate to quit. Paxton says he'll stay in the race even if Trump picks Cornyn. Republican leaders worry that Paxton’s troubles may risk the seat in the fall election.

Voting has been peaceful in Nepal's first nationwide election since a violent, youth-led uprising forced the government from power in September. Security forces are patrolling streets and guarding polling stations Thursday across the Himalayan nation of about 30 million people as voters line up to cast their ballots. Vote counting will begin later Thursday, with results expected over the weekend. Top election official says both election campaigning and voting have been peaceful and voter turnout expected to be around 65%. The election is widely viewed as a three-way contest with the National Independent Party founded in 2022 considered the front-runner.

President Donald Trump says he'll soon endorse a Republican candidate in the Texas Senate race. And he's warning that the divisive contest “cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer.” Incumbent John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced on Tuesday to a May 26 runoff for the nomination. Trump says in a social media post that his endorsement will be coming and that he'll ask the candidate who doesn't get his backing to drop out. Democrats have nominated state lawmaker James Talarico. Texas hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly four decades.

China’s legislature has removed 19 lawmakers, including nine military officers, as President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive shows no sign of letting up. The legislature's Standing Committee announced the dismissals late Thursday, a week before the annual National People’s Congress opens. It gave no reasons, but removals are generally linked to corruption probes. Other recent purges have also hit the military, including the removal of a top general last month. Analysts say Xi uses the campaign to sideline rivals and lock in loyalty. The change is unlikely to affect the congress, which typically rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Communist Party.

Facing tough odds in an upcoming election, Hungary’s pro-Russian prime minister is trying to convince voters that the greatest threat to the country is not economic stagnation, but neighboring Ukraine. Viktor Orbán is running an aggressive media campaign whose central message is that Hungarians should refuse to align with the rest of Europe in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. That path, he argues, risks bankrupting the country and getting its youth killed on the front lines. Orbán's chief opponent, Péter Magyar, has focused his campaign on stemming the rising costs of living, improving social services and reining in corruption. He also promises to restore democratic institutions which have eroded during Orbán’s 16 years in power.