Syrian President Bashar al Assad visited the Umayyad electrical plant in Damascus on May 1, AFP reported, citing the Syrian presidency's Facebook page.

Venezuela's electoral body has said the audit of votes cast in the presidential election will begin May 6, BBC reported April 28. I

Iraq's Communications and Media Commission has suspended the licenses of 10 television channels, including Al Jazeera, for allegedly promoting violence and sectarianism, a senior CMC official said April 28, Al Jazeera reported.

Two police officers were shot and wounded outside the Italian prime minister's office while the government of Prime Minister Enrico Letta was sworn in April 28, Reuters reported.

Iceland's center-right Independence Party and Progressive Party have each won 19 seats in the country's 63-seat Parliament, preliminary election results showed April 28, AP reported.

Italy formed a new government April 27 after two months of political deadlock, AP reported.

A U.S. citizen identified as Timothy Hallet Tracy has been detained in Caracas for allegedly funding a Venezuelan opposition group to fuel violence and create anti-government chaos in the country, Venezuelan Minister of the Interior and Justice Miguel Rodriguez Torres said at an April 25 news conference, El Universal reported.

South Korea has formally offered to hold talks with North Korea about suspended operations at their joint Kaesong industrial zone, Al Jazeera reported April 25.