Humanitarian aid is poised to roll into the stricken city of Oleshky on Friday, a Ukrainian official said, as a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine stretched into a third day and military units cleared away landmines.

Moscow and Kyiv have observed the truce in and around the devastated southern Ukrainian city since Tuesday, despite remaining locked in war since Russia's all-out invasion of its neighbor more than 4 ½ years ago. Previous efforts to secure ceasefires either never worked out or the truces quickly fell apart.

More than 600 Ukrainian drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight, with most of them shot down, the Russian capital's mayor said early Thursday as the city hosts a Russia-Africa summit.

The leaders of 22 African countries were at the two-day meeting, according to the Kremlin.

U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action against Iran after next week's midterm elections in the United States — as well as the possibility that Iran will attempt to retaliate against them, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter.

Both of the diplomats spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment about the sensitive warnings conveyed by U.S. diplomats and defense officials.

King tides have inundated parts of both U.S. coasts, flooding streets and sending seawater into homes and businesses in beach communities in California, Florida and the Carolinas.

The tides began with the full moon earlier this week and could cause flooding in some areas into the weekend, forecasters said. King tides are caused by the gravitational pull and alignments of the Earth, moon, and sun. They can occur several times a year and last several days.

Israelis on Thursday waited for final election results to confirm what they see taking shape: No majority of parliament seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, or for the array of parties seeking to unseat him.

Difficult decisions lie in the weeks ahead, including whether some Jewish and Arab parties would team up in a historic alliance, or whether some parties that campaigned on ousting Netanyahu would toss that aside and join forces with the deeply divisive prime minister. While this plays out, Netanyahu remains in charge.

Iran has sentenced acclaimed director Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison, following his return to the country earlier this year, after the start of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The Tehran court also ordered the confiscation of Panahi's "movable and immovable assets," his lawyer Mostafa Nili told the reformist news site Emtedad in an interview late Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hosted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its influence across the continent.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin cast it as an "organic part of a global transformation" and an end to Western domination, noting that "we are witnessing a multipolar world becoming a reality — a trend that is both objective and irreversible."

British Treasury chief John Healey faces a fine balancing act when he delivers his first budget statement Wednesday, with the economic backdrop made more difficult as a result of the turmoil caused by the Iran war.

Healey, who was appointed chancellor of the exchequer in July when Andy Burnham became prime minister, takes center stage when he stands up in the House of Commons in what is arguably the key set piece of the parliamentary calendar. He emerged with his famous ceremonial red budget briefcase and his Treasury team from his office at 11 Downing Street a little more than an hour before he is due to deliver his speech.

Romano Floriani Mussolini, the great-grandson of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, scored his first goal for Lazio on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Floriani Mussolini — who has "Romano" on the back of his jersey — struck in the 16th minute for Lazio's third goal in its 6-2 rout of Sassuolo in Serie A.

Lazio saw two penalties saved but still managed to rout 10-man Sassuolo 6-2 to remain top of Serie A on Tuesday.

Espanyol suffered a shock loss at fourth-tier Sestao River in the Spanish Cup, with its coach quickly paying the price, while Premier League champion Arsenal was beaten by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in a penalty shootout in the English League Cup.