Ukraine scrambled Saturday to respond to a U.S. plan to end the war that includes many of Russia's hardline demands, with Kyiv saying it had discussed the next steps with several key European allies.

Iran has requested foreign assistance in extinguishing a large fire that has ravaged UNESCO World Heritage-listed forests in the north of the country for several days, local media reported on Saturday.

Months of sniping melted away Friday as New York's incoming leftist mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump were all smiles at a White House meeting -- promising to set aside their feud and cooperate on the city's future.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Ukraine has to confront the possibility of losing its dignity or risking the loss of a key partner as it figures out how to respond to a U.S. peace proposal to end Russia's war with his country.

"This is one of the most difficult moments in our history," Zelensky said in a video address to the nation. "Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner."

Russia is looking to use the U.S. proposals to end the war in Ukraine to stall sanctions from Washington and EU talks on using Moscow's frozen assets to fund Kyiv, the bloc's top diplomat said Friday.

World leaders arrived Friday for a historic first Group of 20 summit in Africa that aims to put the problems of poor countries at the top of the global agenda. But the talks have been undermined by a rift between host South Africa and the United States over a Trump administration boycott.

The weekend summit in Johannesburg will be attended by delegations from 18 of the world's richest and top developing economies — minus the U.S., which has branded South Africa's hosting a "disgrace " and won't participate in the talks.

A strong, 5.5 magnitude earthquake shook central Bangladesh on Friday, killing at least eight people and leaving more than 300 injured, authorities and local media said. Buildings in the country's capital, Dhaka, swayed in the temblor, sending panicked residents into the streets.

The quake hit at 10:38 a.m., with the epicenter in the Ghorashal area in Narsingdi district, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) from Dhaka. The U.S. Geological Survey said that it had a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

The leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom spoke by phone Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, assuring him of their continued support amid the war with Russia as European officials scrambled to respond to U.S. peace proposals that apparently caught them unawares.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Ukraine of "their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace," Merz's office said.

President Donald Trump's plan for ending the war in Ukraine would cede land to Russia and limit the size of Kyiv's military, according to a draft obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

The proposal, originating from negotiations between Washington and Moscow, appeared decidedly favorable to Russia, which started the war nearly four years ago by invading its neighbor. If past is prologue, it would seem untenable for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has opposed Trump's previous calls for territorial concessions.

The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday adopted a resolution that called on Iran to provide it with access and information regarding its nuclear program, as required under U.N. resolutions.

The resolution "urges Iran to comply fully and without delay with its legal obligations under... UNSC resolutions and to extend full and prompt cooperation to the IAEA, including by providing such information and access that the Agency requests," said the text, which was adopted by a vote of 19 for, three against and 12 abstentions.