diff --git a/.github/workflows/backport.yml b/.github/workflows/backport.yml
index 75406db6..d83f0095 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backport.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backport.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
   backport:
     name: Backport PR
     if: github.event.pull_request.merged == true && !(contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'backport')) && !(contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'backport-pr-created'))
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     steps:
       # Workaround not to fail the workflow if the PR does not need a backport
       # https://github.com/sorenlouv/backport-github-action/issues/127#issuecomment-2277248320
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "matched=$matched" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - name: Backport Action
         if: fromJSON(steps.check_labels.outputs.matched) > 0
-        uses: sorenlouv/backport-github-action@v12.0.4
+        uses: sorenlouv/backport-github-action@v12
         with:
           github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           auto_backport_label_prefix: backport-to-
diff --git a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
index 37f53504..e5cbc908 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ jobs:
       CFLAGS: -Wall -Werror -std=c17 -Wconversion
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-24.04]
+        os: [ubuntu-26.04]
         python-version: [pypy3.12, "graalpy-25", "3.x"]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ jobs:
             build/coverage-${{ matrix.python-version }}.info
           retention-days: 1
   merge-coverage:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     needs:
       - coverage
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linter.yml b/.github/workflows/linter.yml
index 82d16bd4..f8c7fa73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linter.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linter.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: Run pre-commit
 on: [workflow_dispatch, workflow_call]
 jobs:
   linter:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 03bfe02a..773be19d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ jobs:
   build:
     name: Build distribution
     if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v7
       with:
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ jobs:
     needs:
       - build
       - wheels
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     environment:
       name: pypi
       url: https://pypi.org/p/python-gmp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
       and upload them to GitHub Release
     needs:
       - publish-to-pypi
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wheels.yml b/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
index 1b080036..5ca80ff5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
@@ -6,19 +6,19 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-24.04, ubuntu-24.04-arm, macos-26-intel, macos-26,
-             windows-2025-vs2026]
+        os: [ubuntu-26.04, ubuntu-26.04-arm, macos-26-intel, macos-26,
+             windows-2025]
         msystem: [ucrt64]
         menv: [ucrt-x86_64]
         include:
-          - os: windows-11-arm
+          - os: windows-11-vs2026-arm
             msystem: clangarm64
             menv: clang-aarch64
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: msys2/setup-msys2@v2.33.0
+      - uses: msys2/setup-msys2@v2
         name: Setup msys2
         with:
           install: >-
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ jobs:
       - run: echo "PKG_CONFIG_PATH=${{ github.workspace }}/.local/lib/pkgconfig" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
         if: ${{ startsWith(matrix.os, 'windows') }}
       - name: Build wheels
-        uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v4.3.0
+        uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v4.3.1
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: wheels-${{ matrix.os }}
           path: ./wheelhouse/
   merge:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-26.04
     needs: build_wheels
     steps:
       - name: Merge Wheels
diff --git a/bench/pidigits.py b/bench/pidigits.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..130fe094
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/pidigits.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+"""
+Calculating some of the digits of π.
+
+This benchmark stresses big integer arithmetic.
+
+Adapted from code on:
+http://benchmarksgame.alioth.debian.org/
+"""
+
+import itertools
+
+import pyperf
+
+from bench.utils import mpz
+
+DEFAULT_DIGITS = 2000
+icount = itertools.count
+islice = itertools.islice
+
+
+def gen_x():
+    return map(lambda k: (k, 4 * k + 2, 0, 2 * k + 1), icount(1))
+
+
+def compose(a, b):
+    aq, ar, as_, at = a
+    bq, br, bs, bt = b
+    return (aq * bq,
+            aq * br + ar * bt,
+            as_ * bq + at * bs,
+            as_ * br + at * bt)
+
+
+def extract(z, j):
+    q, r, s, t = z
+    return (q * j + r) // (s * j + t)
+
+
+def gen_pi_digits():
+    z = (mpz(1), mpz(0), mpz(0), mpz(1))
+    x = gen_x()
+    while 1:
+        y = extract(z, 3)
+        while y != extract(z, 4):
+            z = compose(z, next(x))
+            y = extract(z, 3)
+        z = compose((mpz(10), -10 * y, mpz(0), mpz(1)), z)
+        yield y
+
+
+def calc_ndigits(n):
+    return list(islice(gen_pi_digits(), n))
+
+
+def add_cmdline_args(cmd, args):
+    cmd.extend(("--digits", str(args.digits)))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    runner = pyperf.Runner(add_cmdline_args=add_cmdline_args)
+
+    cmd = runner.argparser
+    cmd.add_argument("--digits", type=int, default=DEFAULT_DIGITS,
+                     help=("Number of computed pi digits "
+                           f"(default: {DEFAULT_DIGITS})"))
+
+    args = runner.parse_args()
+    runner.metadata["description"] = "Compute digits of pi."
+    runner.metadata["pidigits_ndigit"] = args.digits
+    runner.bench_func("pidigits", calc_ndigits, args.digits)
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 4b44ea8f..ca09d65a 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -2,3 +2,23 @@ Documentation for python-gmp
 ============================
 
 .. automodule:: gmp
+
+
+.. currentmodule:: gmp
+
+.. data:: mpz_info
+
+   A named tuple that holds information about mpz type.  The attributes are
+   read only.
+
+   .. attribute:: mpz_info.bits_per_digit
+
+      The size of a digit in bits.
+
+   .. attribute:: sizeof_digit
+
+      The size in bytes of the C type used to represent a digit.
+
+   .. attribute:: bitcnt_max
+
+      The maximal count of bits in an integer.
diff --git a/gmp.c b/gmp.c
index ad0402a3..691feb6a 100644
--- a/gmp.c
+++ b/gmp.c
@@ -405,9 +405,42 @@ new_impl(PyTypeObject *Py_UNUSED(type), PyObject *arg, PyObject *base_arg)
     }
 str:
     if (PyUnicode_Check(arg)) {
-        PyObject *res = (PyObject *)MPZ_from_str(arg, base);
+        if (PyUnicode_IS_ASCII(arg)) {
+            return (PyObject *)MPZ_from_str(arg, base);
+        }
 
-        return res;
+        PyObject *builtins = PyEval_GetFrameBuiltins();
+
+        if (!builtins) {
+            return NULL; /* LCOV_EXCL_LINE */
+        }
+
+        PyObject *int_func = PyDict_GetItemString(builtins, "int");
+
+        Py_DECREF(builtins);
+        if (!int_func) {
+            return NULL; /* LCOV_EXCL_LINE */
+        }
+
+
+        PyObject *integer;
+
+        if (Py_IsNone(base_arg)) {
+            integer = PyObject_CallOneArg(int_func, arg);
+        }
+        else {
+            integer = PyObject_CallFunction(int_func, "OO", arg, base_arg);
+        }
+        if (integer) {
+            PyObject *res = (PyObject *)MPZ_from_int(integer);
+
+            if (!res) {
+                return NULL; /* LCOV_EXCL_LINE */
+            }
+            Py_DECREF(integer);
+            return res;
+        }
+        return NULL; /* LCOV_EXCL_LINE */
     }
     else if (PyByteArray_Check(arg) || PyBytes_Check(arg)) {
         const char *string;
@@ -1603,8 +1636,8 @@ The signed argument indicates whether two’s complement is used."},
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(mpz_doc,
              "mpz(number=0, /)\nmpz(string, /, base=10)\n\n\
-Convert a number or an ASCII string to an integer.  If numeric argument is not\n\
-an int subclass, return mpz(int(number)).\n\n\
+Convert a number or a string to an integer.  If numeric argument is not\n\
+an int subclass, return same as mpz(int(number)).\n\n\
 If argument is not a number or if base is given, then it must be a string,\n\
 bytes, or bytearray instance representing an integer literal in the\n\
 given base.  The literal can be preceded by '+' or '-' and be surrounded\n\
@@ -2193,9 +2226,10 @@ A named tuple that holds information about mpz type.\n\
 The attributes are read only.");
 
 static PyStructSequence_Field mpz_info_fields[] = {
-    {"bits_per_digit", "size of a digit in bits"},
-    {"sizeof_digit", "size in bytes of the C type, used to represent a digit"},
-    {"bitcnt_max", "maximal count of bits in integer"},
+    {"bits_per_digit", "The size of a digit in bits."},
+    {"sizeof_digit",
+     "The size in bytes of the C type used to represent a digit."},
+    {"bitcnt_max", "The maximal count of bits in an integer."},
     {NULL}};
 
 static PyStructSequence_Desc mpz_info_desc = {
@@ -2260,7 +2294,7 @@ gmp_exec(PyObject *m)
                        "numbers.Integral.register(gmp.mpz)\n"
                        "gmp.fac = gmp.factorial\n"
                        "gmp.__all__ = ['comb', 'factorial', 'gcd', 'isqrt',\n"
-                       "               'lcm', 'mpz', 'perm']\n"
+                       "               'lcm', 'mpz', 'perm', 'mpz_info']\n"
                        "gmp.__version__ = imp.version('python-gmp')\n");
     PyObject *codeobj = Py_CompileString(str, "<file>", Py_file_input);
     PyObject *res;
@@ -2316,7 +2350,8 @@ static PyModuleDef_Slot gmp_slots[] = {
 static struct PyModuleDef gmp_module = {
     PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
     .m_name = "gmp",
-    .m_doc = "Bindings to the GNU GMP for Python.",
+    .m_doc = "Bindings to the GNU GMP for Python, providing int-compatible\n\
+integer type and functions as in the math.integer submodule.",
     .m_size = 0,
     .m_methods = gmp_functions,
     .m_slots = gmp_slots,
diff --git a/tests/test_mpz.py b/tests/test_mpz.py
index 1f40f347..b429b0cd 100644
--- a/tests/test_mpz.py
+++ b/tests/test_mpz.py
@@ -198,12 +198,19 @@ def test_mpz_interface():
         mpz(" ")
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="invalid literal"):
         mpz("qqq")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="invalid literal"):
+        mpz("ыыы")
     assert mpz() == mpz(0) == 0
     assert mpz("  -123") == -123
     assert mpz("123  ") == 123
     assert mpz("    -123  ") == -123
     assert mpz("+123") == 123
+    assert mpz("١٢٣٤") == 1234  # unicode decimal digits
+    assert mpz("١٢٣٤", base=20) == 8864
+    assert mpz("१23") == 123
     assert mpz("\t123") == 123
+    if platform.python_implementation() != "GraalVM":
+        assert mpz("\xa0123") == 123  # see oracle/graalpython#1209
     assert mpz("-010") == -10
     assert mpz("-10") == -10
     assert mpz("0b_10", 0) == 2
diff --git a/utils.c b/utils.c
index e5cae2ea..f9eebee6 100644
--- a/utils.c
+++ b/utils.c
@@ -61,3 +61,11 @@ gmp_parse_pyargs(const gmp_pyargs *fnargs, Py_ssize_t argidx[],
     }
     return 0;
 }
+
+#if PY_VERSION_HEX < 0x030D00A6
+PyObject *
+PyEval_GetFrameBuiltins(void)
+{
+    return Py_XNewRef(PyEval_GetBuiltins());
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/utils.h b/utils.h
index 78ee1a1d..afa75921 100644
--- a/utils.h
+++ b/utils.h
@@ -34,4 +34,8 @@ int gmp_parse_pyargs(const gmp_pyargs *fnargs, Py_ssize_t argidx[],
                      PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs,
                      PyObject *kwnames);
 
+#if PY_VERSION_HEX < 0x030D00A6
+PyObject * PyEval_GetFrameBuiltins(void);
+#endif
+
 #endif /* UTILS_H */