* Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held a phone conversation with the Republic of Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. Xi once again extended congratulations to Yoon on his election as the RoK president.
* US President Joe Biden has said he was in favor of Russia being excluded from the Group of 20 (G20).
* The extraordinary summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held Thursday has confirmed the alliance's desire to contain Russia and prolong the military conflict in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
* Turkey, France and Italy have decided to resume defense cooperation talks over Eurosam's SAMP/T missile system, the state TRT broadcaster reported Friday, quoting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
* The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Friday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution.
* Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received on Thursday a phone call from his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during which they discussed the latest developments of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, said the Egyptian presidency.
* Australia's national science agency has released a roadmap on the research required to guarantee a smooth transition to renewable energy sources.
* Chairman of Kyrgyzstan's Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Zhaparov on Thursday held a meeting to approve the Anti-Crisis Action Plan for 2022.
* China reported 1,366 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 24, the country's national health authority said on Friday, down from 2,054 a day earlier, though the number of asymptomatic infections increased.
* Indonesia on Friday confirmed 4,857 new COVID-19 cases, taking its tally of infections to 5,991,687, the country's Health Ministry said.
* Japan's Shionogi & Co 4507.T has signed a basic agreement with the government to supply an oral COVID-19 treatment it is now developing, the firm said.
* Germany's health minister urged people over age 60 with risk factors such as high blood pressure or a weak heart to get a second COVID booster shot to reduce their risk of getting seriously ill.
* A booster dose of vaccine against COVID-19 continues to provide robust protection against hospitalisation for older people nearly four months after getting the third dose, new data from the UK's Health Security Agency showed.
* Tunisia greeted the first cruise ship since 2019 on Wednesday and expects 40 this year in a revival of tourism after the pandemic.
