* Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday the trilateral agreement signed between his country and the United States and Japan was not directed at anyone, but merely a strengthening of relations between the three.
* Bolivian President Luis Arce on Sunday called on the United Nations to de-escalate regional tensions and establish peace in the Middle East.
* Russia said on Monday it was very worried by the rise in tensions in the Middle East following Iran's mass drone and missile attack on Israel at the weekend.
* The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Monday the Middle East stood "on the edge of the cliff" and called for de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
* French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday urged Israel to avoid any further escalation in the Middle East following Iran's attack.
* Israel's 'defensive victory' over Iran must be secured with diplomatic means and all sides must work to prevent an escalation of the conflict in the region, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday.
* No pre-arranged agreement was made with any country prior to Iran's retaliatory attack against Israel, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
* The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Monday that all restrictions it put in place shortly before Iran's overnight attack on Saturday have been lifted.
* Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 33,797 Palestinians and wounded 76,465 since Oct. 7, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Monday.
* Warplanes of the United States and Britain launched fresh airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Sunday night, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
* An aid conference in Paris to generate funds for the conflict in Sudan will hopefully raise "well over a billion euros," a French diplomatic source said on Monday, as the United States, the European Union, France and Germany make fresh commitments.
* The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Sunday called on Sudanese warring parties to halt hostilities to end a year-long war.
* Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi said he was closely watching foreign exchange moves, noting Japan will take "all necessary steps" to act as the yen fell to a fresh 34-year low against the USD on Monday.
* Hungary's government will consider whether to enforce lower fuel prices after a review by the Central Statistics Office (KSH) of regional average price levels, Economy Minister Marton Nagy told business daily Vilaggazdasag.
* The Swedish government said in its 2024 spring budget on Monday that new spending measures would total 17.3 billion Swedish crowns ($1.6 billion).
* Analysts have maintained their positive views on Malaysia's oil and gas sector as its activities are expected to pick up in the second quarter.
* South Africa's Border Management Authority (BMA) said Sunday that a total of 1,136,250 travelers passed through the country's 71 ports of entry during this year's Easter holiday.
* Swathes of northern Kazakhstan and Russia's Urals region were flooded on Monday as melt waters swelled the tributaries of the world's seventh longest river system, forcing more than 125,000 people to flee their homes.
* India is likely to receive above average monsoon rains in 2024, the government said on Monday, a big boost for the country which depends heavily on the summer rains for its farm production.
