* Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China and Cambodia set a model for equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni during his state visit to Cambodia.
* The First Ministerial Meeting of China-Indonesia Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue will be held in Beijing on April 21, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Friday.
* Ukraine and the United States signed a memorandum on minerals deal on Thursday, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
* The U.S. administration will stop pursuing a Russia-Ukraine peace deal unless it knows it is "doable" within days, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
* The United Nations views the second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran this weekend as "a good sign," and hopes it will yield positive results, a UN spokesman said on Thursday.
* France hosted a trilateral meeting on Ukraine on Thursday, marking the first time the United States, Ukraine and Europe sat at the same negotiation table since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office in January.
* Bangladesh and Pakistan Thursday held a foreign secretary-level Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) in capital Dhaka after a 15-year gap.
* Russia on Thursday suspended the ban on the activities of the Taliban in the country.
* Pakistan expelled over 5,000 Afghan refugees on Thursday, the local media Tolonews reported Friday. The refugees returned from Pakistan via Torkham and Spin Boldak crossing points to Afghanistan on Thursday, the report said, adding that the returnees have received necessary assistance.
* Republic of Korea's government on Friday proposed 12.2 trillion won (8.6 billion USD) for a supplementary budget amid rising trade uncertainties, caused by the U.S. tariff imposition.
* Jordan's Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation signed Thursday an agreement with the Dutch government for a 31-million-euro grant from the latter to finance its National Water Carrier Project.
* Somalia has officially launched its national monitoring committee on the elimination of non-tariff barriers, marking a major milestone in its integration into the East African Community (EAC) Customs Union and Common Market, the EAC said in a statement on Thursday.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Thursday that Israel would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, amid reports of renewed negotiations between Tehran and the U.S. administration over a new nuclear agreement.
* Iran's atomic chief said on Thursday his country expects the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to "maintain neutrality and professionalism" with regard to the nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.
* Oman's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that it will continue to mediate a second round of nuclear talks between U.S. and Iranian officials scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday.
* Hamas said on Thursday evening that it is ready to immediately begin negotiations on a deal to swap all Israeli hostages with an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, in a bid to completely stop the Gaza war.
* Tunisia repatriated 164 Guinean nationals on Thursday as part of a voluntary return program coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported.
* Yemen's Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said on Thursday his group had launched 26 attacks against Israel and 33 strikes on the U.S. aircraft carrier and warships in the Red Sea since March 15.
* At least 39 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to the Gaza-based civil defense.
* The death toll from U.S. overnight airstrikes on the Yemeni fuel port of Ras Isa has increased to 38, with 102 others wounded, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Friday, citing Houthi-controlled local health authorities.
* Most of the estimated 400,000 people fleeing the Zamzam displacement camp bombardment sought shelter in another Sudan refuge only for it to be shelled, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.
* The number of 5G base stations in China has topped over 4.39 million by the end of March, with the user penetration rate reaching 75.9 percent, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Friday.
* The Hungarian government has projected economic growth of 4.1 percent for 2026, with inflation expected to decline to 3.6 percent, down from 4.5 percent estimated this year, Economy Minister Marton Nagy announced Thursday at a press briefing after the latest cabinet meeting.
* The Peruvian government announced on Thursday the extension for 30 days of the state of emergency in 157 districts from 20 departments due to intense rains.
* The Samoan Ministry of Health has declared a dengue fever outbreak with one reported death and 15 confirmed cases since January.
