* A consultation meeting was held on Wednesday in the Lao capital Vientiane, bringing together senior officials from Laos and Thailand to discuss measures to address transboundary smog pollution and reaffirm their commitment to improving air quality.
* Cambodian and the Republic of Korean police on Wednesday agreed to expand their cooperation on combating transnational drug-related offences and illegal gambling in addition to the fight against online scams, said a joint press release.
* Myanmar's President U Min Aung Hlaing granted amnesty to 1,519 prisoners on Thursday to commemorate Buddha Day, state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television reported.
* Mihaela Dotsova from the Progressive Bulgaria, the largest parliamentary group, was elected as chairperson of Bulgarian National Assembly, on Thursday. Dotsova got the support from 188 members of the 240-seat legislature, while 49 abstained.
* Russia is not considering the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine and regards any transfer of them to Ukrainian authorities as entirely inadmissible, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Andrey Ivanovich Belousov said.
* Russia, as a responsible party to and one of the depositaries of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), strictly abides by the letter and spirit of the treaty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an address to the 11th NPT Review Conference on Wednesday.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he has instructed his representatives to contact U.S. President Donald Trump's team and clarify the details of Russia's proposal for a short-term ceasefire.
* Moscow will hold this year's Victory Day parade on May 9 without military equipment "due to Kiev's terrorist activities," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
* The U.S. government is set to issue the first tariff refund payment by around May 11, according to an order filed on Tuesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
* Russia will remain in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, and welcomes the intention of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to adopt a responsible stance in global energy markets after leaving the oil alliance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States is studying and reviewing a possible reduction of troops in Germany. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision will be made within a short period of time.
* The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will leave the Middle East and begin sailing for home in the coming days, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
* The White House is asking other countries to join a U.S.-led international coalition aimed at enabling ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Wednesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will keep Iran under the U.S. naval blockade until Tehran agrees to a deal with Washington on its nuclear program.
* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Iran is ready to continue the path of diplomacy if the U.S. "maximalist" approach stops, according to the official news agency IRNA.
* Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the "bright future" of the Gulf will be one without the U.S. presence and at the service of the progress, comfort, and welfare of the regional nations.
* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that any U.S. attempt to impose a naval blockade and maritime restrictions against Iran is "doomed to failure."
* Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the Israeli Navy has detained 175 Gaza flotilla activists on more than 20 boats overnight near the Greek island of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles from Israel.
* A senior Pentagon official said Wednesday that the cost of the ongoing U.S. war against Iran is estimated to be 25 billion USD so far, as the conflict has dragged on for two months.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call on Wednesday, discussing the recent shooting at the White House press dinner, the situation in Iran and the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin said.
* German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that Germany is committed to bringing an end to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and stands ready to engage militarily to ensure the freedom of navigation, if necessary conditions are met.
* Russia's presence in Mali will continue and is based on requests from the country's current authorities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
* Peter Magyar, leader of Hungary's Tisza Party, held talks with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday on the release of EU funds earmarked for Hungary, which remain frozen over EU's concerns about Hungary.
* The European Commission on Wednesday adopted a temporary state aid framework to enable European Union (EU) member states to support sectors affected by the Middle East crisis and rising energy costs.
* Azerbaijan will soon open a new border crossing on its frontier with Iran, local media quoted Chairman of the State Customs Committee Shahin Baghirov as saying on Wednesday.
* The two-day Three Seas Initiative (3SI) summit concluded in Dubrovnik, Croatia on Wednesday, with participating countries signing nine cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening energy, transport and digital infrastructure across Central and Eastern Europe.
* Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that a ceasefire must be fully implemented before negotiations with Israel begin.
* Kuwait on Wednesday said that it will resume full staffing levels and regular working hours across all government entities starting Sunday, May 3, following a cabinet directive.
* Iran's Imam Khomeini International Airport has resumed flights to 15 foreign destinations following a weeks-long hiatus caused by the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Wednesday.
* The U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2 percent in the first quarter, falling short of Wall Street expectations.
* China's logistics sector maintained steady momentum in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, with major indicators posting solid growth, according to data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
* Cambodia's economic growth is projected to slow to 4.3 percent in 2026 from 5.3 percent in the year before, as higher global oil prices weigh on the economy, said an ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) press release on Thursday.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday downgraded its economic growth outlook and raised inflation projections for developing Asia and the Pacific due to severe and prolonged disruptions from the conflict in the Middle East.
* The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday left the three key interest rates unchanged. The interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility stay at two percent, 2.15 percent and 2.4 percent respectively.
* The Bank of England (BoE) has maintained its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.75 percent considering the effect of sharp energy price rises triggered by the Middle East conflict, Britain's central bank said in a statement Thursday.
* The Bank of Canada on Wednesday held its target for the policy rate at 2.25 percent. The central bank said in a press release that the outlook for economic growth in Canada is little changed from the January projection.
* Germany's unemployment fell by 13,000 in April but remained above the 3-million mark for a fourth consecutive month, official data showed on Thursday, pointing to a weakening labor market amid mounting economic uncertainty.
* Euro area annual inflation is expected to rise to 3.0 percent in April, up from 2.6 percent in March, while economic growth remained weak in the first quarter, Eurostat said on Thursday.
* Ukraine's gross crop production is expected to increase by 4 percent from a year earlier to reach 60.2 million tons in 2026, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Tuesday, citing a recent forecast.
* Thailand's economic growth remained broadly stable in March on a monthly basis, supported by higher exports, manufacturing output, and government spending, despite early signs of impact from the Middle East conflict, the central bank said on Thursday.
* The Kazakh Grain Union on Thursday raised its export forecast for wheat and flour in grain equivalent between September 2025 and August 2026 from 13 million to 13.4 million tonnes.
* Nepal plans to attract more than 10,000 foreign wellness tourists each year after 2030, with the country expecting to generate 20 million to 30 million USD in annual revenue.
* The Mediterranean Sea is under increasing environmental pressure from rising temperatures, higher sea levels, and the spread of invasive species, according to an Israeli government report released Wednesday.
* Uruguayan Economy Minister Gabriel Oddone confirmed on Wednesday that fuel prices will rise again as of Friday due to rising international oil prices.
* The world faces a major challenge on the energy and economic front, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol warned on Thursday.
* Multiple reports released on Wednesday paint a stark picture of accelerating climate extremes, with Europe warming faster than any other continent. The findings underscore that climate change has become an urgent reality reshaping ecosystems, economies and human health across Europe, calling for ambitious actions.
* Global air cargo demand fell 4.8 percent year-on-year in March, weighed down by disruptions in the Middle East, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Wednesday.
