* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday unequivocally condemned Israel's massive strikes across Lebanon earlier in the day, his spokesperson said.
* In an effort to strengthen road safety during the Lao New Year 2026, Lao officials plan to deploy additional traffic police officers and enforce stricter road safety measures to ensure the celebrations are peaceful and safe, while reducing the loss of life and property caused by traffic accidents.
* Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delivered his government's policy statement to parliament on Thursday, prioritizing immediate economic relief from global energy shocks while laying the groundwork for long-term structural reforms.
* The Japanese government has added 17 airports and ports to its list of designated facilities to allow possible use by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), as part of efforts to strengthen the country's defense capabilities, local media reported Thursday.
* China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that export applications for rare earths that meet relevant requirements, including those for genuine civilian use, will be approved in accordance with the law.
* Japan is considering an additional oil release equivalent to 20 days of domestic consumption from its reserves in May, as uncertainty persists over safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, local media reported on Thursday.
* The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted multiple weapon system tests from Monday to Wednesday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.
* Cambodia is confident of eliminating all online scam centers from the country after the Law on Combating Online Scams has been promulgated, a senior minister said.
* Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday announced the seizure and freezing of assets totaling over 20 billion baht (about 624 million USD) from a cross-border scammer network, urging all agencies to strictly implement measures and enforce the law.
* Russia handed over 1,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine on Thursday, when Ukraine transferred 41 bodies of Russian servicemen, according to a TASS report.
* Israel's cabinet has approved the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported Thursday.
* The Palestinian Presidency condemned on Thursday Israel's approval of 34 new settlements in the West Bank, considering it a "dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation" of international law and UN resolutions.
* More than 1,300 former government officials and prominent personalities have returned to Afghanistan over the past four years as part of a national initiative to encourage expatriates to contribute to the country's reconstruction, local media Tolo news reported on Thursday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday that all U.S. ships, aircraft, and military personnel will remain in place in and around Iran until the agreement reached is fully complied with.
* "NATO wasn't there when we needed them, and they won't be there if we need them again," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday. His remarks came as NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Washington for a visit aimed at repairing the crumbling transatlantic alliance.
* White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that Washington is working on a modified peace plan ahead of closed-door talks beginning soon in Islamabad.
* U.S. Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. team to attend in-person peace negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, which is expected to begin on Saturday morning, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
* U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. military had been prepared to carry out President Donald Trump's threat to end Iran's "whole civilization" if a ceasefire deal had not been reached.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a statement on Thursday that he had instructed his cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has exchanged views with his Saudi, Iraqi and the Republic of Korean counterparts on his country's ceasefire with the United States and Israel.
* Iran's atomic chief said on Thursday that demands by the "enemies" to restrict the country's uranium enrichment program are nothing but a pipe dream.
* Yemen's Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that military operations would escalate in the coming period, warning of potential "surprise actions" in line with developments on the ground.
* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf have stressed that stopping attacks on Lebanon is an integral part of the ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran.
* Lebanon's cabinet on Thursday ordered the immediate reinforcement of state authority in Beirut and the restriction of weapons to official forces, as it moved to tighten security in the capital amid ongoing Israeli escalation.
* German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday announced that the German government will resume direct talks with Iran to support the newly agreed two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
* NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has informed European countries that Washington expects concrete commitments to deploying warships or other military capabilities to the Strait of Hormuz within the coming days, German magazine Der Spiegel said on Thursday on its website.
* Malaysia's economic growth is expected to slow to 4.4 percent in 2026, weighed down by global uncertainty, softer export momentum, a gradual normalization in investment activity, and base effects from a strong prior year, the World Bank said Thursday.
* Citing the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the Indian government on Wednesday announced it has postponed a global steel conference until further notice. The Bharat Steel 2026 conference was scheduled for April 16-17 in New Delhi.
* Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday condemned any violation of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and denied being "subservient" to U.S. President Donald Trump.
* European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, which killed hundreds overnight, did not fall within self-defense.
* Russia welcomes the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, but a final resolution of the conflict requires serious negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.
* British Defense Secretary John Healey said Thursday that Britain and Norway tracked three Russian submarines in North Atlantic.
* Spain will immediately reopen its embassy in Tehran and has ordered its ambassador to return, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Thursday. The announcement came a day after a 14-day ceasefire was agreed among the United States, Israel and Iran.
* British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Thursday that she is "deeply troubled" by Israel's escalating attacks on Lebanon, expressing hope that Lebanon be included in the current ceasefire.
* Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday condemned Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon as a violation of international law and called for the country to be included in the current ceasefire arrangements.
* French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, stressing that "Lebanon must be fully covered by" the Middle East ceasefire.
* Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Wednesday welcomed the recently announced ceasefire between the United States and Iran during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, as the two sides assessed regional security and the ceasefire's implications.
* The African Union (AU) on Wednesday welcomed a ceasefire arrangement on the Iran conflict, as AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for sustained dialogue to achieve lasting peace.
* The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday called for coordinated actions to offset the Middle East War's impact on the world economy.
