* Discussing security guarantees for Ukraine without Russian involvement is a "road to nowhere," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
* Suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra attended a constitutional court hearing on Thursday in a case seeking her dismissal over alleged ethics violations.
* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on Wednesday to discuss the outcomes of Putin's recent Alaska summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as bilateral relations, the Turkish presidency said.
* European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde on Wednesday urged Europe to tighten trade ties with countries other than the United States, saying the trade deal between the European Union (EU) and the U.S. has eased but not eliminated uncertainty.
* Britain has signed an agreement with Iraq to strengthen migration cooperation, according to a statement issued by the British government on Wednesday.
* Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday chaired a meeting on the economy and budget planning, where officials presented reports on the current economic situation, future development prospects and parameters of the 2026-28 state budget.
* The New Zealand government confirmed on Wednesday it will legislate on the closure of the greyhound racing industry by July 31, 2026. The cabinet's decision has followed three official reviews since 2013 and ongoing concerns over animal welfare.
* Romania's Labor Importers Employers' Association (PIFM) on Wednesday cautioned against rising anti-immigrant sentiment and urged authorities to protect the dignity and rights of foreign workers.
* Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his country's unyielding commitment to defeating all forms of terrorism.
* Israel's West Bank settlement expansion plan negatively affects Palestinians and increases the risk of displacement, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.
* Israel launched a new offensive on Gaza City on Wednesday aimed at defeating Hamas, a move that has drawn international criticism over its impact on civilians in the devastated enclave.
* A total of 43 suspects have been detained in a large-scale operation targeting illegal betting and aggravated fraud across 21 provinces in Türkiye, with a transaction volume of 1 billion Turkish liras (24.4 million USD) in their accounts, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday.
* Egypt has sent 1,288 humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing between July 27 and Aug. 17, according to a statistical chart released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
* Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the Gaza war, with both leaders pledging closer coordination as the conflict deepens, the Egyptian presidency said.
* At least 36 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Gaza's civil defense authority said, as ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza City sparked widespread panic among Palestinians.
* Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could return to Iran with approval from the country's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
* Syria's foreign affairs chief, Assad Hassan al-Shibani, met with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss efforts to reduce tensions and bolster stability in southern Syria, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.
* Chief of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi met Wednesday with UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in the Saudi capital of Riyadh to discuss efforts to revive the stalled peace process.
* The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Wednesday announced the launch of a project to boost the phasing out of toxic fluorinated firefighting foams and replace them with safer alternatives in African airports.
* U.S.-imposed tariffs on Brazilian products could cause a drop in the country's exports for the first time in 21 months, while also negatively impacting investment and employment, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) warned in a report on Wednesday.
* Greenhouse gas emissions decreased in 13 of New Zealand's 16 regions in 2024, the statistics department Stats NZ reported on Thursday.
* Indonesia plans to raise crude palm oil output to 60 million tons annually by 2030, up from 48.2 million tons in 2024, in line with surging demand, President Director of the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) Eddy Abdurrachman said Wednesday.
* Cambodia's total import of diesel fuel, gasoline, and combustion gas decreased by 13.1 percent in the first seven months of 2025, a Ministry of Commerce report showed on Thursday.
* The Namibian government plans to transform its fishing industry from a raw materials exporter into a comprehensive seafood economy, an official revealed on Wednesday.
* Ukraine's grain and oilseed harvest is projected to drop by 5 percent in the 2025-2026 marketing year to about 73.4 million tons, according to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB).
* The Republic of Korea's export grew in single digits in the first 20 days of this month due to solid demand for locally-made semiconductors, cars and ships, customs office data showed Thursday.
* Bank Indonesia expected the country's economy to expand 5.1 percent in 2025, up from 5.03 percent last year, supported by consumption, exports and government spending, Governor Perry Warjiyo said Wednesday.
* Britain's annual consumer price inflation (CPI) rose to 3.8 percent in July, the highest since January 2024, when it was 4 percent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Wednesday.
* Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, on Wednesday kept its policy rate unchanged at 2 percent, citing above-target inflation and weak economic activity, but signaled a possible cut later this year.
* China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control on Thursday in Liaoning, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces, in anticipation of heavy rainfall.
* Torrential rains in Niger since the beginning of 2025 have left 47 people dead and 70 others injured as of Aug. 20, the Directorate General of Civil Protection (DGPC) said Wednesday.
