* Chinese lawmakers on Wednesday voted to adopt a law on value-added tax, a major progress in enforcing the principle of law-based taxation. The law, which was passed at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
* Thailand is set to roll out a nationwide implementation of its upgraded universal health coverage program from January, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced on Wednesday.
* Russia recognizes there is no easy resolution to the Ukrainian crisis and holds no illusions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
* Talks between China and Japan's foreign ministers in Beijing have paved way for Japan to host China's foreign affairs chief next year, and mutual agreement to hold a security dialogue as soon as possible, Japan said on Wednesday.
* Russian companies have begun using bitcoin and other digital currencies in international payments following legislative changes that allowed such use in order to counter Western sanctions, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday.
* China is ready to work with other BRICS members and partners to expand practical cooperation in various fields, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, over the loss of life on Wednesday in a plane crash involving an Azerbaijan Airlines plane, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
* Hundreds of university students rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday to protest the policies of President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whom they blame for a railway disaster last month in which 15 people died.
* Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof discussed bilateral ties and security cooperation during talks in Vilnius on Tuesday.
* South Africa on Tuesday expressed concern over the escalation of protests in Mozambique, calling for urgent dialogue in the country.
* Morocco aims to grant women more rights over child custody and guardianship as well as a veto over polygamous marriage, in the first review of its family code in 20 years, the justice and Islamic affairs ministers said on Tuesday.
* Colombia's minimum wage will increase by 9.54% in 2025, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday, announcing the hike by decree after a deal was not reached between the government, business associations and workers unions.
* The Mongolian government on Wednesday decided to designate 2025 as the year to promote infrastructure development in the capital of Ulan Bator.
* At least 46 people were killed in bombardment by Pakistan in Afghanistan's Paktika province on Tuesday, Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban, said.
* Unknown armed men attacked the car of a local translator of the Indian consulate in Jalalabad city, the capital of eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, injuring the translator and killing his guard, a local media outlet reported.
* Syria's newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, told Iran on Tuesday not to spread chaos in Syria but to respect the Syrian people's will and the country's sovereignty.
* Israel and Hamas exchanged accusations on Wednesday, each blaming the other for delays in reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal.
* Syria's newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, warned Iran on Tuesday of spreading chaos in Syria, adding that Iran should respect the Syrian people's will and the country's sovereignty, according to a post on X.
* Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Kurdish militants in Syria would either lay down their weapons or "be buried", amid hostilities between Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and the militants since the fall of Bashar al-Assad this month.
* Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians in raids on Tuesday on a refugee camp near the city of Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.
* The Turkish military killed 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
* Total exports of Russian gas to European countries have so far been 18-20% higher this year than in 2023, the Interfax news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as saying on Wednesday.
* Russia's Gazprom GAZP.MM said that it would send 41.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, down from 42.4 mcm on the previous day.
* Mongolia has officially commenced the export of live sheep to Uzbekistan, marking a significant step in agricultural trade between the two nations, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry.
* The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it reached a staff-level agreement with Egypt on the fourth review under its Extended Fund Facility arrangement, potentially unlocking a $1.2 billion disbursement under the programme.
* Thailand's exports expanded for a fifth successive month in November, driven by growth in technology-related goods and demand for agricultural and food products, official data showed on Wednesday.
* Turkey's net monthly minimum wage will be 22,104 Turkish lira ($630.36) in 2025, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, marking a 30% increase from 2024.
* Sri Lanka's cabinet approved a proposal to appoint a committee to implement steps for improving efficiency in container release operations at the port in the capital of Colombo, according to the government's information department on Tuesday.
* The United Nations and its partners on Tuesday launched the 2025 humanitarian needs and response plan as well as a flash appeal for Mozambique, to assist people impacted by the devastating Cyclone Chido.
* A passenger plane crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday and initial reports suggested there were survivors, the Central Asian country's Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.
* Ethiopia has reported 8.4 million malaria cases since the beginning of this year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
* Southeast Australia has been hit by increasing risks for extreme heat and bushfires amid hot and dry Christmas weather, with high fire dangers in places throughout much of Australia.
