* Belgium's King Philippe met with Bart De Wever, the federal government's lead negotiator, at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Friday. During the meeting, De Wever presented a detailed report on the coalition agreement reached by the future governing partners.
* At least six people were killed and 16 others injured in Russia's overnight attacks on Ukraine on Saturday, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
* Washington's latest decisions on the development of a new missile defense system won't help reduce tensions with Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.
* The European Union's (EU) Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah crossing started on Friday and will last till the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, the European Commission has confirmed.
* A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Friday that Japan's planned export controls on semiconductors will disrupt normal trade between Chinese and Japanese enterprises and undermine the interests of businesses in both countries.
* Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday Canada is ready to deliver a "purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate" response if U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian imports, local media reported.
* China's exports to over 160 countries and regions saw growth in 2024, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The country's exports grew 7.1 percent year on year, reaching 25.45 trillion yuan (about 3.55 trillion USD) last year, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth, according to the latest data released by the GAC.
* The Indian government on Saturday said the country's exports have seen a historic rise by reaching 778.21 billion USD in Fiscal Year 2023-24 (April to March). According to the federal ministry of commerce and industry, this marks a 67 percent increase from 466.22 billion dollars in FY 2013-14.
* Republic of Korea's export fell in double digits in the first month of 2025 due to fewer business days, government data showed Saturday. Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, decreased 10.3 percent over the year to 49.12 billion USD in January, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
* The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a new country strategy for Azerbaijan, aiming to drive economic diversification and accelerate the transition to green energy over the next five years, the bank said in a statement on Friday.
* Canada's real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased 0.2 percent in November last year, the largest monthly contraction since December 2023, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
* Inflation in Germany eased to 2.3 percent in January, down from 2.6 percent in the previous month, according to preliminary data released by the country's statistics office on Friday.
* Brazil registered an unemployment rate of 6.6 percent in 2024, the lowest since 2012, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said on Friday.
* The World Bank (WB) has warned that climate change could erode up to 12 percent of Zimbabwe's gross domestic product (GDP) annually if the country does not implement robust measures to tackle the phenomenon.
* Ethiopian leaders have reiterated that the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) has delivered its promises by transforming the country's economy and promoting inclusivity.
* The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Friday called for dialogue within all parties to restore peace and security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
* Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday in the fourth prisoner-for-hostage swap under the ongoing truce deal with Hamas, according to Palestinian sources.
* Iran will make an immediate, decisive reaction to any attack on its nuclear facilities, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned.
* The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Palestine are set to convene in Cairo on Saturday.
* Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has unveiled an underground base accommodating "hundreds" of homegrown anti-destroyer cruise missiles with operational ranges of up to over 1,000 km.
* The Israeli army has completed its withdrawal from the western sector of southern Lebanon, paving the way for the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area, a Lebanese security source said on Saturday.
* Twenty-three terrorists have been killed in separate operations in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, the military said on Saturday.
* Emergency warnings have been issued and residents urged to consider evacuating amid flooding in Australia's northeast.
* The World Health Organization (WHO) has donated 2,160 doses of Ebola trial vaccine to Uganda to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine in combating the virus which in the recent outbreak has killed a health worker in Kampala, the country's capital.
