* Algerian voters began casting their ballots on Thursday to elect the country's eighth multiparty parliament since 1989 and the second under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. More than 24.7 million registered voters are eligible to take part in the one-day election, conducted under an open-list proportional representation system.
* Pakistan and India on Wednesday exchanged updated lists of prisoners held in each other's custody through diplomatic channels under a bilateral agreement on consular access, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said.
* The Russian Embassy in Sweden said Thursday that two drones had hit its mission in Stockholm at around 2 a.m. local time (0000 GMT).
* Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Wednesday that the defense industry will take center stage at the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, with a special forum on the issue to be held on the sidelines.
* Estonian President Alar Karis and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing regional security, economic cooperation and transport connectivity during talks on the Estonian island of Ruhnu, as the Latvian leader began a three-day state visit to Estonia.
* Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, on Thursday warned that any U.S. interference in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with the Iranian armed forces' "decisive and swift" response.
* Qatar confirmed late Wednesday that Qatari and Pakistani mediators had concluded separate meetings with U.S. and Iranian negotiators, making positive progress on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
* U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to stick with diplomatic talks after weighing a return to all-out war with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
* Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi on Wednesday announced the conclusion of talks in Qatar on the implementation of a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.
* Israeli forces carried out a demolition operation on Thursday targeting several homes in the southern Lebanese border town of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.
* Visiting Syrian foreign chief Asaad al-Shaibani said Thursday that Syria has no intention of militarily intervening in Lebanon, stressing that Syrian authorities seek to build relations based on mutual respect and support for Lebanon's stability.
* Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday defended Lebanon's framework agreement with Israel, saying diplomacy is the only viable alternative to war and rejecting criticism that the proposed framework undermines the country's sovereignty.
* Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Lusail Palace on the latest regional developments, with a focus on the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations.
* The World Trade Organization (WTO) must adapt to the new realities of the international economy to remain relevant amid intensifying competition and evolving global trade dynamics, according to Malaysian Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Johari Abdul Ghani.
* China is ready to work with the United States to create favorable conditions for two-way agricultural trade, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Thursday. Responding to a question on whether China would reduce or cancel tariffs on U.S. agricultural products, spokesperson He Yadong said agricultural trade is an important part of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation.
* China and the European Union (EU) will hold the second meeting of their trade and investment consultation mechanism this autumn, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. The mechanism is a newly established regular dialogue platform for China-EU economic and trade exchanges.
* Mexico and the United States remain divided over several trade issues as the USMCA, the existing North American free trade agreement, comes up for a joint review in July, Mexico's Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Wednesday.
* The United States did not agree to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form after a virtual meeting of the three parties on Wednesday -- the deadline for the North American trade partners to determine whether the agreement would be extended for another 16 years.
* Portugal and Spain on Thursday inaugurated a new high-voltage electricity interconnection, representing an investment of 70 million euros (79.8 million USD) on the Portuguese side. The move aimed to boost cross-border power exchanges between the two countries and facilitate the integration of renewable energy.
* Canadian Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday reaffirmed Canada's "unwavering support" for the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and its renewal following a trilateral joint review meeting.
* The expansion of Israeli-controlled areas in the Gaza Strip since the October 2025 ceasefire endangers civilians, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.
* Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that 147 Afghan nationals have been released from detention in Pakistan and returned to the country on Thursday.
* The World Bank (WB) has approved a support package worth 105 million USD for Uzbekistan to implement its "Transforming Public Education for Economic Growth" program, according to a press release from the bank.
* Indonesia's oil and gas imports surged 70.78 percent year on year to 4.51 billion USD in May 2026, according to data released by the country's statistics agency on Wednesday.
* Annual inflation in the eurozone is expected to fall to 2.8 percent in June from 3.2 percent in May, according to a flash estimate released on Wednesday.
* The World Bank has approved a 700-million-U.S.-dollar loan to support Jordan's efforts to boost private sector investment and job creation, read a statement released by the bank on Wednesday.
* World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday announced that the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that sparked international alarm was "over."
* Spain's Daily Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo), coordinated by the National Epidemiology Center of the Carlos III Health Institute, estimated that 1,029 deaths were attributable to high temperatures in June, the second-hottest June in the country's history.
* The Portuguese government said on Thursday that a nationwide state of alert will take effect from Friday as extreme heat are expected to last till next Monday. Exceptional emergency measures will also be taken to reduce wildfire risks.
* A strong El Nino event developing in the tropical Pacific is expected to bring dry conditions and heightened wildfire risks to parts of New Zealand in the coming months, according to Earth Sciences New Zealand.
* Eleven people were killed in a major traffic accident on the Dushanbe-Kulob-Khorog highway in Tajikistan on Thursday morning, the country's Interior Ministry said.
