* Finland's coalition government led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo survived a parliamentary confidence vote on Tuesday amid controversy over a proposed state subsidy for a privately developed arena project in Helsinki.
* Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said that he planned to resign and seek a voter mandate to become prime minister. Vucic told local media during a visit on Monday to a regional dual education training center in Svilajnac, central Serbia, that the government would first resign, after which he would call early parliamentary elections.
* Moldova's parliament, in a confidence vote on Tuesday, approved Vasile Tofan as the country's new prime minister and the full cabinet list submitted by Tofan. The vote on Tofan's nomination drew 53 votes in favor, securing a parliamentary majority.
* Russia has placed Mykhailo Drapatyi, the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on its wanted list, according to the Russian Interior Ministry's database, which was updated on Tuesday. The move came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Drapatyi's appointment to replace Oleksandr Syrsky as the country's top military commander.
* Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday approved the deployment of up to eight U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft at Bezmer Air Base from July 24 to Oct. 1, 2026, to support U.S. operations in the Middle East. The measure was approved by 136 lawmakers in the 240-seat parliament, with 13 voting against and two abstaining.
* Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday proposed starting his criminal trial in June 2027, according to a court filing.
* Greece and Portugal agreed on Wednesday to strengthen cooperation in firefighting, civil protection and disaster response as both countries face growing challenges from climate change.
* A resurgence of hostilities spreading across the Middle East coupled with continuing violence in Gaza and Lebanon is increasingly claiming civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a landmark agreement with Saudi Arabia on developing a civilian nuclear program for the Gulf country, with the door potentially open for uranium enrichment on its soil, U.S. media reported Tuesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House and said the two leaders would discuss privately whether the United States would assist Lebanon in disarming Hezbollah.
* Lebanon will continue its political and diplomatic efforts to secure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Lebanese territories, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday on the start of the Israeli withdrawal.
* U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday asked for more funding for the U.S. war against Iran at a Senate hearing, as a recent poll found the majority of Americans believe the war is not worth fighting.
* The United States on Wednesday afternoon carried out a missile attack against Iran's southern Larak Island, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The attack and the consequent explosion took place at 2:48 p.m. local time (1118 GMT), the report said, adding that investigations are underway to determine the targeted location and the extent of damage.
* Iran on Wednesday denied the existence of a secret nuclear complex at Kolang mountain, after U.S. President Donald Trump's threat on Tuesday that U.S. forces would "pretty soon" strike the site in Isfahan province.
* The Iranian army said its forces launched retaliatory drone strikes against U.S. bases and assets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday.
* Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the continued threats issued by the Houthi militia against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, according to the Foreign Ministry.
* Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned early Wednesday that if the United States attacks Iran's nuclear and other sensitive sites, Tehran will expand its strikes and target U.S. and its allies' interests across the region, Iranian state media reported.
* Yemen's Houthi group said on Tuesday that six commercial vessels had "turned back over the past 24 hours" after receiving warnings issued under its newly announced maritime restrictions targeting Saudi-linked shipping.
* Italy will host a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Rome on July 28-29, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday, according to Italy's ANSA news agency.
* Armenia's newly elected National Assembly will convene its first session on Aug. 2, Armenpress quoted Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan as saying on Tuesday.
* The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for an "urgent review" of the United States' Ebola-related entry restrictions on Uganda, emphasizing the critical need for "proportionate, evidence-based and country-specific" public health measures.
* Pakistan's security forces have killed 10 militants in intelligence-based joint operations in the country's southwest Balochistan province over the past 48 hours, the military said on Wednesday.
* China is now a major trading partner for over 160 countries and regions, with increasingly diversified imports, a customs official said Wednesday.
* Indonesia's central bank on Wednesday decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.75 percent following a two-day policy meeting.
* Brent crude rose above 95 USD a barrel on Wednesday for the first time in nearly six weeks, as escalating tensions in the Middle East fueled concerns over potential disruptions to global oil supplies.
* Sri Lanka's total export earnings exceeded 9 billion USD in the first half of 2026, rising 8 percent year-on-year, according to data released Wednesday by the Export Development Board (EDB).
* Myanmar exported over 370,000 tons of fruits and vegetables in the 2025-26 fiscal year, generating about 220 million USD, according to the Myanmar Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association on Wednesday.
* The death toll from the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 5,346, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Tuesday. The number of the injured remained at 16,740, while 17,265 people were left homeless, according to an official report posted on X by Rodriguez.
* Myanmar's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) on Wednesday warned of potential flooding in parts of Sagaing region after water levels in the Chindwin River reached or exceeded danger levels in two towns.
* France recorded 5,764 more deaths than usual during a record-breaking heatwave last month, health authorities said Wednesday.
* More than 40 people have been killed, dozens injured and several others remain missing after torrential rains triggered flash floods in eastern Afghanistan, the United Nations said, local media outlet Tolo news reported on Wednesday.
* Myanmar's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) on Wednesday warned of potential extreme weather events in the coming months as El Nino conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
* At least 20 people were killed and five others feared trapped following a blast caused by a methane gas leak inside an under-construction tunnel in northeastern India, police said Wednesday. The incident took place on Monday. According to officials, 25 people were inside the tunnel at the time of the blast.
