* Russia and Ukraine on Friday conducted another round of prisoner exchange, the Russian Defense Ministry said. In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on June 2 in Istanbul, another group of Russian servicemen has been returned from the territory controlled by Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.
* U.S. President Donald Trump signed his landmark policy bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill, into law on Friday afternoon. The law represents Trump's agenda policies including tax cuts and funding boosts for military expenditure and border security.
* The Afghan interim government's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has welcomed the decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" as the de jure administration of the post-war central Asian state and hopes that other nations will follow suit.
* Norway and Ukraine have signed a comprehensive health partnership agreement aimed at deepening cooperation and improving healthcare services, the Norwegian government announced in a press release on Friday.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that he had discussed Ukraine's air defense capabilities in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. They agreed that they would work together to strengthen protecting the skies of Ukraine, Zelensky said in a post on social media.
* The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday condemned U.S. judicial authorities for placing its citizens on a wanted list over alleged "cybercrimes," state media said Friday.
* Romania has emerged as the European Union's leading grain exporter for the 2024-2025 commercial year (between July 2024-June 2025), recording the largest wheat, barley, and corn exports in the bloc, according to European Commission data released on Friday.
* Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed immigration policy, including a budget plan that allocates billions for border security and detention facilities.
* Finland has unveiled a wide-ranging plan to boost forest growth and restore the carbon sink capacity of its woodlands, in a bid to meet national climate targets and strengthen long-term forest resilience, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said on Friday.
* Sri Lanka launched the "Praja Shakthi" national program on Friday in Colombo, aiming to eradicate rural poverty and uplift local communities. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presided over the launch, highlighting rural poverty eradication as a top priority for the government.
* Iraq's prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on Friday the country to have full control over weapons, and reaffirmed his earlier decision to boycott Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections.
* The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday issued an evacuation warning for residents in several areas of Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, ahead of planned military strikes.
* Hamas said in a statement on Friday night that it has delivered a "positive" response to mediators over a Gaza ceasefire proposal.
* Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Iran continues to view diplomacy as effective means of resolving disputes, provided that the other side is genuinely committed to those solutions in practice.
* Two American aid workers were injured on Saturday morning in an attack during food distribution activities in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said.
* Thailand's economy is projected to grow 1.8 percent this year, down from the 2.9 percent forecast in February, amid rising global and local headwinds, the World Bank has said.
* Cambodia has recorded a total of 3.42 million international air passengers in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent, said an official report on Saturday.
* The Chinese Embassy in Japan on Friday issued a notice to remind Chinese citizens in the country to be vigilant against natural disasters as earthquakes have frequently jolted southwestern Japan.
* At least 25 people had been confirmed dead, and 23 to 25 girls attending a riverside summer camp were still missing following major flash flooding in central Texas, the United States, authorities reported Friday night.
* A major power outage struck the Czech Republic on Friday, disrupting several regions, including parts of the capital of Prague, since noon, according to authorities.
* Portugal has just recorded its third hottest June on record, with experts warning that extreme heat events may become increasingly frequent and intense, potentially signaling a "new normal" for future summers.
