* Laos has launched a national plan aimed at strengthening human resource development and advancing science, technology, and innovation as key drivers of sustainable national development.
* Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday reiterated the country's commitment to a free and active foreign policy.
* Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved a proposal to draft a digital economy bill to accelerate digital transformation and support the growth of the country's digital economy. The cabinet approved on Tuesday the proposal submitted by the president in his capacity as the minister of digital economy to instruct the Legal Draftsman's Department to prepare the bill.
* Colombia's Commission of Investigation and Accusation is considering suspension of President Gustavo Petro from his duties until June 21, according to media reports on Wednesday citing a statement.
* The International Aerospace Exhibition, also known as ILA Berlin, opened on Wednesday, with drones and European defense cooperation in focus. Organizers said in a press release that more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries are presenting innovations and future technologies across the aviation, space and defense sectors at this year's event.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has "taken too long to negotiate a deal" over the Mideast conflict and will now "have to pay the price." Trump also suggested he may order new strikes on Iran's power plants and bridges, Fox News reported on Wednesday, citing a phone interview.
* Iran on Wednesday said it had struck several U.S. bases in the region in retaliation for the latest wave of U.S. attacks on Iran, further straining the ceasefire after Iran and Israel traded missile attacks in a recent major escalation.
* Kuwaiti air defense systems are currently engaging hostile aerial targets, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said Wednesday. Citizens are urged to comply with security and safety instructions and guidelines, and to obtain information from official and approved sources, the army said on X.
* The Bahrain Defense Force said Wednesday it had intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks. The Bahrain Defense Force said on X that Iran is continuing its missile and drone attacks in Bahrain, describing them as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, and reaffirming defensive readiness to protect the kingdom.
* The Israeli military launched new strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, attacking the city of Tyre and other areas. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had struck six Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the Tyre area over the past day, including a site used to launch drones at Israeli troops in Lebanon.
* Portugal, along with 20 other countries and the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, signed a joint statement on Tuesday and expressed "profound concern" over the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza.
* China and the European Union (EU) have agreed to work in pursuit of practical outcomes from the first meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism, according to China's Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.
* Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday reiterated her government's commitment to supplying Cuba with humanitarian aid, saying the island country faces a tough situation that requires the solidarity of the international community.
* Europe's preliminary terms for mediation on the Ukraine issue are unacceptable, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Sunday to discuss next steps toward peace negotiations.
* Russian forces launched strikes on ammunition and fuel depots as well as transport and energy infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
* Ukraine moved to deepen drone cooperation with Estonia and Latvia on Tuesday during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Tallinn for a summit of Nordic and Baltic leaders, as recent drone incursions raised concerns over regional airspace security.
* Mexico will hold talks with the United States this week to strengthen bilateral cooperation on key issues, including border security, law enforcement and migration, Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said Tuesday.
* Bangladesh and Russia have held talks aimed at bolstering manpower cooperation and expanding bilateral trade, as Dhaka seeks to diversify its labor market and Moscow looks to deepen economic engagement with the South Asian nation.
* More than 300,000 electricity users in the Zaporizhzhia region were left without power after a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight, regional head Yevgeny Balitsky said on Wednesday.
* The Bulgarian government will no longer provide weapons to Ukraine, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Wednesday at a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
* Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that Australia is "very worried" about the human impact of the war in the Middle East after the United States launched new strikes against Iran.
* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused Israel of threatening "peace and tranquility" in the region. He said that Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Syria "have brought the issue to a point where it also threatens Türkiye," adding that his country will not "turn a blind eye to attacks."
* France has banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and a number of Jewish settlers involved in violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank from entering French territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced on Tuesday.
* Kuwait on Wednesday strongly condemned what it described as a renewed Iranian attack on its territory. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Kuwait's Foreign Ministry called the attack, which Iran said targeted regional U.S. military bases, a dangerous escalation that threatens civilian lives and critical infrastructure.
* Israel is rapidly losing its Mediterranean Sea coastline due to rising sea levels and unchecked real estate development, according to an annual report issued on Wednesday by the Israeli environmental organization Adam Teva V'Din.
* Iran said on Wednesday that 54 seafarers had been killed, 66 injured and seven remained missing in maritime incidents linked to the conflict and related maritime restrictions, according to figures presented at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
* Twenty-six terrorists were killed after Pakistan launched strikes against outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas, said an official on Wednesday.
* A total of 85,420 people returned to Afghanistan from neighboring Iran and Pakistan between May 24 and June 6, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced, the local media Tolo news reported on Wednesday.
* Russia's GDP has grown by more than 10 percent over the past three years, reaching 215 trillion rubles (about 2.98 trillion USD), Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday.
* Cambodia's exports reached 14 billion USD during the first five months of 2026, marking a 19 percent year-on-year increase, according to a General Department of Customs and Excise report released on Wednesday.
* The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) downgraded its expectations for economic growth in its latest forecast on Tuesday, warning that geopolitical tensions and higher energy costs are set to weigh on British households and businesses through 2027.
* Croatia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Tuesday confirmed a new case of African Swine Fever (ASF) at a small farm in the eastern part of the country.
* The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has urged African countries to "urgently review, strengthen, and implement" enhanced exit screening and public health measures across all international airports, seaports, and major ground crossings to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
* The Mozambican government has signed five financing agreements with the World Bank worth a total of 450 million USD to enhance social protection, economic resilience and sustainable development.
* A Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday during take-off, killing all personnel on board, the military said. The Pakistani military did not provide further details on the number or identities of those on board.
* At least 45 people were killed, 17 missing and 487 injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao, the Philippines, on Monday, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday.
* May 2026 was the world's second-warmest May on record, with Western Europe experiencing an unusually early heatwave, the European Union's climate monitoring service said on Wednesday.
