* Russian President Vladimir Putin said late Wednesday that Russia and China share a broad spectrum of cooperation areas, and Russia is committed to strengthening all-around cooperation and exchanges with China.
* Russia has set up a historic poverty reduction milestone, President Vladimir Putin said Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
* Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday announced a new initiative to address debt burdens of African countries at an international meeting held in Rome.
* A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to release pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration custody on bail.
* Israel's actions in Gaza may have violated human rights obligations under the country's trade agreement with the European Union (EU), several media outlets reported on Friday, citing a confidential review by the EU's diplomatic service.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday it will be difficult to request Israel stop its airstrikes in Iran, even as he pursues a diplomatic solution to end the conflict.
* Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi has called for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict, stressing the importance to calm the situation.
* Iran's Health Ministry announced Friday over 3,000 people have been injured in the country since the beginning of Israel's attacks.
* Despite the complex situation surrounding Iran, Russia remains committed to the Bushehr nuclear reactor project, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the plenary session of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
* Iranian and European officials held their first face-to-face talks on Friday since the recent escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict, stressing the importance of continued diplomatic engagement.
* Switzerland has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran due to the deteriorating security situation caused by the escalating military conflict between Iran and Israel, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) announced on Friday.
* Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Istanbul on Friday to address rising tensions between Iran and Israel, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
* The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is the Iranian nuclear site where the consequences of an attack could be most severe, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief warned on Friday.
* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Istanbul on Friday to discuss the normalization process of bilateral ties between Turkey and Armenia, as well as broader regional developments.
* UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said on Friday Syria's situation was both "fragile and hopeful" as returns of displaced people continue.
* Ethiopia and the United Nations (UN) on Friday signed a new five-year cooperation framework, worth about 6.5 billion USD, to accelerate the East African country's sustainable development.
* At least 17 people died Thursday evening in clashes in Chad, local authorities and media said Friday. The clashes took place Thursday evening in Oregomel village located in Mayo-Kebbi West province (southwest) of the country.
* Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development Samir Abid met Friday in Tunis with a high-level Omani delegation to discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Tunisian ministry.
* The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, on Friday launched an urgent appeal for 6.5 million USD to resume its life-saving transport services for thousands of displaced people in South Sudan.
* China's cyberspace watchdogs have addressed issues with over 3,500 artificial intelligence (AI) products that were not compliant with relevant rules since April, including mini-programs, web applications and AI agents.
* Indonesia and Russia agreed to launch an investment platform worth 2 billion euros (2.3 billion USD) for bilateral technology transfer, enabling bilateral exchange of industrial knowledge, applied research, and advanced solutions.
* Myanmar authorities have seized 25,500 liters of controlled chemicals in Mandalay region of central Myanmar, the state-owned daily The Mirror reported on Saturday, citing a police source.
* Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the country has been striving to improve the healthcare system for a healthy future.
* The Indonesian city of Jakarta will add around 200 new electric buses to further support public mobility by the end of this year, a city official said Friday.
* The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday announced a government reshuffle and a landmark decision to integrate the country's national artificial intelligence (AI) system as an advisory member of the cabinet and all associated councils starting from January 2026.
* Malaysia's exports recorded a slight decrease of 1.1 percent to 126.62 billion ringgit (29.78 billion USD) in May, official data showed Friday.
* Nepal's foreign trade surged by 18.8 percent in the past 11 months of the current 2024-25 fiscal year amid a rise in both imports and exports, the Department of Customs said on Friday.
* Pakistan's exports rose over 5 percent during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year 2024-2025, compared to the same period last year, provisional data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.
* The World Bank on Friday approved a new 150 million USD program to support Sri Lanka's move toward clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
* The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved two projects totaling 640 million USD to help Bangladesh improve gas supply and air quality.
* Cambodia attracted a total of 2.95 million international tourists in the first five months of 2025, up 11.7 percent from 2.64 million in the same period last year, Prime Minister Hun Manet said here on Friday.
* Peru's Central Reserve Bank (BCRP) has lowered its 2025 growth forecast from 3.2 to 3.1 percent, citing weaker-than-expected performance in the metallic mining sector.
* Pakistan on Friday confirmed its 12th case of wild poliovirus this year, after the virus was detected in a child from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Ministry of National Health Services said.
* All regions of Slovenia are experiencing drought, with conditions expected to worsen by the end of June, the Slovenian environment agency warned Friday.
