* Rwanda's ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), on Friday announced that their presidential candidate, incumbent President Paul Kagame, will commence his campaign in Musanze district, northern Province.
* Thailand's House of Representatives on Friday approved in principle the government's budget bill for the fiscal year 2025, worth 3.75 trillion baht (102 billion USD), in its first parliamentary vote.
* Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said during his visit to China on Saturday that the door of the European Union is open for discussions regarding EU tariffs on Chinese exports.
* China and Australia will provide each other's citizens with multiple-entry visas of up to five years for tourism and business from Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry said, in another sign of improving ties between the two countries.
* Russia is ready for comprehensive dialogue with the United States, particularly due to the rise of global security concerns, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
* Russia has plans to further develop its nuclear weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a meeting with graduates of higher military educational institutions .
* Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Friday that his country will start membership talks with the European Union (EU) next week.
* More than 52,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained under the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM), the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported Friday.
* Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in New Delhi Friday for a two-day state visit to India.
* Over 30 United Nations (UN) experts on Thursday called on states and companies to put an end to the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel.
* A nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday to take part in joint military exercises later this month with the host nation and Japan, naval officials said.
* It is Israel's responsibility - as the occupying power in the Gaza Strip - to restore public order and safety in the Palestinian territory so humanitarian aid can be delivered, the United Nations said on Friday.
* At least 42 were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza's Al-Tuffah and Al-Shati districts, Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run government media office told Reuters.
* Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 37,551 Palestinians and wounded 85,911 since Oct. 7, Gaza's health ministry said on Saturday.
* Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Friday that Hezbollah has the capability to defend itself and Lebanon against Israel, warning that "perhaps the time for the self-annihilation of this illegitimate regime has come."
* The U.S. Central Command on Friday said its forces destroyed four Houthi boats and two drone aircraft in the Red Sea during the past 24 hours.
* UN peacekeepers in South Sudan have intensified patrols in Tonj East to protect civilians and restore community confidence after inter-communal clashes, a UN spokesman said on Friday.
* Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasized Sri Lanka's commitment to advance eco-tourism through the conservation of wetlands, according to the President's Media Division on Friday.
* The World Bank has approved 275 million USD in credit to support Cambodia's efforts to promote long-term economic growth and resilience, the lender said in a news release on Friday.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement for a 250 million USD policy-based loan to assist Pakistan's sustainable investments in infrastructure and services through public-private partnerships, the ADB said in a statement.
* The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved two projects totaling 900 million USD to help Bangladesh strengthen fiscal and financial sector policies and improve urban infrastructure and management to ensure sustainable and climate-resilient growth.
* Peru's central bank on Friday slightly raised its economic growth forecast for the Andean nation this year to 3.1%, compared to 3.0% previously.
* Indonesia exported eight containers of coated steel valued at 1.6 million USD on Friday to Australia, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
* Myanmar earned 2.9 billion USD from exports in almost three months of the current fiscal year 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Commerce on Friday.
* The death toll has climbed to 54 from consumption of tainted liquor in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, with more than 100 people still in hospital, a government official said on Saturday.
* Moroccan authorities said Friday that 20 pilgrims from Morocco have died during this year's Hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia.
* Serbians are bracing themselves for a severe heatwave that will peak over the weekend, with the country's hydrometeorological service expecting temperatures of between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius across the country.
