* China signed cooperative arrangements with "friend" New Zealand on Wednesday during a visit by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins aimed at improving market access for a Western country that has long maintained a conciliatory approach towards China.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday thanked the country's armed forces, security and law enforcement officers for defending Russia's constitutional order and preventing the outbreak of a civil war.
* Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in which developments in Russia and Sweden's NATO bid were discussed, the Turkish presidency's communications directorate said on Wednesday.
* Poland and Lithuania will do everything they can to ensure that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO as soon as possible, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday during a visit to Kyiv.
* The Swiss Federal Council said on Wednesday that it had rejected a request by Swiss defence firm Ruag for the trade of 96 Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks for use in Ukraine.
* China has pledged to strengthen cooperation with the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, in capacity building, trade, infrastructure development and other fields, the regional bloc said in a statement Tuesday.
* Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare called for a review of a security treaty with Australia in a meeting with Canberra's defence minister on Wednesday, his office said, amid growing strategic competition in the region between China and the U.S. and its allies.
* General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Force Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Tuesday urged those who are able to carry arms to join the fight against the paramilitary forces.
* At least 34 people, including 31 soldiers and three army auxiliaries, were killed on Monday in an ambush against a supply convoy in Burkina Faso, the army said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
* The United Nations verified 27,180 grave violations against children in armed conflict in 2022, affecting 18,890 children in 24 situations and one regional arrangement it monitored, according to a report released on Tuesday.
* UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland warned Tuesday that the violence in West Bank may escalate.
* South Korea's births kept falling for the 89th straight month in April, boosting concerns about a demographic cliff, statistical office data showed Wednesday.
* Brazil's annual population growth slowed over the past decade to its lowest since records began 150 years ago, the government statistics agency said on Wednesday, as people in one of the world's most populous countries have fewer children.
* President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday that ECB will "continue to raise interest rates in July" as inflation in the eurozone remains "very high and should remain that way for a long time."
* Britain will maintain anti-dumping measures on heavy plate steel from China for a further five years, it said on Wednesday, after a recommendation from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) that British industry would suffer if they were removed.
* The European Union cannot afford to be "behind the curve" in moves by central banks to issue digital versions of their currency, a top EU official said on Wednesday.
* Ukraine has the potential to export 43 million tons of grain and oilseeds from this year's crop, an industry body said on Tuesday. In 2023, Ukraine is expected to harvest 42.5 million tons of grain and 18.9 million tons of oilseeds, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club said in a statement.
* The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Tuesday refuted recent media reports that it had invited Guyana to join the intergovernmental organization.
* Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund are discussing a $2.5-billion "standby arrangement" for six to nine months, domestic newspapers said on Wednesday, with the current bailout programme set to expire on June 30.
* The Sri Lankan government will not impose new taxes on its citizens to raise revenues, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said on Wednesday.
* Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq al-Rabiah announced on Tuesday that more than 1.8 million worshippers from more than 150 countries are performing the Hajj in 2023.
* Spain this week is facing its first heatwave of the summer, with 23 provinces showing yellow or orange alerts and the maximum temperatures reaching 43 degrees centigrade on Tuesday, according to the country's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
