* Eighteen states were elected on Wednesday into the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the coordinating body for the economic and social work of UN agencies and funds, for a three-year term.
* The United States on Wednesday vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid.
* The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi had warned of continued nuclear safety concerns in Ukraine, the Ukrainian TSN.ua media outlet reported Wednesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Moscow would "have to respond" to the massive Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's strategic air bases days ago.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to carry out a prisoner exchange under the "500-for-500" formula this weekend, the Ukrinform news agency reported.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday described Russia's memorandum on ceasefire as an "ultimatum" to Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
* The British Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that Britain will ramp up its drone supply to Ukraine, raising the target from 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025, marking a record investment of 350 million pounds (473.61 million USD).
* The European Commission announced on Wednesday that Bulgaria meets the criteria to adopt the euro starting Jan. 1, 2026, positioning it to become the 21st member of the euro area.
* Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with visiting Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to ban travel from certain countries on Wednesday evening, citing national security risks.
* U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Wednesday the negotiations between his country and the European Union (EU) on a settlement of a tense tariff spat were "advancing quickly."
* The European Union's (EU) trade chief warned on Wednesday that the United States' decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum "clearly doesn't help the ongoing negotiations" and risks undermining recent progress.
* Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday described the latest U.S. tariff hikes on steel and aluminum imports, which doubled from 25 percent to 50 percent, as "unfair," "unsustainable," and lacking any "legal basis."
* China's drug regulator has approved the country's first domestically developed 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, authorities announced Wednesday. The move ends over a decade of foreign dominance in the market.
* The Indian government has said the country's population census will be conducted in March 2027. According to the federal home ministry, the nationwide census will begin on March 1, 2027 and the exercise will be done in two phases.
* The Italian parliament on Wednesday approved a new security law proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's cabinet, aimed at tightening penalties for public disorder and other offenses, despite sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil rights groups.
* Lao authorities are urging all sectors and the public to remain vigilant in preventing the spread of dengue, particularly during the rainy season, when flooding creates ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and raises the risk of infection.
* The Indonesian Ministry of Health is optimistic that the country's stunting prevalence rate will decline to 5 percent by 2045, an official said on Thursday.
* A Czech firm on Wednesday signed the final contract with a South Korean company for the construction of two new nuclear units at the Dukovany power plant, according to the Czech government.
* Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and visiting King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander held talks in Prague on Wednesday, focusing on economic and defense cooperation.
* Lithuania will build communications infrastructure near the Butinge oil terminal on the Baltic Sea to enhance connectivity with allied vessels, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.
* The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday night issued an urgent warning to residents of the Gaza Strip to avoid moving northward for their safety.
* Yemen's Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement on Wednesday night that the group had launched two drone attacks on Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel earlier in the day.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday reiterated that Tehran will not abandon uranium enrichment on its soil, rejecting renewed U.S. calls to halt the process as a condition for a potential nuclear deal.
* Israel's defense exports totaled 14.8 billion USD, the highest on record and a 13 percent increase from the previous year, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
* Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected the U.S. proposal for a nuclear deal that would prohibit any uranium enrichment, emphasizing that uranium enrichment is a 'key' component of Tehran's nuclear program.
* Yemen's Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement on Wednesday night that the group had launched two drone attacks on Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel earlier in the day.
* Israeli forces detained 24 Palestinians across the West Bank over the past 24 hours in a wave of raids targeting suspected militants and arms traffickers, the military said on Wednesday.
* Sudan's warring sides traded accusations on Tuesday after a United Nations aid convoy came under attack in North Darfur, killing five humanitarian workers and injuring several more.
* Ecuador's National Assembly on Tuesday approved a constitutional change that would permit the establishment of foreign military bases in the country, a move proposed by President Daniel Noboa to bolster international cooperation against transnational crime.
* In a gesture of clemency and goodwill on the eve of the Eid al-Adha festival, Afghanistan has released a total of 1,559 inmates and reduced the sentences of 950 others, the country's Supreme Court announced on Wednesday.
* The British government on Wednesday announced a record 15.6-billion-pound investment in local transport networks across major city regions in England, aiming to drive regional economic growth and improve public services.
* Republic of Korea's revised real gross domestic product (GDP), adjusted for inflation, was down 0.2 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, central bank data showed Thursday. It was unchanged from the preliminary figure unveiled in April, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
* Thailand's manufacturing sector improved for the first time in three months in May as new orders returned to growth, leading to a robust increase in production, a survey showed on Wednesday.
* The Philippines' headline inflation slowed down further to 1.3 percent in May from 1.4 percent in April, becoming the lowest inflation rate since November 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.
* The Bank of Canada on Wednesday maintained its policy rate at 2.75 percent, citing U.S. tariffs as a key factor.
* The National Bank of Poland (NBP) decided on Wednesday to keep all interest rates unchanged, defying market expectations amid disinflationary trends.
* Remittances from Egyptians working abroad increased by 82.7 percent from July 2024 to March 2025, reaching approximately 26.4 billion USD, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) said in a report on Wednesday.
* Sri Lanka has received 650 million USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first quarter of 2025, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti told Parliament on Wednesday.
* The Afghan interim government has attracted and invested more than 117 million USD in the power sector over the past two months, the office of the acting deputy prime minister for economic affairs announced on Wednesday.
* At least 11 people were killed and 50 others injured Wednesday in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, multiple local media reports said.
* Spain is heading into another summer of higher-than-normal temperatures, though this year's abundant spring rainfall has ensured stable water reserves, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) said on Wednesday.
