* Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Thursday nominated his adviser Eugen Tomac as prime minister-designate. Tomac, a member of the European Parliament and leader of a party not in Romania's legislature, will have 10 days to form a government and secure the parliament's vote of confidence, according to the Romanian Constitution.
* Slovenia's parliament on Thursday confirmed a new government led by Prime Minister Janez Jansa, marking a shift in power following the March 22 general election. The 16-member cabinet won parliamentary approval by 49 votes to 30.
* Annita Demetriou, leader of the Democratic Rally (DISY), was re-elected speaker of Cyprus' House of Representatives on Thursday, securing 29 votes in the newly elected 56-member parliament.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington welcomed the prospect of direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging them to make compromises to end the years-long conflict.
* The United States imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and several other individuals and entities on Thursday to ramp up pressure on the island country.
* Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Thursday that new sanctions imposed by Washington, along with recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, would further tighten the blockade against Cuba and deepen tensions between the two countries.
* Russia has not rejected dialogue with European countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. At a meeting with the heads of major international news agencies attending the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Europe's assistance to Ukraine undermines its neutrality as a mediator in the peace negotiations.
* Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, will pay a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from June 8 to 9 at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, a spokesperson for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee announced on Friday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would be open to meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if the two sides reach a peace deal.
* Hungary has given its approval for Ukraine to open its first European Union negotiating cluster, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said Thursday.
* French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Montenegro on Thursday for the first visit by a French head of state to the Balkan country, pledging support for its European Union (EU) accession and overseeing the signing of a series of strategic agreements.
* Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Thursday that his government is working to strengthen and expand regional cooperation in Central Europe, including by inviting additional countries to join the Visegrad Group (V4) cooperation.
* Pakistan remains committed to ongoing peace efforts and will not lose hope despite challenges in the process, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday.
* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire following the fourth high-level trilateral meeting in Washington involving Israeli and Lebanese representatives, his spokesman said on Thursday.
* The 11th International Conference of the Ulan Bator Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security opened in Ulan Bator on Thursday. This year's conference has brought together more than 300 participants, including high-level representatives of governments, scholars, and researchers from around 40 countries, as well as delegates from more than 10 international organizations.
* Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) on Thursday called on financial institutions to strengthen digital transaction security as cybercrime threats, including ransomware attacks and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled fraud, continue to intensify.
* Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday launched the country's new national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy.
* The European Commission has mobilized approximately 8 million euros (9.28 million USD) in infrastructure funding and deployed around 25 border agents to support Portugal in managing its airport borders.
* Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant (NPP), set to begin construction next year, will meet around 20 percent of the country's current electricity demand, the Kazinform news agency reported Thursday.
* Russian oil production is expected to recover to previous levels as refineries resume operations following unplanned repairs, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday.
* Latvia has raised 1 billion euros (1.16 billion USD) through a seven-year government sustainable bond issuance, Latvia's State Treasury said on Thursday.
* Indonesia will implement a mandatory 5 percent bioethanol blend in gasoline, known as E5, starting in the second half of 2026 as part of efforts to expand renewable energy use and strengthen energy security, a senior energy official said on Thursday.
* Cambodia's milled rice exports generated 327.4 million USD in the first five months of 2026, marking a 30 percent rise from the 252.3 million dollars recorded during the same period last year, the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) said in a news release on Friday.
* Bangladesh's earnings from total goods exports in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, which ends this month, fell by 2.55 percent year-on-year to nearly 44 billion USD.
* Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum signed a major contract on Thursday with a private company to develop the second block of the Namsar salt mine in western Herat province.
* Oil loading at Oman's Mina al Fahal terminal has been suspended after an explosion near its single-buoy mooring berths due to an alleged drone attack, according to media reports.
* Leader of Yemen's Houthi movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that the group was prepared for any escalation in the Middle East, while warning regional actors against becoming involved in a broader conflict amid rising tensions.
* The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday denied allegations that migrants are being resettled in Libya under UN programs, describing such claims as "completely false."
* The first Spanish passenger infected during a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has been discharged from hospital after recovering from the virus, Spain's Health Ministry said on Thursday.
* Uganda has confirmed one new Ebola case, bringing the total number of infections to 16 since the outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared on May 15, the country's Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
* Hungary has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in domestic pig herds, the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nebih) announced Thursday.
