* The second extraordinary session of Laos' National Assembly (NA)'s ninth legislature has begun, focusing on key national issues. The session, taking place from Monday to Thursday, will discuss and approve amendments to the Law on Local Governance and the Law on Civil Servants, as well as investment incentives designed to boost industrial zone development.
* UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Tuesday that he was "horrified" by the Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Gaza, which have reportedly killed hundreds.
* The Bulgarian government declared Tuesday, March 18, a national day of mourning for the victims of Sunday's nightclub fire in North Macedonia that killed at least 59 people. In a statement on Monday evening, the Bulgarian government extended its condolences to the relatives of the victims.
* Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Ed Miliband, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in Beijing on Monday. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in jointly addressing climate change.
* The Indonesian government has prepared at least 21 downstream projects worth 40 billion USD to advance its downstream agenda, a senior official said Tuesday. The projects span various strategic sectors, including oil and gas, mining, agriculture, and marine industries.
* The Thai government's measures have significantly impacted criminal networks operating call-center scams, with a notable decline in cybercrime cases following the intensified crackdown since early February, officials said on Monday.
* China has provided four batches of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, said Li Ming, spokesperson for China International Development Cooperation Agency, on Monday.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday ahead of an upcoming conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
* French President Emmanuel Macron urged on Monday France's partners to work together to present a concrete peace plan for Ukraine.
* British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday as both leaders looked forward to "strengthening ties."
* European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday reaffirmed the European Union's (EU) commitment to supporting Syria's recovery and political transition.
* Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso expressed concern on Tuesday that Indonesia could become a target of U.S. import tariff policies. According to data from Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of 1.57 billion USD with the United States in February 2025.
* The White House on Monday rejected a French politician's demand for the return of the Statue of Liberty to France. The statue was officially unveiled on Oct. 28, 1886, in New York, gifted to America as "a symbol of freedom, inspiration, and hope," according to the monument's office.
* Senior Iranian and Russian diplomats exchanged views on bilateral ties and regional developments on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said.
* French President Emmanuel Macron and visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday said that France and Canada will work together to strengthen cooperation in terms of security and support for Ukraine.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed legislation allowing the deployment of Ukrainian troops abroad during martial law, the parliament's press service said Monday.
* The Latvian government on Tuesday approved the Interior Ministry's proposal to restrict pedestrian access at three crossing points along the Russian and Belarusian borders, allowing crossings only by motor vehicles.
* Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said Tuesday that they want to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines.
* Belgium said Monday it "regrets" Rwanda's decision to sever diplomatic ties and expel Belgian diplomats declared persona non grata. Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot called the move "disproportionate" and criticized Rwanda for "preferring not to engage in dialogue" in the event of a disagreement, according to a statement posted on social media.
* The Nigerien government has decided to withdraw the country from the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
* The United Nations is concerned about the Houthi threat to resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea following U.S. attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, a UN spokesman said on Monday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned that Iran will suffer dire consequences for further attacks by the Houthis based in Yemen. Trump also accused Iran of providing the Houthis with weapons, money and intelligence.
* The U.S. military launched a new wave of airstrikes on Yemen, targeting several sites in and around the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah Monday evening, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said.
* Yemen's Houthi group has targeted a U.S. aircraft carrier in the northern Red Sea for the third time in the past 48 hours, as the U.S. military launched fresh airstrikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa, said the group on Tuesday.
* Russia deeply regrets the resumption of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Moscow calls on the Israeli and Palestinian sides to return to the negotiation process, the ministry said.
* Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday warned Hamas that unless all hostages are freed, the military assault on Gaza, which has already claimed the lives of more than 400 Palestinians, will intensify.
* Qatar on Tuesday condemned Israel's resumption of military operations against the Gaza Strip, saying the renewed strikes had resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children.
* Hamas on Tuesday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "resuming aggression and a war of genocide" against civilians in the Gaza Strip, holding Israel fully responsible for the repercussions of the renewed escalation.
* Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Monday that his talks with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), earlier in the day were "frank and constructive."
* Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi warned on Monday that maritime routes will remain a persistent source of regional tension as long as Houthi forces maintain control over Yemen's coastal territories.
* A United Nations envoy on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in South Sudan's Nasir, Ulang and Baliet counties, which is affecting the local population and disrupting humanitarian operations.
* Top Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez on Monday demanded the United States repatriate its undocumented migrants after hundreds were deported to El Salvador.
* Libya on Tuesday deported 177 Nigerian migrants, mostly women, as part of a voluntary repatriation program, the country's Illegal Migration Control Department said.
* The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until March 17, 2026.
* The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday raised alarms about funding shortages in Afghanistan, warning that these shortages could lead to the shutdown of 80 percent of essential healthcare services supported by the agency.
* NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) since last June, started journey back to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft early Tuesday.
* Global GDP growth is projected to moderate from 3.2 percent in 2024 to 3.1 percent in 2025 and 3 percent in 2026, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Monday in its latest Economic Outlook.
* The 57th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development kicked off Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a call for the immediate and full-scale implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
* The employment rate for foreign residents in the Republic of Korea reached 64.7 percent in 2024, statistical office data showed Tuesday. Among 1.56 million foreign residents aged 15 or higher, 64.7 percent had jobs in 2024, while 3.9 percent were unemployed and 31.4 percent were economically inactive, according to Statistics Korea.
* Indonesia's export value increased 14.05 percent year-on-year to 21.98 billion USD in February 2025, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Monday.
* Italy's annual inflation rate rose to 1.6 percent in February, reaching its highest level since October 2023, according to final data released by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on Monday.
* Pakistan's textile exports surged by 9.3 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year starting from July 2024 to June 2025, compared to the same period of the last fiscal year, officials said on Tuesday.
* At least 42 people have died over the past three days as tornadoes, dust storms and other severe weather events wreaked havoc across eight states in the U.S. Midwest and South, according to reports from local authorities in these states.
