* A week after the second anniversary of Greece's deadly train collision, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's government once again withstood a no-confidence vote on Friday.
* The Republic of Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was released Saturday as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a court's release approval.
* Former Romanian presidential election front-runner Calin Georgescu officially submitted his bid for the country's presidency on Friday, according to the official Agerpres news agency.
* Cambodia and Thailand on Saturday celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with an international friendly football match in the Cambodian capital.
* The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) called for bolstering up the navy's combat power while inspecting the country's major shipyards, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday.
* China intensified its crackdown on telecom fraud crimes in 2024 as 78,000 people were prosecuted, representing a 53.9 percent rise over the previous year, said a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
* U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to lend policy support to the cryptocurrency industry and other digital assets at a Friday meeting at the White House. At the Digital Assets Summit, the first of its kind, Trump expressed his strong support for industry-friendly legislation and flexible regulation.
* New Zealand will hold a high-profile investment summit next week to help grow economy, create opportunities for Kiwis, and raise the standard of living for families.
* Romania will launch two major research and development projects worth nearly 180 million euros (195 million USD) in nuclear power and artificial intelligence (AI), the Ministry of Investment and European Projects announced on Friday.
* Pakistani Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said the country has been supporting export-led industries to promote economic growth and bring prosperity.
* South Africa will use its Group of 20 (G20) presidency to promote tourism, address national priorities, and strengthen South-South cooperation, a senior government official said on Friday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is "strongly considering" imposing sanctions on Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement is reached with Ukraine.
* China and Ukraine have signed two agreements, paving the way for Ukrainian peas and wild aquatic products to enter the Chinese market, said the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine late Thursday.
* China announced Saturday that it will impose additional tariffs on some products imported from Canada based on the ruling of an anti-discrimination probe.
* U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Friday that he would impose reciprocal tariffs on Canada's dairy and lumber products unless its neighbor lowers tariffs.
* Mexico is negotiating with the United States to avert a 25-percent tariff on its steel and aluminum exports, set to take effect on Wednesday, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Friday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump once again questioned the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), casting doubt on whether other members of the military alliance would defend America if it were attacked.
* South Africa has confirmed that the United States has withdrawn from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with the country.
* Estonia aims to increase its defense spending to 5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), Prime Minister Kristen Michal said at a press conference on Friday.
* Spain is set to increase defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) "as soon as possible," the country's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced.
* The Czech government announced on Friday that it will propose legislation to streamline immigration procedures and bolster national security.
* Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation on Friday, exchanging views on key bilateral issues, economic cooperation, and regional developments, Vucic revealed in an Instagram post.
* Russia is alarmed by the escalation of the situation in Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Friday. Moscow called on Syrian leaders who can influence the development of the situation on the ground to bring an early end to the bloodshed and prevent civilian casualties, Zakharova said.
* Syria's membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was reinstated, the OIC announced in a statement on Saturday.
* Iran on Friday rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks that Russia has used Iranian military equipment against Ukraine.
* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday strongly condemned all violence and called for an end to hostilities after the latest escalation killed at least 237 people in Syria.
* At least 237 people have been killed in Syria's coastal region since the latest military escalation began on Thursday, according to casualty figures released by a war monitor on Friday.
* Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Friday night blamed remnants of the former regime for the escalating violence in Latakia province, vowing to bring those responsible to justice and ensure national stability.
* The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its Air Force attacked on Saturday suspects attempting to retrieve a drone in southern Gaza.
* Iran on Friday expressed grave concern over escalating violence and insecurity in Syria.
* Israel's political leadership has instructed the army to prepare for an immediate resumption of fighting in Gaza, the state-owned Kan TV News reported on Friday.
* The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Friday condemned Israel's Gaza aid blockade and rejected forcing residents out of the enclave.
* The Philippines' gross international reserves (GIR) rose to 106.7 billion USD at the end of February from 103.3 billion dollars at the end of January, according to the Philippine central bank data released Friday night.
* Brazil's economy grew 3.4 percent in 2024 from the previous year, driven by strong household spending, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported Friday.
* The National Bank of Kazakhstan has revised its GDP growth forecast for 2025-2026 to 4.2-5.2 percent, the central bank's press service reported on Friday.
* Mongolia's central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate by 2 percentage points to 12 percent amid rising inflation, local media reported on Saturday, citing a statement released by the bank.
* At least 92 people have died from cholera in Sudan's White Nile State over the past two weeks, the non-governmental medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced on Friday.
