* Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Wednesday urged developed countries to fulfill their longstanding commitments on climate changes, vowing to take bold steps by his country to transition to renewable and alternative energy technologies securely and sustainably.
* Japan is working towards the opening of a NATO liaison office in Tokyo, Japan's ambassador to the US Tomita Koji said on Tuesday.
* US President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi for an official state visit on June 22, the White House said on Wednesday.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday urged visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to launch talks on Ukraine's membership in the European Union (EU), Zelensky's press service reported.
* US negotiators taking part in talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at extending a ceasefire between rival armed forces in Sudan are "cautiously optimistic," US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland told Congress on Wednesday.
* The Iranian foreign minister on Wednesday voiced his country's readiness to support diplomatic efforts and forward-looking steps taken under the principle of good neighborliness between Syria and Turkey.
* Iranian foreign minister said Iran will soon appoint its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, official news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday.
* Britain no longer intends to replace all European Union laws by the end of 2023 and instead will amend the retained EU law (REUL) bill to clarify the laws it intends to revoke this year, the government said.
* Canada and Latvia will jointly train Ukrainian soldiers on Latvian soil starting May 15, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday.
* Syria on Wednesday received an official invitation from Saudi Arabia to attend the upcoming Arab Summit, just days after Syria returned to the Arab League (AL).
* Kenya and UK on Wednesday signed an agreement to boost cooperation in various security sectors.
* The European Union (EU) understood Lebanon's concerns about hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees on its territories and was ready to engage in constructive dialogue, said the bloc's ambassador to Lebanon on Tuesday.
* Germany will buy an additional 50 Puma fighting vehicles worth a total of 1.5 billion euros ($1.65 billion) for its armed forces after the parliamentary budget committee approved the purchase, the defence minister said on Wednesday.
* In the past week, the number of people forced from their homes by fighting in Sudan more than doubled to more than 700,000, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.
* The Arab League (AL) on Tuesday condemned Israel for committing a "heinous crime" as its airstrikes killed at least 13 in Gaza, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.
* South Asia has suffered an unprecedented combination of shocks over the past three years, and moving from recovery to growth requires ensuring that economic development is inclusive, said the World Bank in its latest regional economic update.
* The case for the Federal Reserve ending its interest-rate hike campaign got a little stronger on Wednesday after a government report showed US consumer inflation rose a touch less than expected in April, a sign of progress in the Fed's fight against price pressures.
* Laos' central bank, the Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL), has announced it will soon start selling savings bonds worth up to 2 trillion Lao kip (some 114 million USD).
* Italian exports to China soared unexpectedly in the first quarter, hitting a record high in February, thanks to a surge in demand for a liver drug that might also help prevent COVID-19, officials said.
* Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm oil producer, saw its palm oil stocks fall 10.54 percent month on month to 1.5 million tons, official data showed Wednesday. According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysia's crude palm oil production declined by 7.13 percent month on month to 1.2 million tons.
* Ireland could amass a 142 billion euro ($156 billion) sovereign wealth fund by 2035 and cover much of its future age-related costs if it invests all its forecast windfall corporation tax receipts, the finance ministry estimated on Wednesday.
* German consumer inflation slowed for the second month in a row to 7.2 percent in April, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Wednesday, confirming earlier figures.
* The Democratic Republic of Congo is in discussions with neighbouring Uganda for possible use of the east African country's planned crude oil pipeline to export petroleum, Congo's hydrocarbons ministry said.
* Spain will ban some outdoor working during extreme heat conditions, Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz said on Wednesday, as the country faces high temperatures more frequently as a result of climate change.
* Nigerian authorities recovered 14 bodies and rescued 21 people after a boat accident in northwestern Sokoto state, a local police spokesperson said on Wednesday.
