* Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Thursday. The two sides pledged to enhancing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.
* Panama President-elect Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday pulled a business leader and an economist into his ranks, the first cabinet selections in what Molino has promised will be a business-friendly administration.
* Gordan Jandrokovic was re-elected as speaker of the Croatian parliament on Thursday at the first meeting of newly-elected lawmakers after parliamentary elections on April 17.
* U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive presidential nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties in this year's presidential election, on Wednesday agreed to hold two campaign debates in June and September. The debates between Biden and Trump will be hosted by two television networks CNN and ABC, respectively.
* Parliament in Moldova voted on Thursday to hold a referendum on October 20 on seeking membership of the European Union.
* UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday condemned the assassination attempt against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
* Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday he received threats after the assassination attempt on his Slovakian counterpart, with a media outlet reporting his security protection would be strengthened.
* The U.N. aid chief warned on Thursday that famine was an immediate risk in Gaza with food stocks running out, describing fresh challenges since the start of the Israel's Rafah operation that made planning and distributing relief almost impossible.
* The sweltering temperatures in Laos have led to a surge in electricity consumption, causing frequent power outages and blackouts.
* Cambodia and South Korea on Thursday agreed to leverage the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement and other free trade agreements for the benefit of all, according to a joint statement.
* Lao and Thai authorities are carrying out trial runs of train service in preparation for the start of a cross-border service between Nong Khai railway station in Thailand and Khamsavath railway station in Lao capital Vientiane.
* Russia said on Thursday it was expelling British defence attache Adrian Coghill in retaliation for Britain's announcement it was kicking out his Russian counterpart last week.
* The European Commission has launched an investigation into flat-rolled products of iron or steel plated or coated with tin from China to assess whether imports into the European Union are sold at excessively low prices.
* The 33rd Arab League Summit kicked off in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, on Thursday to review various regional issues with the Gaza crisis as a leading agenda.
* The Palestinian government has not received the financial support it had expected from international and regional partners, President Mahmoud Abbas said at an Arab League summit on Thursday.
* Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone that Israel's attacks on the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip are unacceptable, reported the local media.
* South Africa asked the top U.N. court on Thursday to order a halt to the Rafah offensive as part of its case in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide, saying the country "must be stopped" to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.
* Participants from member countries of Latin American regional bloc Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) and the Venezuelan government gathered in Caracas on Wednesday in an event to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.
* Israel's tanks pushed into the heart of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Thursday, facing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs from militants concentrated there, while in the south, its forces pounded Rafah without advancing, Palestinian residents and militants said.
* Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that he would oppose the establishment of Israel's rule in the post-war Gaza Strip.
* All ships heading to Israeli ports will be targeted by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and not just in the Red Sea region, the group's leaded Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday.
* Greece rescued 42 migrants off the island of Crete and was looking for three believed to be missing after their boat sent a distress signal while at sea, the Greek coastguard said on Thursday.
* The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, unwinding nearly half of the jump at the start of the month, consistent with a gradually cooling labor market.
* Japan's economy shrank by an annualized 2.0 percent in the January-March period from the prior quarter, marking the first contraction in two quarters amid sluggish consumer spending, latest GDP figures showed Thursday.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday said it has approved a loan of 148.5 million USD to boost the electric distribution system and enhance the resilience of the electricity supply in Sikkim, India.
* The International Monetary Fund will start a new Ukraine mission in coming weeks to assess the war-torn country's economy and performance under a $15.6 billion loan program, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said on Thursday.
* The highest economic policy-making body of the Bangladeshi government Thursday approved a 2.65 trillion taka (23 billion USD) Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year 2024-25 (July 2024-June 2025).
* The Portuguese economy is expected to grow by 1.7 percent this year, according to forecasts of the European Commission released on Wednesday.
* Australia's unemployment rate rose for a second straight month to 4.1 percent in April.
* Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm oil producer, has on Thursday kept its June crude palm oil (CPO) exports duty at 8 percent.
* Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) on Thursday afternoon raised the alert level over Ibu volcano on Halmahera Island in the eastern province of North Maluku following continually increasing activities.
