* The Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul agreed on Friday to exchange 1,000 war prisoners each, diplomatic sources told Xinhua.
* Pakistan and India held talks on Thursday and agreed to extend the ongoing ceasefire until May 18, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.
* Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday stressed the importance of leveraging the stability and long-term growth of the domestic economy to cushion against global uncertainties, and of promoting the country's steady, long-term growth and high-quality development.
* Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Friday urged police to ramp up efforts to combat all forms of crime in order to ensure security, social safety, and public order.
* The Indonesian government has arrested 170 foreigners from 27 countries during immigration operations conducted from May 14 to May 16 across Greater Jakarta, covering Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections said on Friday.
* India and Japan have recently notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of potential retaliatory measures in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. The European Union(EU) and Britain had submitted similar notifications to the WTO earlier.
* The 6th European Political Community (EPC) Summit was held Friday in Tirana, capital of Albania, with around 50 national and regional leaders, as well as heads of European Union (EU) and international institutions attending to address shared security and economic challenges.
* President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks on Thursday with visiting U.S. President Donald Trump at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, reaffirming the commitment of both countries to deepening their strategic partnership, the UAE's state news agency WAM reported.
* Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Jakarta on Thursday, Albanese's first overseas visit since securing a second term in Australia's federal election.
* France has officially transferred control of the "Contre-Amiral Protet" military base to Senegal, the third military site handed over to Dakar this year, the French embassy said.
* German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and visiting British Defence Secretary John Healey on Thursday agreed to start working on a new "Deep Precision Strike Capability" system aimed at a range of over 2,000 km.
* The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) concluded its three-day annual meeting on Thursday, with a focus on supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.
* The United States on Thursday announced deals worth more than 200 billion USD with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), not least those involving frontier technologies, aerospace, energy and critical minerals.
* More than 170,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their home country over the past 42 days, spokesman for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said.
* The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has set a target for the mandatory use of 5 percent bioethanol (E5) in fuel blends, which will begin in 2026, a senior official said on Friday.
* Fiji is taking significant steps to combat violence against children, with a national strategy to eliminate violence by 2027. This effort includes reforms in child protection, juvenile justice, and a focus on prevention over punishment.
* The Palestinian issue will remain a central focus in the upcoming 34th Arab League Summit slated for Saturday in Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Thursday.
* Another 7 percent increase in Israeli displacement orders for Gaza, along with militarized zones, makes 71 percent of the Strip restricted areas for Palestinians, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.
* Syrian foreign affairs chief Asaad al-Shibani said Friday that Syria has entered a new phase of political and diplomatic engagement rooted in national interest.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stressed Thursday that none of the country's uranium enrichment facilities would be dismantled, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
* The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in the northern Gaza Strip has surpassed 100 during the past 12 hours, the Civil Defense in Gaza said on Friday.
* The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen toward Israel Thursday evening.
* A routine patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was confronted Friday morning by a group of individuals dressed in civilian clothing, resulting in damage to its vehicles, spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said.
* Japan's economy contracted an annualized real 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2025, amid stagnant private consumption and falling exports, government data showed Friday.
* The Indonesian government on Thursday announced its plan to export rice and donate it to countries in need, as domestic stock remains abundant.
* Italy's public debt hit an all-time high of 3.034 trillion euros (3.38 trillion USD) in March, the Bank of Italy reported Thursday, a 9.5-billion-euro increase compared to the previous month.
* Malaysia's foreign direct investment (FDI) position increased by 4.2 billion ringgit (980 million USD), recording 999.7 billion ringgit at the end of the first quarter of 2025, official data showed Friday.
* Pakistan recorded a current account surplus of 12 million USD in April, following a significant surplus of 1.2 billion dollars in March, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday.
* The death toll of the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has risen to 138 since the beginning of this year, public health authorities said Thursday.
