* The leader of the progressive Move Forward Party that delivered a surprise victory in Thailand's election said on Thursday he was confident he could muster additional support from rivals to back his alliance and form a stable government.
* Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso on Wednesday dissolved the National Assembly, the country's legislature, by decree amid its impeachment process against him, local press reported.
* China and Ukraine agreed they should work together to continue their mutual respect and keep their mutually beneficial cooperation moving forward, the Chinese foreign ministry said in statement on Thursday.
* US President Joe Biden rang his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on Thursday after cancelling an historic meeting in the Pacific islands nation to tell him Secretary of State Antony Blinken would travel in his place, Marape said.
* Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said he welcomed and expected more investment from global chipmakers in Japan, which is striving to revive its chip sector, after meeting top executives on Thursday before a Group of Seven summit.
* India and Britain are struggling to make progress in free trade talks due to differences on some key tariff lines and investment protection rules, making a deal unlikely during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term ending next year, Indian sources said.
* Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had spoken to his Argentine counterpart about trade on Wednesday, adding that a planned meeting between the two leaders had been postponed due to scheduling issues.
* Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has inspected the combat training of contract servicemen in Russia's Western Military District, the TASS news agency said on Thursday.
* Iran and Russia on Wednesday signed 10 documents for cooperation in the oil industry in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to Shana News Agency affiliated to the Iranian Oil Ministry.
* Lebanese and Saudi economy ministers on Thursday agreed to gradually increase economic and trade exchanges, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported.
* The number of Americans filing new claims for jobs benefits fell more than expected last week, with applications in Massachusetts decreasing sharply, suggesting the labor market remains tight.
* The World Bank on Thursday raised its growth forecast for Cambodia to 5.5 percent in 2023, up from its earlier projection of 5.2 percent.
* Russian Agricultural Minister Dmitry Patrushev on Thursday said that Russia's grain exports would be between 50 million and 55 million tonnes in the 2023-2024 season.
* The Philippine central bank on Thursday decided to keep the interest rate on the overnight reverse repurchase facility at 6.25 percent, and the interest rate on the overnight deposit and lending facilities at 5.75 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.
* The death toll from Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar has reached 48 as of Wednesday afternoon, state media reported on Thursday. According to The Mirror Daily, Cyclone Mocha damaged 44,928 houses, 376 religious buildings, 59 monasteries, 439 schools, 59 hospitals or clinics, 11 telecom towers, 119 lamp posts, two airports, and 158 departmental buildings.
* The Austrian government on Wednesday announced a new relief package worth 500 million euros (542 million USD), to help vulnerable citizens cope with high inflation.
* Ghana's debt restructuring is targeting 10.5 billion USD of external debt service relief from 2023 to 2026, the International Monetary Fund said late on Wednesday in its Debt Sustainability Analysis.
* The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday called for continued support for millions of children affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
