* Russia and China have set a fine model for state-to-state ties and cooperation between neighboring countries, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Monday.
* During U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to China, the two heads of state had constructive exchanges on artificial intelligence (AI) and agreed to hold dialogue between the two governments on this issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.
* Laos and Kyrgyzstan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and longstanding friendship during a meeting between Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and Special Representative of the President of Kyrgyzstan, Anwar Anarbaev, in Lao capital Vientiane.
* Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Monday that he has reiterated to visiting U.S. officials that the island is "not for sale" and that the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination is not up for discussion.
* Any U.S. military attack on Cuba would cause "a bloodbath with incalculable consequences" and a devastating impact on peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned Monday.
* The U.S. Department of Treasury is issuing a temporary 30-day general license to allow the most vulnerable nations access to Russian oil currently stranded at sea.
* Thailand's cabinet approved a major revision of its visa exemption policies on Tuesday, effectively cancelling the 60-day visa-free entry scheme for tourists from 93 countries and territories.
* Azerbaijan and Georgia signed a series of strategic agreements in the energy and transport sectors during Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's visit to Azerbaijan on Monday for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum.
* Belarus has commenced a scheduled military training exercise focused on nuclear combat and support capacities, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said Monday.
* Sweden will purchase four new frigates from France to strengthen its air defense and maritime combat capabilities, the Swedish government announced on Tuesday.
* A NATO Baltic Air Policing fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Estonian airspace over Lake Vortsjarv at around noon on Tuesday. According to Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, there is currently no information about any civilian damage.
* Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Tuesday that his government's responsibility is to ensure the country never returns to war, while praising the armed forces for their role in disaster response and national emergencies.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he has instructed the Pentagon not to launch military strikes on Iran Tuesday as U.S. allies in the Gulf are working to help reach an acceptable peace deal.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday a "positive development" is happening and he thought Iran was close to an agreement this time, hours after he announced a postponement of resumption of military strikes against the country.
* Iran has handed over its newest 14-point proposed plan for ending the war with the United States to mediator Pakistan, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday. Pakistan will convey the plan to the United States, the report said, citing a source close to Iran's negotiating team.
* Israel's approval of building a new defense complex at the site of the former headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem is a "serious violation of international law," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Monday.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israeli commando forces "stopped" ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla from reaching Gaza. Israel began on Monday morning to intercept the boats in international waters, about 250 nautical miles from Gaza's coast, according to the Global Sumud Flotilla.
* The foreign ministers of 10 countries (including Türkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives, Pakistan and Spain) on Monday condemned in the strongest terms renewed Israeli assaults on the humanitarian Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla.
* The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Tuesday that its air defense systems have intercepted and destroyed six drones originating from Iraq over the past 48 hours.
* Lebanon's Health Ministry said Monday that the cumulative death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 has risen to 3,020, with 9,273 others wounded, as Israeli strikes and shelling across the country continued from Sunday night into Monday morning.
* Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone talks with his Qatari and Saudi counterparts on Monday to discuss joint efforts to ease regional escalations and advance diplomatic solutions to the U.S.-Iran conflict, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
* A total of 741 migrants were returned to Libya from May 10-16 after being intercepted at sea while attempting to reach European shores, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday.
* The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday urged Britain to press ahead with plans to cut public borrowing, warning that high debt, rising energy costs and political uncertainty are putting fresh pressure on the government's economic agenda.
* Japan's economy expanded an annualized real 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, driven by growth in consumption and exports, government data showed Tuesday. Quarter-on-quarter, gross domestic product adjusted for inflation increased 0.5 percent in the January-March period from the previous three months, the Cabinet Office said in its preliminary report.
* The International Monetary Fund has projected Singapore's economic growth to ease to 3.5 percent in 2026 and 2.7 percent in 2027, citing the impact of the Middle East conflict on energy prices and global supply chains.
* Thailand's banking sector remained robust with high levels of capital, loan loss provisions, and liquidity in the opening quarter of 2026, though profitability dipped amid lower net interest income and geopolitical risks, the central bank said on Tuesday.
* Iran's stock market reopened on Tuesday after an 80-day closure due to the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks. The Tehran Stock Exchange was shut down on Feb. 28 following missile strikes that targeted Tehran and several other regions across Iran.
* The highest economic policymaking body of the Bangladeshi government has approved around 3 trillion taka (about 24.59 billion USD) Annual Development Program (ADP) for the next fiscal year 2026-27 (July 2026-June 2027).
* Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is stepping up efforts to elevate domestic durian quality standards, in a bid to shore up global consumer trust and consolidate the country's status as the world's leading durian exporter, Deputy Government Spokesperson Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn said on Monday.
* The British government on Monday announced reforms to its bank ring-fencing regime, saying the changes could unlock up to 80 billion pounds (107 billion USD) in additional support for businesses while keeping key financial safeguards in place.
* Brazil's financial market raised its forecast for the benchmark Selic interest rate to 13.25 percent for 2026, up from 13 percent previously, while maintaining its forecast for 2027 at 11.25 percent, the Central Bank of Brazil said Monday.
* Romania's National Institute of Public Health (INSP) confirmed a case of hantavirus infection on Monday. The INSP clarified that the infection involves a strain specific to Romania and Europe, and is unrelated to the recent outbreak of the Andes virus, the hantavirus strain identified aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.
* More than 57 billion Australian dollars (about 40.84 billion USD) worth of infrastructure in the Australian state of Victoria is at risk from climate-related extreme weather, said a report released Tuesday.
* Temperatures jumped across vast areas of Japan on Monday, topping 35 degrees Celsius for the first time this year, marking the third earliest "extremely hot day" on record, according to the weather agency.
* The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to prevail over the plains of northwest and central India during the week.
