* Laos is strengthening resilience and disaster management efforts as climate change and natural disasters continue to threaten socio-economic development and the livelihoods of communities that rely heavily on natural resources.
* The Pentagon announced Tuesday it has reduced the number of U.S. Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) assigned to Europe from four to three, returning troop levels to those seen in 2021.
* U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the Pentagon's planned deployment of more than 4,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland was delayed rather than canceled.
* NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich said Tuesday that a U.S. decision to reduce its military presence in Europe by about 5,000 troops would not weaken the alliance's defense plans.
* Based on its air transport development needs, China will purchase 200 Boeing aircraft in accordance with commercial principles, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday.
* Finland is accelerating plans to upgrade its civil emergency alert system after a drone-related warning last week failed to reach the entire population, Finnish authorities said Tuesday.
* Russia has begun flight tests of the two-seat version of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said on Tuesday.
* The British government has issued a general trade licence allowing the import of diesel and jet fuel processed in third countries from Russian crude oil, according to a government notice published on Tuesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States may strike Iran again, claiming he was only an hour away from deciding on an attack before postponing it at the request of U.S. allies in the Gulf.
* The United States and Israel have completed joint preparations for a possible resumption of military operations against Iran, Israel's Kan TV reported Tuesday, citing a U.S. security official.
* The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday designated and blocked a prominent Iranian foreign currency exchange house and associated front companies, claiming they oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks.
* Iran will "open new fronts" against the United States if the latter resumes attacks, Iran's ISNA news agency reported, citing Iran's army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia.
* Qatar has stepped up diplomatic efforts to support de-escalation and strengthen regional and international coordination amid continuing tensions in the region, a Qatari official said Tuesday.
* Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rebounded significantly last week as trade linked to Iran increased despite continued U.S. restrictions on vessels calling at Iranian ports, Lloyd's List reported on Tuesday.
* Israel said late Tuesday that it had intercepted all boats in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, detaining hundreds of activists and transporting them to Israel.
* Hostilities are driving up casualties, forcing people to flee and deepening humanitarian needs in Lebanon despite the ceasefire with Israel, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
* A total of 175 Islamic State fighters and top commanders have been killed by Nigerian troops and U.S. forces in recent combined counterterrorism operations in the northeastern part of Nigeria, the military said Tuesday.
* The UN General Assembly on Tuesday hosted a special event to celebrate World Football Day, which falls on May 25, calling for uniting cultures, empowering youth, and advancing global solidarity.
* More than 5,700 Afghan refugees ended their exile and returned to their homeland Afghanistan on Tuesday, reported the official Bakhtar News Agency on Wednesday.
* The global economy is under stress due to the crisis in the Middle East, which is slowing growth, reigniting inflationary pressures and heightening uncertainty across financial markets, according to the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 Mid-year Update, released Tuesday by the United Nations.
* Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday outlined the country's macroeconomic framework and fiscal policy targets for 2027, projecting economic growth of up to 6.5 percent while pledging to keep the fiscal deficit below 2.4 percent of gross domestic product.
* WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the "scale and speed" of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, saying an emergency committee would meet later in the day to issue temporary recommendations.
* Jordan announced Tuesday a temporary ban on the entry of travelers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda following the spread of the Ebola virus in both countries.
* Australia is preparing an emergency health support package after more than 220 diphtheria cases were recorded nationwide this year, marking the country's largest outbreak in decades, health officials said on Wednesday.
