* Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the ninth Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Seoul from May 26 to 27, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Thursday.
* Laos' Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched a new ADB country partnership strategy for Laos, which aims to strengthen foundations for a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economy in the country.
* The World Bank has approved a 40-million-USD credit for a project to improve skills for better jobs in Cambodia, the lender said in a news release on Friday.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday said it has approved a loan of 500 million USD to strengthen Indonesia's program to reduce plastic marine debris.
* South Africa's upcoming elections will not affect the arrival of international tourists and the country will continue to boost the tourism market to attract international visitors, said Deputy Minister of Tourism Fish Mahlalela on Thursday.
* The Group of Seven (G7) finance meeting kicked off in Italy late on Thursday, with talks among G7 finance ministers and central bank governors expected to focus on global economic trends, financial support for Ukraine and multilateral development banking.
* A Chinese envoy on Thursday stated that China will persist in playing a constructive role in preserving peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as ensuring regional tranquility.
* Singapore and Kazakhstan have signed agreements in economic cooperation, higher education, intellectual property rights protection, legal cooperation, security cooperation, and standards, Singapore's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday.
* Portugal's new government will work to increase the defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2030 in line with the country's NATO commitments assumed by the previous administration, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on Friday.
* Expanded sanctions on Russia and enhanced pressure on countries that Moscow considers friendly are hurting Russian firms' export revenues and creating oil payment issues, the Bank of Russia said on Friday.
* The European Union's industry chief has called on the United States to pass new technology regulations, in the hopes of fostering a cohesive digital marketplace across the Atlantic.
* Georgia's ruling party on Friday accused the United States of pursuing a policy of "threats and blackmail" against Georgia over its decision to impose visa restrictions against members of parliament who back a bill on "foreign agents".
* The Norwegian government announced on Thursday further restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens into Norway, effective from May 29. The move is aimed at curbing non-essential travel, particularly for tourism purposes, the Norwegian government said in a press release.
* Saudi Arabia was formally appointed on Friday during the closing ceremony of the 10th World Water Forum on Indonesia's Bali to be the host country for the 11th World Water Forum in 2027.
* The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in southern Gaza city of Rafah.
* The General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces on Thursday released the first report on the causes of a recent helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage.
* Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Friday urged African countries to ensure that education is made available for all.
* Ghana has received approval from the authority of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to trade 700 local products within the African continent, a senior official said.
* Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday hailed the decision of Spain, Ireland and Norway to recognize Palestinian statehood, a measure he said will have "a positive impact on peace and stability in the region."
* Israel will block the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank following Madrid's decision this week to recognize a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.
* The heads of the U.S. CIA and Israel's Mossad will meet in Paris on Friday with the prime minister of Qatar in an attempt to revive talks for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, Axios reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
* Israeli forces stepped up military strikes on Gaza on Friday, residents and medics said, with heavy fighting reported in Jabalia in the north and tanks pushing further into Rafah in the south.
* Yemen's Houthis have launched attacks on three ships in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Sea, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Friday.
* Tunisia has foiled 18 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa, the Tunisian National Guard said on Thursday.
* Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in a camp in the Sudanese city of al-Fashir, activists said, after a raid by Rapid Support Forces paramilitary forces who are fighting to seize the last army stronghold in the western Darfur region.
* The Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) recommended on Thursday an early rollout and two-stage approach to administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this coming autumn.
* Singapore's manufacturing production decreased 1.6 percent year-on-year in April, narrowing from the 9.2-percent contraction in March, according to data released by the Economic Development Board Friday.
* Thailand's exports rebounded to growth in April due to improved demand for industrial products, which aligned with global economic recovery and easing inflation, official data showed on Thursday.
* Malaysia's inflation remained at 1.8 percent in April for three consecutive months with the index points recorded at 132.4 as against 130 in the same month of the previous year, official data showed Friday.
* Turkey needs to maintain a tight monetary policy until inflation expectations decrease, the country's Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan said Friday, expressing optimism for the Turkish lira's real appreciation.
* Ghana has received a draft memorandum of understanding on debt restructuring from its bilateral creditors which it will now quickly review with the aim of signing it soon, its finance minister said on Friday.
* Two people have died and a third has been rushed to hospital in critical condition after a shooting incident on Friday in the suburbs of Perth in Western Australia, local media reported.
* About 60 shops have been destroyed in a fire in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, the information team of Myanmar's State Administration Council reported late Thursday.
