* United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned of "a dangerous erosion" of respect for international law.
* Japan's House of Councillors on Wednesday passed a bill to establish a national intelligence committee. The legislation came as Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae aims to centralize and strengthen the country's intelligence capabilities.
* Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has overseen weapon tests involving lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Wednesday.
* The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said on Tuesday that Russian tourists can now pay for purchases via QR codes in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Türkiye, Egypt, as well as several destinations within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
* The presidents of the three Baltic states met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Vilnius on Tuesday to discuss regional security, strengthening the European Union's eastern border, and enhancing Europe's defense capabilities amid growing geopolitical tensions.
* Latvian Prime Minister-designate Andris Kulbergs on Tuesday unveiled candidates for ministerial posts in his planned four-party coalition government ahead of a parliamentary confidence vote later this week.
* The Canadian government on Tuesday announced a series of temporary border measures to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus entering and spreading within Canada.
* Mexican anti-crime operations have dealt "significant" blows to criminal organizations in the northwestern state of Sonora and the southeastern state of Chiapas, a government official said Tuesday.
* Belarusian security forces detected more than 100 attempts by Ukrainian drones to cross into Belarusian airspace over the past week, a Belarusian security official said Tuesday.
* The European Union (EU) summoned Russia's charge d'affaires to the EU on Tuesday after Russia warned of further strikes on the Ukrainian capital and urged foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kiev, European Commission foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper said Tuesday.
* Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan has neither taken any initiative nor received any proposal to join the Abraham Accords, reaffirming the country's long-standing position on Israel. The Abraham Accords are the U.S.-brokered agreements for Arab-Israeli ties normalization launched during Donald Trump's first term.
* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to diplomacy to end tensions in West Asia, according to statements published on his office's website on Tuesday.
* Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Tuesday that 25 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours under its coordination and security protection.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that large Israeli ground forces were "deepening" their operation in Lebanon, and seizing "dominating areas."
* Israel said on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, in a strike in Gaza.
* Iran has fully restored international internet connectivity across its telecommunications network, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported Tuesday.
* Nigerian troops killed 317 suspected terrorists and arrested 314 others in a series of anti-terrorism operations nationwide in May, the military said on Tuesday.
* Profits of China's major industrial firms increased 18.2 percent year on year during the January-April period, surpassing a rise of 15.5 percent in the first quarter, official data showed Wednesday.Industrial firms with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.93 million USD) saw their combined profits reach 2.44 trillion yuan in the first four months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
* Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda said Wednesday that the global economy has been hit by significant spikes in energy prices since the 1970s, and the world is now facing a fifth "oil price shock."
* U.S. consumer confidence fell in May as people grew increasingly concerned about inflation, energy prices and conflict in the Middle East, according to a survey released Tuesday.
* Laos recorded an inflation rate of 9 percent in May, a slight decrease from 10.2 percent in April, according to a report released by the Lao Statistics Bureau on Wednesday. The slower rise in inflation was mainly attributed to lower domestic fuel prices and a stable exchange rate, it said.
* New Zealand's central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday, citing uncertain global conditions and inflation pressures from the Middle East conflict. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Monetary Policy Committee voted to hold the official cash rate at 2.25 percent.
* The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan announced on Tuesday its decision to maintain the key interest rate at 12 percent, effective May 26. In the year to May 15, inflation in the country reached 4.7 percent, while annual inflation stood at 10.9 percent, the central bank said in a statement.
* Britain's energy regulator Ofgem said on Wednesday that the household energy price cap will rise 13 percent from July, driven by higher wholesale gas prices linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
* China's flood control authorities on Tuesday activated a Level-IV emergency response for Guizhou Province in its southwest, while maintaining the same alert level for Chongqing, also in southwest China, and Hunan and Hubei in central China, as torrential rains will continue to batter these regions.
* Croatia has broken multiple temperature records for May during an unseasonably long heatwave, the national meteorological service (DHMZ) reported. While late-May heat is common along the Adriatic coast, meteorologists note that the duration of this multi-day warm spell is highly unusual.
