* The Head of State of Samoa Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II has signed the notice of dissolution of the Legislative Assembly to be effective on June 3.
* The second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will be held in Istanbul, Turkey on June 2, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
* Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Wednesday that his country expects to receive a peace "memorandum" from Russia by the announced meeting on June 2.
* German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent comments on the decision to remove range restrictions on weapons for Ukraine are obstructing ongoing peace efforts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
* China will trial a policy granting ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain visa-free entry into China up to 30 days from June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking any actions that could threaten ongoing talks between the Trump administration and Iran over a new nuclear deal, according to multiple media outlets.
* U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that Canada would need to pay 61 billion USD to join his proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system.
* Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday expressed confidence the United States will reopen its border to Mexican cattle exports "very soon," following bilateral agreements to curb the spread of screwworm.
* Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has underscored the importance of efforts to promote the sound development of the platform economy, and of maintaining a fair, orderly market environment.
* The Hungarian government has decided to extend the profit margin cap on food products until Aug. 31 in a bid to curb inflation and prevent unjustified price hikes, Gergely Gulyas, minister of the Prime Minister's Office, said on Wednesday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that there should be a cap of around 15 percent on foreign students at Harvard University, while continuing to pressure it to submit its list of foreign students.
* A U.S. federal court blocked on Wednesday President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law.
* Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that he is leaving his government role as an adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.
* Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday proposed the government's 3.78 trillion baht (115.66 billion USD) budget for the 2026 fiscal year to parliament, aiming to shore up a sluggish economy amid global trade tensions.
* China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) and the central bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cross-border payment cooperation, the People's Bank of China (PBOC), China's central bank, announced on Wednesday.
* Trade between Kazakhstan and France increased by 31 percent year on year to reach a record 5.5 billion USD in 2024, the Kazakh government announced Wednesday during the Kazakhstan-France Investment Forum held in Astana.
* The interim UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process warned on Wednesday that the two-state solution is on life support, calling for collective action to revive it.
* A UN spokesman on Wednesday rejected Israel's claim that the world body has failed to pick up humanitarian supplies for Gaza at a border crossing.
* A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for a durable cease-fire in Gaza and efforts to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the strip.
* Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday called for an immediate halt to Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, condemning the attacks as "unacceptable."
* Israeli military operations continue to dismantle the means of survival for 2.1 million Palestinians, 600 days since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, UN humanitarians said Wednesday.
* The Foreign Ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday summoned Israeli Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek over Israel's recent "offensive violations" against the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.
* Hamas said in an official statement on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on a general framework for Gaza ceasefire.
* Tehran will have nothing to discuss with Britain on the nuclear issue if the latter wants "zero uranium enrichment" in Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote Wednesday on social media platform X.
* Iran strongly condemned Israel's airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport, said a statement released by the ministry on Wednesday night.
* President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened on Wednesday in the Azerbaijani city of Lachin for a trilateral summit, which coincided with Azerbaijan's Independence Day and the inauguration of the Lachin International Airport, AZERTAC news agency reported.
* A national political dialogue opened Wednesday in Senegal with the main goal of bringing together all stakeholders in national life to engage in a collective reflection on necessary reforms to strengthen Senegalese democracy and meet the deep aspirations of the people.
* Regional heads of state and government representatives meeting in Uganda have urged armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to unconditionally end hostilities.
* The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will cease healthcare coverage for around 1.5 million Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon starting November, due to a significant decline in donor funding, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported Wednesday.
* More than 40 people were killed over the weekend in suspected herders' attacks on three villages in Benue, a state in Nigeria's central region, local officials said Tuesday.
* The Nigerian government said Wednesday that it will continue to borrow within manageable limits and per the country's debt sustainability framework while refuting allegations of overborrowing from concerned citizens.
* Republic of Korea's central bank on Thursday slashed this year's growth outlook for the Asian economy by 0.7 percentage points amid rising uncertainties at home and abroad.
* Mexico's central bank on Wednesday downgraded the country's economic growth forecast for 2025 from 0.6 percent to 0.1 percent, given the challenges posed by changes in the U.S. trade policy.
* All four crew members were killed in Republic of Korea's military plane crash, local newspaper Chosun Ilbo said Thursday. The P-3 maritime patrol aircraft with four crew members aboard took off from a military base in the southeastern city of Pohang for training at about 1:43 p.m. local time (0443 GMT), according to the defense ministry.
* Thunderstorms and heavy rain will affect many parts of Laos, with the weather bureau warning the public, especially in northern provinces, to stay cautious of continuous rain that may cause flash floods and landslides.
* Manitoba, one of Canada's three Prairie Provinces, declared on Wednesday a state of emergency due to extreme wildfire conditions and threats.
* China has seen a slowdown in its recent rise of COVID-19 cases, with most provincial-level regions having either peaked or showing declining trends, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration said on Wednesday.
* Myanmar's Ministry of Health has been implementing preventive measures to prevent the outbreak of acute diarrhea during the rainy season, state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) reported on Thursday.
