* Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), warned on Wednesday that hunger is spreading in Gaza amid the continuous Israeli offensive.
* The Lao government has instructed businesses and service providers to pay a higher support allowance to low-wage workers in order to cope with the rising cost of living.
* Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said that he stands ready to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to take the opportunity of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties to continue expanding all-round practical cooperation. Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
* Japan's new Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol plan to hold a summit in Laos next week, the Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing Japan's NHK.
* Kazakh grain exports to Russia have been halted on the orders of the Kazakh agriculture ministry, the state railway company said on Thursday.
* President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia on Wednesday to see first hand the devastation wrought in the U.S. Southeast by Hurricane Helene, which has killed at least 160 people.
* The number of visa applications by international students to study in Australia has fallen by half following a government crackdown to reduce the country's migrant intake. According to Department of Education figures published by Nine Entertainment newspapers on Thursday, there were 15,270 international student visa applications lodged from overseas in August, down from 30,703 in August 2023.
* Israel's military said it killed 15 Hezbollah militants in south Lebanon on Thursday and bombed Beirut after its forces suffered their deadliest day on the Lebanese front in a year of clashes with the Lebenese group.
* Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country.
* Yemen's Houthi group on Thursday said its forces launched an attack at dawn with multiple drones on a vital target in the Jaffa area of Tel Aviv, Israel.
* Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has exchanged views on the country's missile attack against Israel with his British, French and Dutch counterparts.
* Lebanese leaders on Wednesday renewed the country's commitment to the joint U.S.-French call for an immediate ceasefire, and agreed to initiate steps to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
* China called on the United Nations Security Council to take "urgent actions" to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East as Israel launched fresh air strikes in Lebanon.
* Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly warned on Wednesday that Israel's unilateral escalation could lead to a comprehensive regional war, according to a statement from the Egyptian cabinet.
* Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Wednesday called for immediate and effective international action to stop the serious escalation in the Gaza and Lebanon.
* The European Commission announced on Thursday an extra 30 million euros ($33.1 million) in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, which has been hit by clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
* The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Wednesday that it has helped more than 11,000 migrants in Libya voluntarily return to their countries of origin so far this year.
* At least 60 people were killed after a boat carrying mostly women and children returning from a religious festival in Nigeria's northern Niger state capsized this week, a local official said.
* Thailand is ramping up efforts to enhance bus transport safety, government officials said on Wednesday, in the wake of a tragic school bus fire near the capital Bangkok that claimed 23 lives.
* The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, said Thursday that it has invested 7 million USD in First Circle, a technology company providing smart banking solutions to SMEs in the Philippines.
* South Korea's export of agricultural and food products rose in the first nine months of this year due to strong demand from the United States and Europe, government data showed Thursday.
* Direct investment in Malta went up by 20.4 billion euros (22.4 billion USD) in 2023, reaching 430.5 billion euros, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported on Tuesday.
* The National Bank of Poland (NBP) announced on Wednesday its decision to keep interest rates unchanged.
* More than 700,000 people are now internally displaced in Haiti, an increase of 22 percent since June, a UN spokesman said Wednesday, citing new figures from the International Organization for Migration.
* Health authorities in Australia's most populous state have urged people at risk of contracting mpox to get vaccinated amid a spike in cases.
* Kenya's Ministry of Health on Wednesday confirmed one more mpox case, raising the total count in the country to nine as the government strengthened public health response to the disease.
