* Emerging markets face a more volatile and uncertain future, and must rebuild fiscal buffers, boost revenues, diversify trade and gird for trillions of dollars in annual climate change costs, the International Monetary Fund's No. 2 official said on Friday.
* IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said she had a "productive" discussion with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and looked forward to working with Beijing on global issues including climate change and support for developing economies.
* The Indian government has set up a committee to explore the possibility of "one nation one election" in the country, local media reported on Friday. The committee will be headed by former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to study the issue and submit a report to the government.
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that he told United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that online meetings held on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's peace formula in August were "unacceptable".
* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed bilateral relations, a potential revival of the Black Sea grain deal, and Moscow's alternative to the agreement, during talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Moscow on Thursday.
* The Swedish foreign minister said on Friday he remained hopeful that Turkey will ratify Sweden's planned NATO membership when the Turkish parliament reconvenes in October, as agreed with President Tayyip Erdogan at a summit of the alliance in July.
* Gabon's main opposition group, Alternance 2023, called on the international community on Friday to encourage the junta that overthrew President Ali Bongo to hand power back to civilians.
* Security measures in Sweden will not be relaxed in the foreseeable future, Justice Minister Gunnar Stommer said in Stockholm on Thursday, two weeks after the country's terrorist threat level was raised from "elevated" to "high."
* UN agencies and non-governmental organizations have been barred from working in military "operation zones," Niger's Interior Ministry said Thursday.
* The Norwegian government has decided to close its embassy in Bamako, capital of Mali, by the end of 2023.
* Lebanon welcomed on Thursday the UN Security Council's decision to extend the mission of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) for a year.
* Kazakhstan will hold a referendum to decide whether to build its first nuclear power plant, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Friday, adding that the date would be decided later.
* India's gross domestic product (GDP) during the April-June quarter grew by 7.8 percent, according to the data released by the country's Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation on Thursday.
* South Korea's export fell for the 11th consecutive month due to soft global demand for locally-made products, especially semiconductors and oil products, government data showed Friday.
* Thailand's industrial output fell for the 10th consecutive month in July as weak purchasing power in the global market continued to weigh on exports, official data showed on Thursday.
* Ukraine is ready to store and re-export European gas for the 2023/2024 winter, the country's gas transmission operator said, citing risk-assessment conducted with international partners.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday said it has approved an 18.7 million USD policy-based grant for the Maldives to help the country strengthen its fiscal management.
* Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka crossed the 900,000 mark this year on Aug. 30, according to the latest statistics released by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
* Annual inflation in the eurozone remained stable at 5.3 percent in August, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), said in a flash estimate on Thursday.
* NASA's Mars helicopter has completed 56 flights on the Red Planet, the agency said on Thursday. The helicopter had its 56th flight on Aug. 25, in which it reached an altitude of 12 meters and traveled 410 meters for 141 seconds.
* Australia recorded its warmest winter on record, its weather bureau said on Friday ahead of a widely anticipated decision over whether to declare El Nino conditions, which typically bring hotter, drier weather.
* Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka crossed the 900,000 mark this year on Aug. 30, according to the latest statistics released by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
* Super typhoon Saola, which triggered floods and landslides in the Philippines, has left at least one dead and displaced 387,242 people across the country, the government said on Friday.
