* Juozas Olekas, a former defense and health minister who has served seven terms in Lithuania's parliament, has been elected speaker of Lithuania's 14th Seimas.
* During a phone conversation on Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that in this new era, China and the United States should work together for world peace and prosperity, tackle global challenges and shoulder their due responsibilities as major countries.
* Charlie Kirk, an American political activist and close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, died after being shot in the neck on Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University (UVU).
* Following military intervention, the streets in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu were free of protests on Wednesday. Nepal Army soldiers took charge of security operations in the capital at 22:00 local time (1615 GMT) on Tuesday, after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stepped down, and curfews have been imposed in the Kathmandu Valley.
* Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday called on Asia to position itself as a region that can offer stability, openness and inclusiveness to unlock its growth potential in a fragmented world.
* The European Union (EU) and the United Nations, as well as several European governments, have this week hardened their stance on Israel's escalating military campaign across the Middle East after it launched airstrikes on Qatar on Tuesday afternoon.
* The drones, which penetrated the Polish airspace and were intercepted, were from Ukraine, Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Poland Andrey Ordash said Wednesday. The Polish foreign ministry summoned the Russian diplomat on Wednesday over the alleged violation of the country's airspace by Russian drones.
* Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the country's lower house of parliament (Sejm) on Wednesday that he has formally requested the invocation of Article 4 of the NATO founding treaty, after Polish airspace was violated 19 times overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
* The upcoming Russia-Belarus joint exercises are not aimed at anyone, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
* Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to put into practice a rotational air defense model, during talks with Alexus Grynkewich, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
* Ukraine's defense ministry said Thursday that it has disabled a Russian Black Sea Fleet vessel in a drone strike. The ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate said in a statement that its special forces carried out the attack on Wednesday.
* Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Wednesday underlined the importance of strengthening Finland's own defense and security while pledging support for Ukraine.
* British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at Downing Street on Wednesday, during which he strongly condemned Israel's recent strike in Doha, Qatar, as "completely unacceptable," said Downing Street spokesperson.
* Brazil is a "sovereign country" and Brazilians are "masters of our own destiny," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday in a message addressed to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.
* The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Thursday that it has approved a financing package of 41 million USD to bolster primary health care in Laos.
* The United Nations welcomes the agreement reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the "practical modalities to resume inspections in Iran," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, on Wednesday.
* Countries hosting Hamas leaders or other groups regarded by Israel as enemies could themselves become targets if they failed to act against the groups, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Wednesday, a day after Israel's Doha strike that drew swift and broad international condemnation.
* Israeli strikes on the Qatari capital Doha are leading to further destabilization in the Middle East region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
* Iran's military chief said on Thursday that Israel's "aggression" against Qatar would not have occurred without coordination with the United States and its green light, according to the official news agency IRNA.
* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, stressed on Wednesday the necessity of a united and decisive position to counter Israeli "aggression" following Israel's recent airstrike on the Qatari capital of Doha.
* Hamas will not change its positions and demands for the Gaza ceasefire talks after Israel targeted its negotiation team in the Qatari capital Doha, the Palestinian movement said on Thursday.
* French presidential envoy to Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday stressed his country's determination to continue mobilizing international support for Lebanon in a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
* Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that his country's new agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) takes into account Tehran's security concerns and recognizes its rights.
* Syria will receive 1.65 million barrels of crude oil under a memorandum of understanding signed Thursday between its energy authorities and the Saudi Fund for Development, state news agency SANA reported.
* Jordan and Qatar on Thursday dispatched food aid convoys to Syria, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization said.
* China explicitly opposes the move by France, Britain and Germany (E3) of using the snapback mechanism to reinstate sanctions on Iran, and calls for further diplomatic efforts on the Iran nuclear issue, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday.
* The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen rose to 35, with 131 wounded, the Houthi-run health ministry said late on Wednesday.
* A total of 182 Afghan nationals set free by Pakistan from jails recently returned to their homeland on Wednesday, reported the state-run Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) on Thursday.
* Kazakhstan has issued its first 10-year residence permit under the Digital Nomad Residency program, designed to attract high-tech professionals, the Kazinform news agency reported Wednesday.
* The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday kept its key interest rates unchanged, saying eurozone inflation remains broadly under control.
* The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said Thursday it will maintain its forecasts for global oil demand growth in 2025 and 2026.
* Thailand's consumer confidence plunged for a seventh successive month in August to its lowest rate in 32 months, driven by concerns over local political instability, border conflicts, and a slow economic recovery, a survey showed on Thursday.
* Myanmar attracted over 129 million USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first five months of the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to figures released by the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) on Thursday.
* Türkiye's central bank on Thursday cut its key interest rate by 250 basis points to 40.5 percent, following a slowdown in the underlying trend of inflation.
* Romania's annual inflation rate jumped to 9.9 percent in August, up from 7.84 percent in July, driven by an increase in value-added tax (VAT) and excise duties, official data showed Thursday.
* Cambodia earned 328.3 million USD in revenue from exports of natural rubber latex in the first eight months of 2025, which was equal to the same amount it made over the same period last year, said an official report on Thursday.
* Torrential rain lashed parts of Tokyo and its surrounding areas on Thursday afternoon, causing thousands to lose power, prompting flood warnings and halting air and rail traffic.
* Floods triggered by days of heavy rains have killed at least 19 people and left 10 others missing on Indonesia's Bali Island and in East Nusa Tenggara province.
* Heavy rainfall has swept across Italy in the past 24 hours, triggering floods, landslides and transport disruptions, with northern and central regions among the worst affected.
