* Malaysia's cabinet ministers have pledged unanimous support for Muhyiddin Yassin to continue as prime minister, they said in a statement on Wednesday.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed climate change in a phone call with the United States' climate change envoy John Kerry, who is in Moscow on a working visit, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
* Taliban fighters on Wednesday said they have gained control over an important trade route linking Pakistan with southern Afghanistan, hours after Afghan forces surrendered the critical transit point to the Islamist hardline insurgent group.
* The United Arab Emirates opened its embassy in Israel on Wednesday, with Israel's president attending the inaugural ceremony. The embassy is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange building and its opening followed the inauguration of Israel's embassy in the UAE last month.
* Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed full support on Wednesday for Lebanese Prime Minister-Designate Saad Hariri in his efforts to stabilise his crisis-struck country as he visited Cairo.
* France on Tuesday fined Google EUR500 million (US$592 million) for failing to offer a fair deal to local media companies for hosting their news content.
* A Russian Su-30 fighter scrambled to escort a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
* Over 1.4 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in China as of Tuesday, as the country continues to ramp up its inoculation drive, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.
* India on Wednesday reported 38,792 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, data from health ministry showed, with daily deaths rising by 624.
* Russia reported 786 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the most confirmed in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic, and 23,827 new cases nationwide.
* Indonesia is struggling to slow the pace of COVID-19 transmission and on Wednesday reported a record 54,000 infections, up more than tenfold from the start of June, despite new containment measures.
* The Philippines will ban travellers coming from Indonesia to prevent the spread of the Delta variant, while Thailand is considering limiting exports of locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine.
* A Genting Cruise Lines' ship has returned to Singapore after a suspected case and the nearly 3,000 passengers and crew on board have been confined to their cabins.
* Republic of Korea on Wednesday announced planning to invest KRW220 trillion (about US$190 billion) by 2025 for digital and green transformation as well as inclusive growth.
* Public health officials in Los Angeles, the most populous county in the United States, on Tuesday reported an monthly increase of more than 500 percent in COVID-19 cases in the area.
* German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday rejected the idea of mandatory vaccination and would instead rely on promoting the benefits of immunization to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Greece expects to receive US$4.7 billion later this month in the first tranche of funds secured from the EU's Recovery Fund.
* Spain on Tuesday surpassed 4 million cases, as the more contagious Delta variant drives a surge of infections among unvaccinated young people.
* Argentina has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the region in terms of cases and deaths per capita, with some 4.7 million confirmed infections and a death toll expected to pass 100,000 people later on Wednesday.
* Mexico on Tuesday reported its biggest daily increase in infections since February, with a fresh wave of cases threatening to undermine the country's vaccination drive.
* Guatemala declared a "state of prevention" for the entire country, limiting outdoor meetings and public demonstrations, after a dramatic spike in cases last week.
* The total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered across Turkey during the ongoing vaccination campaign have surpassed 60 million on Wednesday, according to the Health Ministry.
* Arab visitors attracted by quarantine-free travel and a cheap lira are helping bolster a rebound for Turkey's tourism industry.
