Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday the bloc was looking to help Gulf nations fend off Iranian drone strikes, but warned supplies of relevant kit might be limited.
Seoul (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests this week of his country's naval destroyer, claiming Pyongyang is in the process of 'arming the Navy with nuclear weapons', state media reported Thursday.
Beijing (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - China set its lowest annual growth target in decades on Thursday, at 4.5-5 percent, as the government outlined plans to tackle sluggish consumption and a flagging property market.
Beijing (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - China has expressed its anger over Israeli-US strikes on Iran but, despite hits to its oil imports, will not risk its interests by confronting Washington and helping its long-standing partner, analysts say.
Beijing (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - China has told its largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing unidentified sources, as the war in the Middle East risks an energy supply crunch.
Beirut, Lebanon (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Israeli strikes killed eight people in Lebanon on Thursday as Israel renewed its evacuation call for vast areas of the country's south, long a stronghold of Hezbollah.
Vienna (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - The UN nuclear watchdog's governing body passed a resolution on Thursday - overcoming US opposition - expressing concern over 'repeated and intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure' posing a 'threat to nuclear safety', according to diplomatic sources.
Athens (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Greek ships were confined to port on Thursday, the coastguard confirmed, as workers staged a 24-hour strike in support of crews stranded in the Gulf by the Middle East war.
Rome (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Italy will send air-defence assistance to Gulf countries hit by Iranian strikes launched in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday.
Galle, Sri Lanka (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - A second Iranian warship was heading towards Sri Lanka's territorial waters Thursday, a day after a US submarine destroyed an Iranian frigate, killing at least 84 sailors, a minister told parliament.
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Cancelled flights, postponed trips and a great deal of uncertainty: the war in the Middle East is casting a long shadow over the tourism outlook for a region that has become a prized destination for travellers worldwide.
Doha (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Multiple rounds of explosions echoed over the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday just hours after officials said they were evacuating residents living near the US embassy.
Kuwait City (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - A tanker was hit by a 'large explosion' in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, British maritime security agency UKMTO said Thursday, as the US-Iran-Israel war paralysed Gulf shipping.
Abu Dhabi (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Debris from a drone injured six people in an industrial zone of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday, while Dubai, Doha and Manama were subjected to missile attacks as Iran pressed on with a retaliation campaign.
Manila (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Philippine authorities have apprehended three defence personnel who allegedly spied on behalf of China in what the country's security agency has described as a 'serious national security matter', its spokesman said Thursday.
Tehran (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Fresh blasts were reported in Iran's capital on Thursday as Tehran said it had targeted Kurdish groups in Iraq and warned 'separatist groups' against action in the widening war.
