Beijing (AFP) Mar 6, 2026 - China's leaders are 'clearly aware' of challenges facing growth, the head of the country's top economic planning body said on Friday, vowing to boost sluggish domestic consumption.
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 6, 2026 - Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of high resolution images taken from space, said Friday it would hold back for 96 hours images of Gulf states targeted by Iranian drone attacks.
Hong Kong (AFP) Mar 6, 2026 - Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai will not appeal against the national security conviction for which he was jailed for 20 years last month, his legal team said on Friday without providing a reason.
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.
Baku (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Azerbaijan said it was preparing to retaliate after two people were wounded on Thursday in Iranian drone hits on an airport and near a school.
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.
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.
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 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.
Tehran (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - Israel on Thursday launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, which stepped up its attacks on Gulf nations Qatar and Bahrain, as the Middle East war spread throughout the region and beyond.
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.
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.
Tokyo (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - A Japanese startup's third attempt to put a satellite in orbit failed on Thursday after its rocket spiralled back to Earth shortly after take-off.
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - A group representing Chinese companies slammed an EU plan to bolster the bloc's industries against fierce competition from China on Thursday, labelling it a shift towards protectionism that could affect trade cooperation between the two giants.
Geneva (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - The Swiss are expected to snub a call to create a multi-billion-dollar climate fund, aimed at combating global warming and addressing its consequences, with polls indicating voters deem the ambitious project too costly.
