Iran has not asked Russia for military help since the start of the conflict with the United States and Israel, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on March 5. The comments come a day after Israeli jets shot down»»»

What is the best possible investment a government can make? Is it a high speed train network, or are 5G telecom Nets? Perhaps it is space based solar power generation capacity. The answer is much more mundane: studies by both the IMF and the World Bank have found the best possible investments that »»»

Hungary’s 4iG Group subsidiary One Macedonia Telecommunications has signed a four-year agreement with Ericsson to build a greenfield 5G Standalone (SA) network in North Macedonia, as part of a €100mn investment programme, Hungarian telco said on March 4. »»»

Poland’s Monetary Policy Council, the rate-setting body of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), reduced the central bank’s reference interest rate by 25bp to 3.75% at its March 4 meeting. The NBP decided on the reduction des»»»

Finland plans to lift its long-standing ban on having nuclear weapons on its territory, in a move the government says would align the country more closely with Nato's deterrence policy. Defence minister Antti Häkkänen Finland and Europe's security environment had "fundamentally and significantly ch»»»

High-level diplomatic contacts are underway between Lebanese officials and influential countries in an attempt to contain the escalation and avert a widespread attack on Beirut's southern suburbs, An-Nahar newspaper reported late on Thursday. According to the information, the efforts have intensifi»»»

HONG KONG — Asian equities jumped Thursday after a three-day rout sparked by the Middle East war, but concerns about an extended conflict helped oil extend gains, while analysts warned of more volatility ahead.Seoul was again the standout, with the Kospi soaring 12 per cent at one point as traders »»»

BERLIN — Google opened an AI centre Berlin on Thursday, pledging to step up innovation in the German capital, which boasts a dynamic start-up scene and strong academic and research institutions.German politicians hailed the move despite growing fears Europe is overly reliant on US tech giants that »»»

BEIJING (AFP( — 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.The war in the Middle East has sparked global fears of an energy supply crunc»»»

AMMAN — Despite the current regional conditions and the state of war in the region, the performance of the ASE remains positive.The general benchmark index during the current week increased from 3559 points at the beginning of the week to reach 3630 points at the end of the week's trading, an incre»»»

Brazil has formally ratified a landmark free trade deal with the European Union, joining Argentina and Uruguay in creating one of the world’s largest trade blocs. The agreement, decades in the making, removes most tariffs, boosts exports on both sides, and has sparked opposition from European farme»»»

Western Cuba was plunged into darkness Thursday as a massive blackout left millions without power. Between crumbling infrastructure and the halt of Venezuelan oil shipments under US pressure, the island’s energy grid is on the brink of collapse, with recovery expected to take days. A blackout left »»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, March 5: The mass exodus from southern Lebanon makes front pages. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is lambasted for a lack of clarity on its war with Iran, including from the US president's own supporters. Plus, we get some bad news on sea levels globally,»»»

The death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike on Saturday sparked the search for a successor that has seen the former leader’s son, Mojtaba, emerge as the front runner. Although a secretive figure in the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei is considered one of the re»»»

The US has made an outreach to Iranian Kurdish dissident groups as "Operation Epic Fury" rattles the pieces of the Middle East geostrategic chess game. The Kurds in other countries have a history of being pawns in Washington’s games and have at times used their leverage to their advantage. But unde»»»

Rights groups warned this week that prisoners in Iran – thousands of whom were detained during recent anti-government protests – are being refused shelter during US and Israeli strikes and face increased risk of forced disappearance and execution due to a nationwide internet blackout. In the Irania»»»

Who’s paying for this war? First and foremost, the people of the Middle East directly in harm’s way.  But who pays the financial cost if Iran continues to target the lifeline for the region's oil and gas? Maritime employers out of London officially designating the Straits of Hormuz, the Gulf o»»»

Fresh waves of explosions, most from interceptions, also rocked Dubai, Doha and Manama on Thursday. Qatar's defence ministry said its forces intercepted 14 Iranian ballistic missiles on Thursday and 4 drones were also shot down, with no casualties reported. Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from Doha for FR»»»

Top US officials, including the Defense Secretary, have said that sending US troops into Iran could not be ruled out. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Daniel Schneiderman, Director of Global Policy Programs at Penn Washington. He says that US President Donald Trump is unlikely to ever commit groun»»»

Seafarers have the right to refuse to sail ​on ships passing through the Middle East Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, after the threat level for the region was ​raised to ‌its highest level, the leading labour ⁠union and shipping industry groups said on Thursday. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney spe»»»

Seafarers have the right to refuse to sail ​on ships passing through the Middle East Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, after the threat level for the region was ​raised to ‌its highest level, the leading labour ⁠union and shipping industry groups said on Thursday. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney spe»»»

Swiss food giant Nestlé is facing criticism over the sugar content of Cerelac, its infant cereal brand sold in Africa. An investigation by the NGO Public Eye found that while the product is sold without added sugar in Europe, African versions can contain up to 15 percent sugar. According to the Wor»»»

Controversial hip hop sensation Kanye West has been shunned by France's second-biggest city Marseille after the local mayor said he was "not welcome" to perform there. The mayor of France's second-biggest city Marseille said Wednesday that Kanye West was "not welcome", after the music star known fo»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spent two days inspecting his latest 5,000‑ton destroyer and observing cruise missile tests, signalling a major push to expand his navy’s nuclear capabilities. The move comes as Pyongyang continues building additional warships and emphasises maritime power alongside »»»

In Nepal, 18 million people are eligible to vote in this Thursday's parliamentary elections. More than 120 parties are running, over a third of them created after the September 2025 uprising, which was largely driven by Generation Z. Among their demands: an end to corruption and nepotism and above »»»

Baku has vowed to retaliate against what it described as "a terrorist act" allegedly carried out by Tehran after two drones hit an airport and narrowly missed a school building in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave on the border with Iran. The Islamic Republic has denied carrying out the attack. »»»

Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate. At least five airstrikes targeted the area around midnight. The areas hit were Haret Hreik, al-Jamous and Msharrafieh. Traffic was gridlocked in Bei»»»

Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands will send naval assets to Cyprus after an Iranian-made drone struck a British base there, Italy's defence minister said Thursday. France also said it would allow US aircraft to access some of its bases in the Middle East during the conflict with Iran. Italy,»»»

A ballistic missile fired from Iran and en route towards Turkish airspace was intercepted and destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday, in an incident that underscored fears of a widening regional war. A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish»»»

The United States asked Ukraine for help to fend off Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, adding that he had ordered expert support to be given. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative.»»»

Sooner or later, advisers in President Donald Trump's orbit all come to learn the same unwritten rule: no one can outshine the boss. Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, became the latest reminder of that on Thursday when Trump announced he was removing her from her po»»»

Dubai: With aviation across the Middle Eastheavily disrupted after attacks by Israel and the US on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region, airlines were forced to cancel flights, reroute aircraft and suspend services. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances. Air»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sixty retail outlets across Qatar are currently operating 24 hours a day to help stabilize markets and ensure smooth supply chains, a senior official at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) said. Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the Ministry, Hassan Sultan Al-Gh»»»

QNA & Agencies Bangkok Global economic resilience is once again being tested as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pose potential risks to energy markets, investor confidence, and global growth, according to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Speaking at the Asia in 205»»»

PAMedia/DPA London George Russell said his pre-season tag as a potential world championship favourite “does not change anything for me” ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The 28-year-old Brit heads into the season-opening round in Melbourne on Sunday as the bookmakers’ favourite, wi»»»

QNA Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani participated on Thursday in an emergency Gulf-European ministerial virtual meeting bringing together the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the European Uni»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui Doha France has condemned the Iranian attacks on Qatar in the “strongest possible terms” and expressed its solidarity with the country. “France condemns unreservedly, and in the strongest possible terms, the Iranian attacks on Qatar,” the Embassy of Republic of France in Doha said i»»»

QNA Doha The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call from President of Finland Alexander Stubb on Thursday. During the call, the Finnish president checked on the conditions of Qatar following the blatant Iranian aggression. He expressed his country’s condemnation of »»»

QNA Doha Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), Maha Zayed Al Qaqaa Al Ruwaili said on Thursday that the implementation of distance learning system in public schools is an institutional model that reflects a high level of prepared»»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) held its fifth meeting of the ‘Institutional Risk Management and Business Continuity Committee’ on Thursday, with the participation of senior ministry officials, to review the progress of the educational process and to follow-up on the»»»

QNA Doha Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad on Thursday held a phone conversation with Advisor to the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) for Organisational and Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan Al Sadig Ismail Mahmoud. The call discussed the »»»

QNA Doha Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received a phone call from Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Erywan Pehin Yusof on Thursday. Discussion during the call addressed the developments of the military escalation in the region and its ser»»»

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (shown), D-Md., on Thursday told Troy Edgar, the nominee for ambassador to El Salvador, “Unfortunately, you’ve been part of an administration that's taking away Americans' rights to freedom here at home, due process rights as well as First Amendment rights." File Photo by Bonn»»»

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced an initiative to increase the number of nutrition-related credit hours that doctors are required to have in medical school, along with 53 schools that have already agreed to participate. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI»»»

Tunis, March 5 (TAP) - The Ministry of the Interior clarified that, in coordination with the relevant security services, a decision was made to maintain the concrete and metal barriers installed at the premises of the French Embassy and around the...»»»

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) and the Bulgarian Veterinary Union (BVU) have agreed to hold regular monthly coordination meetings on key issues in the sector as announced by the agency on Thursday. This was discussed at a meeting between the Executive Director of the BFSA, Dr. Angel Mavrov»»»

The Security Council with the Council of Ministers held a meeting here on Thursday to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The meeting, the second since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, was attended by representatives of the political forces in Parliament. Speaking at a news briefin»»»

The US has officially deemed artificial intelligence (AI) firm Anthropic a supply chain risk — the first time the government has given that label to a US firm. The Pentagon's designation is the latest escalation in a clash over Anthropic's refusal to give the government unfettered access to its AI »»»

Israel's military chief said Thursday he had ordered troops to expand the area under Israeli control in southern Lebanon, as the country's ongoing operation against Hezbollah intensified. "We are striking with force, on the front line and deeper in Lebanon. I instructed Israeli army forces to move »»»

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., late last month introduced the “End Sanctuary Policies Act,” which would restrict federal funding for jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo WASHINGTON, March 5 (UPI) -- The House Judiciary Co»»»