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»»»

DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani visited the Air Defense Operations Center, where he was received by Maj Gen Mohammed Mubarak Al Shahwani, Commander of Qatar Amiri Air Defense Forces. During the visit, the depu»»»

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 »»»

François Picard welcomes Alexander Abdelilah, an investigative journalist for Forbidden Stories who has just published a report on how the Iranian regime secretly acquired FindFace in 2019, a powerful facial recognition system developed by Russian company NTechLab. Abdelilah explores how this syste»»»

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 former head of the French military mission to the UN has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how long the war in the Middle East could go on. General Dominique Trinquand says the war is now a logistics battle, which depends entirely on how many drones and missiles, and the means of launching them, remain»»»

Two drones struck Azerbaijan on Thursday, injuring four people according to Baku, which accuses Iran and is threatening ‘retaliation’. Tehran, for its part, denies being behind the strikes and blames Israel instead. »»»

As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Dr Filippo Dionigi, Senior Lecturer in Politics & International Relations at the University of Bristol. The fragile process aimed at disarming Hezbollah hangs in the balance. A negotiated political sett»»»

Robert Malley, former US special envoy for Iran under Joe Biden and a key negotiator of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, told FRANCE 24 that the US-Israeli war against Iran is "not a justified war, not a necessary war and not a lawful war". For Malley, the "cacophony" over the conflict's rationale "refl»»»

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»»»

Danny Danon, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, told FRANCE 24 that Israel "will not allow Hezbollah to attack our civilians" and "will dismantle the stronghold of Hezbollah", following an unprecedented warning to residents to evacuate all of Beirut's southern suburbs. He»»»

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»»»

Washington claims it has severely degraded Iran's missile capabilities, but as the war continues and Iran retaliates, it seems that the country's military capabilities are far from being extinguished. FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago reports.»»»

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»»»

Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate. Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon 's capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel's military issued an evacuation notice tel»»»

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»»»

An Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut late Thursday, according to Lebanese state media, following an Israeli evacuation warning. 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 ope»»»

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»»»

In tonight's edition: ECOWAS eyes up forming a regional force to combat rising jihadist violence. Also, Ghanaian authorities are set to begin issuing licenses for the cultivation of cannabis. Plus South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announces the army will be deployed to support police in the »»»

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»»»

Tunis, March 5 (TAP) - A working session held, Wednesday, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Slah Zouari, was devoted to monitoring the progress of infrastructure projects scheduled for 2026.It also addressed the...»»»

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.»»»

Oil prices have steadied for the first time since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. But concerns about energy security and prices are weighing on consumers. In France, long queues have formed at petrol stations, despite the energy minister's assertion that the public shouldn't worry about»»»

Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, visited the Air Defense Operations Center, where he was received by Commander of Qatar Emiri Air Defense Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Mubarak Al-Shahwani. During the visit»»»

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»»»