LONDON: British retail sales volumes recorded their sharpest drop since December 2023 last month, as demand fell back after shoppers splurged on food, summer clothes and home improvements the month before, official figures showed on Friday. Retail sales volumes dropped by 2.7% in May, the Office for National Statistics said, a much sharper decline than…
BEIJING: The leaders of China and New Zealand discussed on Friday the role of trade in boosting ties, while New Zealand also pressed its interests for peace and security in the Pacific, government statements showed. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met in the capital’s Great Hall of the People as China’s influence…
COUNTRIES around the world are taking measures to evacuate their citizens from Israel and Iran as the two nations enter the seventh day of their air war and airspace in the region remains closed. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran’s military…
WASHINGTON: Iran said on Friday it would not discuss the future of its nuclear programme while under Israeli attack, as Europe sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table, with a decision on potential U.S. involvement expected within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy…
LONDON: An influx of taxes paid by businesses put Britain’s budget deficit on track to meet official forecasts at the start of the 2025/26 financial year, welcome news for finance minister Rachel Reeves as she seeks to repair the public finances. Official data on Friday showed public sector borrowing for May was 17.686 billion pounds…
SHANGHAI: Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart’s Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of…
SINGAPORE: Oil prices fell on Friday after the White House delayed a decision on U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, but remained on course for a third consecutive weekly rise. Brent crude futures fell $2, or 2.5%, to $76.85 a barrel by 0648 GMT but still looked set to gain more than 3% on the…
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Friday it struck dozens of targets in Tehran overnight, including what it called a centre for the “research and development of Iran’s nuclear weapons project,“ in the eighth day of war between the two foes. In a statement, the army said it had “completed a series of strikes in the heart…
JERUSALEM: Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Friday, a week into the war between the longtime enemies. Here are the latest developments: Iran meetings European top diplomats are meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme. “I’ve received several phone calls reassuring me that the Zionist…
TOKYO: A total of 87 Japanese nationals and their family members have evacuated from Iran and Israel amid intensifying tensions in the Middle East, the Japanese government said Friday. According to Kyodo news agency, the evacuees arrived by bus in Azerbaijan and Jordan as local airports remained closed and none had health issues, Foreign Minister…
