France's unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 8.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, reaching its highest level since the first quarter of 2021, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) said on Wednesday.According to INSEE, the number of unemployed people in

South Africa expects the upcoming meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to foster strategic synergy among member states, partner countries and global stakeholders, foreign minister said Tuesday.In a statement released by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Minister of

On May 6, Japan fired a Type 88 missile during the joint US-Philippines military exercise Balikatan, marking the first time Japan has launched offensive missiles overseas since World War II.

Interest rate hikes are becoming increasingly likely if inflation expectations remain elevated, the German central bank chief has said.The European Central Bank (ECB) will be more likely to raise interest rates if the inflation expectations do not change fundamentally, Joachim Nagel, president of

Germany's automotive industry could lose 125,000 jobs by 2035, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) said on Wednesday, urging the European Union to adopt a more technology-open approach to car regulation.The VDA said the employment in the sector could fall by a total of 225,000

The final of the 25th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Tunisia was held on Tuesday, with the attendance of 10 Tunisian students majoring in Chinese.Grand prize winner Raouene Chouk, a third-year student majoring in Chinese at the Higher Institute of

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade welcomes the US business representatives accompanying US President Donald Trump on his state visit to China from May 13 to 15, spokesperson of the CCPIT said on Wednesday.

Moscow hopes Washington will stop linking the development of cooperation with Russia to the Ukraine issue, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference on Wednesday.Peskov said that Russia and the United States have a number of promising mutually beneficial cooperation projects in the

A new chapter in China-Tajikistan relations unfolded at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed a landmark treaty intended to define the two countries' bilateral relationship for generations to come.

Britain's King Charles III on Wednesday delivered the King's Speech outlining Prime Minister Keir Starmer's legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session, but the government's policy plans were overshadowed by growing pressure on the Labour leader over his political future.The speech, which

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced on Wednesday that the global oil demand is forecast to grow by a "healthy" 1.2 million barrels per day year on year in 2026.

Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index slid more than 1 percent at Wednesday's open to 6,756.7, down from Tuesday's close of 6,858.9.The decline was fueled by negative sentiment following the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) index rebalancing and a weakening rupiah, according to

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed new rules aimed at making travel across Europe easier to plan and book, especially for rail journeys involving multiple operators and cross-border routes.The package includes three proposals designed to simplify regional, long-distance and cross-border

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening for a state visit to China.

An ultra-Orthodox Jew harvests wheat in a field near the central Israeli city of Modiin, Israel, on May 12, 2026.Some 100 ultra-Orthodox Jews took part in an annual harvest ritual on Tuesday, collecting wheat that will later be used to make the traditional unleavened bread eaten during the holiday

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday called for a balance between safety and innovation in regulating artificial intelligence (AI), warning that the technology is advancing faster than legal systems can adapt."We must strike the right balance -- between safety and progress, between