Raging Mideast war dims US hopes for quick win, ignites global calls for de-escalation

​Chinese President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from teachers and students of the Chinese language class at an international school in France's Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, extending his best wishes to them as well as all the teachers and students of the school.

The announcement that China and the United States will hold a new round of economic and trade talks in Paris from Saturday to Tuesday sends a timely signal of engagement between the world's two largest economies at a moment when global markets crave stability.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone chaired a high-level consultative meeting to address fuel challenges, as unrest in the Middle East has driven sharp price fluctuations and caused a decline in fuel import volumes.

A record initial state budget for fiscal 2026 was approved by Japan's lower house on Friday evening with the backing of the ruling coalition's supermajority, amid criticism that the bill was pressed ahead despite controversies surrounding its contents and unusually shortened deliberations.

Ivorian Vice Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara on Friday reaffirmed Cote d'Ivoire's commitment to strengthening its counterterrorism measures.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Friday announced the restoration of diplomatic relations with the Central African Republic.

U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin to move Iran's enriched uranium to Russia as part of a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, a U.S. news website reported Friday.

Senior UN officials on Friday appealed for aid to victims of Israeli bombings in Lebanon and the safe passage of humanitarian cargo through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday reiterated support for Cuba in face of the U.S. blockade that has been in place for more than six decades.

​A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced Friday that at the invitation of the Vietnamese side, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, member of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, and Minister of National Defense Dong Jun will be in Vietnam from March 15 to 17 for the first ministerial meeting of the China-Vietnam "3+3" strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense and public security.

​China expresses deep condolences regarding the deaths of students in the recent attack on an Iranian elementary school and extends sincere sympathies to their families, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

​Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas passes, the New York Times reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has denied the claim.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and pledged to open new fronts in his country's conflict with the United States and Israel.

​Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Thursday that Hezbollah would "pay a heavy price for its aggression."

​More than 4.1 million people have been internally displaced in Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon and Pakistan since the beginning of the recent escalation in the Middle East, a UN spokesperson said Thursday.

​The Israeli military announced on Thursday afternoon that it launched a new series of airstrikes in Beirut targeting Hezbollah targets.

​Türkiye is engaged in "intense" diplomatic efforts to prevent a spillover in the war in the Middle East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.

​Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Thursday held a phone conversation with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla at the latter's request.

​Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called on all parties to urge those involved in the current conflict in the Middle East to cease military operations as soon as possible and prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

​Kuwait International Airport was targeted by several drones early Thursday, resulting in property damage but no casualties, according to the country's civil aviation authority.