China retail sales show shaky economic recovery
The performance of China's economy in the first two months of 2024 was mixed, official figures showed Monday, with sluggish household consumption alongside increased industrial production reflecting an uneven recovery.
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Cheap drones 'cannot match' artillery power in Ukraine: experts
Ukraine is relying on the massive use of drones to compensate for an artillery shell shortage and undermine Russian military capabilities, but experts warned they cannot tip the balance.
Read moreIsraeli army launches operation at Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital
The Israeli army launched Monday an operation around Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, with witnesses reporting air strikes on the devastated neighbourhood where it is located.
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Revived TV drama breaks Iraq's taboos
After a 27-year hiatus, an Iraqi TV programme banned by Saddam Hussein for its gritty depiction of life under sanctions has returned to portray drug lords thriving in the war-scarred country.
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China's FM Wang begins diplomatic blitz in New Zealand
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a rare visit to New Zealand on Monday, stressing the need to work with "friends" in the face of the "tumultuous international situation".
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Ropes, brass, salt, stone: Reinventing jewellery in Kenya
Sisal ropes, salt crystals, volcanic rocks and aged brass: award-winning Kenyan designer Ami Doshi Shah has always chosen unlikely materials to make sophisticated jewellery that redefines value in a carat-obsessed industry.
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Asian trade cautious ahead of key rate decisions
Traders in Asia were cautious on Monday after US shares receded, and as anticipation builds for the Bank of Japan to finally ditch its negative interest rate.
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New Zealand's 'coffin clubs' bury taboos about death
It's a task of grave importance, but there's nothing to stop New Zealanders having a laugh as they work on DIY caskets in the country's "coffin clubs".
Read moreN. Korea fires ballistic missiles as Blinken visits Seoul
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Monday in what analysts said was a calculated move to grab attention as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits South Korea for talks.
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Sins of the fathers: Children of IS left to rot in Syria camp
Ali is 12 and has survived things no child should see, spending half his life in what amounts to a prison camp for jihadist families in an arid corner of northeastern Syria.
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