China details 2026 policy mix to bolster growth and innovation
Senior Chinese officials on Friday elaborated on the country's policy mix for this year, aimed at ensuring resilient economic growth, fostering innovation-driven new engines, and promoting balanced trade to share more market opportunities with the rest of the world.
China has set a target of 4.5 to 5 percent for gross domestic product growth this year, while pledging to strive for better results in practice, according to a government work report submitted Thursday to the country's top legislature for deliberation.
China will promote balanced trade growth this year, stabilizing exports while sharing more opportunities in its domestic market, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao told the press conference.
The country is already the world's second-largest import market, and its growing middle-income group means demand still has considerable room to expand.
At least 1,332 Iranian civilians killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes: Iran's UN envoy
At least 1,332 Iranian civilians, including women and children, have been killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes and thousands more injured, Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Friday.
Over 180 children across the country have been killed and more than 20 schools have been damaged, Iravani told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, quoting the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The United States and Israel have deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure across Iran, demonstrating that they recognize "no red line in committing their crimes," he said.
Trump rules out negotiations, demands Iran's "unconditional surrender"
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States will accept no agreement with Iran short of "unconditional surrender," one day after Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is not requesting a ceasefire and does not see any reason to negotiate with Washington.
"There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump said that after such a surrender and the selection of a "great and acceptable leader," the United States and its allies would help rebuild Iran's economy.
Hungary says to halt vital goods transit to Ukraine over oil dispute
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday that Hungary will suspend the transit of vital goods to Ukraine unless Kiev resumes oil delivery.
In an interview with state radio Kossuth, Orban said Budapest had already halted gasoline and diesel shipments to Ukraine, although electricity exports continue. He said Hungary is preparing further restrictions until crude oil transit to Hungary via Ukraine is restored.
"We have stopped gasoline shipments ... we are not supplying diesel either," Orban said. "We will also stop things important to Ukraine that pass through Hungary until we receive the Ukrainians' approval for oil deliveries."■
