The Beizhong International Travel Agency in the eastern city of Tianjin has had only one customer since coronavirus outbreaks that began in July prompted Chinese leaders to renew city lockdowns and travel controls.

Most of China is virus-free, but the abrupt, severe response to outbreaks has left would-be tourists jittery about traveling to places they might be barred from leaving. That has hit consumer spending, hindering efforts to keep the economic recovery on track.

French and Australian officials said Monday that France's anger over a canceled submarine contract will not derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal.

France withdrew its ambassadors to the United States and Australia after President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.

Iran said Sunday it is willing to sell fuel to Lebanon's government to help ease shortages, days after a first delivery of Iranian fuel arranged by Hizbullah entered the country.

In her apartment in suburban Berlin, Regina Lehmann despairs at the letter from her landlord, a big real estate group: the rent is going up.

UK retailers are facing a double whammy of sliding sales and global supply crunch, making it tough for stores to obtain goods ahead of the Christmas shopping season, data showed Friday.

Stock markets were mixed Friday after a painful few days as traders tracked Delta variant developments, Chinese regulatory crackdowns, disappointing economic data and brewing geopolitical tensions.

Work-related illnesses and injuries kill nearly two million people annually, largely because of long working hours, the U.N. said Friday, warning the pandemic would surely worsen the situation.

The White House is warning state and local governments about severe cuts to disaster relief, Medicaid, infrastructure grants. school money and other programs if Congress fails to raise the U.S. debt limit.

A fact sheet for state and local officials that was obtained by The Associated Press is an attempt to ratchet up the public pressure on Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. President Joe Biden has insisted so far on bipartisan backing to increase the cap on debt that was almost entirely accrued before he took office, but McConnell, R-Ky., has been unmoved and has repeatedly said that Democrats must act on their own.

Lebanon's incoming finance minister signed a contract on Friday with a New-York-based company to conduct a forensic audit of the country's central bank, a key demand of the international community to restore confidence in the crisis-struck country.

Alvarez & Marsal had pulled out of an earlier deal late last year, complaining that after months of work it was not able to acquire the information it needed to conduct its audit. The withdrawal was a blow to calls for accountability in the country mired in decades of corruption which many consider a key reason for the economic meltdown.

Germany's biggest rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, and a labor union representing train drivers said Thursday they have agreed on a pay raise to end a series of strikes that had caused chaos for commuters and vacationers over the summer.

The GDL union said it secured assurances over pensions, a raise of about 3.3% over 32 months and plus two bonus payments of 800 to 1,000 euros ($940-1,180) for each member during the period