The International Criminal Court is alleging that Italy is not complying with the rules of the Rome statute. File Photo by Robin Utrecht/EPA-EFE April 2 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court on Thursday referred Italy to the Assembly of States Parties over a case in which it alleges the country»»»

Boris Azarenko is a Russian entrepreneur and co-founder of Vesper, a Moscow-based developer of high-end residential property. With a background in finance, Azarenko held senior positions in banking and corporate investment before moving into premium residential development, where he has helped shap»»»

US President Donald Trump has called the war on Iran an investment in the future of American children as he delivered his first address to the nation since the start of the conflict a month ago. In his speech on Wednesday, Trump claimed that Washington was never looking for regime change in Tehran,»»»

A Lebanese mother described the sharp decline in one of her last sources of income, once a pillar of her financial stability, as remittances from her son abroad dwindled in the wake of the war. “My son used to send me $600 a month. I lived on it, covered my medication and basic needs. After the war»»»

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev met with Japan’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Chikahisa Sumi on Thursday to discuss cooperation opportunities in key areas that included infrastructure development, improvement of urban environment, and cultural exchange and education, the municipality reported. The Mayor prese»»»

Three new secretaries have been appointed to Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova has appointed three new secretaries in her administration since taking office on January 20: Meglena Plugchieva, Kristiela Simeonova, and Milena Dimitrova, according to information on the President's website. Plugchieva »»»

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian parliamentary friendship group with Venezuela, Marko Milosevic, met with Venezuelan Ambassador to Belgrade Jaidys Briceno on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, support for Serbia on the Kosovo-Metohija issue and the situation in Venezuela following the event»»»

Acting Education and Science Minister Sergei Ignatov said Bulgaria and Switzerland are cooperating successfully in education and science, with a key focus of their joint work on the development of dual education and support for scientific research. He met with Swiss Ambassador Pierre Hagmann and Th»»»

Manila: The Philippines has secured assurances from Iran for the safe passage of its ships and seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, following high-level diplomatic outreach ordered by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said she held a “very productive” phone call o»»»

Argentina's government declared Iran's charge d'affaires, Mohsen Tehrani, "persona non grata" and expelled him from the country, Argentina's Foreign Minister said in a statement on Thursday. The measure orders Tehrani to leave the country within 48 hours. The decision comes in response to a stateme»»»

CAIRO: The State of Qatar participated in the extraordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of permanent representatives, held at the League's headquarters in Cairo. The session addressed Israeli crimes and violations in occupied Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christ»»»

Sharjah: A 12-year-old boy has died after drowning in Wadi Al Helo in the Kalba area of Sharjah, prompting Sharjah Police to issue an urgent warning against swimming in wadis and rainwater pools. Police said the incident was reported at 7:05pm on Wednesday, when the operations room received a call »»»

Polls ahead of the Hungarian elections point to an opposition victory, but players behind the scenes expect Prime Minister Viktor Orban to come out on top. Others say it’s a scenario ripe for a Kiev-style ‘color revolution’. READ MORE: Battle for Hungary: EU attacks on Orban are a sign of worse thi»»»

Three new secretaries have been appointed to President Iliana Iotova since she took office at the end of January, shows information on the President's website. They are Meglena Plugchieva, Kristiela Simeonova, and Milena Dimitrova. Plugchieva has been appointed Secretary for Foreign Policy. She has»»»

Doha, Qatar: President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) HE Felix Tshisekedi left Doha on Thursday, following a working visit to the country. His Excellency and the accompanying delegation were seen off upon departure from Doha International Airport by HE Minister of State for Foreign A»»»

The dollar rose sharply on Thursday after US President Donald Trump's address on Iran shattered hopes for a swift end to the conflict, sending investors towards safe-haven assets as oil prices jumped and stocks tumbled. In a televised speech, Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran in the next »»»

BELGRADE - In a statement released after a session of its head committee, the Movement of Socialists proposed an urgent reshuffle of the Serbian government, the passage of a law granting Serbian citizenship to all Serbs in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, as well as a binding referendum on t»»»

Dubai: Japan has introduced a major reform to its family law, allowing divorced couples to share custody of their children for the first time. The amendment to its Civil Code, which took effect starting this April, has marked a step away from the system that granted custody to only one parent after»»»

In a groundbreaking move to support its diaspora, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), has announced a new initiative designed to streamline banking processes for Egyptians living overseas. This initiative enables expatriates to open bank accou»»»

Dubai: Nearly everyone in the UAE knows seat belts save lives. About 95 per cent of residents, in fact. So why are only 24 per cent of rear-seat passengers actually wearing one? A new survey in the UAE has identified what it calls the single biggest opportunity to reduce road fatalities in the coun»»»

The Bulgarian brewing sector has consolidated its position as one of the most dynamically developing production branches in the country. With increased investments, innovations and adaptation to consumer attitudes, the industry has made a significant contribution to the economy, regional growth and»»»

Dubai: US President Donald Trump’s claim that he no longer “cares” about Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile is raising fresh doubts about why the war was launched at all. For weeks, Trump had framed the conflict as an urgent bid to stop Tehran from building a nuclear bomb, warning Iran was ju»»»

Over the past five years, 27 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 110 megawatts have been commissioned in Kyrgyzstan. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev said in his speech at the second meeting of the Heads of Government/Vice Presidents of the Organiza»»»

Construction of a new centre for support for children and parents began on Thursday morning with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Sofia. White doves were also released during the event as a message of kindness and peace. The facility will be named House of Children. The project is implemented »»»

Since October 2023, the Middle East and North Africa have been set ablaze, with war coming to Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, and Iran, to name but a few. In large part, Iraqis felt that they had been dodging bullets, miraculously emerging mainly unscathed amidst the mayhem. In recent w»»»

OVERVIEW No single issue dominates Thursday’s media, but the note sent by Iran to Bulgaria, the security agreement signed between Bulgaria and Ukraine, and the justice minister’s request for the disciplinary dismissal of the acting prosecutor general, are among the main topics. POLITICS Speaking on»»»

Romanian digital book streaming platform Voxa has secured more than EUR 4 million in a funding round led by Catalyst Romania. The capital is earmarked for regional growth and product development as the company eyes a dominant position in South Eastern Europe. The investment marks the 12th transacti»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded a Kyrgyzstani for her contribution to holding the Immortal Regiment march. Zulfira Khaibullina, the permanent coordinator of the Immortal Regiment — ​​Kyrgyzstan movement, was awarded the commemorative medal «80 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of»»»

April is World Autism Acceptance Month. It is a moment that has shifted from awareness to acceptance – a distinction worth pausing on. Awareness tells us something exists. Acceptance asks us what we do about it. Walk into almost any school staffroom, workplace, or family gathering and ask what peop»»»

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are determined to continue their contacts, hoping that will lead to international intervention to halt the fighting in south Lebanon, ministerial sources said. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa meanwhile traveled to Washington for the Easter»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s housing market is beginning to diverge across cities, with Jeddah recording its strongest year in recent memory while Riyadh shows signs of strain and Dammam gains ground on pricing appeal. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.According to Cavendish Ma»»»

Kennedy Space Center, United States: Four astronauts blasted off aboard a massive NASA rocket Wednesday on a long-anticipated journey around the moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. With a thunderous roar that reverberated far beyond the launchpad, the enormous orange-and-white»»»

Beirut: President of Lebanon H E General Joseph Aoun met yesterday with Ambassador of Qatar to Lebanon H E Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. At the outset of the meeting, the Ambassador conveyed the greetings of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the President of Lebanon, wishing His E»»»

Jakarta: Speaker of Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia H E Dr. Ahmad Muzani met with Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Indonesia H E Sultan bin Mubarak Al Dosari. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation and relations between the two countries.»»»

The Strategic Partnership with the United States of America remains a fundamental pillar for Romania's stability and economic development, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said on Wednesday in a social media post.Nazare had a working meeting at the Ministry of Finance with the U.S. ambassador to R»»»

The U.S. ambassador to Romania, Darryl Nirenberg, on Wednesday visited the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base to meet American troops.He is said to have highlighted the strength of the 29-year U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership.Nirenberg was joined by U.S. Defense Attaché Colonel Robert Kammerer and U.S.»»»

Doha, Qatar: Director General of Qatar Press Centre (QPC), Sadiq Mohammed Al-Amari met with Ambassador of Sudan to Qatar H E Badreddine Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed. They discussed ways to enhance media cooperation and reviewed the most prominent challenges facing Sudanese journalists amidst the ongoing»»»

Tripoli: The State of Qatar has taken part in a high-level Arab event on implementing the Arab strategy for older persons, held in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Libya, H E Dr Khalid Mohammed bin Zaben Al Dosari, represented the country at the event.»»»

BusinessUnited States of AmericaWealth tax: Why are countries afraid to tax the ultrarich?Timothy RooksGrowing income inequality and public displays of billionaire power are increasing calls for new income and wealth taxes aimed at the world's richest individuals. Can wealth ever be taxed fairly? h»»»

Doha, Qatar: GCC economies are forecast to contract this year as recent regional escalations continue to weigh on economic activity, according to ICAEW’s latest Economic Insight Q1 2026 report, produced in partnership with Oxford Economics. Set against a softening global growth backdrop, the report»»»

From missile interceptions near Abu Dhabi to travel, education and price updates, here’s what UAE residents need to know today as regional tensions continue to impact daily life. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Missile intercepted near Abu Dhabi e»»»

Four astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – blasted off Wednesday on NASA’s Artemis II, humanity’s first lunar flight in over 50 years. The 32-storey rocket soared from Kennedy Space Center, marking the start of a decade-long plan for sustainable Moon exploration and a future landing near »»»

Madrid: Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Spain H E Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi joined a meeting in Madrid with Spain’s foreign minister and Their Excellencies GCC ambassadors to discuss recent regional developments. During the meeting, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Coope»»»

Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater met with Ambassador of the Oman to Qatar H E Ammar bin Abdullah bin Sultan Albusaidi. Executive Director of Oman-Qatar Joint Labour Office Ali Abdullah Al-Eisri also attended the meeting. During the meeting, th»»»

The Bulgarian Parliament has adopted a decision establishing February 14 as the official Day of Bulgarian–Polish Friendship and Cooperation. The measure passed unanimously, receiving 165 votes in favor. The decision follows a joint initiative by the presidents of Bulgaria and Poland, introduced in »»»

Gold retreated from two-week highs on Thursday after US President Donald Trump said that Washington would continue its military campaign in Iran in the coming weeks, pushing crude prices sharply higher and dampening hopes of interest rate cuts. Spot gold was down 2% at $4,664.39 per ounce, as of 04»»»

Acting Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski said that the diplomatic note sent by Iran to Bulgaria should be viewed as standard communication in a period of heightened international tension, stressing that it does not constitute a threat but rather a formal warning. She underlined that Bulgaria mainta»»»

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has submitted for public discussion amendments to the licensing rules for veterinary medicinal products. Under the draft, requirements for businesses will not only be updated but also detailed and differentiated by type of activity — manufacturing, wholesale, »»»

1 of 6 | President Donald Trump delivers a prime-time address to the nation from the Cross Hall in the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Trump used the address to update the public on the month-long war in Iran. Pool photo by Alex Brandon/UPI | License Photo April 1 (UPI) -- President »»»

Share: Photo- Explosions targeting Hezbollah commanders rock Beirut, April 1, 2026 Lebanon says the death toll from the Israel-Hezbollah war now exceeds 1,300, more than 3,750 wounded and over1 million displaced Meanwhile, Christians in Lebanon’s south fear an escalation in Israeli incursions amid »»»