Qatar landmarks glow in blue for World Autism Awareness Day
DOHA: Landmarks and institutions across Qatar were illuminated in blue on Thursday evening in a unified show of support for World Autism Awareness Day, observed annually on April 2. The initiative reflects the country’s participation in the global autism awareness campaign, held this year under the»»»
Man’s body found near stream in eastern Attica
Authorities in the eastern Attica district of Zefyri are investigating after a man’s body was found near a stream. Residents alerted police earlier that a man had been swept away by floodwaters near the Eschatia stream. A forensic examination has been ordered to determine the cause of death. Storm »»»
Sofia Mayor and Ambassador of Japan Discuss Cooperation Opportunities in Key Areas
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»»»
Arab League Urges Action to Force Israel to Repeal Prisoner Execution Law
The Arab League strongly condemned on Thursday the Israeli Knesset’s approval of a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners. It urged the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council, to act urgently to compel Israe»»»
OxfordAQA cancels IGCSE and A Level exams in UAE for May/June 2026 series
Dubai: UK exam board OxfordAQA has cancelled all International GCSE and International A Level exams in the UAE for the May/June 2026 series. The announcement came in an email to UAE schools on Thursday, signed by Rob Bryson, Director of International Delivery, and seen by Gulf News. “After consulti»»»
GERB–UDF MP Candidates Support Charity Campaign in Kyustendil
The top candidate on the GERB–UDF list in Kyustendil, Hristo Terziyski, along with youth members of the local organization, coordinator Neli Tocheva, and PM candidates Mark Kyurkchiev and Polina Mileva, took part in a charitable initiative, “Books Heal,” the GERB-UDF press centre reported. During a»»»
U.N. urges El Salvador to review life sentences for minors - UPI.com
The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights wants authorities in El Salvador to reconsider constitutional and legal changes that allow life sentences for minors as young as 12. File Photo by Rodrigo Sura/EPA April 2 (UPI) -- The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human»»»
Iran Hangs 18-Year-Old Over Protests in Latest Wartime Execution, Say Activists
Iranian authorities Thursday executed a teenager convicted over January protests after a fast-track trial rights groups labelled as "grossly unfair", as the country ramps up executions during the war with the US and Israel. Amir Hossein Hatami, 18, was sentenced to death in February along with six »»»
President Iotova Appoints Three New Secretaries in Her Administration since Taking Office in Late January
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 »»»
Golden helmet, bracelets recovered year after Dutch museum theft - UPI.com
The recovered golden helmet of Coțofenești and two gold bracelets that were stolen from the Drents Museum are being shown to the press in the presence of a heavily armed officer in Assen, the Netherlands, on Thursday. Photo by Sam van der Wal/EPA April 2 (UPI) -- An ancient golden helmet and two br»»»
Capital planning commission to vote on White House ballroom plans - UPI.com
The East Wing of the White House was demolished in October. The National Planning Commission will meet today to vote on the ballroom plans. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on President Donald Trump»»»
Back to Israeli Occupation of South Lebanon?
A month into Israel's war against Hezbollah, invading Israeli troops are gradually advancing in south Lebanon, raising fears for the area's fate following the last Israeli occupation that lasted nearly two decades. Since war erupted last month, Israeli officials have said Israel intends to establis»»»
Israel Says Hezbollah Chief to Pay ‘Heavy Price’ for Jewish Holiday Attacks
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday warned that Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem would pay an "extraordinarily heavy price" for escalating attacks during the ongoing Jewish holidays. "I have a clear message for Naim Qassem... you and your associates will pay an extraordinarily heavy »»»
Veteran sports journalist discharged after two-year recovery
Long-serving sports journalist Manolis Mavrommatis, a household name in Greece, has been discharged from a rehabilitation center after two years of treatment for injuries sustained in a major fire at his Athens apartment. Mavrommatis and his wife, Rena Venieri, were rescued from the heavily damaged»»»
Qatar participates in ministerial meeting on developments related to Strait of Hormuz
Doha: The State of Qatar participated in a ministerial meeting on developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, held on Thursday via videoconference at the invitation of the United Kingdom's Foreign Office. Qatar was represented at the meeting by Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs»»»
Danish warship sunk by Nelson's British fleet discovered after 225 years
Copenhagen: More than 200 years after being sunk by Adm. Horatio Nelson and the British fleet, a Danish warship has been discovered on the seabed of Copenhagen Harbor by marine archaeologists. Working in thick sediment and almost zero visibility 15 meters (49 feet) beneath the waves, divers are in »»»
Milosevic, Venezuelan ambassador discuss situation in Venezuela, support for Serbia
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»»»
MoCI and QDB hold coordination meeting with suppliers and companies
DOHA: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), held a coordination meeting on Thursday, bringing together major suppliers in the State of Qatar and a group of relevant local companies to enhance the resilience and sustainability of supply chain»»»
Interior Minister Sees Increased Public Trust in Ministry’s New Leadership as Police Target Vote Buying across Bulgaria
Caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev Thursday said that public trust in the Ministry’s new leadership has increased. He pointed to what he described as a several-fold increase in alerts about election-related crimes compared to the October 2024 parliamentary elections. Dechev noted that the Mini»»»
ICAO Council condemns Iranian attacks on Gulf states and Jordan, affirms threat to aviation safety
Doha, Qatar: The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), during its 237th session, adopted a firm resolution based on a joint working paper submitted by the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Kuw»»»
Iran Fires on Israel as Trump Claims Threat from Tehran Nearly Eliminated
Iran fired more missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states Thursday, demonstrating Tehran’s continued ability to strike its neighbors even as US President Donald Trump claimed the threat from the country was nearly eliminated. Iran’s attacks on Gulf states along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hor»»»
UN Experts Call for Investigation into Israel's Killing of Lebanese Journalists
UN experts on Thursday called for an international investigation into the death of three Lebanese journalists in an Israeli strike, saying Israel had not provided "credible evidence" of their alleged links to armed groups. The three journalists, including Ali Shoeib, a star correspondent for Al Man»»»
Democrats sue to block Trump order restricting mail voting
Democrats have filed a lawsuit seeking to block US President Donald Trump’s latest executive order restricting mail-in voting, arguing that the Constitution gives states and Congress – not the president – the authority to decide voter eligibility for mail ballots. Trump on Tuesday signed an executi»»»
US lifts sanctions on Delcy Rodriguez as ties with Venezuela shift after Maduro raid
The US has removed the sanctions on interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The move was announced on Wednesday and marks a significant policy shift as Washington builds closer ties with Caracas after kidnapping Venezuel»»»
Syria’s al-Sharaa pushes back on German Chancellor Merz’s 80% refugee repatriation claim
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has denied claims that he told German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that up to 80% of Syrians living in Germany could be convinced to return home within three years. Merz cited the figure and timeline on Monday during a joint press conference with al-Sharaa, a former jihad»»»
Man remanded in custody over 2025 Rhodes hotelier murder
A 49-year-old man arrested in January in connection with the murder of a 64-year-old hotelier on Rhodes in May 2025 has been remanded in custody, following a joint decision by a prosecutor and an investigating magistrate on the island. In his preliminary testimony, the suspect, arrested in Germany »»»
Gojkovic meets with governor of China's Hebei province
NOVI SAD - The head of the Vojvodina provincial government Maja Gojkovic met on Thursday in Novi Sad with a delegation of China's Hebei province, headed by Governor Wang Zhengpu. The parties noted that firm foundations were in place for strengthening the cooperation in areas of mutual interest. In »»»
European Nations Say Israel, Hezbollah Fighting ‘Must Cease’
Eighteen European countries on Thursday urged Israel and Hezbollah to stop fighting as their latest conflict reached one month and with fears over Israeli plans to occupy part of southern Lebanon post-war. "Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah's attacks must cease," the foreign mini»»»
Court issues more fines over hotel floor demolition delays
Greece’s top administrative court has ordered the state to pay €10,000 in compensation to four residents over delays in enforcing a ruling to demolish upper floors of a controversial hotel in central Athens. The case concerns the Coco-Mat Athens BC in the Makriyianni district, a 10-storey building »»»
MoPH delegation inspects food, medicine inspection units and Food Safety Laboratory at Abu Samra border
Doha, Qatar: A delegation from the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), headed by Dr Ghanim Ali Al Mannai, Assistant Undersecretary for Healthcare Regulatory Affairs, conducted an inspection visit to the MoPH food and medicine inspection units and the Food Safety Laboratory at the Abu Samra border cro»»»
Medical Needs Surging in Iran and Supplies Under Threat, Red Cross Warns
Emergency medical needs in Iran are rising exponentially, and stocks of trauma kits and other gear could run low if the war persists, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation there said on Thursday. More than 1,900 people have been killed since the»»»
War Crimes Complaint Filed in France Over 2024 Deadly Israeli Strike in Beirut
A complaint filed Thursday in France seeks a war crimes investigation into an Israeli strike on a Beirut apartment building in November 2024 said to have killed seven civilians including the parents of a French-Lebanese artist, a human rights group said. The artist, Ali Cherri, and the Internationa»»»
Report: Egyptian initiative stalls despite Berri's involvement
The Egyptian intelligence's initiative for a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel remains stalled "in the study and consultation phase," with no final response yet from either side, despite Speaker Nabih Berri's involvement in the negotiations, sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. A week af»»»
Democratic Party, Green-Left Front reject Vucic's invitation to consultations
BELGRADE - Serbia's opposition Democratic Party and the Green-Left Front announced on Thursday they would not be taking part in consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. In a statement, Democratic Party leader Srdjan Milivojevic said the party would not be participating in the consulta»»»
UK’s Pearson cancels International GCSE, A Level and iPLS exams in UAE for May/June 2026
Dubai: UK exam board Pearson Edexcel on Thursday confirmed the cancellation of school exams across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon for the May/June 2026 series. All International GCSE, International A Level and iPLS qualifications will be cancelled, according to an announcement made by Emma Wh»»»
Education Minister: Bulgaria Has Tradition in Dual Education, Builds on It with Swiss Programme
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»»»
Germany Limits Polling Station Locations to 40, Says CEC Spokesperson
Germany does not allow the establishment of polling stations in more than 40 locations, although more than one voting section may be set up at some of them, Central Election Commission (CEC) spokesperson Rositsa Mateva said on Thursday at a regular weekly briefing on the April 19 elections. On Wedn»»»
Philippines secures from Iran 'safe passage' of its ships, seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz
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»»»
Eight Arab, Muslim Countries Condemn Israeli Death Penalty Law
DOHA (Sputnik) - Foreign Ministers of Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE condemned Israel for passing a death penalty bill for terrorists and warned it will heighten regional tension, according to a joint statement released on Thursday. On Monday, Israeli Mini»»»
Macron Says it is Unrealistic to Open Hormuz Strait by Force
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump challenged US allies to work towards reopening it. Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since February »»»
Qatar participates in Arab League emergency meeting on Israeli crimes in Jerusalem, law to execute Palestinian prisoners
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»»»
International Federation of Gymnastics Bends Over Backwards to Show Double Standards Against Russia
On April 1, the Federation threatened possible disciplinary action against 15-year-old Russian gymnast Sofia Ilteryakova after she failed to turn toward the flags raising behind her at an awards ceremony at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria on March 30. The event was Ilteryakova’»»»
Iran Almost Finalized Draft of New Navigation Regime in Strait of Hormuz
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran has nearly completed its draft protocol, which would establish a new navigation regime in the Strait of Hormuz, and plans to begin talks with Oman to develop a joint solution, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in an interview with Sputnik. "The draft of »»»
IRGC Says Attacked US-Linked Industrial Facilities in Middle East
TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The Iranian military has attacked US-linked steel and aluminum industry facilities in the Middle East, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday. Iran has previously said that US and Israel attacked facilities of the Iranian metallurgical companies Khouzest»»»
Artemis II astronauts complete first burn, head back to sleep - UPI.com
1 of 6 | The Earth is seen from NASA’s Orion spacecraft as it orbits above the planet during the Artemis II test flight. NASA astronauts launched at 6:35 p.m. EDT on Wednesday for a 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth. Image courtesy of NASA April 2 (UPI) -- The Artemis II astronauts h»»»
Qatar Armed Forces successfully intercepts drones from Iran: Defense Ministry
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Defense has announced that Qatar was subjected to an attack today, April 2, involving a number of drones launched from Iran. The Ministry also confirmed that all incoming drones were successfully intercepted and neutralized by the Qatar Armed Forces.»»»
10 days to election: Campaign in Hungary resembles political spy movie
In our ongoing weekly digest, award-winning journalist Veronika Munk summarises and explains the most important political developments in Hungary. We guide readers on the route to the crunch 12 April 2026 election — a poll without precedent in the region over the past 15 years. This week, we cover:»»»
Athens road fatalities drop 75% in March
Road accident fatalities in the greater Athens area fell by 75 percent in March compared to the same month last year, according to the latest traffic police data. A total of 433 traffic accidents with 511 injuries were recorded, resulting in four deaths, a 75% decrease from March 2025. Authorities »»»
Dacic back at work, to start returning to ministerial duties on Monday
BELGRADE - Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced on Thursday he was back at work following a 36-day sick leave and that he would be returning to his duties from next Monday. "In the coming days, I will have to follow all instructions given to me by doctors and be careful. From Monday, I w»»»
Was the crashed Batroun drone headed to Hamat airbase?
MP Ghayath Yazbek of the Lebanese Forces said Thursday that an "Iranian-made" drone that crashed earlier in the day in the Batroun district had been headed to the nearby Hamat airbase, which is used by U.S. forces, suggesting that Hezbollah and Iran were behind it. "They have lost their political a»»»