Tunis, April 2 (TAP) - The Bureau of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) on Thursday condemned the Zionist entity's adoption of a bill authorising the death penalty against Palestinian prisoners, denouncing a measure of "fascist and...»»»

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»»»

The Progressive Bulgaria coalition leader, Rumen Radev, told residents of Krumovgrad and Momchilgrad, Southern Bulgaria, that Progressive Bulgaria will not coalesce with GERB leader Boyko Borissov or with MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski, the coalition press service reported on Thursday. R»»»

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»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior has issued a public notice urging the public to refrain from playing videos or audio recordings that include the National Warning System alert sound. In a statement released on Thursday, April 2, 2026, the Ministry emphasized that using these alert tones as mob»»»

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»»»

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 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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

US-Israeli strikes hit a bridge near Tehran on Thursday, which had already been hit around an hour earlier, Iranian state TV reported. "A few minutes ago, the American-Zionist enemy once again targeted the B1 bridge in Karaj," a city west of Tehran, state TV said, adding that the first strike had c»»»

Concentrations of Saharan dust over Crete reached up to ten times recommended limits on Wednesday, as strong winds from North Africa carried a dense orange haze across the island, according to data from the University of Crete. Winds of up to 140 km/h transported large quantities of dust from easte»»»

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»»»

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’»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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:»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Thursday in Belgrade with Milorad Dodik, leader of the Republika Srpska party Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, to discuss all important matters for Serbs in the region. "I especially informed Dodik of an attempt to erode stability and se»»»

Dubai: Cambridge International Education has announced that schools in the UAE will not sit traditional exams in the June 2026 series, replacing them with a portfolio of evidence route for all candidates. The decision, made in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Education, affects students taking»»»

Hezbollah has, in recent days, activated the use of surface-to-air missiles to target Israeli drones, in addition to firing them at helicopters and fighter jets, according to statements it issued. It reported the downing of several drones in southern Lebanon and damage to a helicopter, while expert»»»

Greece’s “deport or jail” migration policy is failing in practice, data shows. Greek police issued 26,527 removal orders in 2025, but completed only 5,736 actual deportations. Roughly 1,800 migrants are held in pre-departure detention centers, with another 200 in police stations — far short of what»»»

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»»»

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»»»

London: Shipping companies from Greece, the UAE and China are most affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from Bloomberg and marine traffic organisations. Around 670 commodity vessels sent signals from west of the Strait of Hormuz over the last day, with companies from t»»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Lebanese Health Ministry reports 1,345 martyred and 4,040 wounded since the onset of Israeli aggression 02-04-2026 17:22 PM Latest News Urg»»»

In rugged terrain along the Syrian-Lebanese border, yellow bulldozers raised earthen berms in front of armoured vehicles while soldiers combed through tunnels they said were used by Hezbollah, as Syria reinforces its side of the border. Syria is seeking to stay out of the regional war, whose flames»»»

Paris, France: Citigroup has urged staff in Paris and Frankfurt to work from home, a company spokeswoman said Thursday, as US banks step up security following a thwarted attack against another US financial institution over the weekend. "The safety of our employees is our number one priority, and we»»»

NEW YORK: The State of Qatar has sent a 10th identical letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations HE Antonio Guterres, and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for April, HE Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, regarding the latest »»»

New York: The State of Qatar has sent a 10th identical letter to HE Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, and HE Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of April, Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, regardin»»»

DOHA: Minister of State for Energy Affairs HE Saad Sherida Al Kaabi met with Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom HE Ed Miliband. Discussions during the meeting, which was held virtually, dealt with the impact of the ongoing regional conflict on the global energ»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov has announced that authorities have seized more than half a million euros in what he described as funds intended to influence or distort the outcome of the upcoming elections in Bulgaria. In a recorded video message distributed on social media, he said the gov»»»

Dubai: Airfares from the UAE are climbing sharply as airlines grapple with a surge in jet fuel prices, tighter capacity and operational disruptions linked to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East. For travellers planning summer holidays or last-minute trips, the message is becoming »»»

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 »»»

Sudan has appointed General Yassir al-Atta, a member of the country's Sovereign Council and assistant to the commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chief of staff of the country's Armed Forces, a military spokesman told Reuters on Thursday. The move is the most significant personnel shift since»»»

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Thursday there was no end in sight to a war that had already displaced a million people over the last month, as families fleeing Israeli strikes said they were exhausted by repeated rounds of conflict. Lebanon is entering the second month of conflict betw»»»

Several tour guides in Nepal ran a fake helicopter rescue racket to defraud insurance companies in Australia and the UK, the Kathmandu Post has reported. Investigations by the paper revealed that the guides first staged a medical emergency, called in a helicopter, and checked tourists into a hospit»»»

Iran has accused the US and Israel of genocide over the “deliberate” targeting of schools and education facilities in strikes on the country. In a post on X on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said more than 600 schools and educational facilities across Iran have been targeted i»»»

Poland will not relocate its American-made Patriot air defense missile systems to the Middle East to help the US intercept attacks from Iran, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has said. Despite US President Donald Trump claiming that the Pentagon has an “unlimited” stockpile of weap»»»

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»»»

The Hague: Dutch authorities on Thursday showed off a recovered priceless gold 2,500-year-old helmet from Romania that was stolen last year during a brazen heist in the Netherlands. Flanked by balaclava-clad police officers, a spokesman for Dutch prosecutors unveiled the 5th-century BC golden Helme»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the passing of HH Princess Aljawhara bint Faisal bin Abdullah Al Abdul»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "Both sides emphasized the need for a rapid cessation of hostilities and the intensification of political»»»

The Senate Thursday sent a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security back to the House of Representatives. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- The Senate sent its bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security back to the House Thursday morning after t»»»

In a step reflecting a strategic shift in regional energy routes, Baghdad has officially begun exporting crude oil via Syria, in an effort to bypass the paralysis that has affected traditional maritime trade corridors. The move, which Damascus described as a return to its role as a “transit compass»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Athletes Commission of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) held its Ordinary General Assembly meeting 2026 on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Secretary-General of the Commission Mutaz Essa Barshim, in the presence of Assistant Secretary-General of the Athletes Commission Nada Mo»»»

Dubai: Dubai is accelerating its push toward an AI-driven government, with all public services set to be integrated into a single digital ecosystem within one year. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.The directive was issued by Sheikh Hamdan bin Moha»»»