Cuba's government announced Thursday that it was pardoning 2,010 prisoners as a "humanitarian" gesture to mark Easter after previously pledging to release dozens amid heightened US pressure on Havana. The individuals being released include young people, women and prisoners over 60 years old who are»»»

Burkina Faso's president, Ibrahim Traore, pictured in 2025 in Moscow meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his regime have killed more than 1,800 civilians -- including dozens of children -- since taking power in September 2022. File Photo by Russian Presidential Office/UPI | License Photo »»»

Dubai: With less than two months remaining until the start of Hajj 2026, preparations are accelerating across the Muslim world as millions prepare for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the largest religious gatherings on Earth. Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is an obligation upon every Musli»»»

NICOSIA, Cyprus: Skyrocketing oil and gas prices in Europe as a result of the ongoing Iran war won't return to normal levels any time soon, even if peace is declared tomorrow, the European Union's (EU) energy commissioner warned Tuesday. Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said although there are no immedia»»»

United Airlines on Thursday announced a $10 increase to its checked baggage fees, making it the second airline this week to do so after JetBlue raised its fees by $4 or $9, depending on whether you fly on a peak or off-peak date. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- Unite»»»

General Randy George was asked to step down and retire immediately. U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George on Thursday was asked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to step down from his position and retire immediately. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- Secretary o»»»

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 in which he treated to take Iran "back to the Stone Ages." Pool Photo by Alex Brandon/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. military struck Iran's large»»»

The leaders of the UK and Australia have told their citizens to cut fuel consumption and prepare for months of hardship as a result of the US-Israeli war with Iran. But Keir Starmer and Anthony Albanese couldn’t bring themselves to name who’s responsible. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Aust»»»

The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz — amid the US-Israel war with Iran — is fast turning into a windfall for Russia, blunting Washington’s sanctions strategy and forcing a quiet recalibration of pressure on Moscow. As strikes ripple across the Gulf and threatening passage through the world’s most »»»

A survey found that despite many colleges have rules limiting or banning students' use of artificial intelligence tools for their coursework, the majority of students are using the technology at least once per month to understand material, save time or improve their performance in school. File Phot»»»

QNA Doha The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reviewed regional and international developments with President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi, during a meeting held at Lusail Palace on Thursday. The president expressed his country’s solidarity with Qa»»»

QNA Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Thursday received a phone call from Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, Masrour Barzani. During the call, they reviewed the developments of the military escalat»»»

QNA Doha The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has announced that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has strongly condemned Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan. ICAO highlighted that the attacks forced emergency measures, including»»»

QNA Doha The security of the Strait of Hormuz is an international issue, given its close link to global energy security and the safety of international supply chains, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi has said. Speaking during a»»»

Seoul: Calling for resumption of talks to resolve the ongoing conflict in West Asia, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that it would be "unrealistic" to conduct military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz. "There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hor»»»

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»»»

London: British police on Thursday launched a new national hub aimed at cracking down on the sale of banned knives and machetes, often to children, on an online "grey market". In the year ending September 2025 there were about 50,000 knife crimes in England and Wales, according to the Office for Na»»»

Damascus, April 2 (SANA) United Nations development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo said on Thursday that Post-war Syria can be a success story if “we stand with its people,” “It’s time for the international community to scale up development support — so hospitals can be rebuilt, s»»»

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., joined Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in countering President Donald Trump's renewed overtures that he wants to pull the United States out of NATO. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- Two Republican members of the U.S. Senate have broken with Pre»»»

New York: The UN Security Council today reaffirmed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and regional safety of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), praising their role in supporting international peace and security. This came in a preside»»»

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan's government on Thursday drastically raised fuel prices in response to spiking global energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict, the country's petroleum minister said in a press conference. The new prices mark an increase of 42.7 percent in petrol prices and 54.»»»

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,»»»

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has ordered the administrative closure of Desert Breeze Cafe in the Al Dhafra region, citing repeated food safety violations that pose a risk to public health. The outlet, located in Madinat Zayed Western Souk, was found to be in breach of Abu Dha»»»

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 control part of southern Lebanon post-war. "Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah's attacks must cease," the foreign min»»»

Damascus, April 2 (SANA) Syrian Energy Minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, discussed on Thursday with Iraqi Oil Minister, Hayyan Abdul Ghani, means of enhancing cooperation between the two countries in energy sector, in a way that serves mutual interests and benefits both states. During a phone call, the»»»

Talking to residents of Vratsa on Thursday, Continue the Change Chair Assen Vassilev said that what is evident from the election campaign over the past few days is yet another attempt to scare Bulgarian citizens. Referring to the 10-year bilateral security agreement signed between caretaker Prime M»»»

Iran said on Thursday it was drafting a peacetime protocol that would supervise maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, state media reported, with Tehran's closure of the vital oil corridor roiling the global economy. Deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Russia's Sputnik »»»

New measures for the hospitality sector and wider economy announced this week by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, are set to strengthen business resilien»»»

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»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages." Trump posted footage on social media of smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 20 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of Tehran -- and»»»

An appeals court overturned the sentence of Tina Peters, convicted for stealing elections data in Colorado. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- A Colorado appeals court on Thursday threw out the sentence of Tina Peters, a former elections clerk, who was convicted in an e»»»

For families with children under the age of 18, the main risk cited is that of a difficult situation arising within the family. In this context, the analysis revealed that life insurance has great potential and can be an important financial solution for alleviating concerns about insufficient incom»»»

The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) Thursday said it had dismissed an appeal filed by the Velichie party against a Central Election Commission (CEC) decision of March 28, specifically the part determining the locations and number of polling stations in Germany and in the United Kingdom and North»»»

1 of 5 | Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives to hear President Donald Trump deliver a prime-time address to the nation from the Cross Hall in the White House in Washington D.C., on Wednesday. Pool photo by Alex Brandon/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump fired Attorney Genera»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

Ankara: Turkiye on Thursday warned of a wider war in the Middle East amid rising regional escalation. In a statement on the latest developments, Turkish Ministry of Defense emphasized that all conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, in line with international law, and affirmed »»»

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»»»

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»»»