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»»»

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 »»»

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 »»»

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:»»»

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»»»

A private school teacher in Thessaloniki has been sentenced to two years in prison, convertible to a daily fine of €10, after being found guilty of sexually harassing six female students aged 10 and 11. The Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Thessaloniki convicted the 49-year-old of repeated indece»»»

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 »»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

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»»»

London: Reports of the death of the world's oldest living land animal - a nearly 200-year-old tortoise - were greatly exaggerated. Jonathan, believed to be 193, is still kicking - albeit slowly - on the island of St. Helena. "It was a hoax," Anne Dillon, head of communications on the island, told T»»»

The price of oil surged while stock markets fell back after U.S. President Donald Trump's address Wednesday night stoked fears the Iran war could be about to get a lot worse. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo April 2 (UPI) -- The price of oil surged while stocks retreated on Thursday afte»»»

Bulgaria has formally requested assistance from the European Union to counter potential foreign interference and disinformation campaigns ahead of its upcoming parliamentary elections, according to reporting by POLITICO and correspondence seen by the publication. In the request, Bulgarian authoriti»»»

At this point, more than half a million euros have been seized in police operations related to the upcoming elections, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said in a video published on his Facebook page on Thursday. According to him, this is the budget of a small municipality. “Against this sum, t»»»

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»»»

BELGRADE - The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade on Thursday dismissed as untrue reports by some media outlets about a fresh "raid" of the Faculty of Philosophy building in Belgrade by Criminal Police Directorate personnel. In a statement on its website, the prosecutor's office said tha»»»

Dubai: At a time when the US–Israel–Iran conflict is reshaping geopolitical and economic realities, businesses across the region are being tested on their ability to adapt and endure. Against this backdrop, Danube Group’s Founder and Chairman Rizwan Sajan is setting a strong example of leadership b»»»

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, Qatar: The Minister of State for Energy Affairs, HE Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, met today, April 2, 2026, with the Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom. Discussions during the meeting, which was held virtually, dealt with the impact of»»»

Dubai: The UAE government's decision to extend distance learning until April 17 amid regional tensions has been met with relief and gratitude by parents, who say their children's safety outweighs any disruption to routine. For Praseetha Rajesh, a mother of two whose elder daughter Anushka is a univ»»»

When three villagers from China’s Sichuan Province wrote to local officials in 2022 questioning why the government was confiscating their land and evicting them from their homes, they received a brief response: "It is a state secret." An investigation by CNN revealed that this secret centers on Chi»»»