Bangkok: Nearly 70 young Thai men sat on flimsy plastic chairs, faces tense as they waited to draw their fate from a jar -- an annual ritual deciding whether they will serve in the military. The conscription lottery, held across Thailand each April, has taken on added weight this year following sev»»»

Rex Heuermann, of Massapequa Park, Long Island, is expected to plead guilty Wednesday to the killing of seven women. File Photo courtesy of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office April 8 (UPI) -- A man who allegedly killed seven women and discarded their bodies in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island i»»»

The US, UK, and other Western powers with colonial pasts have repeatedly refused to consider reparations for the slave trade and other colonial crimes—yet have set precedents that could allow such claims to be enforced. The West "has been guided by a sense of moral superiority and legal exceptional»»»

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday called on his country's friends to help put an end to Israeli attacks following a series of deadly strikes across the country. In a statement, Salam said that while Beirut "welcomed the agreement between Iran and the United States and intensified our»»»

Bulgaria is intensifying preparations for the early parliamentary elections on April 19, with authorities emphasizing fairness, technical readiness, and the prevention of electoral violations both domestically and abroad. “It is extremely important to see whether we have fulfilled our promise to co»»»

Dubai: NASA’s Artemis II crew made history by flying farther from Earth than any humans since Apollo 13, and along the way, they gave the internet something unexpected to snack on: a jar of Nutella floating in zero gravity. Probably the only jar in the entire universe to be a part of a mission like»»»

Tunis, April 8, 2026 (TAP) – “The Role of the Media in Promoting the Energy Transition in Tunisia” is the theme of an information day organised Wednesday by TAP news agency at its headquarters, on the occasion of the inauguration of its new...»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) announced the addition of more than 800 new firms to its business platform from January to March 2026, thus recording an annual growth of 57% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2025. The QFC said in a statement Wednesday th»»»

The Employer’s Association of Labor Importers (PIFM), a member of the National Council of SMEs in Romania, is raising a critical alarm regarding the latest version of the Draft Emergency Ordinance (OUG) concerning the registration and obligations of foreign employers, released today for public cons»»»

The caretaker government revoked the Council of Ministers’ January 21, 2026 decision approving three Bulgarian candidates for European prosecutor, the government press service said here Wednesday. The move withdrew the nominations of Dimitar Belichev, Mihaela Raidovska and Plamen Petkov and ordered»»»

After the close of polls on April 19, section election commissions (SECs) will be checked to ensure that the live online video broadcast of ballot counting and tally sheet completion has been activated, caretaker Minister of e-Government George Sharkov said during a meeting with President Iliana Io»»»

Washington, United States: A Republican candidate backed by US President Donald Trump has won a runoff House election in Georgia to replace influential right-wing lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to media projections on Wednesday. Clay Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris for the US Hous»»»

TradeIranIs Iran cashing in millions from Strait of Hormuz blockade?Nik MartinAn Iranian lawmaker claims Tehran is quietly charging tankers up to $2 million for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The move threatens to turn the key waterway into a high-stakes toll booth. https://p.dw.com/p/5»»»

Sharjah: Construction has officially begun on a groundbreaking residential project in Sharjah designed around daily well-being rather than weekend escapes. Sanzen Developments’ Sukoon project will feature 859 villas and town houses across four thoughtfully designed phases, offering a lifestyle buil»»»

Spain summoned Israel's top representative to Madrid on Wednesday after the Israeli military briefly arrested a Spanish soldier from the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, foreign ministry sources said. Israel's charge d'affaires was summoned "to protest the unjustifiable detention of a Spanish UNIF»»»

BTA will publish the names of the top-of-the-list candidates of every party/coalition for all constituencies for the April 19 parliamentary elections. The information about the candidates is provided by the respective political entity, the candidates themselves and other official sources. Rosen Zhe»»»

After the close of polls on April 19, section election commissions (SECs) will be checked to ensure that the live online video broadcast of ballot counting and tally sheet completion has been activated, caretaker Minister of e-Government George Sharkov said during a meeting with President Iliana Io»»»

The government Wednesday approved EUR 5.77 million in funding to secure the operation of the Traffic Safety Fund, the government press office reported. The Fund is overseen by the Interior Ministry. It collects receipts from fines for violations related to equipment, as well as donations and other »»»

New Delhi: Bangladesh's foreign minister met his Indian counterpart in New Delhi on Wednesday, the most senior visit by a Dhaka envoy since the 2024 revolution toppled India's old ally Sheikh Hasina. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is taking part in a "goodwill visit", Bangladesh's state news agen»»»

Tunis, April 8, 2026 (TAP) – Amid tightening environmental standards imposed by the European Union under the Green Deal, Tunisian exporting companies risk seeing their access to the EU market jeopardised. To help them anticipate this regulatory...»»»

April 7 (UPI) -- A woman who jumped into the water to rescue her dog in Florida ended up needing to be rescued alongside the canine. Body camera footage released by the Hallandale Beach Police Department shows police and Broward Fire Rescue personnel lowering a ladder from the Intracoastal Waterway»»»

Caribbean Airlines confirmed a passenger on a flight from Jamaica to New York gave birth just as the flight was landing at John F. Kennedy Airport. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo April 7 (UPI) -- Caribbean Airlines confirmed a passenger on a flight from Jamaica to New York gave bi»»»

South Korea Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol (L) listens to an explanation about robots during a visit to an innovative AI company in Seoul, South Korea, 27 February 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA April 7 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's internet security agency has launched a project to dev»»»

Amy Dyson earned the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Tomb Raider games. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records April 7 (UPI) -- A British woman showed her love of her favorite video game series by earning the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Tomb Raider game»»»

New York: The UAE has expressed its deep disappointment at the UN Security Council’s failure to take decisive action to address the global repercussions caused by Iran’s illegal closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and failure to adopt a resolution put forward by Bahrain on behalf of the UAE, Kuwait, Q»»»

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister HE Shehbaz Sharif has thankedChina, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar for supporting the ceasefire process. In a post on X, he said these countries extended “invaluable and all-out support towards reaching the ceasefire” and gave “peaceful diplomatic effor»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, chaired Wednesday the regular Cabinet meeting. Following the meeting, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi stated the followi»»»

Giuseppe Carella, with more than 25 years of international business experience, assumes the position of Country Manager of Nestlé Romania on April 1, 2026. Over the course of his career, Giuseppe has built a strong track record in bringing Nestlé’s mission to life, driving innovations for local con»»»

Dubai: In the end, the deal was not decided in Washington — but in Tehran, where Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei quietly gave the green light, a decisive intervention that broke weeks of deadlock, according to Axios. The ceasefire that followed brought a sudden halt to weeks of escalating confronta»»»

The Prosecutorial College of the Supreme Judicial Council has declined to remove Borislav Sarafov from his position as Acting Prosecutor General, despite calls from the Justice Ministry to act following a recent Constitutional Court ruling. The development was confirmed by Deputy Justice Minister T»»»

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the UK's special Western Balkans envoy Karen Pierce and the signing of a contract with the pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the deal provided the best medicines in the world to Serbian patients and ens»»»

Hezbollah on Wednesday called on displaced civilians to be patient and delay returning to southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut’s Dahiyeh, vowing that they will do so soon “proud and victorious.” In a statement, Hezbollah addressed to “the most honorable people” as saying: “We call on you, in these cr»»»

Multiple Israeli airstrikes hit central Beirut hours after US and Iran announce ceasefire. The Israeli military said it struck around 100 Hezbollah sites across Lebanon on Wednesday, describing the operation as the "largest coordinated strike" since the war with Iran began. "The -army- completed th»»»

Israel launched a series of strikes on Beirut on Wednesday, hitting several parts of the capital as well as its southern suburbs. Loud booms could be heard throughout the city and smoke was rising from several points. Several of the strikes were in busy commercial and densely populated locations, w»»»

The Association of Specialized Roadside Assistance Providers in Bulgaria is organizing a national protest on Thursday, April 9, after Caretaker Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Naydenov did not invite it to recent meetings with sector representatives, the association said i»»»

Overnight stays at the Kamengrad Hotel in Panagyurishte have tripled – from about 20,000 to 60,000 per year, Nikolay Ivanov, manager of Thracian Hoteliers chain, which the Kamengrad Hotel is part of, told BTA. He said that apart from tourists, one of the main target groups are corporate clients, wh»»»

Dubai: After weeks of intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy, Pakistan has emerged as a central player in brokering a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, a breakthrough that diplomats say would not have been possible without Islamabad’s sustained efforts since the conflict began. The»»»

Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has reassured residents that the UAE remains secure and stable under its wise leadership and the vigilance of its armed forces. Speaking during a phone call on the “Direct Line” programme bro»»»

Voting machines will be used in 9,354 polling stations across the country, while 2,641 stations will operate with paper ballots only, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chair Kameliya Neykova said during a meeting with President Iliana Iotova and institutions responsible for organizing the early par»»»

Bangkok: Thailand's foreign minister confirmed on Wednesday the deaths of three Thai crew members of a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz a month ago. US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the strait, a crucial art»»»

Doha, Qatar: An official source from the Consular Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Qatari citizens are exempt from entry visas to the Republic of Albania. This came in a social media post by the Ministry, which stated that the exemption applies from April 15, 202»»»

A gas station in London, England, displays the latest price for a liter of regular unleaded on Wednesday morning hours after crude oil prices fell sharply on news disruption to the global supply of oil caused by the Iran war may be about to ease. Photo by Andy Rain/EPA April 8 (UPI) -- Global oil p»»»

The government has decided to withdraw all three Bulgarian nominations for the position of European Prosecutor, effectively restarting the procedure after identifying serious flaws in the initial selection process. The candidates affected are Dimitar Belichev, Mihaela Raidovska and Plamen Petkov, w»»»

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK would stop issuing visas to nationals from any country that demands slavery reparations from Britain, the party’s home affairs spokesman has announced, dismissing the compensation claims as “insulting.” Speaking to The Telegraph, Zia Yusuf stated that a growing number of na»»»

Germany’s military spending shot up by over 23% to €39 billion ($45 billion) last year, pushing the budget deficit to the highest level in four years, the Federal Statistical Office has reported. Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Berlin began a military buildup, with defense»»»

On April 6, the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek ordered to remand political scientist Bakytbek Zhumagulov in custody until June 10. Media reported citing the court’s press service. Photo Internet According to available information, Bakytbek Zhumagulov has been placed in pretrial detention fac»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) said it successfully managed more than 80 million cubic metres of rainwater within a week following the heavy rainfall that recently affected the emirate. The department said the volume of water handled was equivalent to around 32,000 »»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received a delegation of China's Shandong Hi-Speed Group corporation on Wednesday to discuss new possibilities for deepening cooperation in areas that are of great importance for Serbia's development. "With representatives of the Shandong Hi-Speed Group»»»

Boris Azarenko is an entrepreneur whose professional background lies in banking and finance and who later founded major property development businesses. Boris Azarenko biography: educational path and early career Born in Moscow on 21 April 1977, Boris Nikolayevich Azarenko studied Finance at the Fi»»»

Varna could become an industrial centre, GERB-UDF's top-of-the-list candidate Vladislav Goranov said during a public meeting, quoted by the coalition’s press office on Wednesday. He argued that the city has significant potential thanks to its six universities and the infrastructure already develope»»»