GENEVA: New data released today by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, shows that lower income countries have collectively contributed over US$ 300 million towards Gavi-supported immunisation programmes for 2025, setting a new record for annual country investment in vaccines. This performance reflects the »»»

The House on Thursday passed a bill to extend temporary protected status for Haitians that currently live in the United States on a bipartisan vote, but the bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate and may be vetoed by the White House if it is sent the President Donald Trump's desk. File Photo by »»»

First Sermon (Khutbah One)All praise is for Allah, and again all praise is for Allah. O Allah, to You belongs all praise as befits the majesty of Your Face and the majesty of Your dominion. Glory be to You—we cannot enumerate praise of You; You are as You have praised Yourself. We bear witness that»»»

In the days after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam became engulfed in a scandal over a racist photo on his medical school yearbook in 2019, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax looked poised to ascend to the post and become the state’s second Black governor. That never happened. Soon after, Fairfax dealt with his ow»»»

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, one of seven Congressional committees he testified before on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April»»»

Share: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked/File Photo Summary A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect»»»

The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against two sons of Nicaragua's presidential couple, both of whom hold government posts, as well as several enterprises involved with gold mining in the Central American country. Washington has branded the government of President Daniel Ortega and h»»»

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a cease-fire for 10 days to allow for talks about ejecting Hezbollah from that country, which Israel said is its primary goal in strikes launched on its neighbor over the last six weeks. File Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- President Do»»»

1 of 4 | White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds an illustration on Wednesday of the proposed Triumphal Arch that President Donald Trump wants to build. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- The Commission of Fine Arts voted Thursday to OK President Donald Trump's pla»»»

Republicans in the House of Representatives voted down a war powers resolution that would rein in President Trump's ability to wage war in Iran for a second time, although with just a one-vote margin this time. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Republican members of th»»»

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov Thursday expressed concern over what he described as systemic abuses within Bulgaria’s healthcare financing system, where hospitals exploit legal loopholes in order to maximize their profit and not to improve patient care, and demanded changes in the applicable»»»

Plastic sheeting serving as tents and mattresses laid on the ground: in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, the widows of fallen soldiers are struggling to survive in a makeshift camp. They say they fled the capital of North Kivu province, Goma, after it fell to the M23 rebels in January 2025. Left»»»

According to the latest population projections from Eurostat, the EU population is expected to decline by 11.7% between 2025 and 2100. This translates to a predicted decrease of 53.0 million people in the EU by the start of the next century. This information comes from the population projections pu»»»

Dimitar Karbov, the top-of-the-list candidate of Nation for Varna, is quoted by the party’s press office as saying that "Children are our greatest treasure and hope for Bulgaria’s future, which is why addressing the country’s demographic crisis is a top priority for Nation." Karbov added that solvi»»»

1 of 2 | Pope Leo XIV waves to supporters as he leaves after his visit to the Ngul Zamba orphanage in Yaounde, Cameroon, Wednesday. Pool photo by Alberto Pizzoli April 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV spent his second day in Cameroon in the city of Bamenda, the center of separatist fighting, calling for pe»»»

Tsvetan Predov, the top-of-the-list-candidate of There Is Such a People in Sliven, concluded the political party’s election campaign in the region with an address to the residents of the area, the campaign headquarters announced. In his message, Predov highlighted his years of experience in the soc»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah Museums Authority is marking the 30th anniversary of Sharjah Science Museum under the slogan “Thirty Years of Scientific Achievement”, celebrating three decades since the museum first opened its doors on April 17, 1996, and its continued role in promoting hands-on learning and scie»»»

The French government on Thursday said it was pushing for the release of an 86-year-old French citizen who has been detained by ICE since early April. Marie-Thérèse Ross, who is now widowed, moved to the US last year to marry her sweetheart from the 1950s.  French officials have said they»»»

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis makes remarks at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 8, 2025. On Wednesday, he delayed plans for the state legislature to hold a special session to redraw the state's congressional districts. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Florida»»»

British state broadcaster the BBC is set to cut between 1,800 and 2,000 jobs – about 10% of its 21,500 workforce. Interim Director General Rhodri Talfan Davies informed employees of the planned downsizing on Wednesday, citing “significant financial pressures... production inflation remains very hig»»»

The owners of the only spa hotel in Vratsa Region - Ariel in Mezdra - will expand their operations with a renovated facility at their Wine & SPA complex ChaTony in the village of Darmantsi, where a spa centre and new accommodations will be built in the family-owned winery this July. The owner of bo»»»

1 of 3 | Virginia Lieutenant Gov.-elect Justin Fairfax arrives to speak at the official Democratic watch party at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., in 2017. Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, died by murder-suicide Thursday. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Former»»»

Kahramanmaras, Turkiye: Eleven-year-old Yusuf trembled and sobbed as he clung to his father. His close friend Bayram, 10, was among eight pupils and a teacher killed on Wednesday when a 14-year-old student opened fire in their classroom, in an attack without precedent in Turkiye. "Our grief is endl»»»

1 of 2 | Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz since in began on Monday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo April 16 (UPI) -- Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. bloc»»»

Sydney: Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle claimed Thursday she has been "bullied and attacked" on social media every day for a decade and was "the most trolled person in the entire world". The 44-year-old former American actress made the comments during the couple's four-day tour of Australia, as t»»»

A US lawmaker has introduced six articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over actions tied to the war on Iran. The resolution, submitted earlier this week by Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari and backed by eight Democratic co-sponsors and several anti-war groups, outli»»»

Dubai: Parents in Dubai could soon be held legally responsible for their children’s unsafe use of electric scooters, under a new draft law aimed at curbing rising safety risks on the roads. The proposed legislation—prepared by Dubai Police in coordination with key partners including the Roads and T»»»

Europe, Middle East and Africa President of Snap, Ronan Harris (L), and Wifredo Fernandez, director of global government affairs at X, leave No. 10 Downing Street in London on Thursday morning after meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss ways to protect children safe when they are on social»»»

In the first quarter of 2026, the average subsistence minimum in Kyrgyzstan amounted to 9,290.89 soms per capita, the National Statistical Committee of the republic reported. At year-end 2025, the subsistence minimum stood at 8,697 soms. Breakdown by population groups The largest amount of funds is»»»

Bamenda: Pope Leo XIV blasted the “handful of tyrants” who are ravaging Earth with war and exploitation, as he preached a message of peace Thursday in the epicentre of a separatist conflict considered one of the world’s most neglected crises. Leo travelled to the western Cameroon city of Bamenda, w»»»

Dubai/ Sharjah: As UAE schools prepare for the gradual return to in-person learning from Monday, April 20, some schools have informed parents they will not be reopening their campuses on that date — while certain schools have made physical attendance compulsory for students who travel by private tr»»»

Dubai: In a scenic lake-side resort in Geneva, miles away from Dubai, Indian reality star, model, and influencer Farhana Bodi logs in for our conversation with her usual polish and flourish. She was on a work trip for a luxury watch event and was naturally composed, camera-ready, and effortlessly g»»»

Dubai: Changing lifestyles, increased mobility, and the rise of hybrid work models are reshaping how families in the UAE and regionally approach education, prompting a clear shift towards more flexible and personalised learning models. While traditional schooling remains central, online and hybrid »»»

Neville Sandiford earned the Guinness World Record for the oldest competitive croquet player (male) when he participated in an August 2025 tournament at the age of 101 years and 262 days old. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records April 15 (UPI) -- A New Zealand man who took up the game of croque»»»

A Ukrainian firefighter battles a massive blaze early Thursday at the scene of a Russian missile strike in the capital, Kyiv, where four people were among 16 killed in large scale aerial attacks on several Ukrainian cities overnight. Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA April 16 (UPI) -- An airborne Russi»»»

Mariam Zein cradled her 11-week-old son on a mattress on the floor where she and her family have sheltered near Beirut since the Israel-Hezbollah war upended her young family's life. "I was really excited when I was in my ninth month of pregnancy... I never thought he'd be born and there'd be war,"»»»

Incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar called on the president, Tamas Sulyok, to resign after the new government is formed, saying otherwise the new majority would seek his removal, Telex.hu reported on April 15.  According to Magyar's account, President Sulyok had told him that he, to»»»

APRIL 19 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS A sociological survey commissioned by bTV and conducted by the Market Links polling agency shows that five parties are expected to enter next Parliament, with one of them clearly standing out above the rest. The survey was conducted among 1,003 respondents aged over»»»

Veliko Tarnovo Mayor Daniel Panov called for unity and for constitutional recognition of the city as the historical capital in his address during the observances of the Day of the Bulgarian Constitution in the old capital on Thursday. The event, held at the Revival and Constituent Assembly Museum, »»»

Famine. Massacres. And now badly needed food and other supplies are under strain. Sudan on Wednesday entered a fourth year of war that's been called an “abandoned crisis,” as a new Middle East conflict throws into shadow the fighting that has forced 13 million people to flee their homes. The North »»»

Turkiye: Turkiye cracked down Thursday April 16, 2026, on social media posts praising two school shootings in two days which have left the country reeling, ordering dozens of arrests ahead of funerals for the victims, who were mostly children. Authorities said 83 people had been detained, hundreds »»»

Fourteen-year-old Fadel al-Naji used to be a keen footballer but is now largely confined to his home in Gaza City since both legs were severed in an Israeli drone attack in September. He sits sullenly on a couch with one hollow pant leg dangling and the other tucked into his waist beside his 11-yea»»»

French MPs have introduced a bill aimed at removing the statute of limitations for crimes against children. Under current legislation, survivors of rape can pursue legal action up to 30 years after the day they turn 18. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Mié Kohiyama, co-founder of the Brave Mo»»»

Ghaziabad District, Afghanistan: In the jagged Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan, hundreds of men dug into the rocky bed of the Kunar River searching for a few grams of gold dust as an alternative source of income. At the foot of imposing peaks, some still covered in snow in April, they toiled near»»»

London, United Kingdom: United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold talks on Thursday with representatives from social media firms to press them to do more to keep children safe online, as calls grow for a ban on under-16s using the platforms. "Today is about making sure social media compa»»»

Philip Morris International released its Value Report 2025, offering a holistic perspective on the company’s approach to sustainable value creation. The report marks the completion of PMI’s 2025 Roadmap, communicating achievements for each aspiration introduced by the company in 2020, and introduce»»»

Turkey: Turkey will hold funerals for nine victims killed in a school shooting by a 14-year-old, an attack that has sent shockwaves across the country, with authorities saying the suspect had referenced a US mass killer in a WhatsApp profile image. The attack in the southern province of Kahramanmar»»»

UAE: Joyalukkas, the world's favourite jeweller operating across 12 countries with 190 showrooms worldwide, has unveiled its exclusive Akshaya Tritiya 2026 collections and cashback celebrations, offering customers an opportunity to invest in eternal radiance during the most auspicious day for jewel»»»

Turkiye: Turkiye will hold funerals for nine victims killed in a school shooting by a 14-year-old, an attack that has sent shockwaves across the country, with authorities saying the suspect had referenced a US mass killer in a WhatsApp profile image. The attack in the southern province of Kahramanm»»»

Turkish police said on Thursday they had ordered dozens of arrests for people accused of posting controversial content on social media after two deadly school shootings this week. "Arrest orders were issued for 83 individuals found to have engaged in posts and activities praising crime and criminal»»»