Cuba begins prisoner release after mass pardon
Cuban authorities began to free prisoners on Friday after announcing it would pardon 2,010 inmates, the second release in less than a month as it faces heightened US pressure.
Sports
Gennaro Gattuso quit as Italy coach on Friday as the Azzurri failing to reach a third straight World Cup continued to send shockwaves through Italian football.
Automotive
The Toyota bZ7 is shaking up China’s electric luxury car segment. Developed jointly by Toyota and GAC, the five‑meter sedan is built exclusively for the Chinese market and measures roughly 5,130 mm long and 1,965 mm wide, similar to a Tesla Model S. Pricing starts at about 147,800 yuan (approximately US$21,500) and runs up to 199,800 yuan across five trim levels.The bZ7 showcases cutting‑edge technology. Its cockpit features Huawei’s HarmonyOS 5.0 interface on a 15.6‑inch touchscreen, complemented by an 8.8‑inch digital cluster and a 27‑inch head‑up display. Voice control recognizes multiple zones and commands, yet physical buttons remain for key functions. Momenta provides the R6 ADAS suite, combining LiDAR and 26 other sensors to deliver highway and urban navigation on autopilot plus automated parking without subscription fees.Passengers enjoy ventilated, heated and massaging seats, while the front seats use a zero‑gravity design for comfort. Dual‑chamber air suspension and a road‑preview system give a refined ride.
Politics
With the war in the Middle East sending global fertiliser prices soaring, the EU is coming under pressure from farmers and some member states to take action.
Technology
During the war in the Gaza Strip and two wars with Iran in the space of a year, Israel has used artificial intelligence to fine-tune its missile early warning system.
Politics
The Trump administration has fired army chief of staff General Randy George and two other senior figures, officials said Friday, in a surprise shake-up just as US forces are locked in a major war against Iran.
Politics
Myanmar's pro-military lawmakers elected junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as president on Friday, with the ex-armed forces commander set to maintain his rule in a civilian guise after snatching power by force five years ago.
Politics
The new mayor of the French capital on Friday pledged to prevent sexual violence in schools and pre-schools, saying Paris had suspended more than 30 school monitors suspected of sexual abuse since January.
Economy
Greece on Friday reshuffled its government after three cabinet members resigned as a burgeoning EU farm subsidy scandal pisled pressure on the country's conservative government.
Politics
Ukraine on Friday faced nearly 500 Russian missile and drone attacks that killed at least six people, officials said, the latest in an increasing number of daytime strikes by Moscow.
Sports
Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match at Freiburg this weekend but should be fit for their Champions League clash with Real Madrid next week, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.
Economy
A container ship declaring itself to have a French owner has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according Marine Traffic data analysed by AFP Friday.
Economy
Human remains have been found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last month, the vessel's owner said Friday, after three crew members were reported missing following the attack.
Politics
Israel said Friday it was under attack from a new barrage of Iranian missiles, as US President Donald Trump warned Washington had yet to begin "destroying what's left" of Iran's infrastructure.
Boulevard
Fraudsters running cyberscam operations in Cambodia could face life in prison after the Senate approved a new law on Friday targeting criminals involved in the multi-billion-dollar illicit industry.
Education
The French capital's new mayor on Friday pledged to prioritise preventing sexual violence in after-school programmes, after allegations that poorly recruited school monitors abused preschool pupils.
Sports
Nils Nielsen's shock exit as Japan coach after leading them to Women's Asian Cup glory was partly down to communication issues and cultural differences, officials and experts said.
Economy
Cats and dogs can now fill the hours their owners are at work with a dedicated all-day streaming channel for pets launched by Chinese tech giant Tencent.
Nature
After hours spent in the thick pollution-choking parts of northern Thailand, Pon Doikam gets home and blows her burning nose to find blood clots spattered across the tissue.
Politics
Myanmar's parliament elected junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as president on Friday, parliament said, with the ex-military commander set to maintain his rule in a civilian guise after snatching power by force five years ago.
Technology
Millions of people have been gripped by the juicy twists of an AI-generated TikTok micro-series based on the television hit "Love Island" -- except all the participants are sexy human-like fruit.
Politics
Like many of her fellow volunteers, Hungarian beautician Krisztina Menczel sat idle in the past elections that kept nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban in power.
Economy
Israel said Friday it was under attack from a new barrage of Iranian missiles, as President Donald Trump warned the United States had yet to begin "destroying what's left" with more of the Islamic republic's infrastructure in his sights.
Sports
The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder embarrassed the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 on Thursday in a blowout made more painful by the early exit of injured Lakers star Luka Doncic.
Culture
In a maze of plywood artists' studios built into a Dublin warehouse, author and filmmaker Seanan Kerr stitches together a career that -- until recently -- had little guarantee of stability.
Economy
Microsoft said Friday it will invest $10 billion in Japan over the next four years to build artificial intelligence data centres and related infrastructure.
Nature
Every winter, storms wipe out swathes of the picturesque Spanish coast, undoing summer reconstruction work and threatening the foundations of the country's vital tourism industry.
Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the Moon late Thursday after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits NASA to the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century.
Sports
Borussia Dortmund's 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign is statistically among their best ever, but their hopes of major honours this season have been derailed by a poor record against top sides.
Sports
Napoli and AC Milan will face off on Monday with Serie A leaders Inter Milan in their sights, but the return of domestic football over Easter has been completely overshadowed by the fallout from Italy failing to reach yet another World Cup.
Sports
Barcelona winger Raphinha's untimely injury heaps further pressure on teenage star Lamine Yamal ahead of the club's triple-header against Atletico Madrid.
Sports
Ex-South Africa fly-half Franco Smith's record at Glasgow Warriors has boosted his credentials amid rumours he could be in line for the Scotland head coach job.
The UN Security Council has postponed a vote scheduled for Friday on authorizing the use of "defensive" force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks, according to the official program.
Boulevard
Hundreds of Filipinos and tourists flocked to a sun-bleached field north of Manila on Good Friday to witness one of the country's most blood-soaked displays of religious fervour, undeterred by rising fuel prices driven by the Middle East war.
Politics
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.
Sports
Reigning Women's British Open champion Miyu Yamashita bounced back from an early bogey to join a three-way tie for the lead on Thursday in the LPGA Aramco Championship.
Politics
The people of Burkina Faso must "forget" about democracy, said the country's junta ruler on Thursday in an interview broadcast on national television.
Economy
A Japanese water plant is harnessing the natural process of osmosis to generate renewable energy that could one day become a common power source.
Boulevard
The federal trial of Luigi Mangione in the killing of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been delayed further to January 2027, according to court documents filed on Thursday.
Technology
Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the Moon on Thursday after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits NASA to the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century.