A Japanese water plant is harnessing the natural process of osmosis to generate renewable energy that could one day become a common power source. The possibility of generating power from osmosis -- when water molecules pass from a less salty solution to a more salty one -- has long been known. But »»»

A forum on the electoral rights of people with visual and hearing impairments will be held at the Ombudsman Institution in Sofia on Friday, the institution said. Organized by Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria Velislava Delcheva, the event will focus on accessible information, technological solu»»»

Doha, Qatar: There is little room left for hesitation in the top-flight Qatar Stars League (QSL). With three rounds remaining, every point now carries weight for places in the top four, for survival and for momentum heading into the closing days of the season. That urgency frames today’s meeting be»»»

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16. Five days later, solar set a new record, generating 20,120 MW of instantaneous power – covering 78.6% of demand a»»»

Over half of the Romanians admit the fact that they have committed at least one traffic violation, show the results of a sociological study made by IRES at the request of UNSAR – the National Union of the Societies for Insurance and Re-insurance of Romania.More specifically, six out of ten people s»»»

Industrial producer prices overall (domestic and external markets) fell by 1.1% in February this year compared to January 2026, while rising by 3% compared to February 2025, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).On the domestic market, the industrial »»»

Romania's permanent resident population reached 21.646 million people as of 1 January 2026, down 0.5% compared with the same period of the previous year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) data published on Thursday.The urban and female population remain in the majority, accoun»»»

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on Thursday that Romania will contact Pfizer, with which he will start a negotiation, considering that some "thoughtless decisions turn against them in a longer or shorter time"."Unfortunately, we received the news of the sentence in the first instance, unfortu»»»

Current discussions about state interventions in market mechanisms, such as price caps in various fields, bring uncertainty to the market and make companies more reluctant about future investments, claim representatives of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania)."We have »»»

The Government has decided to reduce the excise duty on diesel by 0.30 lei per liter. It will also limit fuel price updates at gas stations to just one per day. The measure is expected to be adopted through an Emergency Ordinance, “most likely on Friday.” “The working group set up by the Government»»»

Romania already has a "country project" represented by its accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), now in the final stage, and the next strategic objective will be the adoption of the euro, after rebalancing the economy and reducing the major fiscal deficit, »»»

The total number of citizens registered to vote in Romania's Electoral Register on 31 March is 19,028,813, down by 3,715 compared with 28 February.According to a Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) release sent on Thursday, 19,032,528 Romanian voters were registered in the Electoral Register on 28 »»»

Romania does not need a political crisis or minority governments and those who generate such a crisis must assume it, said premier Bolojan on Thursday. “I do not know what PSD will do, but as you can see, there have been many critics about the government situation at least on the last few months. T»»»

Romania represents a direct gateway to the European Union, having a special importance for Uzbekistan, stated on Thursday, Amirsaid Agzamhodjaev, the ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Romania with residence in Warsaw, at an event organized by the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry»»»

The Sfantu Gheorghe branch of the Danube on Thursday hosted an inter-institutional training exercise that dealt with the management of a refugee crisis in the Danube Delta area and prisoners of war, an event that was part of a wider Sea Shield exercise.The military exercise designed to secure the i»»»

Japan’s cabinet has approved a shift towards a demand-driven rice production policy, alongside new measures to address supply shortages, as prices of the staple have risen sharply in recent years. The government of Sanae T»»»

Cuba said Thursday that it will release more than 2,000 inmates. File Photo by Ernesto Mastroscusa/EPA-EFE April 3 (UPI) -- The Cuban government has announced it will pardon more than 2,000 prisoners, its second such release in less than a month. The Embassy of Cuba in Washington announced Thursday»»»

Doha, Qatar: Aneed Al Shahania clinched the H H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy while Basalt emerged the Ebraz Cup winner to light up the Al Rayyan Racecourse, which hosted major races last evening. Competing in the Local Purebred Arabians, Aneed Al Shahania returned to winning form for»»»

Milan: The head of Italy’s football federation (FIGC) resigned yesterday, falling on his sword after the men’s national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time. Gabriele Gravina revealed he would step down as the country’s top football official following a meeting held»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un petted puppies and kittens with his delighted daughter as they toured a new Pyongyang housing district, state media said Friday. The Hwasong area, formerly mostly farmland, is a newly developed residential district with about 40,000 housing units built through a seri»»»

A man armed with knives was arrested after setting off pyrotechnics on a high-speed train in Germany, injuring 12 people, police said Friday. The incident occurred late Thursday on an Intercity Express train, the German equivalent of France's TGV, bound for Frankfurt in western Germany, with around»»»

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. The 15-member body was set to vote Friday morning on a draft resolution brought by Bahra»»»

A fresh 20 cm of snow fell on Rozhen Peak, bringing the total snow cover there to 59 cm, meteorologists at the station told BTA on Friday. Snow fell in the higher parts of the Rhodope Mountains over the past 24 hours, while rain fell elsewhere. The Mountain Rescue Service in Pamporovo told BTA that»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), held a coordination meeting yesterday bringing together major suppliers in Qatar and a number of relevant local companies to enhance the resilience and sustainability of supply chains at the»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index ended the week’s trading up by 0.66 percent, raising its balance by 66.85 points to reach 10,227 points, supported by the positive performance of five sectors, particularly the industrial sector, which recorded an increase of 1.62 percent. In this c»»»

Seoul: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday Donald Trump’s mocking comments about his marriage did not merit a response, calling them “neither elegant nor up to standard”. But after days of tensions over US-Israeli strikes on Iran and over NATO, an apparently irritated Macron launched »»»

Dubai: Gold prices in Dubai edged slightly higher on Friday morning, offering a pause after the sharp declines seen through much of March. (Check latest UAE gold prices here, alongside prices in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and India.) Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Chequ»»»

Berlin: The German government announced the implementation of new regulatory measures to curb frequent fuel price fluctuations by limiting the number of price increases to once per day. Price increases are permitted once at midday, whereas price decreases may be made at any time without limit. The »»»

Doha, Qatar: Surging global oil and gas prices are creating a new set of economic challenges for countries worldwide. The most prominent of these challenges is the fight against stagflation, with major fears of stagflation, central banks are now facing a dilemma over raising interest rates to contr»»»

The UN Security Council is set to vote Friday on a draft resolution allowing a “defensive” force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran’s actions disrupt a vital global trade route. Backed by the United States, the measure comes amid rising tensions and concerns over energy supplies a»»»

North Korea will hold a ceremony this month to bury the remains of its soldiers killed while fighting overseas alongside Russia against Ukraine, state media said Friday. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops -- as well as missiles and munitions -- to support Russia's war in Ukraine. Seoul estimate»»»

The NATO alliance has in recent years survived existential challenges - ranging from the war in Ukraine to multiple bouts of pressure and insults from US President Donald Trump, who has questioned its core mission and threatened to seize Greenland. But it is the US-Israeli war with Iran, thousands »»»

Doha, Qatar: As part of its institutional responsibility and commitment to the safety of its community, Qatar University (QU) confirmed that it continues to implement measures aimed at strengthening institutional preparedness in response to the directives issued by the Ministry of Interior and rele»»»

Doha, Qatar: Hamad, Doha, Ruwais Port handled over 291,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in first quarter (Q1) of 2026, along with around 237,000 tonnes of general cargo and more than 200,000 tonnes of bulk cargo. The ports also processed nearly 25,000 RoRo units and 75,779 heads of livestock»»»

Doha, Qatar: LuLu Hypermarket marked World Autism Awareness Day 2026 by illuminating its D-Ring Road branch in blue, demonstrating support for individuals with autism and promoting awareness across the community. Aligned with this year’s global theme, “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value “wh»»»

The official opening ceremony of a Traditional Crafts Center was held at the Gapar Aitiev Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts. This event was made possible through cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Korea. The initiative aims to modernize production and introduce digital ma»»»

Over the past 60 years, the average annual temperature in Kyrgyzstan has risen by approximately 1.2°C — twice the global rate. Zhibek Kadoeva, a senior specialist at the Main Department of Environmental and Climate Policy of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, sai»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) enter a welcome luncheon at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday. Photo by Yonhap President Lee Jae Myung said Friday he and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to work together to secure the safe passage t»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Department of Islamic Research and Studies at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs will host the third seminar in its fourth season of the cultural project “Ummah Seminar” in the evening of April 7 at Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque. This season’s seminars are organised »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Doha-based Arab Centre for Educational Training for the Gulf States organised a virtual symposium yesterday on educational leadership in crises, with the participation of a select group of educational leaders and specialists from Gulf and Arab countries. The seminar, held as a cont»»»

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday they planned to boost defense cooperation and work together to address the economic and energy crises triggered by the war in Iran. Macron arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a two-day state visit after also»»»

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has asked General Randy George to step down as chief of staff of the US Army, an official said Thursday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed a report from US broadcaster CBS that said George had been asked to take immediate retirement. The »»»

President Sadyr Japarov signed a law ratifying an agreement with the International Development Association and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to finance a healthcare project. The project is part of One Health program — the first phase of an initiative aimed at pandemic pr»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, represented by the Scholarship Department and the School and Student Affairs Department, recently organised a specialised training workshop for academic advisors from both public and private schools, with the participation of approximatel»»»

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. Faced with a futile cycle of damage followed by reparations of artificial material, some beach holiday destinations are»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation (QF) is marking World Autism Awareness Day, observed annually on April 2, by lighting its headquarters in Education City, along with Education City Stadium and Sidra Medicine, in blue over three consecutive evenings. World Autism Awareness Day is a global initiative pr»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Core Curriculum Programme at the Deanship of General Studies at Qatar University (QU) organised a virtual seminar titled ‘How Does Volunteering Enhance Your Character?’ which was attended by more than 150 students from various colleges across the university. The seminar was held vi»»»

There was little sign Friday of the war in the Mideast winding down as Israel said it faced incoming fire from Iran, Kuwait and Bahrain reported being under attack, and Iran said eight people were killed while celebrating the close of Persian new year near a major bridge hit by a US strike. Tehran »»»

The United Nations announced on Thursday that it was officially resuming operations in the Sudanese capital Khartoum after three years of war. UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian and Development Coordinator in Sudan Denise Brown said the move was significant and allows UN agencies to reach all»»»

Kyrgyzstan has officially launched a national digital exchange trading mechanism for precious metals on the platform of the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE). The KSE, Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC, and Central Depository CJSC have signed a trilateral agreement enabling the free buying and selling of precious metals »»»