– United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent and effective international action to halt environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. He made the appeal at the Leaders’ Summit in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Friday, October 16. The summit
– Flooding across Thailand has killed 71 people since September 16, according to the Interior Ministry. The disaster has affected 51 provinces during the period and left large areas under water. As of October 12, floods remained active in 20
– Oil prices climbed sharply on Friday, with Brent crude touching $110 a barrel for the first time since May. Worries that escalating Middle East tensions could further tighten supplies drove the rally. Brent for December delivery settled up $3.94,
– Egypt received a record $33.9 billion in remittances from citizens working abroad during the first eight months of 2026. The Central Bank of Egypt said on Tuesday, October 13, that inflows rose 27.2% from $26.6 billion a year earlier.
– Oman’s electricity production increased 4.3% year on year during the first eight months of 2026. Total output reached 37,481.8 gigawatt-hours, compared with 35,935.3 GWh in the same period of 2025. The increase amounted to about 1,546.5 GWh. Preliminary figures
– Indonesia recorded Rp131.1 trillion, about $7.33 billion, in foreign capital inflows through early October 2026. Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara presented the figure during the government’s latest state budget briefing in Jakarta. Most foreign investment moved into government bonds and
– The African Union has formally launched the Africa Credit Rating Agency, known as AfCRA, in Mauritius. The agency will provide credit assessments for African sovereigns, companies, financial institutions and other issuers. Its launch took place in Port Louis during
– Pakistan’s federal state-owned enterprises held about $36.5 billion in debt at the end of December 2025. The total increased 14.3% from a year earlier, adding roughly $4.7 billion at current exchange rates. Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance reported the figures
Health
– The World Health Organization has launched a five-year strategy to strengthen global outbreak detection. The plan aims for every country to detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours by 2030. WHO unveiled the strategy during the World
European leaders confirmed substantial financial commitments to strengthen medical infrastructure across the African continent ahead of the World Health Summit in Berlin. Official reports detail that the EU announces investment in health of almost €170 million to support resilient medical
– A daily serving of psyllium husk may help improve blood sugar control, according to clinical research. Psyllium is a soluble fiber from the Plantago ovata plant. It forms a thick gel when mixed with liquid. That gel can slow
– The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded 8,376 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,042 deaths, according to the latest figures from national health authorities. The outbreak has become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic recorded in the country. By