– Nearly 4,900 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak as confirmed cases passed 10,000, official figures showed on Tuesday. Ministry of Health data put the number of confirmed cases at 10,060, with nearly half
– Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted an official dinner banquet in honour of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and his delegation in Ottawa. The banquet took place during Sheikh Khaled’s official
Business
– Microsoft said on Monday it is offering voluntary buyouts to a wide range of employees as it balances a costly artificial intelligence infrastructure build-out with capital efficiency. The new voluntary exit offer covers certain workers in the United States,
– South Korea posted the second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter, exceeding the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan. The country’s surplus reached $116.63 billion in the April-June period, according to central bank data reported
– Trade between Russia and Oman grew 22-fold in the first seven months of 2026 to reach $1.5 billion, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said. He gave the figures on Tuesday, October 20, during a meeting in Moscow with
– Japan recorded a trade deficit of 536.6 billion yen in September as imports grew faster than exports, preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance showed. Exports rose 16.7% from a year earlier to 10.9723 trillion yen. Imports climbed 18.9%
– South Korea’s exports more than doubled from a year earlier in the first 20 days of October, reaching $61.6 billion on record semiconductor shipments. The Korea Customs Service released the data on Wednesday. Average daily exports, measured by working
– Brent crude touched $110 a barrel on Friday for the first time since May as escalating Middle East tensions raised fears of tighter supplies. Brent futures for December delivery settled $3.94, or 3.7%, higher at $109.86, the highest close
– Remittances from Egyptians working abroad rose 27.2% in the first eight months of 2026 to a record $33.9 billion. The Central Bank of Egypt reported the figures on Tuesday, October 13. Inflows stood at $26.6 billion during the same
– Oman’s total electricity production rose 4.3% year on year through August 2026, reaching 37,481.8 gigawatt-hours. Output stood at 35,935.3 GWh during the same period of 2025. Preliminary data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information showed growth across
Technology
– A new ultrasonic welding method developed by Russian and Chinese scientists doubles the strength of metal joints and extends component life, TV BRICS reported. The work was carried out by researchers at South Ural State University in cooperation with
– Samsung Electronics has presented new memory and storage technology strategies designed to improve the performance of artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company revealed the plans at the 2026 OCP Global Summit in San Jose, California, held from October 12 to
– Meta has launched Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, a new family of advanced artificial intelligence models. The company built the systems for software development, AI agents and complex everyday tasks. They can assist with areas such as leases,
– The European Commission has proposed a new communications network for emergency and security services across Europe. The EU Critical Communication System, known as EUCCS, would connect national networks used by police, firefighters and medical responders. Civil protection authorities would