– African countries are feeling the economic fallout of the US-Israel war on Iran, with rising fuel and fertiliser prices threatening food security, trade officials have warned. Ministers from the region and a senior UN trade official raised the concerns
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%
Travel
– Air Arabia will launch nonstop flights between Sharjah International Airport and Amman City Airport on November 15, 2026. The new route will operate four times each week and expand the carrier’s network between the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
– Air Arabia will launch nonstop flights between Sharjah International Airport and Amman City Airport on November 15, 2026. The new route will operate four times each week and expand the carrier’s network between the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
– Air Arabia will resume daily nonstop flights between Ras Al Khaimah and Kozhikode, India, on October 16, 2026. The service will restore a direct air link between the UAE emirate and the coastal city in Kerala. The airline announced
– Türkiye aims to become the world’s sixth-highest-earning country in tourism revenue, backed by a larger budget allocation for the sector in 2027. The 2027 central government budget draft sets tourism funding at $244.5 million, up from $188.4 million this
Automotive
Sports
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland lead the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Organizers released the nominees on September 8 ahead of the October 26 ceremony in London. Ousmane Dembélé, Rodri and Vinícius Júnior also
Lionel Messi has retired from international football, closing a 21-year senior career with Argentina. The 39-year-old captain finishes as his country’s record scorer with 125 goals in 207 appearances. He also holds Argentina’s record for senior international appearances. Messi led
Spain reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Portugal on Monday, as Mikel Merino scored in the 91st minute at Dallas Stadium. The substitute took a pass from Ferran Torres and finished low past Diogo Costa.
Norway reached the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time after beating Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16 on Sunday. Erling Haaland scored twice late at New York New Jersey Stadium. Brazil, the five-time champion, exited before the
