– India lifted an estimated 496 million people out of poverty between 2011 and 2023, according to the World Bank’s October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief. The share of Indians living in extreme poverty fell from 27.1% to just 2.6%
News
Business
– Kenya is banking on new coffee varieties to boost production, improve yields and help farmers cope with climate change as it targets annual output of 150,000 metric tonnes. Henry Kinyua, chairperson of the Coffee Board of Kenya, said researchers
– Global registrations of battery-electric vehicles rose 12% in the first nine months of 2026 to a record 11 million, driven by strong growth in Europe, according to a study by consultancy PwC. Europe accounted for 2.5 million electric cars,
– Oil prices rose on Wednesday, with Brent crude futures climbing $1.48, or 1.3%, to $115.36 a barrel by 01:40 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained $1.22, or 1.22%, to $101.12 a barrel. The increase reversed part of
– 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
– Foreign capital inflows into Indonesia’s financial markets reached Rp131.1 trillion, about $7.33 billion, through early October 2026. Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara announced the cumulative figure during the government’s monthly state budget briefing in Jakarta. The Finance Ministry said government
– The African Union officially launched the Africa Credit Rating Agency, or AfCRA, in Mauritius on October 7. The new institution will focus on African sovereigns, companies and other issuers. AfCRA plans to provide independent credit assessments using African data,
– Pakistan’s federal state-owned enterprises carried debt equal to about $36.5 billion at the end of December 2025. The total rose 14.3% from a year earlier, adding roughly $4.7 billion at current exchange rates. The Ministry of Finance published the
– The UAE recorded $63.353 billion in outward foreign direct investment in 2025, according to UN Trade and Development. The country’s total outward FDI stock reached $402.729 billion by year-end. That compares with $55.560 billion in 2010, showing a sharp
– Pakistan petrol prices moved higher again on October 6 after another daily fuel revision. Petrol increased by Rs0.88 per litre to Rs393.64, extending the rise recorded three days earlier. High-speed diesel moved in the opposite direction, falling by Rs1.88
Technology
– Apple introduced a new MacBook Pro with a PROLED XDR display based on tandem OLED technology, along with touch support on a Mac for the first time. The laptop comes in 14-inch and 16-inch models powered by M5 Pro
Sports
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will open on Saturday, October 31, and run until November 13, marking the first Olympic sporting event ever held on African soil. The Games will bring together the world’s best young athletes, with 2,655
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland are among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Organizers announced the men’s shortlist on September 8 before the awards ceremony in London on October 26. Ousmane Dembélé, Rodri and
Lionel Messi has ended his international career with Argentina after 21 years at senior level. The 39-year-old leaves with national records for both appearances and goals. Messi played 207 matches for Argentina and scored 125 times. His international career included
International motorsport governance and European state leadership converged at the Hungaroring circuit as Federation Internationale de l’Automobile President Mohammed Ben Sulayem held high-level meetings with regional government figures during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Official reports published by Emirates
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.
