News
– A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck near Khuzdar in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday, October 17, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The GFZ said the quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, or about 6
– 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
Business
– 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
– 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,
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