Business
– Brent crude rose above $115 a barrel on Wednesday as traders reacted to reports of possible renewed US strikes on Iran. Brent futures climbed $1.48, or 1.3%, to $115.36 by 01:40 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose
– Microsoft is offering a voluntary exit package to about 27% of its workforce as it seeks to fund a costly AI infrastructure expansion while protecting capital efficiency. The offer, announced on Monday, applies to certain employees in the United
– South Korea’s current account surplus reached $116.63 billion in the second quarter, the second-largest among major economies after China, central bank data showed. The surplus was larger than those of Germany and Japan combined, Yonhap News Agency reported. China
– Bilateral trade between Russia and Oman reached $1.5 billion in the first seven months of 2026, its highest level in a decade, according to Sergei Shoigu. The Secretary of Russia’s Security Council said trade had increased 22-fold over the
– Japan’s exports rose for a 13th straight month in September, but faster growth in imports left the country with a trade deficit of 536.6 billion yen. Preliminary figures from the Ministry of Finance showed exports up 16.7% year on
– South Korea’s semiconductor exports surged 222.5% year on year to $27.5 billion in the first 20 days of October, driving total exports to $61.6 billion. Overall outbound shipments more than doubled from the same period last year, according to
Technology
Health
– 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
– Malaria has killed 22 people in Namibia’s Zambezi Region this year, as cases since January reached 33,944, health authorities said. Three clinics, Muyako, Choi and Sesheke, have emerged as the main hotspots. They accounted for 49% of the 706
– The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded 9,765 Ebola cases and 4,727 deaths as new clusters emerge in remote parts of the country, the World Health Organization said. WHO called for stronger epidemiological surveillance to contain the spread
– More than one in five women diagnosed with breast cancer in five sub-Saharan African countries were younger than 40, according to a study highlighted by St. George’s University. The figure of 21.9% has prompted the university to call for
– The World Health Organization has set a target for countries to identify and understand new health threats within 24 hours by 2030. WHO placed the goal at the center of a new five-year strategy for its Hub for Pandemic
Strategic capital deployments aimed at international medical sovereignty are accelerating as European authorities commit targeted funding to African healthcare systems. Ahead of the World Health Summit, the EU announces investment in health of almost €170 million to secure regional supply
– Psyllium husk may help people improve blood sugar control when used regularly as part of their diet. The fiber comes from the Plantago ovata plant and absorbs water inside the digestive system. This creates a gel that can slow
– The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 8,376 confirmed cases and 4,042 deaths. National health authorities reported the updated total on October 5 as transmission continued across several parts of the country. The epidemic