News
– UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Dr Markus Söder, Minister-President of the German state of Bavaria, in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Söder is on a working visit to the UAE. He has led the Bavarian state
– 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%
Business
– Botswana’s diamond-dependent economy is showing signs of recovery after a two-year slump, with fiscal authorities raising this year’s growth forecast to 3.8% from an initial 3.1%. The upgrade reflects stronger diamond production in the first half of the year.
– Gold and silver prices jumped on Wednesday, while the US dollar fell, as projections pointed to major Democratic gains in the US midterm elections. Spot gold rose 3.4% to $4,061.30 an ounce, and spot silver climbed 5.1% to $52.29
– Indonesia recorded a cumulative trade surplus of $10.61 billion from January to September 2026, driven mainly by strong non-oil and gas exports, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said on Monday. Non-oil and gas trade generated a surplus of $34.21 billion, more
– Half of Africa’s 20 largest banks are building a multi-billion-shilling war chest to expand in Kenya, racing for a share of one of East Africa’s most profitable financial services markets. The lenders are injecting fresh capital into their Kenyan
Health
– Dengue fever has killed 418 people in Bangladesh this year, after October became the deadliest month of the outbreak so far, Reuters reported. More than 133,000 people were admitted to hospital with the disease between January 1 and October
Entertainment
CALIFORNIA: Sony Interactive Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio announced on February 12 that the original God of War trilogy is being remade, reviving the series’ Greek era in a project the studio said is still in very early development. The announcement was made during
Apple is expanding its Apple Arcade subscription service with a slate of new titles and major updates launching throughout September. Headlining the lineup is NFL Retro Bowl ’26, which debuts exclusively on the platform on September 4. Developed by New Star
The 47th edition of the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) commenced on Thursday in the Russian capital, opening a week-long program that will spotlight 200 films representing 50 countries and regions. The festival, one of the oldest in the world,
Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” has set a new benchmark in the film industry by becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, with global earnings surpassing $1.085 billion. This record was previously held by “Joker” from Warner Bros., signaling a significant achievement