– 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.

    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

    – 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

    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.

    Health

    – Ebola has killed 5,340 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 10,351 confirmed cases recorded as of October 29, the Ministry of Health announced. The case fatality rate stood at 51.6%, according to a statement on the

    – 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

    – Bangladesh recorded 173 dengue deaths in October, its highest monthly toll of 2026, pushing the year’s total to 418, Reuters reported citing health ministry data. More than 133,000 people had been hospitalized with the mosquito-borne disease as of October

    Travel

    – Türkiye has set its sights on becoming the sixth-highest-earning tourism country in the world, according to its 2027 central government budget draft. Anadolu Agency reported that the draft allocates $244.5 million to tourism, compared with $188.4 million this year.

    – Air Arabia will start nonstop flights from Sharjah International Airport to Amman City Airport on November 15, 2026. The carrier will operate the route four times a week. The service will add another direct connection between the United Arab

    – Air Arabia will restart daily nonstop flights between Ras Al Khaimah and Kozhikode on October 16, 2026. The service restores a direct connection between the UAE emirate and the southern Indian state of Kerala. Bookings are already available through

    – flydubai presented its growing Levant route network at the Syria Travel Show in Damascus as the regional low-cost carrier expands direct connectivity between the United Arab Emirates and key Syrian commercial hubs. Participating in the event hosted under the

    Emirates has officially entered the northern winter travel period with robust forward booking metrics across its international passenger route network. The Dubai-based flag carrier concluded its summer operational cycle ahead of initial corporate projections, supported by sustained leisure and premium

    Etihad Airways will begin year-round flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport on Oct. 4, 2026. The carrier will operate one weekly service at launch. It will raise the frequency to two flights a week from

    Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s main airport and several regional airports Tuesday after ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted air travel. The volcanic activity affected nearly 3,000 flights and more than 340,000 passengers across the country. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed operations after authorities

    Low-cost carrier operator Air Arabia announced a strategic expansion of its Southeast Asian operations on Friday, increasing flight frequencies between the United Arab Emirates and Thailand. Starting October 25, 2026, the airline will introduce a fourth daily non-stop service connecting

    South Korea welcomed 2,093,223 foreign visitors in July 2026, extending a strong recovery in international tourism. The monthly total increased 20.8% from 1,733,199 arrivals recorded in July 2025. It also stood 44.6% above the level reached in July 2019, before

    Air Arabia will start nonstop flights between Sharjah and Gdansk on Dec. 14, 2026, adding a new connection between the UAE and northern Poland. The airline will operate five flights each week between Sharjah International Airport and Gdansk Lech Walesa

    Technology

    Middle East and Africa Private Market Place (MEAPMP) today announced the commercial launch of its revamped independent supply-side platform (SSP) and curated media marketplace, connecting enterprise media buyers and agencies directly with premium regional inventory across 73 countries. Operating from

    Sports

    Automotive

    Jaguar unveiled the production Type 01 in New York on October 6, marking a major product launch for the British luxury brand. The four-door electric grand tourer is the first production Jaguar based on the dedicated Jaguar Electric Architecture. It

    Entertainment

    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, runs through