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
Travel
– Air Arabia will launch nonstop flights between Sharjah International Airport and Amman City Airport on November 15, 2026. The new route will operate four times each week and expand the carrier’s network between the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
– Air Arabia will resume daily nonstop flights between Ras Al Khaimah and Kozhikode, India, on October 16, 2026. The service will restore a direct air link between the UAE emirate and the coastal city in Kerala. The airline announced
– Dubai-based airline flydubai is participating in the inaugural Syria Travel Show taking place in Damascus from 28th to 30th September 2026. The three-day exhibition, held under the patronage of the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, brings together regional aviation executives,
Dubai-based flag carrier Emirates has entered the northern winter travel period with robust forward booking metrics across its international network, outpacing initial corporate projections. The performance follows a high-density summer operational cycle during which the airline transported more than 8.6
Etihad Airways will launch year-round flights from Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast on Oct. 4, 2026. The service will connect Zayed International Airport with Red Sea International Airport in Tabuk Province. Etihad will start with one weekly
Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s main airport and several regional airports Tuesday after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted air travel. More than 340,000 travelers faced delays, cancellations or diversions during the disruption. Nearly 3,000 flights across Indonesia felt the impact. Authorities
Health
– The World Health Organization has launched a five-year strategy to strengthen global outbreak detection. The plan aims for every country to detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours by 2030. WHO unveiled the strategy during the World
European leaders confirmed substantial financial commitments to strengthen medical infrastructure across the African continent ahead of the World Health Summit in Berlin. Official reports detail that the EU announces investment in health of almost €170 million to support resilient medical
– A daily serving of psyllium husk may help improve blood sugar control, according to clinical research. Psyllium is a soluble fiber from the Plantago ovata plant. It forms a thick gel when mixed with liquid. That gel can slow
– The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded 8,376 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,042 deaths, according to the latest figures from national health authorities. The outbreak has become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic recorded in the country. By