Business
– Global registrations of battery-electric vehicles rose 12% in the first nine months of 2026 to a record 11 million, driven by strong growth in Europe, according to a study by consultancy PwC. Europe accounted for 2.5 million electric cars,
– Oil prices rose on Wednesday, with Brent crude futures climbing $1.48, or 1.3%, to $115.36 a barrel by 01:40 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained $1.22, or 1.22%, to $101.12 a barrel. The increase reversed part of
– Microsoft said on Monday it is offering voluntary buyouts to a wide range of employees as it balances a costly artificial intelligence infrastructure build-out with capital efficiency. The new voluntary exit offer covers certain workers in the United States,
– South Korea posted the second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter, exceeding the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan. The country’s surplus reached $116.63 billion in the April-June period, according to central bank data reported
– Trade between Russia and Oman grew 22-fold in the first seven months of 2026 to reach $1.5 billion, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said. He gave the figures on Tuesday, October 20, during a meeting in Moscow with
– Japan recorded a trade deficit of 536.6 billion yen in September as imports grew faster than exports, preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance showed. Exports rose 16.7% from a year earlier to 10.9723 trillion yen. Imports climbed 18.9%
Health
Sports
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
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
Spain moved into the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 with a 3-0 win over Austria on Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, and Pedro Porro added the other goal. The result ended Austria’s campaign in
England reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 after captain Harry Kane scored twice late in a 2-1 win over Congo DR at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday. Congo DR led through Brian Cipenga’s seventh-minute goal and held that
Mexico advanced to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday. The co-host beat Ecuador 2-0 at Mexico City Stadium. Julián Quiñones scored in the 22nd minute. Raúl Jiménez added the second goal nine minutes later.