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Shoigu said both countries had every opportunity to build on the positive momentum and set new records in bilateral trade. The growth follows a steady expansion that began in 2020. Trade rose 62.3% in the four years to 2024, and the upward trend continued through 2025 and into 2026. No further details of the security talks between Shoigu and Al-Kindi were reported.
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 year at 10.9723 trillion yen. Imports increased 18.9% to 11.5088 trillion yen. Xinhua News Agency put the deficit at about $3.4 billion.
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 data released on Wednesday by the Korea Customs Service. Chips accounted for 44.7% of all exports during the period. The figures pointed to record shipments of semiconductors.
Both benchmarks posted strong weekly gains. WTI has surged 10.4% so far this week, while Brent has added 4.9% for its second straight weekly rise. Brent was little changed on Thursday, when WTI gained more than 3%. The spread between the two benchmarks narrowed as WTI outpaced Brent. Bloomberg said Friday’s swing was the first sizeable move in an otherwise range-bound week. Brent had surged above $103 earlier in October before the latest advance.
Travel
Türkiye aims to become the world’s sixth-highest-earning country in tourism revenue, backed by a larger budget allocation for the sector in 2027. The 2027 central government budget draft sets tourism funding at $244.5 million, up from $188.4 million this year. Ankara is targeting $70 billion in tourism revenue next year. The plan sets a rise of $3.5 billion in 2028 and a further $5 billion in 2029. Reaching the 2029 goal would lift annual earnings about 20% above last year’s level.
Health
Patients who underwent appendix removal for acute appendicitis had fewer later colorectal cancer diagnoses than patients treated only with antibiotics, according to new research. The retrospective study compared matched groups drawn from a large international health database. Researchers found colorectal cancer in 0.7% of patients who had an appendectomy. The rate reached 1.7% among those who received antibiotics alone. That difference corresponded to a 58% lower relative risk in the surgery group.
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 8,000 confirmed cases across seven provinces. The government declared the outbreak on May 15 after identifying Bundibugyo virus as the cause. It is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak. Bundibugyo virus is one of the Ebola virus species known to cause severe disease in humans. The World Health Organization says no licensed vaccine or approved treatment specifically targets Bundibugyo virus disease.
A rare inherited genetic mutation increases a person’s overall risk of developing lung cancer by approximately 25 times and by roughly 60 times among non-smokers, according to a study published in the journal Science. Researchers identified the germline variant, known as EGFR T790M, as one of the most powerful inherited risk factors for lung cancer discovered to date. The mutation occurs in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene, regulating cell growth and division across pulmonary tissue. Data compiled by the National Cancer Institute shows the mutation occurs in approximately 1 out of every 15,850 people in the United States.
The World Health Organization says Ebola transmission is declining in some of the hardest-hit areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The improvement is most visible in parts of Ituri province, the main center of the outbreak. However, the epidemic continues to expand in other areas. Official data through Sept. 13 showed 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces, with the national case fatality ratio at 48.4%.
New York City health officials detected Legionella DNA in a Yankee Stadium cooling tower during an investigation into a South Bronx outbreak. The city had confirmed 11 Legionnaires’ disease cases by Tuesday night. One person died, while three patients remained hospitalized. The New York City Health Department found preliminary positive PCR results in 10 of 24 cooling towers sampled across ZIP codes 10451 and 10456.
The World Health Organization has urged a wider Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as transmission continues across several provinces. Congo had recorded 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths by Sept. 1, according to the latest government figures. The outbreak has affected 60 health zones in six provinces. Authorities have also recorded 1,439 recoveries, while the case fatality rate stands at 48.6%.