Uzbekistan's hydrocarbon sector shifted toward deeper processing during the first nine months of 2026, increasing the output of refined products while raw material extraction remained stable. Production data for the period shows 27 billion cubic meters of natural gas, 729,200 tons of gas condensate, and 482,200 tons of oil.
The growth in refined output occurred despite the plateau in raw extraction. Production of motor gasoline rose by 2.6%, and diesel fuel output increased by 11.7%. This shift reflects an optimization of refinery capacities aimed at increasing domestic value addition and reducing reliance on imported finished petroleum products.
The nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio in the Philippine banking sector fell to 3.27% by the end of September, marking the lowest level since December of the previous year. Preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) indicates this decline coincided with an expansion of the industry's total loan portfolio to 18.133 trillion pesos, representing a 1.97% month-over-month increase and an 11.42% year-over-year rise.
Loans are classified as nonperforming when payments are overdue by 90 days or more. In absolute terms, the volume of such loans decreased by 0.51% to 593.275 billion pesos compared to August, although the total increased by 10.09% on an annual basis from 538.924 billion pesos. During the same period, the volume of overdue loans rose slightly by 0.24% to 771.748 billion pesos, yet their share of the total portfolio dropped to 4.26% from 4.33% in the prior month.
Banks have strengthened their financial buffers against potential losses. Provisions for credit losses grew to 557.979 billion pesos in September, lifting the NPL coverage ratio-which measures reserves relative to nonperforming loans-to 94.05% from 93.17% in August. The BSP notes that this increase in provisioning reflects standard risk management practices driven by the expansion of consumer lending, rather than signs of a systemic crisis or deteriorating asset quality.
ATLANTA: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks about continuing strikes on Russian targets, saying they undermined preparations for fresh peace talks, while the European Union’s top diplomat accused Moscow of spreading “lies” and showing no genuine readiness to negotiate. The contrasting positions underscored persistent divisions over efforts to end the war in Ukraine, as foreign ministers gathered for a Group of 20 meeting i
In Chile, access to oncological care is increasingly determined by the system's ability to track patients across treatment stages rather than by budget availability alone. Despite a nearly 90% increase in state expenditures for cancer treatment, service coverage has risen by only 32%. This gap reveals a structural failure: increased funding does not automatically translate into accessible treatment if patient data is lost during transitions between institutions.
The primary barrier to realizing the right to healthcare is the absence of a unified national cancer registry. Currently, health data is fragmented, collected by separate services that do not exchange information in real-time. Consequently, patients can effectively disappear from the system when moving between levels of care. For instance, when a primary care physician diagnoses a suspected oncology case and refers the patient to a hospital, information about the hospital's treatment progress often does not return to the primary care network. This loss of continuity undermines the primary sector's ability to monitor the patient's condition and manage ongoing prevention.
The lack of interoperability-the capacity for different information systems to interact-exacerbates these access issues, particularly for geographically mobile patients. If a person waiting for a diagnostic test in Arica relocates to Coyhaique, their medical history does not follow them, causing treatment processes to be reset or significantly delayed.
In the Ananimasina fokontany of Sector 7, located in the Bouéni region of Madagascar, officials have commissioned a new water well to address a supply gap that has persisted for over a decade. The project, executed by the regional DREAH administration with support from the relevant ministry, marks a concrete shift in local capacity, adding physical infrastructure to a region where most of the 26 fokontanys in the Mahajanga district lack stable access to water.
The operational deficit in the Mahajanga area is quantifiable: the utility company Jirama currently produces 27,000 cubic meters of water per day, while local demand stands at 34,000 cubic meters daily. This creates a daily shortfall of 7,000 cubic meters. To close this gap, authorities have activated the Access to Potable Water and Sanitation Program (PAAEP), which is the mechanism driving the new infrastructure build-out.
The absence of centralized supply imposes direct economic costs on households. In the face of climate-induced droughts-characterized by high temperatures and minimal rainfall in October-residents rely on paid water points. The price for two 20-liter jerry cans is 1,000 ariary. For a family of five, this translates to a daily expenditure of approximately 8,000 ariary for basic needs such as hygiene, cooking, and laundry. This recurring cost diverts a significant portion of household budgets away from other goods and services.
The US State Department said on Friday it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion. Ukraine will pay for the defensive interceptor missiles with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway routed through the US JUMPSTART program, along with national funds financed by the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan, the State Department said in a statement. Delayed missile deliveries added to Ukraine’s tensions with the US after President Donald
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the labor force dedicated to caregiving remains chronically undervalued. Workers in this sector typically receive only 90% of the minimum wage, while the average wage across the broader economy is nearly twice as high. A study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) describes this disparity not as an isolated incident, but as a systemic flaw in the regional labor market.
The caregiving sector is critical for societal stability, yet its practitioners remain the most vulnerable workers. According to the IDB report "¿Quién cuida?", employees in this field frequently work without formal labor contracts, access to social security, or opportunities for professional advancement.
The sector exhibits a distinct demographic profile. The majority of hired caregivers are women of middle age. Within this group, more than half are African descent, approximately 3% are Indigenous, and a significant portion are migrants. These individuals, who face the greatest barriers to employment, are concentrated in a segment characterized by minimal pay and a lack of labor guarantees.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 4,852 measles cases in the country as of October 29, up 264 cases from its previous update. Nationwide, hospitalizations linked to measles this year stood at 511 —representing 11 percent of all reported cases r— according to the CDC People aged 5–19 years accounted for 2,010 cases, followed by 1,996 cases among adults aged 20 and older and 812 cases in children under 5. The vast majority of infections were among individ
The number of South Africans receiving social assistance has nearly doubled in less than two decades, rising from 12 million in 2006 to 26.6 million in the 2025/26 fiscal year. This expansion increased the share of the population reliant on state support from approximately 25% to 41%. A significant portion of this growth is attributed to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, a pandemic-era measure that introduced roughly eight million new beneficiaries to the system. Initially designed as temporary support for individuals without income, the SRD grant has been extended through March 2028, providing 370 rand per month.
Excluding the temporary SRD benefit, the number of recipients of regular grants grew from 12 million in 2006/07 to 18.8 million in 2025/26. Children remain the largest group of regular beneficiaries, with the number of child grant recipients increasing from 7.9 million to 12.6 million over the same period. Older age pension recipients nearly doubled, rising from 2.2 million to 4.2 million. One of the most rapid periods of expansion occurred between 2009 and 2012, a time when age limits for child grants were expanded to include older children.
Shifting Trends and Stricter Verification
Recent trends indicate a reversal in growth. In the 2025/26 fiscal year, the number of regular grant recipients (excluding SRD) declined from 19.3 million to 18.8 million, a drop of 2.2%. According to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) annual report, this reduction primarily affected child and foster care grants. The Ministry of Finance projects a further decrease in regular grant recipients to 17.8 million in 2026/27 and 17.1 million by 2029/30.
The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 5,000, government data showed on Friday, as authorities had yet to find a way to control the country's deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.
There are no approved treatments or vaccines to combat the rare Bundibugyo species, which is behind the outbreak in the Central African country.
It has infected more than 10,000 people since it was declared in May.
Delayed detection, conflict and strained health services have helped the virus spread more rapidly than in previous outbreaks.
Eight of Congo's 26 provinces have been affected, with many deaths occurring outside treatment centres.
This year's outbreak is the world's second-largest ever, behind only the 2014-2016 one that infected over 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Last week Nigeria became the fourth African country to report an Ebola case, extending the outbreak's geographic spread to West Africa. East African countries Kenya and Uganda have also reported cases.
This article was first published by ProPublica and Drilled. It is republished with permission. In the spring of 2005, the United Nations convened more than 100 of the world’s top scientists in the medieval town of Oviedo, Spain. They were there to finish writing a paradigm-shifting report about a technology that they hoped could help […]
MOSCOW: Russia’s atomic power agency said Friday it was in advanced talks with four African nations about building floating nuclear power stations to help overcome power shortages. Alexey Likhachev, director general of the Rosatom state agency said talks were being held with Egypt, Namibia, Tanzania and Togo on the ambitious scheme. Several country are developing floating nuclear reactor technology, but Russia is the only country to operate a plant in its isolated Chukotka region. This was o
While en route to Senegal, Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki turned his plane around and returned home after police entered Poland's top court, the Constitutional Tribunal, and the tribunal’s president was suspended.
"At such a moment, the President must be in Poland," Nawrocki posted on X. "I'm interrupting my flight to Senegal. I'm returning."
Police say they secured the Tribunal after dozens of protesters gathered to demonstrate against what they called the wrongful suspension of the top court’s president by the current pro-European government.
Police said there were also dangerous objects thrown at officers outside the building.
Some protesters outside the court were seen praying, while others held posters reading "Tusk — a symbol of anti-Polish sentiment," "Down with the commies and Tusk’s regime," and "Stop destroying the state."
Poland’s top judicial bodies, including the Constitutional Tribunal, have been a major bone of contention between the current pro-European government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the main opposition party, national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS), which ruled the country from 2015 to 2023.
Critics accuse the PiS of imposing political control over key judicial institutions, with some reforms having led the EU to impose fines on Poland.
Nawrocki, an ally of the PiS party, refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament earlier this year.
Constitutional Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski, who was appointed by the PiS government after also serving as a deputy justice minister, declined to allow judges elected by the current parliamentary majority to assume their duties. According to the tribunal’s website, Święczkowski was suspended Friday.
"Restoring the rule of law is our duty," said Tusk, who returned to power in 2023 with a promise to restore the judiciary’s independence. He posted to X, "After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way."
Since taking power, Tusk’s pro-European government’s efforts have been vetoed by two successive presidents aligned with PiS, including Nawrocki.
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, a former PiS member whose Rozwój Plus coalition is positioning itself as an alternative to Tusk's government ahead of next November’s parliamentary elections, also took to X to denounce "the forceful takeover of the Constitutional Tribunal."
"Justice cannot be achieved through violence," Morawiecki said, adding that "Tusk will stop at nothing to cling to power… We do not consent to Belarusian methods in Poland!"
"It’s true: a coup d’état is underway," former PiS Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro wrote on X. "If someone were to forcibly break into the Prime Minister’s Office and take it over, we would all know what to call it… This is a blatant, criminal attack on the constitutional order… That is why I call for resistance that will be loud, firm, solidary and fearless."
"A judge whose oath was never accepted by the President Nawrocki has declared herself head of the Constitutional Tribunal and suspended its leadership, while police secured the building," added Morawiecki. "This is not how the rule of law is restored. The tribunal's crisis is real, but replacing one disputed set of rules with a more radical one only invites the next government to do the same."
U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose posted a statement on social media that read in part: "The events unfolding tonight at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal are very serious indeed. We appear to be witnessing an unprecedented confrontation over the government’s use of state power and the independence and authority of a constitutional institution. Both sides offer sharply different accounts of what happened and why. Whatever the facts ultimately establish, thousands gathering outside the Tribunal make an already dangerous situation more combustible. The last thing Poland needs is a confrontation that spirals into something far worse. America is on Poland’s side. It is not our place to judge or interfere in its internal affairs. Our concern is for the stability, security, and democratic future of a country we are proud to call our friend and ally."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
India has officially outlined its priorities for its bid for nonpermanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2028-2029 term. During open debates in the Security Council, Permanent Representative of India to the UN Harish Parvataneni stated that the country's key operational focus would be on artificial intelligence (AI) and maritime security.
New Delhi is shifting its diplomatic agenda from broad demands for Security Council reform to specific technological and infrastructural challenges. The central emphasis is on ensuring that the deployment of new technologies in the maritime sector serves as a tool for security rather than a driver of confrontation.
In practical terms, India identifies three critical zones of interest:
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