India and Uzbekistan ties enter a broader phase spanning trade, technology and security. Trade and economic collaboration played a central role in the discussions between the two nations. Uzbekistan reported that bilateral trade amounted to $1.3 billion in 2025, reflecting a 33% year-on-year growth. The two countries aim to increase trade to $5 billion by 2030. Additionally, the number of joint ventures has increased sevenfold in recent years. Currently, there are 14 direct flights each week connecting the nations, and four Indian universities operate within Uzbekistan. The officials also agreed to establish a mechanism at the foreign ministers level to oversee bilateral commitments. A dedicated joint working group will focus on non-tariff barriers and investment hurdles. Both sides will evaluate next steps after completing a feasibility study for a Preferential Trade Agreement. Key industries prioritized include energy, metallurgy, electrical engineering, critical minerals, and agriculture. The economic agenda also covers healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, mechanical engineering, and jewelry sectors. Multiple sectors see expanded cooperation through new agreements.
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 the pandemic disrupted global travel. The Korea Tourism Organization reported the latest monthly tourism figures on August 25.
Business
In a significant development, the UAE and Egypt have officially launched a five-year wheat supply deal valued at up to US$500 million. Al Dahra Agriculture Trading will provide imported wheat to Egypt’s General Authority for Supply Commodities under this agreement. The financing backing for these purchases comes from the Abu Dhabi Exports Office. This arrangement formalizes a framework established in 2023 and outlines the terms for wheat transactions between Al Dahra and GASC over the course of five years.
Health
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began administering Ebola vaccinations in Kisangani on Thursday, launching a targeted campaign in the capital of Tshopo Province to protect frontline responders. The initiative prioritizes healthcare workers, emergency response teams, and individuals with direct contact with confirmed patients as the country confronts its deadliest recorded Ebola outbreak.
This initiative involves open-platform testing kits that laboratories can integrate with their current systems. The procurement process received support from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Shipments are scheduled to commence in August, as health teams respond to a significant outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and impacting neighboring regions. PCR testing support strengthens the international response to Ebola in DR Congo. By August, the World Health Organization will facilitate the distribution of these tests through its Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics located in Dubai. WHO will oversee the distribution to various sites involved in the Ebola response. PCR testing enables laboratories to verify infections and enhance surveillance efforts around known cases. Confirmed test results inform patient treatment, isolation procedures, and contact tracing efforts. This latest supply package expands laboratory capabilities at a critical time when authorities continue to track the virus’s transmission across multiple provinces and health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As the Ebola crisis expands, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has obtained an allocation of 70,000 Ebola vaccine doses. The country’s health authorities reported 5,208 confirmed cases and 2,476 deaths by Aug. 18. Currently, the epidemic affects 56 health zones across six provinces. Additionally, 1,115 recoveries have been documented, while 730 patients remain hospitalized or isolated as response teams continue their efforts in eastern and northeastern regions of DR Congo.
World Health Organization reports that the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be brought under control within three months if adequate resources are mobilized. As of August 16, official data indicated 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 fatalities. The virus has impacted six provinces and 55 health zones, with a case fatality rate roughly at 47%. This has made it the most lethal Ebola outbreak ever documented in the nation. WHO and Congo health teams strengthen surveillance amid the expanding Ebola outbreak. In late August, WHO incident coordinator Thierno Baldé highlighted that the timeline for containment hinges on maintaining sufficient staffing, supplies, and operational capacity. To date, the response has secured approximately $69.3 million of the $115 million needed. Over a two-week span, health teams added more than 400 treatment beds and deployed 100 additional epidemiologists alongside over 500 community health workers. These personnel support activities such as surveillance, contact tracing, case detection, and patient referrals. The effort also necessitates ambulances, vehicles, medical supplies, and trained staff across the affected regions. Transmission has now extended to Bas-Uélé, marking it as the sixth province impacted by the outbreak. While Ituri remained the main transmission hub in mid-August, accounting for the majority of confirmed cases and deaths, officials noted that many new infections had no apparent link to known patients. This gap underscores the urgency for faster case identification and contact monitoring. Consequently, teams have expanded surveillance measures to
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India and Uzbekistan ties enter a broader phase spanning trade, technology and security. Trade and economic collaboration played a central role in the discussions between the two nations. Uzbekistan reported that bilateral trade amounted to $1.3 billion in 2025, reflecting a 33% year-on-year growth. The two countries aim to increase trade to $5 billion by 2030. Additionally, the number of joint ventures has increased sevenfold in recent years. Currently, there are 14 direct flights each week connecting the nations, and four Indian universities operate within Uzbekistan. The officials also agreed to establish a mechanism at the foreign ministers level to oversee bilateral commitments. A dedicated joint working group will focus on non-tariff barriers and investment hurdles. Both sides will evaluate next steps after completing a feasibility study for a Preferential Trade Agreement. Key industries prioritized include energy, metallurgy, electrical engineering, critical minerals, and agriculture. The economic agenda also covers healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, mechanical engineering, and jewelry sectors. Multiple sectors see expanded cooperation through new agreements.
Indonesia has officially established a new partnership between its investment and sports authorities to foster growth within the national sports industry. Investment and Downstreaming Minister Rosan Perkasa Roeslani and Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir signed the accord on August 28. The agreement emphasizes developing investment opportunities and implementing risk-based business licensing procedures. It also integrates sports-related investments into Indonesia’s existing licensing framework. Officials described the initiative as part of a global sports industry valued at approximately US$521 billion.
Nepal has documented 903 fatalities and 4,247 missing persons following the disaster on August 26. Meanwhile, authorities in Tibet have confirmed 16 deaths and 546 missing residents in Gyirong County. Rescue teams remain active in rugged mountain regions, river valleys, and hydropower facilities damaged by the floods. Casualty figures are being updated as teams access previously unreachable areas and verify reports of missing persons.
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began administering Ebola vaccinations in Kisangani on Thursday, launching a targeted campaign in the capital of Tshopo Province to protect frontline responders. The initiative prioritizes healthcare workers, emergency response teams, and individuals with direct contact with confirmed patients as the country confronts its deadliest recorded Ebola outbreak.
On Friday afternoon, a moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 was recorded in Longchang City, located in China’s Sichuan Province’s southwestern region, as per data provided by the China Earthquake Networks Center. The tremor struck at 1:13 p.m. Beijing local time at a depth of 13 kilometers, with its epicenter pinpointed within Neijiang prefecture at 29.23 degrees north and 105.22 degrees east. Emergency agencies quickly launched initial field evaluations across the county-level jurisdiction, with early assessments confirming no immediate casualties or structural damages.