Government price cuts are failing to reach many shoppers in Lahore, where retailers continue charging well above official rates. The gap covers chicken, vegetables and fruit across several markets. Consumers are facing the increases as Pakistan deals with renewed inflation and higher fuel costs. Official data show that household expenses are rising across several categories, adding pressure to families already paying more for basic food and transport.
UAE President meets German business leaders as both nations move to expand cross-border commercial partnerships, joint venture capital deployments, and bilateral trade ties across strategic growth markets. Discussions focused on expanding trade and investment relations between the United Arab Emirates and Germany, highlighting the private sector’s role in driving industrial innovation, artificial intelligence, and clean energy transition projects. UAE President meets German business leaders as bilateral non-oil trade reached €13.4 billion, underscoring the expanding commercial integration connecting European manufacturing centers with Middle Eastern trade networks. The meeting coincided with the bilateral business forum held in Munich, where government ministers and corporate leaders signed 30 memoranda of understanding and commercial deals valued at €9.66 billion. Official statements distributed through the Emirates News Agency confirmed that the agreements target high-growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, robotics, healthcare technology, and port infrastructure. UAE Minister for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi noted that cumulative UAE investments in Germany have grown to €34.5 billion, demonstrating strong institutional capital flows between both economies.
Business
Among the main expenditure categories, transport and food experienced the most significant price hikes. Transport costs increased by 8.5% compared to August 2025, representing the largest annual rise among key consumer sectors. Food and non-alcoholic beverages followed, with a 7% increase. Personal goods and services rose 6.1%, while restaurant and hotel prices went up by 3.6%. The cost of furniture, household equipment, and routine maintenance grew 3.1%. Education expenses increased by 2.2%, and healthcare costs rose 1.7%. Meanwhile, prices for culture and recreation edged up only 0.4%.
Health
Amid ongoing efforts, severe shortages of personnel and funding are causing significant delays in controlling the escalating Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s outbreak. The outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo virus strain, has spread across six provinces, with over 6,000 cases and 3,175 deaths reported. The World Health Organization is urging global donors to provide urgent financial aid needed to mobilize frontline health teams and boost isolation infrastructure in distant eastern regions.
Health teams in Congo continue Ebola testing, contact tracing and treatment. In the region of Bundibugyo, the Ebola outbreak has become the largest and most lethal in Congo’s history, ranking as the second-largest Ebola epidemic globally after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. Ituri province continues to be the primary epicenter, accounting for approximately 85% of confirmed cases and 88% of reported deaths, thus representing the most severely affected area during this health crisis. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, health teams have yet to trace every transmission pathway. Many recent fatalities involved individuals who did not appear on known contact lists. The persistence of community deaths and unsafe burials further hampers containment efforts. The Africa CDC reported that over 60% of deaths in the past week occurred in community settings rather than health facilities. Response efforts are being scaled up by health authorities Across affected zones, the World Health Organization has increased laboratory testing, treatment capacity, and operational deployment. Over 330 tonnes of emergency supplies have been delivered by WHO, along with more than 300 experts dispatched to support response initiatives. Currently, there are 24 laboratories closer to impacted communities—compared to only one national reference lab at the start of the response. Daily testing capacity has now reached roughly 3,000 tests, while treatment and isolation beds across 49 facilities total more than 1,300. The Bundibugyo virus currently has no approved vaccine
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.
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Government price cuts are failing to reach many shoppers in Lahore, where retailers continue charging well above official rates. The gap covers chicken, vegetables and fruit across several markets. Consumers are facing the increases as Pakistan deals with renewed inflation and higher fuel costs. Official data show that household expenses are rising across several categories, adding pressure to families already paying more for basic food and transport.
Looking at the airline’s seasonal trends, there is a clear indication of increased passenger capacity and improved load factors on key long-haul routes linking North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. International aviation channels reveal that forward bookings for the upcoming holiday period are still high in both premium cabins and economy class. Industry analysts observe that these sustained passenger levels highlight the resilience of the long-haul international aviation sector. To manage the expected surge in winter travelers, Emirates is advancing its multi-billion-dollar efforts to modernize its fleet and upgrade its product offerings. The airline continues to introduce newly retrofitted Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft into active service, while expanding the reach of its Premium Economy class on additional long-haul flights. With strong booking demand as fleet retrofit projects progress, premium seat availability on major intercontinental routes is on the rise.
During his visit, President Begaj awarded Sheikh Mohamed with Albania’s top honor, the Grand Star of the Supreme Order of the Eagle, in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
Nepal has projected that the cost to reconstruct after the devastating floods along the Bhote Koshi River on August 26 will reach approximately $4.78 billion. According to the government’s Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, direct physical damage is estimated at around $1.8 billion, while economic losses amount to roughly $883 million. This evaluation encompasses social services, key productive sectors, and vital infrastructure. The floods affected regions including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and other areas along the river system, resulting in damage to homes, roads, bridges, and energy facilities.
NEW DELHI / RankWire.AI / – In New Delhi on September 12, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened to bolster the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and India. The discussions, held at Hyderabad House during the 18th BRICS Summit, focused on enhancing bilateral ties across multiple domains, including economic collaboration, investment opportunities, trade expansion, and the broader Comprehensive Strategic Partnership linking the two nations. Sheikh Khaled and Narendra Modi review growing UAE-India economic and strategic ties. During their meeting, Sheikh Khaled and Modi evaluated developments under the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, also known as CEPA. This agreement now serves as a crucial foundation for increasing trade volume between the two economies. Their dialogue also encompassed political relations, energy sector cooperation, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people interactions. The leaders explored how existing bilateral mechanisms could further facilitate trade and institutional collaboration under previously signed agreements by the UAE and India. Representing the UAE at the BRICS Summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khaled’s presence coincided with Modi’s welcome to the UAE delegation amid India’s 2026 chairmanship of BRICS. Both leaders agreed to maintain coordination through BRICS on shared interests. They also acknowledged recent high-level visits, including Sheikh Mohamed’s trip to India in January 2026 and Modi’s visit to the UAE in May. Economic collaboration