According to Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, trade between Russia and Oman experienced a 22-fold increase during the initial seven months of 2026, reaching a total of $1.5 billion. He disclosed these figures on Tuesday, October 20, during a discussion in Moscow with Idris Al-Kindi, Secretary General of Oman’s National Security Council. Shoigu highlighted that this figure is the highest recorded in the past decade. The report was provided by Interfax news agency.
On Thursday night, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet in southwestern China, resulting in at least 16 fatalities and dozens of injuries, according to Xinhua News Agency. The tremor occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22 in Baqên County, situated in Nagqu’s northern region near the Qinghai border. Over 300 residences were destroyed, as reported by the Nagqu emergency management office. Officials are still evaluating the full scope of the destruction.
Health
St. George’s University has called for the implementation of risk-based breast cancer screening protocols across Africa following a study revealing that 21.9% of women diagnosed with the disease in five sub-Saharan African nations were under 40 years old. The university emphasized the importance for healthcare providers to consider individual risk factors alongside age when determining screening needs. It warned that relying solely on age could hinder early detection efforts, especially within underserved populations.
Travel
Ankara is targeting a total of $70 billion in tourism earnings for the upcoming year. Türkiye eyes $70 billion tourism revenue. This financial plan aligns with Türkiye’s Medium-Term Programme, which outlines revenue goals for the next three years. After reaching $70 billion in 2027, the programme projects $73.5 billion in 2028 and $78.5 billion in 2029. The plan anticipates increases of $3.5 billion in 2028 and an additional $5 billion in 2029. Achieving the 2029 target would mean about a 20% rise in annual earnings compared to last year’s figures. Last year, Türkiye set a record with $65.2 billion in tourism income.
Technology
A new ultrasonic welding approach has been developed by scientists from Russia and China, reported TV BRICS. The technology reportedly doubles the strength of metal joints and extends the service life of welded parts by 1.9 times. The research was carried out by South Ural State University, known as SUSU, in collaboration with Chinese partners. This method is particularly effective for joining metals with differing properties, such as steel and aluminium, more reliably.