News
Nearly 22,000 Pakistanis Sent Back from Gulf Nations Amid Immigration Crackdowns These developments coincide with increased scrutiny from Gulf Cooperation Council countries regarding immigration compliance and visa security. Records from the ministry indicate that 1,924 Pakistanis were deported from Saudi Arabia for overstaying or illegal entry. Similarly, the UAE and Oman expelled 347 and 295 individuals respectively for similar reasons. Furthermore, 968 Pakistanis were blacklisted, 1,155 cases involved lost passports, and 689 cases related to direct administrative visa violations. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has stepped up screening at domestic airports to prevent individuals from traveling abroad on forged documents or false pretenses. Officials emphasized that those attempting to misuse pilgrimage or tourist visas for illegal labor or begging face permanent bans on travel. Authorities also confirmed ongoing cooperation with international agencies like Interpol to handle criminal deportations effectively. Saudi Arabia Leads Gulf Countries in Pakistani Deportations The report further stated that 6,662 Pakistanis were deported under an unspecified “others” category, where the interior ministry did not specify the reasons for removal. Nine Pakistanis were deported from the UAE specifically through Interpol. Additional grounds for deportation included expired residency permits, refusals at border crossings, theft charges, and attempting to travel onward with invalid or fraudulent identification documents. Members of parliament expressed concern about the repercussions of these high deportation figures on Pakistan’s international reputation for overseas workers. Lawmakers urged for stricter oversight of private travel.
Business
Oil prices saw a modest rebound on Tuesday, bouncing back from a drop of over 2% in the previous session for both Brent crude and WTI. Brent futures increased by 27 cents, or 0.3%, reaching $92.44 a barrel at 0330 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate added 37 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $85.38. This upward movement followed Monday’s significant decline, which marked the end of six straight sessions of gains for the two benchmark crude contracts.
Travel
The influx of foreign visitors to South Korea exceeded 2 million in July 2026, driven by travel activity that remains above pre-pandemic levels. During that month, the country welcomed 2,093,223 international tourists, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. This figure represents a 20.8% increase from the 1,733,199 visitors recorded in July 2025. It also reached 144.6% of the July 2019 count, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel patterns.
Health
The European Commission has committed to purchasing €2.1 million worth of PCR tests to support the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. These versatile, open-platform tests are intended to enhance infection detection capabilities and bolster laboratory infrastructure amid the crisis. This procurement was arranged with the assistance of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. The delivery process is scheduled to commence in August, providing essential diagnostic supplies as health authorities battle the rising number of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The outbreak has led to a total of 5,208 confirmed cases and 2,476 fatalities reported by Congolese authorities as of Aug. 18. The epidemic now spans 56 health zones across six provinces situated in the eastern and northeastern regions. Authorities have also recorded 1,115 recoveries, while 730 patients remain hospitalized or in isolation.
Congo’s Ebola outbreak can still be contained within three months if adequate resources are provided to response teams. The latest official figures show 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths as of Aug. 16. Currently, cases are spread across 55 health zones in six provinces, with a case fatality ratio of 47.4%. This makes it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history and the second-largest Ebola epidemic recorded worldwide.
DRC malaria response targets a disease that caused more than 26 million cases in 2025. The National Malaria Control Programme announced these figures as health officials intensified malaria response initiatives in Ituri. Dembo stressed that ongoing control efforts should persist while authorities enhance interventions proven effective. He also urged the adoption of strategies tailored to the specific conditions within individual health zones. The initiative in Ituri focuses on mass distribution of antimalarial medications. This campaign is part of broader efforts aimed at malaria prevention and treatment, coordinated by the programme to reduce infection rates, severe illnesses, and mortality related to malaria. According to World Health Organization, an estimated 282 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide in 2024, resulting in 610,000 deaths. Africa accounted for approximately 95% of both cases and fatalities that year, with an estimated 265 million cases and 579,000 deaths recorded within the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was responsible for 11.7% of malaria deaths in Africa. Children under five made up about three-quarters of all malaria deaths across the continent, according to WHO data. These figures place the country among the nations with the highest malaria burden globally. Malaria’s Impact Remains Heavy in Africa Malaria primarily spreads through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes and remains both preventable and treatable. Its early symptoms include fever, chills, and headaches. If left untreated, severe infections can lead to breathing issues, seizures, exhaustion, and loss of
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has resulted in 1,916 fatalities and 4,209 confirmed cases, according to official figures through Aug. 7. This indicates an increase of 29 deaths from the previous update reporting 1,887. Additionally, health officials have identified 595 patients receiving treatment in isolation, while 828 individuals have recovered from the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.
An urgent health crisis in Chad has resulted in 13 deaths since late last month, as authorities confirm an acute waterborne disease outbreak. The Ministry of Public Health of Chad reports that epidemiological data indicates a cholera epidemic causing 13 fatalities, with confirmed and suspected cases rising to 239 across the country. The official statistics show a nationwide case fatality rate of 5.4 percent, which significantly surpasses international standards for emergency outbreak response.
In 2022, obesity was associated with 9,509 fatalities in Belgium, accounting for 8.2 percent of the country’s total deaths, according to recent data from the Belgian public health institute Sciensano. This marks the first systematic effort by public health researchers in Belgium to quantify mortality directly attributable to a high body mass index (BMI). The report indicates that weight-related health issues led to more than one death every hour nationwide. The analysis also reveals that excess weight resulted in over 150,000 lost years of life across all demographic groups during the year.
European health groups are pressing the European Union to adopt stronger and binding heat protection measures as extreme temperatures raise public health risks. The Health and Environment Alliance, or HEAL, wants EU-wide standards for national climate adaptation plans and mandatory heat goals for member states. The campaign also calls for more funding for health resilience. The proposals follow a June heatwave that pushed temperatures above 40 C in parts of Europe.
