Ebola Outbreak Could Beat All Records, Live Updates
The Ebola outbreak is expanding and could become the deadliest on record, with ongoing live updates tracking cases, deaths, and the international response.
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Angry crowds clash at DR Congo Ebola site as police disperse with shots
Police fired shots in the air to disperse angry crowds at an Ebola treatment centre in Mongwalu, DR Congo, where relatives demanded the bodies of loved ones who died from Ebola; unrest followed prior attacks on isolation tents. Red Cross volunteers are carrying out safe burials under police protection as the outbreak triggers regional coordination and funding efforts from Africa CDC and international partners, including Uganda, South Sudan and South Africa.
DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Surges Past 900 as Aid Cuts Hamper Response
Suspected Ebola cases in eastern DR Congo topped 900 (904 cases and 119 suspected deaths) as violence, displacement and aid cuts leave health facilities overwhelmed; health centers were burned last week, complicating an already fragile response with cases spreading to North and South Kivu and across the border into Uganda.
Birx: U.S. ready to confront Ebola outbreak despite leadership vacancies
Dr. Deborah Birx says the United States is well-positioned to respond to Africa’s Ebola outbreak thanks to a deep bench of experts and ongoing interagency efforts, even with vacancies at the CDC, FDA, and surgeon general; she notes that a rapid deployment of assets is underway and that detection delays can skew case trends, while suggesting that past U.S. withdrawals from WHO and aid cuts may not significantly undermine the response.
Kenya Halts Transport Strike as Fuel-Price Talks Continue
Kenya suspended its nationwide transport strike after government talks on rising fuel costs; a diesel price cut of 10 shillings was announced (petrol unchanged at 214 shillings), but protesters demanded larger cuts. The strike is paused for seven days to allow further negotiations, with a risk of resuming if progress stalls.
Africa bets on health sovereignty as donor aid wanes over Ebola threats
As foreign donor support for health programs in Africa declines, governments are pushing to take greater control of health security—boosting domestic funding, building regional vaccine and diagnostic manufacturing, and strengthening surveillance and stockpiles to handle threats like Ebola and hantavirus, aiming to reduce dependence on aid while facing financing and governance challenges.
WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak an International Public Health Emergency
The World Health Organization has designated the Ebola outbreak in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), calling for urgent international coordination, enhanced surveillance, vaccination and treatment efforts, and cross-border containment to prevent wider spread.
Dozens of children abducted from three Nigerian schools in Borno state
Gunmen abducted more than 50 children, many aged two to five, from three schools in Mussa, Borno state, taking them on motorcycles and reportedly using some as human shields; no group has claimed responsibility, but the attack echoes Boko Haram/ISWAP activity as security forces pursue the suspects and locals flee the area.
Nigeria school attack triggers search for missing students
After a suspected attack on a Nigerian school, several students are missing and authorities are conducting searches as the situation unfolds.
Ebola spikes in Ituri, DR Congo, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases
Africa CDC says an Ebola outbreak has emerged in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province, reporting about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths (4 of them lab-confirmed) in towns including Mongwalu and Rwampara, with Bunia under investigation. Preliminary tests in Kinshasa detected the virus; officials warn of rapid spread due to urban settings and mining activity, and coordination with Uganda and South Sudan is being planned. The Congolese government has not officially declared an outbreak, while WHO notes there is no proven cure and a roughly 50% fatality rate. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since 1976.
Geochemical Clues Hint Africa May Be Forming a New Tectonic Boundary
An international Frontiers in Earth Science study found elevated helium isotope ratios and mantle-like CO2 in samples from the Kafue Rift in Central Africa, suggesting mantle fluids are reaching the crust and potentially signaling the early stages of a new plate boundary that could eventually split sub‑Saharan Africa. The result is preliminary, but if confirmed it could open geothermal and other resource opportunities, with follow-up research planned across the Southwest African Rift System.
Museveni Begins Record Seventh Term Amid Contested Uganda Elections
Uganda’s veteran leader Yoweri Museveni, 81, was sworn in for a seventh term after a January election that opposition say was marred by irregularities; authorities sharply guarded Kampala with armored security as Museveni pledged to use oil revenue to spur growth and jobs. While he won over 70% of the vote, rival Bobi Wine fled the country amid a crackdown criticized by rights groups, and debates continue over the electoral process and the future of Uganda’s long-serving leadership.
France unveils multi-billion-dollar Africa investment push at Nairobi summit
French President Emmanuel Macron announced a multi-billion-dollar package of new investments for Africa during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, signaling a refreshed French push to deepen economic and strategic partnerships with African nations.
Africa’s Psilocybe species rewrites the mushroom’s evolutionary origin
Scientists describe Psilocybe ochraceocentrata from Africa as the closest wild relative of Psilocybe cubensis, pushing their common ancestor back about 1.5 million years and challenging the idea that the magic mushroom spread globally after cattle movement; the study also clarifies mislabeled cultivation strains, highlights Africa’s under-sampled fungal diversity, and suggests dung-based ecology and grassland migrations shaped their history, while noting that the birthplace remains unresolved pending more specimens.
Macron scolds audience during Africa Forward session in Nairobi
French President Emmanuel Macron interrupted a Nairobi youth session at the Africa Forward Summit, scolding the crowd for talking over speakers and calling it a 'total lack of respect,' a move that drew social-media backlash from African commentators and underscored tensions as Paris seeks a more equal partnership with Africa.