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News

WHO Chief Visits Congo as Ebola Outbreak Accelerates

KINSHASA-World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday for high-level meetings with government officials and response partners as the country's rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak continues to spread and disruptions caused by striking frontline health workers raise further concerns about the emergency response. Tedros, making his second visit since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, was scheduled to meet President Félix Tshisekedi and health partners in the capital, Kinshasa, according to the WHO country office. His visit comes as health authorities and humanitarian organizations seek to strengthen measures to contain what officials describe as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded. According to figures released overnight by Congo's Ministry of Health, the outbreak had reached 3,874 confirmed cases, including 1,751 deaths, as of Monday. The virus continues to spread primarily in the eastern province of Ituri, where insecurity, difficult terrain and limited access to health services have complicated response efforts. In Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, residents said some frontline health workers had stopped working in protest over unpaid salaries and demands for improved wages. Although some workers have reportedly begun receiving payments during the past week for services provided since the outbreak began, they continue to seek better compensation. The labor action has further strained health services in a region already affected by armed conflict and weak infrastructure. Families said reduced staffing has delayed access to treatment and other essential medical services as Ebola cases continue to rise. Anicet Baluku, a resident of Bunia, said two of his brothers died after contracting Ebola and appealed to authorities to resolve the payment dispute quickly. He urged officials to prevent other families from suffering similar losses. The current outbreak has surpassed all previous Ebola outbreaks in terms of the speed at which confirmed infections have increased and is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. Only the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic recorded more cases, with more than 28,000 infections and over 11,000 deaths. Health officials have said the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. Local authorities believe transmission began in a remote area well before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday that transmission continues at an "alarming and unprecedented rate," despite an expanding response effort. The organization said intervention teams have not been reaching affected communities quickly enough to interrupt chains of transmission. Officials have also expressed concern over weaknesses in contact tracing, a critical component of Ebola control. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, who visited Bunia on Tuesday, said between 60% and 70% of newly identified cases were emerging outside the network of people already being monitored after exposure to infected patients. Health authorities say delayed detection has contributed significantly to the outbreak's severity. Ministry of Health data showed that 77 new cases were reported during the previous 24 hours, including 44 deaths, underscoring the continuing pressure on the country's health system. According to the ministry, 717 patients are currently being treated in isolation while 749 people have recovered from the disease. Officials continue to emphasize surveillance, isolation and community engagement as central elements of the response while international health agencies work with Congolese authorities to contain further spread.

أغسطس 2026

News

Heatwave Fuels Wildfires and Energy Strains Across Southern Europe

TIRANA/BUDAPEST- Emergency crews battled wildfires in Albania on Wednesday while Hungary took steps to curb electricity demand as an intense heatwave and prolonged drought tightened their grip on large parts of southern and eastern Europe, disrupting daily life, straining energy systems and worsening fire risks across the region. Europe, regarded as the world's fastest-warming continent, has endured a summer marked by record-breaking temperatures and destructive wildfires. France and Spain have been among the countries most severely affected, while the center of the current heatwave has shifted toward southeastern Europe and Italy, where authorities expanded emergency measures as temperatures climbed. Italy placed most of its major cities under red heat alerts on Wednesday as temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in several areas. Authorities warned residents and visitors to limit outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day as extreme heat persisted. The high temperatures also prompted changes to public events in Rome. The Vatican moved Pope Leo's first weekly general audience following the July break indoors instead of holding it in St. Peter's Square, citing the intense heat. Tourists welcomed the decision as they sought shelter from the sweltering conditions. "I suppose it's better to hold it indoors because of the heat," Mexican visitor Diego Amaya said. In Hungary, authorities appealed to households and businesses to reduce electricity consumption to ease pressure on the national power grid during the ongoing heatwave. Budapest was expected to experience the peak of the hot spell on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach between 40 C and 42 C (104 F to 108 F). The country's energy system has come under additional strain after record-low water levels on the Danube River forced Hungary to largely shut down its only nuclear power plant, which relies on river water for cooling. The reduced generating capacity has intensified pressure on electricity supplies as demand for cooling continues to rise during the extreme weather. In Albania, firefighters continued efforts to contain a major wildfire in the southern region of Mallakaster, where advancing flames forced the evacuation of about 15 families together with their livestock and pets. Ground crews supported by aerial firefighting aircraft worked to stop the blaze from reaching homes near a nearby village. Emergency services were also battling another wildfire south of the city of Gjirokaster in rugged mountainous terrain. Authorities said the blaze was likely triggered by lightning, with difficult access complicating firefighting operations. Neighboring Greece remained on alert after a wildfire northwest of Athens burned thousands of hectares of farmland near a popular holiday destination. Officials said the fire may have been caused by vibrating electricity conductors before being intensified by gale-force winds. Although the Greek wildfire appeared largely contained by Wednesday, hundreds of firefighters remained deployed across the affected area to prevent new flare-ups. Six helicopters continued water-dropping operations over scattered hotspots and smoldering vegetation. The prolonged period of hot and dry weather is also inflicting growing damage on agriculture across Europe. In Britain, an analysis published on Wednesday projected that the country's cereal harvest would be the poorest since comparable records began in 1984, with crops suffering from one of the driest and hottest spring-to-summer periods on record. Scientists have consistently identified Europe as the fastest-warming continent, with rising temperatures increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, droughts and wildfires. The latest spell of extreme weather has once again highlighted the mounting challenges facing governments as they respond simultaneously to public health risks, energy disruptions and environmental damage.

أغسطس 2026

News

Ceuta Appeals for Aid as Migrant Children Overwhelm Reception System

CEUTA-Authorities in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta appealed for urgent government assistance on Wednesday, warning that hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children remaining in the territory after last week's mass border crossing have pushed reception facilities beyond capacity and created an increasingly difficult humanitarian and security situation. Ceuta's regional leader, Juan Jesus Vivas, said local authorities were struggling to care for around 1,100 minors despite facilities designed to accommodate only about 90. He described the situation as "absolutely unsustainable" and warned that overcrowded reception centers posed significant challenges for public order and security. Spain has said that about 70,000 of the roughly 72,000 people who crossed into Ceuta from neighboring Morocco during the sudden influx have since returned. However, approximately 2,500 migrants remain in the territory, including hundreds of unaccompanied children requiring shelter, food, water and other essential services. Groups of young migrants continued to gather in parks and along beaches across Ceuta on Wednesday while authorities worked to identify them and arrange accommodation, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Miguel Angel Perez, the Spanish government's top representative in Ceuta, acknowledged that the welfare of the minors had become the administration's foremost concern. Humanitarian organization Save the Children estimated that around 1,000 of the children remaining in the enclave were unprotected. Vivas urged Spain's central government to mobilize assistance from other regions of the country to ease pressure on Ceuta's overstretched child protection system. He said local authorities were unable to manage the unprecedented number of minors without broader national support. Any effort to redistribute the children across Spain under existing legal provisions is expected to face political resistance from some regional administrations governed by the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the far-right, anti-immigration Vox party. Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo said on public television that regional governments, including those led by the PP, were required to comply with the law regarding the reception and care of migrant children. Spain's Ministry for Youth and Children has announced an emergency allocation of 25 million euros ($29 million) to help Ceuta provide accommodation and support services for the minors. The funding is intended to bolster the territory's response as local resources remain under severe strain. Vivas said he had warned Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's office on July 27 that hundreds of migrants had already entered Ceuta from Morocco and that the territory was facing a rapidly deteriorating situation. According to Vivas, the prime minister's office indicated that the relevant ministries would address the issue. He also said he requested that Spain's Interior Ministry declare a national state of emergency the following day but was informed that such a measure was not legally possible. Vivas maintained that local authorities had provided sufficient warning that exceptional action would be required as the number of arrivals increased. The Spanish government has maintained that it did not receive advance warning indicating the scale of the mass crossing before it occurred. The latest influx has renewed pressure on Spain's migration management system and highlighted the challenges facing Ceuta, one of Spain's two enclaves in North Africa, which has long served as a focal point for irregular migration into the European Union.

أغسطس 2026

News

South Africa Seeks Continental Migration Talks Amid Regional Tensions

JOHANNESBURG- South Africa on Wednesday called for continent-wide discussions on migration as it sought to address growing diplomatic and political tensions following anti-immigration protests at home and a broader regional migration crisis highlighted by the recent mass crossing into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said the government wants African nations to examine the underlying drivers of irregular migration rather than focus solely on South Africa's domestic challenges. His remarks came as the country continues to face criticism over protests demanding the deportation of undocumented migrants and reports of violence targeting foreign nationals. South Africa has argued that migration pressures are a continental issue requiring a coordinated African response. Lamola said the proposed discussions would examine the "push-pull factors" that compel people to leave their home countries and seek opportunities elsewhere across the continent. The issue is expected to feature prominently at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit later this month in Durban, where regional leaders are due to discuss migration and its implications. Countries including Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which have recently repatriated some of their nationals from South Africa, are expected to attend. Lamola said South Africa hopes the discussions will ultimately expand to include all members of the African Union. He added that the proposed dialogue would also consider migration pressures affecting other parts of Africa, including North Africa. The African Union, which comprises 55 member states, last week rejected a proposal by Ghana to place South Africa's migration tensions on the agenda of the bloc's next coordination meeting in October. South Africa opposed the proposal, arguing that the issue should be addressed within the wider context of migration challenges across the continent rather than focusing on a single country. Lamola said he had held consultations during the past two weeks with several African leaders and officials, including Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and a representative of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, as Pretoria sought support for a broader continental approach. The government's push comes amid mounting domestic pressure over immigration policy. Anti-illegal immigration groups, including the March and March movement, have organized protests calling for the removal of migrants who are in South Africa without legal documentation. The groups have pledged to continue demonstrating every Thursday, demanding faster deportations, stricter enforcement of immigration laws and tighter border security. Some migrants have reported being assaulted during the protests, raising concerns over their safety and increasing scrutiny of South Africa's handling of the unrest. According to government figures, at least 68,000 people were repatriated from South Africa between June and July. The total includes individuals deported for lacking the required immigration documents or residing in the country illegally. While authorities have not released a detailed breakdown of those repatriated and deported, the government said most were citizens of Malawi, followed by Zimbabwe and Mozambique. South Africa's Border Management Agency has also reduced the capacity of its temporary repatriation facility in Musina, near the Beitbridge border crossing with Zimbabwe, from 20,000 people to 1,500. The latest developments come as migration has become an increasingly prominent political and humanitarian issue across Africa, with governments facing pressure to strengthen border management while addressing the economic, security and social factors driving cross-border movement.

أغسطس 2026

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