DR Congo
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is growing “exponentially,” with the fight against it unable to keep up and the virus in danger of spilling into neighboring countries, the U.N.’s senior Ebola coordinator said today. “The epidemic is spreading widely. It’s now covering an area that is bigger than France,” Julien Harneis said, adding that half of the 2,500 deaths had been reported in just the last 20 days. The response to the outbreak, which was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus for which there is no vaccine, has been hampered by challenges, including the epicenter’s location in a conflict zone.
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Pakistan
Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan would not confront the country’s military or army chief if freed from prison, a close aide told Reuters in an interview. Khan, who was returned to prison today after briefly being brought to hospital following a court order, was jailed in 2023 after falling out with the military. The remarks from Zulfikar Bukhari, spokesman for Khan’s PTI party, appeared to publicly signal a shift in stance and a willingness to reconcile with army chief Asim Munir, who Khan has previously called “mentally unstable.”
More from Reuters here.
Bangladesh
No decision has been made on whether Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will visit India, his press secretary said, contradicting Indian media reports that Rahman will be visiting New Delhi from August 23 to 25. A trip would be seen as significant, given that Bangladesh’s toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled into exile in India after she was ousted in a youth-led street uprising in 2024. Bangladesh has sentenced the former prime minister to death in absentia for ordering a crackdown on the protests, but the 78-year-old has vowed to return to the country in December, saying death doesn’t scare her.
More from Reuters here.