We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
When one considers the realm of science fiction anthology series, “Black Mirror” and “The Twilight Zone” often dominate the conversation. Yet, in 2017, Hulu introduced its own unique entry that didn’t quite capture the widespread attention it deserved. Narrated by the legendary Mark Hamill, “Dimension 404” transports viewers into a different narrative with each episode, ranging from surreal video game challenges to a magical energy drink that can alter time perception.
Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images
Debuting in April 2017, “Dimension 404” was met with positive reception, earning an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics frequently drew parallels to the iconic anthology series mentioned earlier. As Cheryl Eddy commented for Gizmodo, “While the show is heavily inspired by its predecessors—most notably ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘Black Mirror’—it does so in an entertaining manner, bolstered by a stellar cast that adds significant appeal.”
“Dimension 404” rolled out its episodes weekly until April 25, but its moment in the spotlight was short-lived. Shortly thereafter, Hulu launched the first three episodes of its adaptation of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which quickly became a major hit and inadvertently overshadowed “Dimension 404.”
Though “Black Mirror” offers a plethora of episodes with a wide array of themes, “Dimension 404” adopted a similar episodic format but with a greater emphasis on humor. Consequently, the series delivers a more lighthearted experience compared to the often dark or satirical tone of “Black Mirror.” While both series explore similar themes, Hulu’s take is presented through a more comedic lens.
Much like its Netflix counterpart, a significant draw of this anthology is its familiar faces. With its comedic approach, “Dimension 404” features notable comedy actors such as Patton Oswalt and Joel McHale, alongside sitcom stars like Constance Wu and Sarah Hyland. Kayla Cobb aptly described the series for Decider as “akin to watching a series of delightfully campy B-movies headlined by celebrities you recognize.”
Dimension 404 is an underrated anthology gem
Hulu
While “Black Mirror” has plenty of episodes to go through, with a variety of topics to suit anyone’s taste, “Dimension 404” used a similar model but infused more comedy. As a result, the episodes offer a lighter tone than the often dark or satirical nature of “Black Mirror.” The Hulu series has similar messaging to “Black Mirror,” but presents it through a different lens.
Like the Netflix series, part of the anthology’s charm is its recognizable cast. Because of the humorous tone, well-known comedy stars like Patton Oswalt and Joel McHale appear, along with sitcom idols such as Constance Wu and Sarah Hyland. “The series is like watching a bunch of delightfully campy B-movies starring celebrities you know,” Kayla Cobb wrote for Decider.
Unfortunately, “Dimension 404” never received a 2nd season, losing its chances of being among the great season-by-season anthologies. However, a cancellation announcement never materialized, so there’s always a chance “Dimension 404” could return, though it seems unlikely at this point.
One of Ukraine‘s largest drone strikes on Russia has killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others, local authorities say.
Debris fell on Russia’s largest airport without causing damage before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the drone strikes on Sunday, saying they were “entirely justified”.
Russia continues to launch attacks on Ukraine’s capital and other cities, with experts suggesting these strikes are likely retaliatory actions following recent assaults on Kyiv.
A house on fire after a Ukrainian attack in Khimki, just outside Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vo)
Ukrainian officials report that overnight Russian drone attacks injured eight individuals across the country.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian soil have resulted in casualties. A woman was killed when a drone hit her residence in Khimki, a city situated just northwest of Moscow. In the village of Pogorelki, about 10 kilometers north of the capital, two men lost their lives, as confirmed by local Governor Andrei Vorobyev.
Governor Vorobyev also noted that Ukrainian drones had inflicted damage on unspecified infrastructure and several high-rise buildings, according to his social media updates.
In the Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine, a drone strike claimed the life of a man after hitting a truck, local authorities reported.
In Moscow itself, at least 12 people were wounded in the night-time strike, mostly near the entrance to the city’s oil refinery, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported. Sobyanin reported that the “technology” of the refinery hadn’t been damaged.
Russia’s largest airport — Moscow’s Sheremetyevo — said that drone debris had fallen on its grounds without causing damage or affecting flights.
The damage after a Ukrainian drone attack, just outside Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vo)
Russian defences shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight, state agency Tass reported, citing Sobyanin, marking one of the largest attacks on the city since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Russian air defences destroyed 556 drones over Russia overnight, the country’s defence ministry said Sunday morning. Shortly after midday local time, it reported that more than 1000 drones had been shot down or jammed in the previous 24 hours.
Zelenskyy said that the drones had flown more than 500 kilometres from Ukrainian territory, and that Ukraine was “overcoming” Russian air defence systems concentrated in and around the capital.
“Our responses to Russia’s prolongation of the war and attacks on our cities and communities are entirely justified. This time, Ukrainian long-distance sanctions have reached the Moscow region, and we are clearly telling the Russians: their state must end its war,” Zelenskyy said.
Aeroflot’s passengers planes are parked at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo, File)
Revenge for Russian attacks, expert says
Nigel Gould Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, said that Ukraine’s large-scale attack appeared to be “the retaliation or revenge that President Zelenskyy promised after the fierce attacks that Russia carried out on Kyiv.”
Those strikes came immediately after the end of a brief ceasefire that allowed Russia to hold its annual Victory Day parade on May 9 commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
“It brings home the fact Ukraine has the capacity to strike at very significant scale at or around the Russian capital,” taking the war home to Russians in a way that would be “most unwelcome” to the Kremlin, Gould Davies told The Associated Press.
“There is no ongoing peace process to disrupt. What (the attack) is more likely to do is add to the darkening cloud of anxiety over Russia which has developed palpably over the last three or four months,” he said.
He cited a combination of factors, including Russia’s recent battlefield setbacks, a deteriorating economic situation at home, and the Kremlin’s intensifying crackdown on the internet, including in Moscow and Russia’s second-largest city, St Petersburg.
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Tanya finds herself seated in a modest, brightly-lit room at a women’s health facility in Melbourne, quietly focusing on coloring a design.
Although it appears simple and almost reminiscent of a child’s drawing, for Tanya, this activity is a key part of a structured psychiatric treatment that has been instrumental in helping her regain her footing after her daily life became unmanageable.
Many participants in this women-exclusive program, like Tanya, reached out for professional support when everyday responsibilities became too overwhelming.
“I was juggling a full-time job while raising teenagers, yet I could hardly muster the energy to get out of bed. I was in a terrible state,” she shares with SBS News.
“Eventually, I had to take a leave of absence from work, and returning seemed impossible. I was really having a hard time,” she confides.
For Tanya (right), art therapy is part of a structured psychiatric treatment program that helped her rebuild after she could no longer function day-to-day. Source: SBS News / Scott Cardwell
After a GP referral, Tanya was admitted to a women’s mental health program and, during therapy, discovered a passion for art, which she says has changed her life.
“Doing art therapy is really satisfying, soul-soothing. It helped me to find ways to express what I am feeling,” she says.
“Then, during a six-month outpatient program, I also did journaling, and now I feel really good and have a better understanding of myself.”
Tanya is among the one in four women in Australia to battle severe mental health challenges, according to the 2025 Women’s Mental Health Research Report.
Her experience reflects a broader rise in women seeking structured mental health care, particularly when symptoms begin to affect work, parenting and daily functioning.
Hormones, diagnosis and delayed understanding
For many women, symptoms do not sit neatly within a single diagnosis — they can often flare up during hormonal changes, particularly around menopause, says Jayashri Kulkarni, professor of psychiatry at The Alfred and Monash University.
Kulkarni is also the founding medical director of Cabrini Women’s Mental Health in Melbourne, where she oversees the women-only mental health program.
Professor Jayashri Kulkarni (left) with outpatient Tanya at the hospital. Source: SBS News / Scott Cardwell
Kulkarni says many women suffer a complex mix of symptoms that are not immediately linked to hormonal change, even when it’s a contributing factor.
“We have treated, highly successfully treated, women who have presented with what actually is menopause depression, but had been misdiagnosed,” she tells SBS News.
Tanya knew her hormones were changing, but initially had no idea what was wrong.
She says that in hindsight, she can see her mental health decline coincided with those changes, but at the time, the causes were unclear and overlapping.
“Everything was so hard. I felt like I had been cut off at the knees,” she tells SBS News.
“Doctors eventually diagnosed complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and depression.
I’d never had any kind of diagnosis before. I had been raised to not talk about [mental health] and to not acknowledge that it was even a thing.
Concerns about mixed-gender psychiatric wards
Kulkarni says she has spent years advocating for a women-only hospital after working across mixed-gender mental health wards in both public and private hospital systems.
“There are many, many risk factors in co-gendered wards,” she says.
“Very sadly, I have been involved with situations where women have been traumatised or abused, or even, [in] the worst cases, raped by co-patients.
“And it’s usually male patients who assault female patients.”
Concerns about safety in mixed-gender wards are also being raised more broadly within the mental health sector.
Dr Angelo Virgona, president-elect of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), says reports of sexual harassment and assault in inpatient units remain a significant issue.
“The atmosphere in some inpatient units is very distressing, very harrowing, and frightening,” he tells SBS News.
“It is due to the increasing acuity that we’re seeing in people who are mentally ill and particularly those with associated substance use problems or drug-induced psychotic-type disorders.”
According to RANZCP, reports of sexual assault in mixed-gender wards are six times higher than in single-gender settings.
In acute inpatient health services, including mental health services, sexual activity is prohibited, and services are required to comply with mental health legislation and duty-of-care obligations designed to protect patients from harm.
However, Virgona says many people seeking treatment through the public system continue to be admitted to mixed-gender wards because alternatives are limited.
“Often, that is all that is available,” he says.
“If somebody is acutely unwell and they need inpatient care, then it is beholden on the services to try to ensure that the environments in those mixed gender wards are as safe as possible.”
Trauma, safety and calls for reform
A recent report co-authored by Kulkarni and published in the journal Australian Psychiatry in January 2026 states women with histories of violence and trauma can experience further distress when admitted to mix-gendered mental health facilities.
This is a real issue for many women who have had a background of trauma and violence in their own lives that has led to mental illness.
— Jayashri Kulkarni
Virgona describes it as “a terrible indictment” of the system when patients experience worsening symptoms during hospital admission.
The RANZCP says future mental health facility design should prioritise secure, women-only spaces, including separate bedrooms, bathrooms, and communal areas.
“The need for them is obvious and any new development of mental health services should have a single-gender orientation.
“Wherever possible, there should be attempts made at retrofitting the existing facilities so that women can have safe spaces.”
Growing pressure on mental health services
The federal budget has allocated $283.2 million over four years from 2025-26 to continue strengthening Australia’s mental health and suicide prevention system.
Mental ill-health costs the Australian economy an estimated $56 billion annually, according to the RANZCP.
“The increasing cost of living across our country is putting extraordinary pressure on people. Pressure leads to stress, which leads to symptoms such as depression and anxiety,” Virgona says.
Tanya says she feels proud to be moving ahead with a new career and purpose. Source: SBS News / Scott Cardwell
Amid these broader pressures on the mental health system, individual stories like Tanya’s reflect the complexity many women describe in navigating changing diagnoses alongside major life transitions.
Tanya is now studying for a new career in health and leisure and says she is focused on moving forward.
“It is hard for me to ever say that I feel proud of myself.
“But I have worked really hard with support from [the program] to connect with and understand mental health and mental wellbeing.”
Readers seeking crisis support can ring Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 or beyondblue.org.au and on 1300 22 4636.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
After numerous denials, the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service has decided to allow access to documents concerning Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele. Historians have long been eager to scrutinize these files to determine whether the notorious doctor from German death camps made a stop in Zurich despite having an international warrant for his arrest.
Known as the ‘Angel of Death’ for his horrific experiments on Auschwitz II-Birkenau prisoners, Mengele initially escaped to South America following the end of World War II. However, reports indicate that he might have returned to Europe as a tourist, visiting Switzerland for a ski trip with his son in 1956.
Suspicions have persisted among historians that Mengele revisited Europe, particularly Switzerland, after West Germany issued an arrest warrant for him in 1959.
Evidence suggests that his wife had rented an apartment conveniently located near Zurich’s international airport. During this time, local police documented sightings of an unidentified man entering the premises.
The recent decision to unlock these files was made public earlier this month, following a legal appeal by a historian who challenged the long-standing Swiss refusals.
No date was announced for the lifting of the restrictions.
Mengele served as chief physician at Auschwitz from 1943 to 1944, and was in charge of the camp’s selection process, choosing who would live and who would die.
He sent about 400,000 people to their deaths in the gas chambers, according to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
The SS captain was also responsible for the medical experiments performed on camp prisoners.
Like many other Nazi officers, Mengele initially fled Europe using Red Cross travel documents obtained under a false identity at the Swiss consulate in Genoa, Italy.
He died in Brazil in 1979, aged 67, without having ever been prosecuted for his crimes, despite Argentine authorities’ knowledge of his true identity.
Cate Blanchett, the acclaimed actress with two Oscars to her name, has voiced her thoughts on the rapid decline of the #MeToo movement. Blanchett, who previously accused producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, remarked that the movement “got killed very quickly.”
Blanchett, 57, shared her insights during a discussion at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday.
The night before, Blanchett was a standout on the red carpet, dazzling in a custom Louis Vuitton black velvet gown with an intricately embroidered, hand-crafted plissé collar, complemented by diamond earrings from the same designer.
She expressed her disappointment, stating, “The #MeToo movement got killed very quickly. Many individuals with platforms can speak out relatively safely and say, ‘This happened to me.’ Meanwhile, everyday women on the street are saying, ‘#MeToo.’”
Blanchett continued, “Why does that get shut down? What the movement exposed was a systemic layer of abuse across all industries, not just entertainment. Without acknowledging a problem, you cannot resolve it. Shutting down the conversation stifles progress.”
‘I mean, I’m still on film sets and I do the head count every day and it is still, you know, there’s ten women and there’s 75 men every morning. I love men, you know, but what happens is the jokes become the same, you know. And you just have to brace yourself slightly, and I’m used to that, but it does get a bit boring.
‘It gets boring for everybody when you walk into a homogenous workplace, and I think it has an effect on the work. But I was so grateful to Thierry (Fremaux, Cannes festival boss) and to Alberto (Barbera, Venice festival boss) and all of the people who were leading the major festivals around the world signed to say that they would make a pledge to increase representation because it’s better for audiences.’
Blanchett, 57, was speaking at the Cannes film festival during an ‘in conversation’ event on Sunday
On Saturday night she had turned heads on the red carpet in a custom Louis Vuitton black velvet dress featuring an embroidered, hand-made plissé collar, worn with diamond earrings from the same fashion house
During a wide-ranging conversation over 90 minutes, the actress revealed numerous plans to continue working, despite having announced in April 2025 that she was planning to retire from acting.
These include performing at the National Theatre in London from August to October in a new play Electra/Persona, making a docu-film about the American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and potentially joining the forthcoming film The Origin of the World by wunderkind Brady Corbet. He directed and wrote The Brutalist, Oscar-nominated in 2024. The Origin of the World is said to be a four-hour X-rated film, spanning 150 years of American history. Michael Fassbender and Selena Gomez are also in the cast.
In April 2025, she said: ‘My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it. I am serious about giving up acting … [There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life’.
Blanchett, who has worked a number of times with convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, and also with Woody Allen, said that she had found it ‘difficult’ to deal with the reality of the behaviour of unnamed colleagues.
She said: ‘I think when those things are made public it is very disconcerting if you have worked with someone or are working with someone who has behaved in ways that are reprehensible.
‘There are a lot of secrets that we all hold that we don’t tell one another and when those secrets become public it is somehow quite difficult to deal with. But I do think it is an internal question and I think it is how much a person is enabled to behave that way. You want to look at the circle of people around that person who are perpetuating that behaviour and also ask if someone who has genuinely atoned for that behaviour and changed their behaviour.
‘Martha Stewart says if you stop changing you are through. She really, really believes in change and I am with her. I think people can change. And so I am much more of the school of being open to the possibility that people evolve.
‘I know I have changed if I think back to things that I said and did when I was in my 20s.
‘You know we all do things that are foolish that we regret. It is what we do with that and if we double down and keep behaving in that way maybe it is time to stop working with that person. But if that person has atoned for it, in fact their work can become deeper, they can become richer and kinder and truer and more inclusive, then I think that is great.’
In Smyth County, Tennessee, Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip Blevins Jr. announced on Sunday that his office will not endorse criminal charges based solely on technical breaches of the forthcoming “assault weapons ban” set to be enacted on July 1.
The new law, signed by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, on Friday, criminalizes the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or purchase of assault weapons, with specific exceptions. Furthermore, it prohibits the import, sale, barter, transfer, or purchase of magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition, again with some exceptions.
General Jack Keane warns of China’s ambitions on Taiwan
Gen. Jack Keane, a senior strategic analyst at Fox News, has sounded the alarm over concerns held by advisors to former President Trump regarding China’s intentions toward Taiwan over the next five years. He underscores the strain on U.S. military resources, which are already stretched thin with commitments in Europe and the Middle East. Keane elaborates on China’s military prowess and its technological ambitions concerning Taiwan. Furthermore, he touches on the readiness of the United States and Israel to potentially resume military actions against Iran, stressing the importance of a robust strategy to dismantle Iran’s military capabilities and financial networks.
In a strong show of defiance against China’s ambitions, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te extended heartfelt gratitude for U.S. support while issuing a firm five-point declaration of independence. He labeled China as “the root cause of regional instability” and a “threat to regional peace.”
“Under no circumstances will Taiwan relinquish its national sovereignty, dignity, or its democratic and free way of life,” President Lai confidently stated in a Facebook post on Sunday, as translated by various sources.
“Taiwan will never be sacrificed or traded,” he added emphatically.
These remarks marked Lai’s first direct response to last week’s summit in Beijing between former President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which had stirred concerns in Taiwan about the possibility of Chinese aggression.
President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping listened to each other on Taiwan, but Trump stressed he did not give in to Xi’s claims of control over Taiwan, declining to assure Xi the U.S. would not defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion.(Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump remains mum on new weapons sales to Taiwan, but stressed the U.S. was “not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent because the United States is backing us’.”
Long-term Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and arms sales were based on the Taiwan Relations Act, Lai said, referencing the 1979 law that mandates the sale of weapons to the island.
“This is not only a U.S. security commitment to Taiwan, but also the most important deterrent force over the years against actions that undermine regional peace and stability,” he wrote.
While the Trump administration in December approved an $11 billion arms sales package, the largest ever, Reuters reported that a second one worth some $14 billion still awaits his nod.
Lai’s five-point Facebook message was a stern rejection of China’s claims of control over Taiwan, and a call for Trump’s self-defense assistance:
“First, Taiwan is the defender of the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region.”
“Second, China is the root cause of regional instability and changes to the status quo.”
“Third, defending the status quo of the Republic of China is not an issue of ‘Taiwan independence.’”
“Fourth, Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and arms sales are key elements in maintaining regional peace and stability.”
“Fifth, Taiwan is at the heart of global core interests, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait must never be sacrificed or traded.”
There was no immediate response from China or the White House to his comments.
While Trump said he listened to Xi Jinping’s positions on Taiwan, he was clear in saying he would not reveal whether he would act in defense of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
“We thank President Trump for his continued support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait since his first term, including the continued increase in the scale and value of arms sales to Taiwan, which have helped Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities,” Lai wrote.
“Ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait has always been a high-level consensus and common interest shared by Taiwan, the United States and democratic countries around the world. Taiwan will never be sacrificed or traded. Finally, I want to emphasize again that peace depends on strength, on the will of our people to defend freedom and democracy, and on firm cooperation with friends and allies,” his lengthy post concluded.
“Taiwan will continue to shoulder the responsibility of improving its self-defense capabilities, firmly defend democracy and freedom, maintain the status quo with neither arrogance nor submission, and make active contributions to regional and global peace and prosperity.”
Eric Mack is a writer for Fox News Digital covering breaking news.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern due to an Ebola outbreak in Congo and neighboring Uganda. This decision follows a report of over 300 suspected cases and 88 fatalities linked to a rare strain of the virus.
According to WHO, this outbreak does not meet the pandemic emergency criteria akin to COVID-19, thus it is advising against the closure of international borders.
The WHO announced on X that a laboratory-confirmed Ebola case has emerged in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, located approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the original outbreak center in the eastern province of Ituri. This indicates the potential for a broader spread. The infected individual had traveled from Ituri, and additional suspected cases have also been identified in North Kivu province, one of Congo’s most densely populated areas neighboring Ituri.
On Sunday, Goma’s rebel government, the largest city in Eastern Congo, issued a statement confirming the first Ebola case in the city. The patient, who had journeyed from Ituri province, is currently in isolation. Goma was previously a battleground for a swift rebel attack in early 2025, with ongoing conflicts between the Congolese armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
Ebola is known for its high contagion rate, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, or semen. While rare, the disease is severe and often leads to fatal outcomes.
WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action. By WHO’s standards, it shows the event is serious, there is a risk of international spread and it requires a coordinated international response.
The global response to previous declarations has been mixed. In 2024, when WHO declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency, experts at the time said that it did little to get supplies like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to affected countries quickly.
It’s hard to treat a variant of Ebola
Health authorities say the current outbreak, first confirmed on Friday, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the Ebola disease that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time that the Bundibugyo virus has been detected.
Congo accounts for all except two of the cases, both of which were reported in Uganda, WHO said.
The Bundibugyo virus was first detected in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-2008 outbreak that infected 149 people and killed 37. The second time was in 2012, in an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, where 57 cases and 29 deaths were reported.
Conflict and migration complicate efforts
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said Saturday that a high number of active cases remain in the community, particularly in Mongwalu, where the first cases were reported, “significantly complicating containment and contact tracing efforts.”
Violent conflict with militants, some backed by the Islamic State group, as well as constant population movement because of mining, both within Congo and across the border in Uganda, have also posed a major challenge to response efforts.
Officials first reported the spread of the disease in Ituri province, close to Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. On Saturday, the Africa CDC reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths in Congo.
“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time. In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The two cases in Uganda include one person whom officials said had traveled from Congo and died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and another WHO said had also traveled from Congo.
WHO said that the high percentage of positive cases among samples tested, the spread to Kampala and Uganda and the clusters of deaths across Ituri “all point toward a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant local and regional risk of spread.”
Congo outbreak killed 50 before it was detected
Kaseya said that slow detection delayed the response and gave the virus time to spread.
“This outbreak started in April. So far, we don’t know the index case. It means we don’t know how far is the magnitude of this outbreak,” Kaseya said, using a term for the first detectable case of an epidemic.
The earliest known suspected case, a 59-year-old man, developed symptoms on April 24 and died at a hospital in Ituri on April 27.
By the time health authorities were first alerted to the outbreak via social media on May 5, 50 deaths had already been recorded, the Africa CDC said.
WHO said that at least four deaths have been reported among healthcare workers who showed Ebola symptoms.
Diagnostics and vaccines problems
Shanelle Hall, principal adviser to the head of Africa CDC, told reporters Saturday that there were four therapeutics under consideration for the Bundibugyo virus, but no vaccine was being actively considered.
A bigger issue is that even existing vaccines and therapeutics for other Ebola viruses aren’t manufactured in Africa. Africa’s struggle to get vaccines from richer countries during the COVID-19 pandemic spurred different efforts to accelerate its capacity to manufacture shots, but resources remain scarce.
Kaseya said that the demand for a vaccine for a rare virus like Bundibugyo, which isn’t as deadly as the Ebola Zaire prominent in Congo’s past outbreaks, has been the recurring issue in discussions with pharmaceutical companies over vaccine manufacturing,
“If we are serious in this continent, we need to manufacture what we need,” he said. “We cannot every single day look for others to come to tell us what they are doing.”
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — With nearly ten years of experience in healthcare, Kerstin Huffman entered the field driven by a passion for helping others. However, she often finds that both she and her fellow professionals are the ones who need assistance.
“No matter your specialty, there’s always an element of risk that comes with the job,” Huffman remarked, highlighting the daily hazards healthcare workers face.
In a significant health alert, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially classified the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern. This decision, announced on Sunday, follows the confirmation of over 300 suspected cases and 88 fatalities linked to the rare virus.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the WHO has clarified that the outbreak does not meet the threshold of a pandemic emergency akin to COVID-19. Consequently, it has advised against the closure of international borders, emphasizing that such measures are unnecessary at this stage.
Adding to the urgency, the WHO reported a laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. This city lies approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away from the outbreak’s origin in the eastern province of Ituri, indicating a potential broader spread. The patient in Kinshasa had recently traveled to Ituri, and there are additional suspected cases emerging from North Kivu province, which shares a border with Ituri and is densely populated.
Ebola is notorious for its high contagion rate, primarily transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. Although the disease is rare, it is severe and often proves fatal.
The WHO’s emergency declaration is a call to action for donor agencies and international communities. This classification signals that the situation is critical, with a risk of spreading beyond national borders, necessitating a well-coordinated global response.
The global response to previous declarations has been mixed. In 2024, when the WHO declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency, experts at the time said it did little to get supplies like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to affected countries quickly.
It’s hard to treat a variant of Ebola
Health authorities say the current outbreak, first confirmed on Friday, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the Ebola disease that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time the Bundibugyo virus has been detected.
Congo accounts for all except two of the cases, both of which were reported in Uganda, the WHO said.
The Bundibugyo virus was first detected in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-2008 outbreak that infected 149 people and killed 37. The second time was in 2012, in an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, where 57 cases and 29 deaths were reported.
Conflict and migration complicate effort to track outbreak
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said Saturday that a high number of active cases remain in the community, particularly in Mongwalu, where the first cases were reported, “significantly complicating containment and contact tracing efforts.”
Violent conflict with militants, some backed by the Islamic State group, as well as constant population movement due to mining, both within Congo and across the border in Uganda, have also posed a major challenge to response efforts.
Officials first reported the spread of the disease in Ituri province, close to Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. On Saturday, the Africa CDC reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths in Congo.
“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time. In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The two cases in Uganda include one person whom officials said had traveled from Congo and died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and another the WHO said had also traveled from Congo.
The WHO said the high percentage of positive cases among samples tested, the spread to Kampala and Uganda and the clusters of deaths across Ituri “all point toward a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant local and regional risk of spread.”
Congo outbreak killed 50 before it was detected
Kaseya said slow detection delayed the response and gave the virus time to spread.
“This outbreak started in April. So far, we don’t know the index case. It means we don’t know how far is the magnitude of this outbreak,” Kaseya said, using a term for the first detectable case of an epidemic.
The earliest known suspected case, a 59-year-old man, developed symptoms on April 24 and died at a hospital in Ituri on April 27.
By the time health authorities were first alerted to the outbreak via social media on May 5, 50 deaths had already been recorded, the Africa CDC said.
The WHO said at least four deaths have been reported among healthcare workers who showed Ebola symptoms.
Diagnostics and vaccines have been a major problem for Africa
Shanelle Hall, principal adviser to the head of Africa CDC, told reporters Saturday that there were four therapeutics under consideration for the Bundibugyo virus, but no vaccine was being actively considered.
A bigger issue is that even existing vaccines and therapeutics for other Ebola viruses are not manufactured in Africa. Africa’s struggle to get vaccines from richer countries during the COVID-19 pandemic spurred different efforts to accelerate its capacity to manufacture shots, but resources remain scarce.
Kaseya said the demand for a vaccine for a rare virus like Bundibugyo, which is not as deadly as the Ebola Zaire prominent in Congo’s past outbreaks, has been the recurring issue in discussions with pharmaceutical companies over vaccine manufacturing,
“If we are serious in this continent, we need to manufacture what we need,” he said. “We cannot every single day look for others to come to tell us what they are doing.”
