A rare variant of the very dangerous Ebola virus is spreading fast in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Bundibugyo variant has no approved treatment or vaccine and it is a killer that has already reportedly killed 150 people. Its fast spread has caused alarm in other parts of the world whose profit-making entities benefit from the country’s mineral tiches at very little cost to themselves. As the virus spreads a group of armed men representing someone’s interests obscenely named Allied Democratic Forces is roaming Eastern Congo killing more people for control of mineral rich land. It would be equally obscene to apportion blame. While no doubt as in 19th century cholera epidemics funeral rituals have played a role in its spread, the constant violences imposed on the country is the larger context. But instead of blame massive respect to the underfunded (the reality of Western aid cuts) and courageous nurses and doctors on the ground and best wishes for the speedy development of an effective vaccine while noting that since variant was identified in 2008 it might have been developed earlier.
In the context of the so called Yugoslav wars some 30 years ago, the multi-ethic city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was besieged for three years by Serbian ethnic nationalist forces. This medieval tactic was permitted by NATO and supported by the Russian Federation. Serbian military dominance of the hills surrounding the city allowed its snipers to shoot at the city’s civilians as when a queue at a bakers were killed. It was constantly dangerous to move in the city. There is now credible evidence of a Sarajevo Safari in which rich Europeans allegedly paid large sums to join Serbian snipers shooting at residents trapped in the city between 1992 and 1995.
Gaza health officials say Israeli attacks continue despite the ceasefire. They say at least 877 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire and that the overall death toll since October 2023 has risen to nearly 72,800, with over 172,700 reported wounded.
Evidence as to the deaths of African men in Ukraine while fighting for Russian forces has become common this year. This is mostly from the sections of African Foreign ministries responsible for repatriating dead men. The present estimate is of 94 men a third of whom were from Cameroon. Russian University students are also being recruited by Russia forces with battlefield losses being greater than recruitment rates for five consecutive months. Defence Ministry documents have been seen urging universities to intensify recruitment efforts, including expelling underperforming students and offering them military contracts in exchange for academic leave before formal expulsion. The first known death was of 23-year-old Russian student Valery Averin who signed a military contract in January as a drone operator but who reportedly died on the front line.