The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to two new health zones, with 60 areas now affected. The outbreak is the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded, with nearly 5,800 cases and almost 2,800 deaths, and response efforts are being challenged by conflict and lack of infrastructure.
Key Facts
The outbreak reached Biena and Manguredjipa zones in North Kivu province.
Overall, 5,794 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,786 deaths have been reported.
The fatality rate in some areas, like Beni, is close to 69 percent, higher than the average 48 percent.
Armed conflict, attacks on health workers, and population movement slow down the response.
There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain causing this outbreak.
Aid group Doctors Without Borders opened a new treatment center in Beni with 400 beds available.
Early diagnosis and isolating patients help reduce transmission and increase survival.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent global action to control the outbreak.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee proposed renaming Nashville International Airport after country music star Dolly Parton, who died recently at age 80. The idea has support from many fans and local leaders and will be discussed by the airport authority in September.
Key Facts
Gov. Bill Lee suggested naming Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton died at age 80 from cancer.
More than 157,000 people signed a petition to rename the airport for her.
The airport already honors country music with exhibits and live shows.
The naming policy currently requires people to have been dead for at least two years.
The airport authority will discuss the proposal and policy on September 17.
Other airports named for celebrities include President Donald J. Trump International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
Tennessee Senator Jessie Seal proposed a “9 to 5” Day to honor Parton’s song and legacy.
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A man got stuck on a narrow ledge more than 10,000 feet high in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains while climbing off the marked path. A volunteer rescue team found him after hours of searching and brought him down safely during a risky nighttime mission.
Key Facts
The climber was on the Mendenhall couloir, a steep and loose rock area on Laurel Mountain.
He accidentally left the marked route, which is dangerous because falls could be deadly.
Rescue volunteers were warned that any fall from the area would very likely be fatal.
The sheriff’s office alerted rescue teams, who searched for two hours before hearing the climber’s voice.
A helicopter rescue was impossible due to strong winds, so rescuers went by foot at night with headlamps.
One rescuer reached the man from above and secured him with ropes to prevent a fall.
The rescue finished early Sunday morning, and the climber’s determination helped avoid tragedy.
The terrain is hard to navigate at night, making the rescue dangerous for the volunteers.
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Berlin’s city government was hacked, and hackers stole a large amount of data. The hackers demanded about 30 bitcoin (worth around 2 million euros) as ransom, but Berlin’s mayor said the city will not pay. Investigators are working to find out what data was taken and to catch those responsible.
Key Facts
Hackers attacked Berlin’s city systems in early August and stole 5.79 terabytes of data.
The hacker group called Rhysida, believed to be from Russia and eastern Europe, claims responsibility.
The group demands a ransom of 30 bitcoin, about 2 million euros or 1.7 million pounds.
Berlin’s systems for housing benefits and payments were shut down for several days after the attack.
Personal and non-public data, such as contracts and passwords, may have been stolen.
Rhysida has carried out hundreds of attacks since 2023, including one on the British Museum in the UK.
The group plans to auction off the stolen Berlin data on the dark web if the ransom is not paid.
Officials say the upcoming Berlin elections have not been affected by the attack.
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Satellite pictures show that flash floods in Nepal have caused huge damage, destroying whole villages, roads, and bridges. The disaster has killed nearly 600 people and left over 2,400 missing.
Key Facts
Nepal experienced severe flash floods that caused major destruction.
Satellite images reveal entire communities were wiped out.
Roads and bridges were destroyed by the floods.
About 600 people have died due to the floods.
More than 2,400 people are currently reported missing.
The images help show how bad the damage is across affected areas.
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Mohan Bhagwat, a leader of the Indian Hindu group RSS, is visiting New York to speak. Some human rights groups are protesting because they criticize the RSS’s Hindu nationalist views and want his US visa canceled.
Key Facts
Mohan Bhagwat leads the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an Indian Hindu organization.
The RSS promotes Hindu nationalist ideas.
Bhagwat is scheduled to speak in New York during his US visit.
Human rights groups are protesting against his visit.
These groups have asked US authorities to cancel Bhagwat’s visa.
The protests focus on concerns about the RSS’s impact on religious freedom.
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Helen Pacey and her family visited Snowdon, Wales' highest mountain, but could not reach the summit due to long queues and people jumping ahead. Other visitors also reported delays and challenges caused by overcrowding and disorder at the mountain's peak.
Key Facts
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, standing at 1,085 meters (3,560 feet).
Helen Pacey, aged 58, had both hips replaced and relied on the mountain railway to reach near the summit.
Pacey and her family waited 30 minutes in line but had to return without touching the summit marker because others pushed ahead.
Overcrowding has caused wait times over an hour for some visitors trying to reach the top.
Visitors report people climbing past the queue and causing safety concerns.
Some suggest there should be official staff or barriers to manage the flow of people at the summit.
Serena Cain, who has ADHD, found the long queues especially hard and chose to climb past the line with her partner to avoid missing their planned activities.
The issue has led to frustration and safety worries among visitors to Snowdon this summer.
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A 97-year-old woman named Guna Maya Bohara was rescued from flood debris in Nepal after a flash flood caused by a glacier collapse. She is now recovering in the hospital, and her family described her as a “warrior” for surviving the disaster.
Key Facts
Guna Maya Bohara is 97 years old.
She was trapped in debris caused by flash floods in Nepal.
The flash floods happened after a glacier collapsed near the Himalayan border with Tibet.
It took rescuers four hours to pull her out of the rubble.
Bohara is now in the hospital and recovering.
Her great-nephew, Dipak Bohara, traveled from Kathmandu to help in the rescue.
Hundreds of people have been confirmed dead due to the flash floods.
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The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has spread to two more health zones, increasing the total affected to 60. The outbreak has caused 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths, with a higher death rate in North Kivu province. Efforts to control the disease face challenges like violence, displacement, and health worker strikes.
Key Facts
The outbreak spread to Biena and Manguredjipa health zones in North Kivu province.
Total affected health zones now number 60 in eastern Congo.
There have been 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths reported.
North Kivu province has a higher death rate of about 69%, compared to the overall 48%.
Ebola has been spreading since February but was officially declared an outbreak in mid-May.
Challenges include insecurity, population movements, and a strike by health workers.
Congo began vaccinating front-line workers with the Ervebo vaccine, effective against a related Ebola type.
Neighboring countries like Central African Republic and South Sudan are at risk of the virus spreading across borders.
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The Hawk Fire in Reno, Nevada, has burned over 15,000 acres and is almost fully contained. The fire destroyed homes and changed the landscape in the area.
Key Facts
The Hawk Fire took place near Reno, Nevada.
It has burned more than 15,000 acres of land.
The fire is close to being fully controlled.
Homes were destroyed by the fire.
Local news reporter Alina Dangerfield shared stories of people who lost their homes.
The fire significantly changed the appearance of the land around Reno.
Video footage shows the damage caused by the fire.
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People living near Middlesbrough are worried after several violent events happened in their area. These include a car crash that killed seven people, including two police officers, and a house fire that killed a woman and a young girl.
Key Facts
A crash near Middlesbrough killed seven people, including two police officers.
A house fire in the area killed a woman and a seven-year-old girl.
Police said the crash and the house fire are not linked.
Police have made several arrests related to the crash.
Two arrests were made in connection to the house fire.
A local politician, MP Anna Turley, called disorder at a memorial balloon release "unacceptable."
Residents expressed serious concern about safety after these violent incidents.
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An eight-year-old boy named Zoyal Ghale survived floods in Nepal by escaping into a forest and climbing trees to stay safe from the rising water. After being rescued with a broken leg, he was reunited with his mother, who had been looking for him and his brother for several days.
Key Facts
Zoyal Ghale is eight years old.
He survived floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal.
To escape the floods, he ran into a forest and climbed trees.
Zoyal suffered a broken leg during the flood.
Rescuers found and saved him from the flood area.
His mother had been searching for him and his brother for days.
After the rescue, Zoyal was reunited with his mother.
The floods in Nepal caused severe damage and danger.
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The conflict involving Iran has reached six months, but peace talks have not made progress. Meanwhile, a jury in the Lindsay Clancy case has finished its second day of discussions without reaching a decision.
Key Facts
The Iran war has gone on for six months.
Negotiations to end the conflict are currently stalled.
A jury is deliberating in the Lindsay Clancy case.
The jury completed its second day of deliberation.
No verdict was reached after the second day.
The news was reported on CBS News on August 28.
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Greenland is creating a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate a forced birth control program that affected Indigenous Greenlandic Inuit women from the 1960s to 1990s. The program involved inserting contraceptives without consent, leading to serious health issues and infertility for some women. Experts disagree if these actions count as genocide, and Greenland aims to uncover the truth for reconciliation.
Key Facts
Between the 1960s and 1990s, at least 4,000 Greenlandic Inuit girls and women, some as young as 12, were given IUDs or contraceptive injections without their knowledge or consent.
The program was intended by Danish authorities to reduce birth rates to improve living and health conditions in Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
Some victims suffered infections, scarring, or had their uterus removed, which caused infertility.
Two expert reports disagreed on whether the forced contraception constituted genocide.
Greenland’s government set up a four-member commission in 2024 to investigate the campaign further.
Greenland’s Prime Minister said the goal is to find the truth and achieve reconciliation, not to assign blame.
Denmark apologized in 2023 for the discrimination against Greenlanders and the parliament approved compensation payments of up to about $47,000 per affected woman.
Some victims expressed frustration that no Greenlandic Inuit experts were involved in the investigation and called for an independent international court to decide on the genocide question.
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Scientists are investigating how climate change may have caused the recent flood disaster in Nepal and Tibet. Experts are also looking at severe weather events worldwide to understand what lessons can be learned.
Key Facts
A flood disaster recently occurred in Nepal and Tibet.
Scientists are studying the role of climate change in this flood.
Severe weather events have increased in many countries in recent months.
The discussion involves experts from different research and environmental organizations.
Pema Gyamtsho directs an intergovernmental organization based in Kathmandu focused on the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
Benjamin Horton is a professor and energy school dean at City University of Hong Kong and won an award in 2026.
Wolfgang Cramer is a retired research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.
The goal is to understand causes and lessons from this and other recent disasters.
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DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi has called for a national dialogue to reduce tensions but said the M23 rebel group cannot join the talks. The government also plans to close 11 public universities located in areas controlled by the rebels. Meanwhile, Ghana is facing many deaths from accidents in illegal gold-mining pits, and in Cameroon, some U.S. deportees fear persecution as they await asylum decisions.
Key Facts
President Félix Tshisekedi wants a national dialogue in DR Congo but excludes the M23 rebel group.
The government of DR Congo will suspend 11 public universities in rebel-held areas.
In Ghana, 23 people, including 11 children, died after falling into abandoned illegal gold-mining pits.
Ghana is experiencing a rise in illegal gold mining, locally called "galamsey."
In Cameroon, deportees from the U.S. fear for their safety as they wait for decisions on their asylum claims.
The U.S. has agreements with at least 30 countries to accept people it cannot deport directly to their home countries.
The national dialogue in DR Congo aims to ease ongoing tensions in the country.
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A clinical trial compared three diets—ketogenic, Mediterranean, and plant-based—in adults with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. The study found that while all diets improved health markers, the ketogenic diet led to greater improvements in liver health and blood sugar control.
Key Facts
The study involved 55 adults with metabolic health issues; 42 completed the trial.
Participants followed ketogenic, Mediterranean, or very-low-fat plant-based diets, with all meals provided to ensure adherence.
Each group lost about 10% of their body weight during the study.
The ketogenic diet improved liver insulin sensitivity two to three times more than the other diets.
Liver fat decreased by 67% on the ketogenic diet, compared to about 45% on the other diets.
Blood sugar, insulin levels, and HbA1c dropped more significantly in the ketogenic group.
Half of the ketogenic group no longer met criteria for prediabetes after the trial.
The ketogenic diet did not negatively affect cholesterol levels despite higher fat intake.
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The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, cared for nearly 1,000 sea creatures confiscated in two illegal wildlife smuggling operations this summer. The animals were rescued from traffickers and carefully treated and acclimated at the aquarium to give them a safe place to live.
Key Facts
Two smuggling busts this summer led to nearly 1,000 confiscated marine animals arriving at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
The first operation in June involved about 2,000 animals, including fish, sharks, and invertebrates seized from a box truck.
Aquarium staff worked overnight to move and care for 500 animals from the first bust, performing water tests and careful acclimation.
About 25% of the animals died shortly after arriving due to the stress of transport and adjustment.
A second operation in late July brought another 300 marine animals to the aquarium after a federal wildlife center stay.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a founding member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Wildlife Confiscations Network, which helps place seized animals in accredited facilities.
Since joining the network in 2023, the aquarium has cared for more than 3,300 trafficked animals, including reptiles, corals, and axolotls.
Southern California is a major entry point for illegally trafficked wildlife coming mostly from Asian countries.
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Brazil’s presidential candidates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro have started running free TV and radio ads to win votes. These traditional ads remain very important in Brazil, reaching many people even as social media grows in popularity.
Key Facts
Brazil’s presidential election campaigns use free ads on TV and radio to reach voters.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is running for a fourth, nonconsecutive term as president.
Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is Lula’s main opponent.
Campaign ads are expected to be very aggressive, possibly even harsher than in 2022.
TV and radio remain influential in Brazil because they reach remote areas better than the internet.
Ads’ airtime is free and given based on party size and lower house representation, not money.
Older voters often prefer watching ads on TV and radio over social media.
Campaign ad styles may change due to social media influence but still focus on traditional platforms.
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Ratko Mladic, a Bosnian Serb general convicted for the Srebrenica Genocide and other war crimes, died in prison in The Hague at age 84. He had been serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
Key Facts
Ratko Mladic led Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War.
He was convicted for genocide, including the 1995 killing of over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica.
Mladic was known as the “Butcher of Bosnia” for his role in war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
The United Nations Secretary-General reaffirmed the seriousness of Mladic’s crimes after his death.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic criticized the UN court for denying Mladic early release despite health problems.
Mladic died in detention at The Hague, where he had been serving a life sentence.
The Srebrenica Genocide was the first European genocide since World War II.
He led the longest siege of a capital city in modern history, the Sarajevo siege, resulting in over 11,500 deaths.
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