Ebola Surge in Ituri: Congo’s confirmed Ebola cases climbed to about 550 with 101 deaths, as health authorities push harder surveillance and contact tracing amid hard-to-reach hotspots and a lack of testing and protection for frontline staff. Frontline Health Worker Strain: Reports from Ituri describe doctors and midwives falling sick while facilities run short on protective gear and tests, with caregivers—especially women—facing impossible choices as Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment. Court Verdicts in UN Expert Killing: Congo’s High Military Court sentenced 54 people to death over the 2017 ambush killing of UN investigators Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan, including Colonel Jean de Dieu Mambweni, reigniting human-rights and accountability debates. China’s Limited but Growing Role: As the outbreak worsens, China has sent an initial medical team to Kinshasa and signaled emergency assistance, while analysts question whether Beijing will step up enough as the US role appears reduced. US Critical Minerals Push: The US launched a $12bn critical minerals stockpile “Project Vault,” aiming to reduce dependence on China—an issue that matters for Congo’s mining economy and supply-chain leverage. Air Congo to Brussels: Air Congo announced nonstop Kinshasa–Brussels flights starting July 1, using a wet-lease Boeing 787-8 under Ethiopian Airlines’ stake, a potential boost for trade and tourism links. Migration and Consular Pressure: Congo said more than half of a small group of South American deportees sent to Kinshasa have already left for home, highlighting the logistics and political friction around third-country removals.