Ebola Crisis Hits 500+ Deaths: WHO says DR Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has reached 506 deaths and 1,561 confirmed cases, with health workers threatening strike action over unpaid benefits and poor conditions. Frontline Strain & Response Push: Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya urges faster testing, safe isolation, stronger contact follow-up, and sustained financing, as insecurity and mistrust keep slowing containment. Experimental Treatments Start: WHO-backed clinical trial enrolment begins in Ituri, testing MBP134 and remdesivir alongside supportive care, while a new molecular diagnostic is granted emergency use. Economic Fallout Risk: UNDP warns the outbreak could cost Africa $3.6bn, push nearly 1m people into poverty, and endanger hundreds of thousands of jobs—through trade disruption, transport delays, and informal market shocks. Fuel Subsidy Cuts Target Mining: Kinshasa plans to extend fuel subsidy cuts by moving mining firms closer to market prices, aiming to cushion the energy shock but raising costs for operators. Cobalt Export Quota Glitch: A customs platform failure risks cancelling up to $1.1bn in cobalt export quotas for major producers unless registrations resume before deadlines. Capital Markets Move: DR Congo is preparing to launch the Kinshasa Stock Exchange, aiming to attract investment and broaden financing beyond mining. Conflict Minerals Pressure: US sanctions target Rwanda-linked firms tied to M23 mineral financing, while Tshisekedi pushes for tougher UN rules on illicit trade. Forest Governance Under Threat: A coalition urges Kinshasa to keep the moratorium on new logging concessions, warning draft plans could open tens of millions of hectares to timber.