Ebola & Business Travel: DR Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola toll hit at least 930 deaths as cases surge, with no licensed vaccine or treatment for this strain—prompting the US to bar Americans who were in the country from boarding flights home for 21 days, disrupting visits and deal-making tied to critical-minerals cooperation. Mining Law Tensions: The government says it will consider mining-company requests on a proposed overhaul that would expand state powers over strategic minerals—an approach critics warn could unsettle investors after industry pushed back. Lithium Exports Start: Congo began its first-ever lithium exports to China as Zijin’s Manono project shipped spodumene concentrate, with 2026 ramp-up targets drawing market attention. Critical Minerals Deals Delayed: Reuters reports the Ebola outbreak is delaying travel and meetings for a US-backed critical-minerals partnership, complicating efforts to diversify supply chains away from China. Police Payroll Leak: An audit flagged nearly 63,000 “ghost police” records in the national force, with estimated salary losses up to $233m a year—raising pressure for governance reforms that affect public finance and business confidence. Air Quality Shock: Wildfire smoke drove major air-quality alerts in the region, with Kinshasa among the world’s worst-ranked cities at times, a reminder that health disruptions can spill into economic activity. Regional Trade Hit: Fighting in South Kivu is strangling commercial traffic on Lake Tanganyika, slowing Burundi–DRC exchanges through Rumonge. Accountability Push: DR Congo launched an international advisory council on atrocities in the east, bringing senior war-crimes lawyers to support justice and reparations efforts.