Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake Strikes Off Egypt’s Coast Near Suez
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck off Egypt’s coast, according to the United States Geological Survey, with the epicentre located about 36 kilometres northeast of the port city of Suez. The German Research Centre for Geosciences measured the quake at magnitude 5.4 and a depth of 10 kilometres. The Egyptian Red Crescent activated its emergency response plan in the affected governorates. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Authorities urged residents to avoid buildings showing signs of structural damage. Damaging earthquakes are rare in Egypt; the country experienced its deadliest modern quake in 1992, when a magnitude 5.8 earthquake killed more than 500 people in Cairo and displaced thousands.
Ebola Outbreak in DRC Becomes Largest in Country’s History
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The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the largest in the country’s history, with 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths recorded. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, and has surpassed the 2018-2020 epidemic in terms of cases. The WHO warned that transmission is accelerating, with a record 567 new cases and 296 deaths reported in the past week alone, driven by insecurity, population displacement and cross-border movement. The outbreak is centred in Ituri province but has spread to North and South Kivu, where ongoing conflict is complicating response efforts. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, although candidates are under development in the United Kingdom and Singapore.
Uganda Unveils Statue of Yonatan Netanyahu to Mark 50 Years Since Entebbe Raid
Uganda has unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to mark 50 years since the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue mission in which he was the only Israeli soldier killed. The monument, outside the old Entebbe airport terminal, was unveiled by Uganda’s army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who described the operation as a defining moment in modern history. He highlighted the strong ties that have since developed between Uganda and Israel. He also acknowledged the Ugandan soldiers killed during the raid, noting they had served under Idi Amin’s “brutal dictatorship”, which did not represent the Ugandan people. The daring rescue freed more than 100 hostages held by Palestinian and German hijackers, although four hostages and at least 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed during and after the operation.
Food Shortages and Cholera Deepen Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis
The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur has warned that parts of Sudan face an imminent famine as poor rainfall, soaring food prices and conflict-related trade disruptions leave communities struggling to access food. The group said failed rains have prevented key crops such as millet and sorghum from germinating. Shortages of seeds, fertiliser and fuel, together with road closures and sieges, have left farmland uncultivated and driven up the cost of basic commodities. Meanwhile, aid agency Plan International warned that El Obeid in North Kordofan is nearing a humanitarian “disaster.” Cholera has spread among around 105,000 displaced people amid severe shortages of food and clean water. Authorities have launched emergency assistance for 7,000 displaced families. Humanitarian organisations are calling for increased international support to avert a worsening crisis.
Rights Group Sounds Alarm Over Burkina Faso Crackdown
Burkina Faso has been added to human rights group Civicus’s 2026 watchlist following what it describes as a sharp escalation in the military government’s crackdown on civil society, political opposition and independent voices. Civicus said authorities have used a restrictive 2025 freedom of association law to suspend or dissolve more than 1,100 civil society organisations, while also targeting student unions, religious leaders, journalists and activists who criticise the government. The NGO said the junta, which seized power in 2022, has also dissolved political parties, suspended media outlets and curtailed international scrutiny. It warned that Burkina Faso now faces one of the fastest deteriorations of civic space in the Sahel, surpassing neighbouring Mali and Niger in the pace and intensity of repression.
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