Briefly

DR CONGO

Ebola outbreak may become deadliest ever

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history, which erupted over a decade ago and killed more than 11,000 people, the head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. "At its current pace, it's on track to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. That outbreak horrified the world and jolted efforts to develop a vaccine. The outbreak in eastern DR Congo, considered the fastest-growing one yet, has killed more than 2,000 people out of more than 4,300 cases.

UNITED STATES

Ambassador slams Israeli settler siege

Israeli forces on Thursday moved against rogue settlers who have besieged Palestinians amid unusually strong criticism from the United States, even as Israel inaugurated a major settlement elsewhere in the occupied West Bank. Settlers near Nablus since Sunday have blockaded Palestinian homes, including one owned by a US citizen, with residents saying they have been cut off from food and other supplies. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, for years a staunch supporter of settlers, said there is "no excuse for such thuggish behavior". "Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting," he wrote on X.

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA