söndag 24 maj 2026

Ebola Outbreak

"Would there have been a vaccine if Ebola had hit Europe"

There is a distrust between Africa and Western countries. This is what Jean Kaseya, director general of the African Union's disease control unit Africa CDC, tells Dagens Nyheter about the Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa.

- If this had been a disease that had hit Europe or the USA, there would already have been both vaccines and treatments, he says.

He also sees more levels of distrust: between the population and the government in Congo, and between the residents. This is something he fears could lead to violence.

The Ebola Outbreak — it's about the matter

A new Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa has led to over 200 deaths and nearly 700 infections, according to the authorities.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo variant, which lacks both a vaccine and treatment and has a high mortality rate.
The disease has spread to Uganda, where five cases have been confirmed and at least one person has died.
The WHO has declared a "global public health emergency" and sent experts and equipment to affected areas in Ituri province.
Local conflicts, lack of infrastructure and delayed detection have complicated efforts to combat the infection.

China prepares for moon mission – sends up three astronauts

Published 17.44

De tre astronauterna för Kinas rymduppdrag Shenzhou-23 Lai Ka-Ying, Zhu Yangzhu och Zhang Zhiyuan vinkar under en avskedsceremoni vid Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center i nordvästra Kina på söndagen. — The three astronauts for China's Shenzhou-23 space mission Lai Ka-Ying, Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan wave during a farewell ceremony at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sunday. Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP/TT

China launched three astronauts into space on Sunday afternoon as part of preparations for future missions to the moon and Mars.

China's Shenzhou-23 mission, which will launch a Long March 2-F rocket, was scheduled for 23.08 local time, 17.08 Swedish time.

The launch has now been completed, with Hong Kong astronaut Lai Ka-Ying, aerospace engineer Zhu Yangzhu and former air force pilot Zhang Zhiyuan all travelling into space for the first time.

A key experiment in the mission is for one of the crew members to stay in orbit for a full year – to study the effects of prolonged stay in microgravity.

The step is seen as crucial to Beijing’s ambitions to send humans to the moon by 2030, in a space race in which the US is also participating with its Artemis programme.

The Climate Threat Heat Records

Analysis: Expected El Niño Could Be the Most Extreme Yet

Climate scientists predict that the world could face a super-El Niño in the coming year. The forecasts point to extreme weather and temperatures on a scale that has not yet been measured on Earth, write Berlingske and the New York Times.

“All arrows point to a new global heat record becoming a reality, perhaps as early as 2026, although the probability is more likely to be 2027,” writes science reporter Lars Henrik Aagard in Berlingske.

The most talked-about super-El Niño to date occurred in 1877–1878 – when millions of people died worldwide, including from starvation.

The world is better prepared for climate change today than it was then, notes Chico Harlan in the New York Times; among other things, agriculture is more sophisticated, and many societies have also become better at protecting themselves from extreme weather because the phenomenon can be predicted.

“El Niño years usually reach their peak late in the calendar year and then cause warmer global temperatures for several months,” writes Harlan.

European Heat Wave in May: “Never Seen Before”

The ongoing heat wave in western Europe points to a heat record in May, several media outlets report.

A so-called anticyclone, a very large high pressure, is behind the high temperatures, writes Le Monde. In southern France, the temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees on Monday.

“This is a heat wave that has never been seen before in May,” Patrick Gallois, a meteorologist at the French weather service Météo-France, tells the newspaper.

Middle East Crisis

Peace Talks
Israeli Source: Trump Has Promised “Freedom of Action”

Donald Trump has promised Israel “freedom of action” even if the US and Iran agree on an extended ceasefire, an Israeli source said, according to CBS News.

According to the source, Israel will be allowed to act against threats in Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah is active. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have raised the issue in talks with the US president this weekend.

– President Trump confirmed that principle, the source said.

Iran War
Bildt: The war will have achieved nothing

The latest information about a new ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US means that the war has been a failure. This assessment is made by former Prime Minister Carl Bildt in a post on X.

"Israel will be intensely dissatisfied and hawks in the US will scream, but this will be prolonged. The war will have achieved nothing," he writes.

US President Donald Trump wrote on Sunday night that an agreement with Iran is imminent. According to sources in several media outlets, the proposal on the table involves continued negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and easing sanctions against the country.

Pilgrimage to Mecca
Massive pilgrimage in Mecca despite unrest in the Middle East

Foreign citizens are flocking to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, several media outlets report. This is despite the Iran war and the risk of new attacks in the Middle East.

Saudi expert Umer Karim at the University of Birmingham in the UK warns of flight chaos and that people will be stranded if the situation worsens.

– If the conflict breaks out again, there is a high risk of serious disruption.

When the war broke out, Iran responded with attacks on US-allied countries, including Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrimage begins on Sunday and lasts for a week.

Ibrahim chose to travel: “A once-in-a-lifetime chance”

Muslims are flocking to Mecca for this year’s pilgrimage despite the unrest in the region, writes AFP. One of them is 63-year-old German citizen Ibrahim Diab.

– It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I could not miss it.

One million Muslims have made their way to Saudi Arabia for the traditional pilgrimage, which begins on Sunday and lasts for a week.