UN Chief Appeals for $1.1 Bn in Ebola Aid for DR Congo

A Uganda Red Cross Society worker in protective gear sprays disinfectant at the home of a suspected Ebola victim in Kampala on May 26, 2026. (AFP)

17:03-27 August 2026 AD ـ 14 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

A Uganda Red Cross Society worker in protective gear sprays disinfectant at the home of a suspected Ebola victim in Kampala on May 26, 2026. (AFP)

UN chief Antonio Guterres appealed Thursday for $1.1 billion to fully fund an aid plan for combating the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The plan, costing $2.1 billion in total, has received a major contribution from the United States but "without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money, just when they need to expand," he said.

The program is 48 percent funded and "current resources will last weeks, not months," Guterres added.

"That is why I am appealing for the remaining $1.1 billion..., recognizing that even more will be needed in the future."

There have been more than 5,600 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC, including more than 2,700 deaths, since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

Driven by the rare Bundibugyo species of the virus -- for which there are no vaccines or treatments -- the outbreak is the biggest in the DRC's history.

Spanish Police Dismantle Madrid Housing Protest Camp

Over time, the Sol camp mushroomed into a sprawling warren of tents and tarpaulin. Oscar DEL POZO / AFP

Asharq Al Awsat

09:50-3 November 2026 AD ـ 23 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

09:50-3 November 2026 AD ـ 23 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Spanish Police Dismantle Madrid Housing Protest Camp

Over time, the Sol camp mushroomed into a sprawling warren of tents and tarpaulin. Oscar DEL POZO / AFP

Police on Tuesday dismantled a sprawling tent camp in Madrid which had spearheaded protests over Spain's housing crisis for more than a month and prompted early elections, police and activists said.
Officers closed off much of the Spanish capital's emblematic Puerta del Sol square on Tuesday morning as municipal cleaning staff swept away remaining debris, tents and tarpaulin, AFP reporters saw.
The Madrid camp sprang up in September, after Spain's chronic housing crisis burst into the center of public debate following the eviction of an 87-year-old pensioner from her lifelong Madrid home.
The eviction sparked nationwide protests against runaway housing costs and a lack of tenant protections, with tens of thousands of demonstrators hitting the streets.
The Madrid camp has since mushroomed into a sprawling warren of tents and tarpaulin that hosted hundreds of people in a mini-city equipped with a canteen, a clinic and a space for meetings.
On Tuesday, the central government's delegation in the Madrid region said the eviction took place overnight "without incident or episodes of violence", reporting that 334 people were removed and two arrested.
Firefighters, social services and 400 national and municipal police officers took part in the operation, the delegation added.
In a post on Telegram, protest organizers called it "a violent police operation" that left several people injured after being hit or as a result of tear gas.
Flor, a homeless woman who said she had joined the camp from the start, told AFP hundreds of anti-riot police burst into the square in the early hours of the morning.
"They dragged us out, they hit us. They didn't let us take away anything," said the tearful 43-year-old, adding that "all my documents, my phone" had been left behind.
- Housing crisis anger -
After it was set up, Madrid's tent camp was imitated in other cities including Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.
Attempting to placate the public discontent over housing, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government presented two housing decrees that included curbs on evictions and the automatic renewal of tenant contracts.
But his minority coalition government failed to pass the laws in parliament last month, prompting Sanchez to bring forward to November 29 a general election that was scheduled in 2027.
The Madrid camp sparked tensions between the leftist national government and the conservative-run city and regional authorities, who complained that the protesters were damaging Madrid's image by occupying a central square normally full of tourists and commuters.
Housing costs have soared in Spain in recent years, with rents in Madrid often consuming more than half of the average wage for modest households.
The Bank of Spain estimates the country of around 50 million people is short of 700,000 homes, based on the gap between demand and new construction.
Spain has little public housing, while rents have been driven up by increased demand, including from tourism and population growth linked to immigration, analysts say.
Residents of the most sought-after destinations such as Barcelona also complain that short-term tourist accommodation has dried up supply and driven up prices.

World

Iran Hangs Two Men Over Involvement in Killing Police Officers

An Iranian woman walks past a portrait of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, in a street of Tehran, Iran, 31 October 2026. (EPA)

09:41-3 November 2026 AD ـ 23 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Iran Hangs Two Men Over Involvement in Killing Police Officers

An Iranian woman walks past a portrait of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, in a street of Tehran, Iran, 31 October 2026. (EPA)

Iranian authorities on Tuesday hanged two men after convicting them of involvement in the killing of four police officers during January protests in central Iran, the judiciary said.

"Amirhossein Maleki and Amirhossein Ebrahimi, two armed perpetrators of the January 2026 crime in Isfahan whose brutal and atrocious actions led to the martyrdom of four police officers, were hanged," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.

The executions were carried out "after their cases underwent a thorough legal review and their death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court", following appeals by the defendants, the report said.

A wave of protests erupted in Iran in December over a surge in foreign currency rates and soon escalated into anti-government demonstrations, peaking on January 8 and 9.

Tehran has accused its arch-foes Israel and the United States of fomenting the protests.

According to official figures, more than 3,000 people, including police and security personnel, were killed during the clashes, while rights groups based abroad have cited higher figures.

According to Mizan, the pair "were among the main perpetrators of the crime" and "were armed and present at the scene and had committed multiple criminal acts".

The judiciary said they "were sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh (waging war against God) and corruption on earth, through actions against national security".

In early October, authorities executed Alireza Sepahi and Alireza Raissi for their involvement in the same case.

The number of executions in Iran has surged since the start of the Middle East war, which was started in late February by the United States and Israel.

Amnesty International says Iran carries out more executions than any country except China.

World

Helicopters Collide Below Mount Everest Base Camp, Killing 1 Person and Injuring 2

This image provided by Nepal Police shows rescue workers inspecting a helicopter after crashing just below Mount Everest's Base Camp in Nepal, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Nepal Police via AP)

09:29-3 November 2026 AD ـ 23 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Helicopters Collide Below Mount Everest Base Camp, Killing 1 Person and Injuring 2

This image provided by Nepal Police shows rescue workers inspecting a helicopter after crashing just below Mount Everest's Base Camp in Nepal, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Nepal Police via AP)

Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest's base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others, officials said.

The aircraft were ferrying trekkers who had been hiking up to Everest base camp during Nepal's popular trekking season. Heavy snow had covered the route before the weather improved Sunday and thousands of trekkers were able to move around.

There are no roads on Everest, and helicopters are the only way to bring down trekkers and guides who become sick or exhausted in the cold and high altitude.

The helicopters crashed at Pheriche village, which is at 4,200 meters (13,780 feet) altitude.

A 47-year-old tourist from India was killed in the crash, according to Bhupendra Thapa, a Solukhumbhu district administration officer.

A passenger from New Zealand was injured and was being transported to the capital, Kathmandu, for treatment. A Nepali pilot sustained injuries but was treated locally.

The number of people on the two helicopters wasn't clear.

The Mount Everest base camp trek lasts up to two weeks and goes from the only airstrip in the area at Lukla to base camp located at 5,300 meters (17,380 feet).

The trek is popular during the fall season, right after the rainy season and before the harsh winter months.

UN Chief Appeals for $1.1 Bn in Ebola Aid for DR Congo

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