The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is developing rapidly as the number of cases keeps rising and the geographical scope is expanding.
Since May 18, the DR Congo has reported 390 new suspected cases, including 92 deaths.
The laboratory-confirmed cases have increased from 33 to 105, while confirmed deaths have risen from four to 10.
WHO cautioned that these figures should be interpreted carefully due to delays in laboratory testing and confirmation. But it said that the outbreak continues to expand across the country, now affecting 13 health zones in three provinces.
Also on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on all warring parties in the DR Congo, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF),the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militias and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, to agree to an immediate ceasefire, allowing health teams safe and sustained access to affected areas to contain the current Ebola outbreak.
Tedros said that eastern DR Congo now faces a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict, and the Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province in the eastern DR Congo is accelerating faster than response capacities can manage.
Noting that the ongoing fighting is triggering massive displacement and pushing exposed contacts into crowded camps, Tedros said frontline health workers are also at risk, and attacks on health facilities have made tracking related cases "nearly impossible".
WHO warns current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo spreading faster than responders can contain it
The 2026 World Intelligent Industry Expo kicked off on Thursday at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
The four-day event, jointly organized by the governments of Tianjin and Chongqing, serves as a bridge for intellectual exchange and pragmatic cooperation in the smart industry through various forms such as exhibitions, experiences, competitions, and the release of achievements.
This year's event features one comprehensive hall and six themed exhibition areas, including core artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, embodied intelligence, and smart living. It also includes a dedicated immersive experience zone, comprehensively showcasing the most representative innovative technologies, cutting-edge products, and advanced achievements in the global smart technology sector.
During the expo, a series of concurrent events will be held, including an AI-themed day, the enterprise ecology conference, and market-oriented forums, as well as other activities such as brand competition, achievement release, bilateral negotiations, investment promotion, projects contract signing, and smart experience.
"The biggest feature of this year's event is that it is both professional and comprehensive. Whether you are a professional buyer or a scientist, you can find what you need here," said Shen Maomao, director of the research office of Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology.
The expo has attracted a total of 28 Fortune Global 500 companies, 37 China's top 500 enterprises, and over 400 representative enterprises in the smart industry.
2026 World Intelligent Industry Expo opens in Tianjin
