US renews travel controls for citizens leaving DR Congo over Ebola concerns

The United States expanded Ebola-related travel controls on Wednesday, adding new restrictions on Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are currently working together on a DO NOT BOARD (DNB) process with regard to the DRC, DHS said in a post on X.

American citizens who are departing from the DRC may be subject to a DO NOT BOARD (DNB) order. Americans are able to return to the United States 21 days after leaving the DRC, it added.

The latest announcement came one day after the CDC announced temporarily restricting U.S. entry for all travelers who were recently in DRC and certain travelers who were recently in Uganda or South Sudan.

Since May, the DRC has been fighting an outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC has reached 2,011, including 754 deaths.

China will host the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiongan) from Oct 23 to 25 in Xiongan New Area, north China's Hebei Province, according to the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).

The forum will bring together leading figures in strategic, political, academic, business, media, and youth sectors from around the world, particularly those in areas such as the United Nations, climate change, artificial intelligence, and multilateral trade, said the CPIFA at a press conference on Friday.

According to the CPIFA, international guests from nearly 100 countries of the Global South, Europe and America have confirmed their attendance. They will also visit Xiongan New Area, China's "city of the future," during the forum.

Hosted by the CPIFA, the forum is themed "Rebuilding Confidence and Cooperation: Reforming and Improving Global Governance in a Transforming World."