The Jerusalem Post
중도 성향
정치
Alleged Hamas operative who resided in Crete arrested by Greek authorities
The alleged Hamas operative had ordered explosives online, and laboratory equipment was found in homes raided in Crete and Athens.
"RESIDED" · 총 27건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 87,344건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.3(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,386건(5.0%)·중립 80,910건(92.6%)·부정 2,048건(2.3%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.9(중도 균형)입니다.
The alleged Hamas operative had ordered explosives online, and laboratory equipment was found in homes raided in Crete and Athens.
Pope Leo honoured Spain’s centuries-old tradition of religious devotion on Sunday as a “school of faith” for today, as he presided over a Mass before more than a million people that highlighted one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety: a procession over flower-petal carpets. The crowd cheered and shouted “This is the youth of the pope!” as Leo arrived for the Mass at a central Madrid plaza. He looped around the plaza and surrounding streets in his Popemobile before a crowd...
Pope Leo XIV honored Spain’s centuries-old tradition of religious devotion on Sunday as a “school of faith” for today, as he presided over a Mass before a million people and highlighted one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety with a procession over flower-petal carpets
Pope Leo XIV honored Spain's centuries-old tradition of religious devotion on Sunday as a "school of faith" for today, as he presided over a Mass before a million people and highlighted one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety with a procession over flower-petal carpets. The post Over One Million Gather in Madrid to Join Pope Leo XIV for Corpus Domini Mass appeared first on Breitbart.
Pope Leo XIV honoured Spain's centuries-old tradition of religious devotion on Sunday as a “school of faith” for today, as he presided over a Mass before a million people and a procession highlighting one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety: flower carpets. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris reports.
Around 1.2 million people lined Madrid's main thoroughfare Paseo de la Castellana toward Cibeles Square as Pope Leo presided over an open-air Mass that was expected to be the largest event during his week-long visit to Spain.
BANGKOK — 6 June 2026, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presided over the opening of the 15th Thai Silk Festival “Thai Silk to the World” at the Royal Thai Navy Auditorium in Bangkok on Saturday evening, declaring 2026 the “Golden Year of Thai Fabric.” Speaking at the ceremony, Anutin cited a resurgence of interest in Thai […] The post Thailand marks ‘Golden Year of Thai Fabric’ as silk festival opens in Bangkok appeared first on Khaosod English.
• Approves Rs100bn financing facility for PSO • Oil company facing over Rs900bn receivables from SOEs • Special honoraria expanded to more ministries, departments • Rs10.15bn cleared for Pakistan Navy’s Hangor Project • Rs4.38bn granted to Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of elections ISLAMABAD: Less than a week before the next budget, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Friday approved more than Rs40 billion in supplementary grants and a Rs100bn sovereign-guarantee-backed financing facility for the Pakistan State Oil (PSO), which is facing over Rs900bn in receivables from other state-owned enterprises, raising concerns about smooth oil supplies. And despite financial constraints forcing development cuts in the name of IMF restrictions, the ECC meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, also allowed Rs10bn additional funds for parliamentarians’ development schemes and expanded the scope of special honoraria running up to six-month additional salaries to more ministries and departments involved in federal budget preparations. The benefit, already available to officials in around a dozen ministries and entities, including finance, revenue, planning, development, FBR, National Assembly, Senate and the Prime Minister’s Office, was expanded to the Law and Justice Division, Commerce Division and the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR). The fiscal impact was not disclosed. The meeting also changed the composition of a committee set up to settle about Rs60bn in petroleum levy dues charged to consumers but allegedly withheld by Cnergyico Refinery since 2019, citing concerns over conflict of interest, and ordered a tightened recovery plan. An official statement said the ECC approved a summary submitted by the Cabinet Division for Rs7.026bn through a technical supplementary grant for the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP). “The allocation will facilitate continuity of development projects, prevent cost escalations, and timely achievement of programme objectives,” the statement said. Officials said the finance minister was under pressure from the leadership to provide funds for parliamentarians’ schemes in the outgoing fiscal year despite an about Rs175bn cut in the core development programme. The ECC also approved a summary of the Ministry of Defence for Rs10.15bn for the Hangor Project of the Pakistan Navy under the Rafale Aircraft and Force Development Package (RAFDP)-2030. The committee approved letters of comfort and government guarantees worth Rs100bn for PSO through a syndicated running finance facility to address its liquidity constraints and ensure uninterrupted oil supplies. The meeting was informed that state-owned enterprises, particularly gas companies, owed more than Rs904bn to PSO, making it increasingly difficult for the company to manage supply challenges under current geopolitical conditions. Instead of arranging recovery of those payments, the ECC approved borrowing of Rs50bn each from Habib Bank and Bank of Punjab to meet oil requirements. The borrowing will appear on PSO’s balance sheet. The meeting also took up the Deed of Settlement with Cnergyico PK Limited, which had collected petroleum levy from consumers but allegedly did not deposit it in the government treasury. The company is also seeking benefits under the Refining Policy for the upgradation of existing brownfield refineries. The ECC had earlier approved the constitution of a committee under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to resolve the late payment surcharge issue. Subsequently, the Law and Justice Division proposed amendments to strengthen safeguards for government revenues by requiring Cnergyico to deposit incremental incentives in a joint escrow account with Ogra and restricting withdrawals until the outstanding petroleum levy and late payment surcharge amounts were fully settled. The ECC was informed that the composition of the committee needed to be reviewed due to concerns over potential conflict of interest arising from the inclusion of the Cnergyico chief executive officer. A new committee was constituted under the convenership of the finance secretary, comprising representatives of the Law and Justice Division, Petroleum Division and SIFC, to resolve the late payment surcharge issue with Cnergyico and strengthen recovery of around Rs60bn, including Rs47.5bn in principal amount. The committee approved seven grants for the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control worth Rs2.826bn. These included Rs693m for security arrangements for the Islamabad peace talks, Rs241m as compensation for the suicide bombing at Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in Taralai, Islamabad, Rs528m for the Pakistan Land Ports Authority, Rs800m for procurement of fast patrol boats for the Pakistan Coast Guards, Rs1.884bn for the expansion of the Safe City Islamabad project, Rs150m for the National Counter Terrorism Authority and Rs414m for security charges relating to the Reko Diq project. The ECC approved Rs733m for Pakistan Television Corporation for payment of salaries for June 2026 and Rs183.5m for the Special Communication Organisation for installation of telecom sites and towers in Shigar district of Gilgit-Baltistan. It also approved Rs120m for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to meet employee-related expenditures arising from revised salaries and allowances of parliamentary secretaries during FY26. The meeting approved two grants for the Ministry of Housing and Works for placement of development funds into the current account of Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited. These included Rs8.759bn for Karachi and Hyderabad Urban Infrastructure Development Packages and Rs2.84bn for parliamentary schemes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ECC also granted Rs1.3bn for the Modernisation and Upgradation of Pakistan Mint Phase-II-A and Rs4.377bn to the Gilgit-Baltistan government to support current expenditure requirements and priority initiatives launched ahead of elections. The committee also approved budget estimates of IPO-Pakistan for FY26, submitted by the Ministry of Commerce, comprising regular expenditure of Rs914.7m and projected revenue receipts of Rs918m. The ECC also approved a summary of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs regarding the operational continuity of Engro Vopak Terminal Limited. Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said Tuesday’s election results sent a message: focus on results, not politics. Just 16 months into the job, Lurie has presided over a surge in optimism in the once-ridiculed liberal city alongside a drop in petty crime, a decrease in large homeless encampments and glimmers of life in a downtown...
Colombia's national soccer team experienced an awkward moment on Thursday during the team's official FIFA World Cup sendoff ceremony, presided over by outgoing Marxist President Gustavo Petro. The post Colombian Soccer Team Offers ‘Long-Faced’ Display in World Cup Sendoff with Marxist President appeared first on Breitbart.
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected Senate president pro tempore. He presided over the session on Wednesday, two days after no plenary session was held. Twelve senators arrived after Sen. Francis Escudero appeared on the floor, joining the 11 minority senators. READ: Senate finally convenes amid alleged Cayetano-led group’s boycott
According to fire officials the fire incident happened around 3am in third floor where Pawan Sharma (52), resided with his family and three dogs
Shares of Anant Raj surged as much as 4.6% to Rs 563.25 in Tuesday's trade after the company announced a landmark partnership with the Government of Haryana to accelerate the state's digital infrastructure buildout.The real estate and infrastructure developer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Haryana Enterprises Promotion Centre (HEPC), marking a significant step in its ambitions to expand its data centre and cloud services business.The agreement was formalized on June 1, 2026, during the launch of the "Make in Haryana Policy & Other Sectoral Policies" event, presided over by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.Rs 25,000 crore investment planUnder the MoU, Anant Raj intends to invest around Rs 25,000 crore in building data centres and cloud infrastructure across Haryana. The move highlights the company's increasing emphasis on digital infrastructure as demand continues to grow for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and data storage solutions.The partnership framework involves several key government departments and agencies, including:Haryana Enterprises Promotion Centre (HEPC)Department of Information Technology, Electronics & CommunicationHaryana State Electronics Development CorporationCitizen Resources Information DepartmentDepartment of Industries & CommerceThe agreement is designed to support Anant Raj's expansion of its Digital Infrastructure Business, encompassing both data centre operations and cloud services. The Haryana government, through HEPC, has committed to providing facilitation support and ease-of-doing-business assistance to help fast-track the project.The company said the arrangement aims to foster long-term cooperation between the state government and Anant Raj, positioning Haryana as a major hub for next-generation digital infrastructure investments.Anant Raj clarified that the MoU does not involve any shareholding arrangement, special rights, equity issuance, or related-party transaction. The agreement is focused solely on enabling investment and operational expansion in the state.Share price performance and technical indicatorsOver the past three years, the stock has delivered strong returns, rallying nearly 254%. The company currently commands a market capitalization of approximately Rs 19,406 crore.From a technical perspective, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 61. An RSI reading below 30 typically indicates oversold conditions, while a reading above 70 suggests the stock may be overbought.The stock also exhibits strong bullish momentum, trading above all eight of its key Simple Moving Averages (SMAs), signaling a positive technical trend.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
MANILA, Philippines — A former cabinet secretary slammed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano for leaving the plenary unpresided on Monday evening, adding that “even a seven-year-old will tell [Cayetano] what’s more important.” Economist and ex-secretary of the Socio-Economic Planning Winnie Monsod criticized the absence of Cayetano to accompany the arrested Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who faces
Record-breaking box office for Backrooms and Obsession has opened the door for twentysomething YouTube creators as the industry rethinks what audiences want At this time last year, the idea of a wide-release feature film-maker cutting their teeth on YouTube was, if not unheard of, certainly still a niche origin story. Siblings Michael and Danny Philippou had just released Bring Her Back, the follow-up to their surprise horror hit Talk to Me, to pretty-good reviews and OK box office; clearly they would continue to work, but the slightly diminished returns didn’t predict a YouTube explosion. Nor did the outright lousiness of Shelby Oaks, from longtime YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann, when it premiered in theaters later in 2025. Generous horror-festival buzz died down as more people actually laid eyes on the movie; Stuckmann was an obvious enthusiast, and some saw promise in his first effort, but a clumsy found-footage pastiche without much emotional sense didn’t seem like the next big thing, either. But in 2026, something has shifted. In January, YouTuber Markiplier self-released his adaptation of the video game Iron Lung to theaters, and it outgrossed any number of big-studio titles. Then Curry Barker, whose comedy sketches have been a YouTube fixture, unveiled his feature debut Obsession. The film, made for under a million dollars, has become the box office phenomenon of the summer so far, managing a virtually unheard-of feat when its second and third weekends actually outgrossed its first. Obsession is sharing multiplex space with Backrooms, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, who previously brought the spooky internet meme to life in a series of YouTube shorts. Despite being set in a series of purgatorial, sparsely furnished, fluorescent-lit “liminal spaces”, it was the top movie at the North American box office this weekend, poised to become the biggest-grossing movie from distributor A24 in a matter of days. Backrooms also opened to bigger numbers than any number of starrier or bigger-brand 2026 titles like Wuthering Heights, Scream 7, The Devil Wears Prada 2 or the last Pixar movie. That makes three YouTube-trained film-makers who have presided over some of this year’s biggest and/or most surprising hits. With them have come countless social media posts about how YouTube, not film school, provides the real training tomorrow’s directors need. Continue reading...
ISLAMABAD: Having missed the growth target by half a percentage point, recording growth of 3.7pc this year, the government has set an economic growth target of 4pc and inflation at 8.2pc for the next fiscal year. The macroeconomic framework for FY2026-27 was cleared here on Monday at a meeting of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) for formal approval by the National Economic Council (NEC) on June 3. The NEC — considered as the country’s highest national economic policy making body — is led by the prime minister and represented by all four provincial chief ministers besides as many federal ministers. The daylong APCC meeting is being presided over by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and is being attended by provincial development ministers, along with senior federal and provincial bureaucrats. “For FY2026–27, Pakistan’s economy is targeted to grow by 4pc, signalling a continued growth trajectory,” the APCC working paper noted, while stating that GDP growth stood at 3.7pc in FY2025–26 against a target of 4.2pc. Growth rate for FY2024-25 had finally settled at 3.2pc. The commodity-producing sectors are targeted to expand by 3.9pc next year, driven by 3.8pc growth in agriculture and 4.5pc growth in large-scale manufacturing (LSM). Agricultural growth will be supported by a recovery in important crops (3.6pc) and cotton ginning (2.5pc), as well as robust performance in livestock (3.9pc). The industrial sector is targeted to grow by 4pc in FY2026-27 mainly due to a revival in LSM, alongside growth momentum in mining and quarrying, construction and energy (gas and water supply). The services sector is targeted to grow at 4.2pc, underpinned by stronger performance in wholesale and retail trade (4.2pc); transport, storage and communications (3.7pc); and financial services (4.5pc) as well as information and communication (7.7pc). “These targets are contingent on effective macroeconomic management and stable external conditions,” the planning commission warned as the macroeconomic framework moves to the NEC. Under the macroeconomic outlook for FY2026-27, national savings are targeted to grow by 14.3pc of GDP compared to 14.1pc in the current fiscal year (CFY), while investment is targeted to reach 15pc of GDP, against 14.4pc in CFY. The planning commission added that this reflects a narrowing savings-investment gap to be financed through modest external inflows. Public investment is targeted to remain at 3pc of GDP next fiscal year instead of 3pc in CFY, while private investment is targeted to rise to 10.3pc of GDP from 9.6pc in CFY. Inflation rate has been targeted at 8.2pc due to anticipated supportive fiscal consolidation and improved macroeconomic stability. Highlighting a risk, the planning commission said the external sector may face pressures as easing import controls and debt repayments are likely to widen the current account deficit next year. However, strong remittance inflows, export recovery and anticipated external financing are expected to help cushion these pressures and support external sustainability, it said. The APCC also targeted an increase in employment of two million in FY2026–27 through higher investment and improved economic growth. This is based on the premise that public investment crowds in private investment, thereby expanding employment opportunities across all sectors. The Planning Commission said ongoing federal and provincial employment generation programmes are further strengthening labour market participation, entrepreneurship, technical skills and job-matching mechanisms. These efforts are expected to create 1.1 million jobs in the services sector, 0.5 million in the industrial sector and 0.4 million in the agriculture sector in FY2026–27. “Thus, the increasing trend of employment creation is expected to support broad-based, inclusive, and employment-intensive economic growth,” it said. Referring to the current fiscal year, the Annual Plan document said Pakistan’s economy had demonstrated “notable stabilisation” in the first eight months, despite flash floods and the impact of the US-Iran war. During the first eight months of the fiscal year, average inflation remained contained. Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) showed a sustained recovery after two consecutive years of contraction, reflecting a broader stabilisation of the macroeconomic environment. Improved external sector conditions, supported by strong remittance inflows and rising services exports, strengthened the balance of payments, leading to higher foreign exchange reserves and greater exchange rate stability. Reinforced by these gains, investor confidence improved markedly, driving the stock market to record highs, the Planning Commission noted. However, external price shocks resurfaced inflationary pressures following the outbreak of the conflict in late February 2026, resulting in a sharp surge in global oil prices from approximately $72 per barrel (pre-conflict) to a peak of nearly $120 per barrel. Thus, average inflation during July–April FY2025-26 rose to 6.2pc, compared to 4.7pc in the same period of the previous fiscal year. More notably, monthly inflation rose to 10.9pc in April 2026 compared to 0.3pc in April 2025. Pakistan’s GDP growth in FY2025–26 rose to 3.7pc from 3.2pc in the previous fiscal year, reflecting broad-based improvements across agriculture, industry and services, although several targets were missed. Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) showed a notable turnaround, posting growth of 6.1pc in FY2025–26 compared to a contraction of 0.7pc in FY2024–25. On the external side, weakening exports and a recovery in import demand led to a widening of the trade deficit. However, robust remittance inflows and growing services exports helped contain pressures on the external account, supporting the balance of payments. The resulting improvement in foreign exchange reserves contributed to exchange rate stability, while continued fiscal discipline and prudent macroeconomic management reinforced overall economic stability.
ISLAMABAD: Having missed the growth target by half a percentage point, recording growth of 3.7pc this year, the government has set an economic growth target of 4pc and inflation at 8.2pc for the next fiscal year. The macroeconomic framework for FY2026-27 was cleared here on Monday at a meeting of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) for formal approval by the National Economic Council (NEC) on June 3. The NEC — considered as the country’s highest national economic policy making body — is led by the prime minister and represented by all four provincial chief ministers besides as many federal ministers. The daylong APCC meeting is being presided over by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and is being attended by provincial development ministers, along with senior federal and provincial bureaucrats. “For FY2026–27, Pakistan’s economy is targeted to grow by 4pc, signalling a continued growth trajectory,” the APCC working paper noted, while stating that GDP growth stood at 3.7pc in FY2025–26 against a target of 4.2pc. Growth rate for FY2024-25 had finally settled at 3.2pc. The commodity-producing sectors are targeted to expand by 3.9pc next year, driven by 3.8pc growth in agriculture and 4.5pc growth in large-scale manufacturing (LSM). Agricultural growth will be supported by a recovery in important crops (3.6pc) and cotton ginning (2.5pc), as well as robust performance in livestock (3.9pc). The industrial sector is targeted to grow by 4pc in FY2026-27 mainly due to a revival in LSM, alongside growth momentum in mining and quarrying, construction and energy (gas and water supply). The services sector is targeted to grow at 4.2pc, underpinned by stronger performance in wholesale and retail trade (4.2pc); transport, storage and communications (3.7pc); and financial services (4.5pc) as well as information and communication (7.7pc). “These targets are contingent on effective macroeconomic management and stable external conditions,” the planning commission warned as the macroeconomic framework moves to the NEC. Under the macroeconomic outlook for FY2026-27, national savings are targeted to grow by 14.3pc of GDP compared to 14.1pc in the current fiscal year (CFY), while investment is targeted to reach 15pc of GDP, against 14.4pc in CFY. The planning commission added that this reflects a narrowing savings-investment gap to be financed through modest external inflows. Public investment is targeted to remain at 3pc of GDP next fiscal year instead of 3pc in CFY, while private investment is targeted to rise to 10.3pc of GDP from 9.6pc in CFY. Inflation rate has been targeted at 8.2pc due to anticipated supportive fiscal consolidation and improved macroeconomic stability. Highlighting a risk, the planning commission said the external sector may face pressures as easing import controls and debt repayments are likely to widen the current account deficit next year. However, strong remittance inflows, export recovery and anticipated external financing are expected to help cushion these pressures and support external sustainability, it said. The APCC also targeted an increase in employment of two million in FY2026–27 through higher investment and improved economic growth. This is based on the premise that public investment crowds in private investment, thereby expanding employment opportunities across all sectors. The Planning Commission said ongoing federal and provincial employment generation programmes are further strengthening labour market participation, entrepreneurship, technical skills and job-matching mechanisms. These efforts are expected to create 1.1 million jobs in the services sector, 0.5 million in the industrial sector and 0.4 million in the agriculture sector in FY2026–27. “Thus, the increasing trend of employment creation is expected to support broad-based, inclusive, and employment-intensive economic growth,” it said. Referring to the current fiscal year, the Annual Plan document said Pakistan’s economy had demonstrated “notable stabilisation” in the first eight months, despite flash floods and the impact of the US-Iran war. During the first eight months of the fiscal year, average inflation remained contained. Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) showed a sustained recovery after two consecutive years of contraction, reflecting a broader stabilisation of the macroeconomic environment. Improved external sector conditions, supported by strong remittance inflows and rising services exports, strengthened the balance of payments, leading to higher foreign exchange reserves and greater exchange rate stability. Reinforced by these gains, investor confidence improved markedly, driving the stock market to record highs, the Planning Commission noted. However, external price shocks resurfaced inflationary pressures following the outbreak of the conflict in late February 2026, resulting in a sharp surge in global oil prices from approximately $72 per barrel (pre-conflict) to a peak of nearly $120 per barrel. Thus, average inflation during July–April FY2025-26 rose to 6.2pc, compared to 4.7pc in the same period of the previous fiscal year. More notably, monthly inflation rose to 10.9pc in April 2026 compared to 0.3pc in April 2025. Pakistan’s GDP growth in FY2025–26 rose to 3.7pc from 3.2pc in the previous fiscal year, reflecting broad-based improvements across agriculture, industry and services, although several targets were missed. Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) showed a notable turnaround, posting growth of 6.1pc in FY2025–26 compared to a contraction of 0.7pc in FY2024–25. On the external side, weakening exports and a recovery in import demand led to a widening of the trade deficit. However, robust remittance inflows and growing services exports helped contain pressures on the external account, supporting the balance of payments. The resulting improvement in foreign exchange reserves contributed to exchange rate stability, while continued fiscal discipline and prudent macroeconomic management reinforced overall economic stability.
Biarritz Film Festival – Nouvelles Vagues has assembled an eclectic international lineup of rising actors, filmmakers and auteurs for the jury of its fourth edition which will be presided over by Kristen Stewart. Stewart, whose directorial debut “The Chronology of Water” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025, will be joined on the jury […]
The flagship government propaganda outlet in North Korea announced on Wednesday that communist dictator Kim Jong-un had presided over a successful test of a “tactical cruise missile” relying on artificial intelligence (AI). The post North Korea Says It Successfully Tested AI-Guided Missile appeared first on Breitbart.
Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda Source: International Peace Institute On May 15, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed its seventeenth recorded outbreak of Ebola, in Ituri province. Since then, the number of cases has risen to over 900 and the virus has crossed into Uganda and reached the provinces of North and South Kivu, now controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23. Initial reports suggesting that the outbreak may have been circulating for weeks and local health authorities were underprepared to swiftly mount a containment strategy. As Ebola Returns to Eastern DRC, International Responders Must Not Repeat the Mistakes of 2018 May 26, 2026by Dirk Druet Ebola task force of MONUSCO and UNICEF Focal point Felicien Malyra (with information pamphlet), inform prisoners at the jail “Kakwangura" in Butembo in North Kivu about how they may protect themselves against the Ebola Virus on August 9, 2019. UN Photo/Martine Perret. On May 15, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed its seventeenth recorded outbreak of Ebola, in Ituri province. Since then, the number of cases has risen to over 900 and the virus has crossed into Uganda and reached the provinces of North and South Kivu, now controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23. Initial reports suggesting that the outbreak may have been circulating for weeks and local health authorities were underprepared to swiftly mount a containment strategy. As international concern grows that the deadly virus might be out of control, the mounting public health response is facing an even more challenging environment than during the last major outbreak in 2018. No vaccine exists for this strain of the virus and Goma, the logistical hub of eastern DRC, is occupied by an armed group. The UN peacekeeping operation in the DRC (MONUSCO) has been drawing down its operations and is now confined to Ituri and North Kivu. On top of this, the global health architecture is under strain following the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year and a growing deficit in funding to address health emergencies. In this challenging and high-risk context, it is critical that the lessons of the last outbreak inform the management of this one. The temptation in a fast-moving outbreak is to treat the response as an urgent technical problem requiring an urgent technical solution: identify cases, trace contacts, isolate the infected, vaccinate where possible, and bury the deceased safely. But as many learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency health responses in complex political situations are not neutral interventions in passive contexts; they are political acts. This is particularly true in conflict environments, where large-scale public health responses distribute resources at scale, legitimize or delegitimize particular actors, reshape local security arrangements, and engage with populations that read them through the lens of the conflict. When the Health Response Became Part of the Conflict in the DRC In eastern DRC, the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak was described by WHO as a “perfect storm” in which a highly infectious disease was spreading in an area of active conflict. The Congolese public, particularly in the country’s east, widely viewed their government as predatory, and much of the affected population resided in crowded conditions with poor health infrastructure and was located near porous international borders. Given the seriousness of the risks to local and international public health, WHO and partners in the international community launched a massive health and humanitarian response. This operation was grounded in the principle of “no regrets,” which holds that it is better to overreact to a public health emergency and adjust later rather than act too late. This approach was broadly seen as empowering WHO to take direct action in the affected area with only limited consultation with other parts of the UN system. Many of the decisions made during this period had devastating side effects: they empowered officials and security forces notorious for reprisals against local communities and produced what became known as the “Ebola Business”—a war economy with actors invested in prolonging the crisis. This conflation of the Ebola response with the conflict led to community resistance and violence against health workers that inhibited containment and accelerated transmission. By the time the outbreak was declared over in 2020, more than 3,400 people had been infected, of which some 2,200 had died. Moreover, the conflict in eastern DRC had become even more entrenched, with the ADF armed group carrying out sustained atrocities in Beni territory in North Kivu. MONUSCO’s authority was openly contested by host populations, culminating in the torching of its office in Boikene, near the town of Beni, in 2019. The risks to Congolese lives and international public health posed by the latest outbreak merit a large, swift health and humanitarian response. Such a response is all the more urgent following recent cuts to international support to the Congolese national health system, particularly as a result of the dismantling of USAID, which have reduced the country’s epidemic preparedness and likely undermined its capacity for early detection. However, a response that is not grounded in an understanding of conflict dynamics is likely to hamper efforts to stem transmission. In a 2022 study for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, I analyzed the national and international response to the 2018–2020 outbreak and proposed a variety of ways international responders could have done things differently. Three recommendations from that study remain relevant for the current outbreak: Treat conflict and political economy analysis as central to the design of the health response: In 2018, WHO did not request MONUSCO’s analysis of the security and political landscape into which it was deploying, and MONUSCO was not informed in advance of several key WHO decisions. These included WHO’s decision to engage personnel from the Agence Nationale de Renseignements, a state security service notorious in eastern DRC for human rights abuses, as “community liaisons” who in practice helped direct where the response deployed. That arrangement, documented by the Congo Research Group, created perverse incentives, securitized the response, and lowered public trust in the health response. Position peace and security actors at arm’s length from health activities: There is a critical distinction between using security actors to provide a generally permissive security environment for a health response and using them to provide direct, proximate security. Using uniformed personnel to escort vehicles, guard clinic perimeters, or cordon off health facilities changes the character of the intervention in the eyes of affected communities. The 2018–2020 experience in Beni and Butembo demonstrated how rapidly the proximity of security actors to the health response led that response to be associated with them, sparking hostility against it. While MONUSCO and national security services may have a role in promoting security during the health response, they should clearly distinguish themselves from humanitarian and health operations. Balance the urgency of epidemic response with community engagement and operational flexibility: The “no regrets” posture that prevailed in 2018 produced the conditions that ultimately undermined its effectiveness. Public health measures only function if affected populations trust them enough to participate; securitized responses that treat communities as obstacles rather than partners are counterproductive. In practice, this means accepting slower initial reach in exchange for community-acceptable delivery—local responders rather than teams parachuted in from Kinshasa, motorcycles rather than Land Cruisers, and burial practices negotiated with families rather than imposed on them. WHO’s Global Health and Peace Initiative, and Its Limits To its credit, WHO has not ignored the 2018–2020 experience. In the years following the outbreak, the organization developed the Global Health and Peace Initiative (GHPI), built around two pillars: (1) making health programming “conflict-sensitive” by extending the “do no harm” principle into operational practice and (2) where conditions allow, making it “peace-responsive” by designing health interventions to actively contribute to peace outcomes such as social cohesion, dialogue, and community resilience. The initiative is likely to influence WHO’s thinking as it rapidly designs and rolls out its response to the current crisis. In a 2023 paper for the International Peace Institute, I argued that while the GHPI’s conceptual direction is broadly correct, its operationalization in violent conflict settings carries risks that have not yet been adequately addressed. Two in particular could present challenges for the response in eastern DRC. First, it is unclear how WHO and its partners in the field, including organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières, will reconcile the principles of conflict sensitivity and humanitarian impartiality when the two pull in opposing directions. For example, even if a conflict-sensitive analysis identifies that delivering a particular intervention will exacerbate conflict dynamics (e.g., if negotiating access through a non-state armed group will entrench that group’s position), that intervention may still be compelled to proceed under the principle of humanitarian impartiality. The GHPI offers no framework for managing that tradeoff. Second, the initiative holds that programming “must be led at national level—from national authorities down to the community level.” This instinct to promote national ownership was borne of the lessons of the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis in West Africa, where the UN was criticized for bypassing national institutions. However, this principle becomes highly problematic when the state is itself a party to the conflict. In eastern DRC, much of the population views Congolese state institutions with hostility born of long experience. Deferring to national ownership without qualification risks reproducing the legitimacy problem that fueled community resistance in 2018 and could empower the predatory actors the response should be insulated from. The outbreak in the DRC demands a more localized, nuanced process for deciding on the role of national actors, grounded in thorough conflict analysis. The Way Forward The international response in eastern DRC will succeed or fail—and it is critical that it succeed—on its ability to implement emergency public health measures within the region’s long-standing social, political, and security quagmire. This will require three deliberate moves from the outset: (1) joint conflict and political-economy analysis to shape deployment decisions rather than follow them; (2) a security posture of less proximate protection combined with negotiated community-level access; and (3) a response built on localized approaches to engaging existing community structures and calibrating the role of national actors. Many further challenges will emerge that will demand difficult choices—not least the reconciliation of the dilemmas innate to the GHPI—but the decisions international responders make in the next weeks could have profound implications for regional and international public health. Originally Published in the Global Observatory