DR Congo’s Ebola toll, Nepal flood aid, immunoglobulin safety review

DR Congo Ebola deaths pass 5,000, government data show

DR Congo’s government tally puts Ebola deaths above 5,000 in the country’s deadliest recorded outbreak. Saudi Arabia has extended travel restrictions to Kenya, while researchers have begun enrolling participants in a trial intended to test protection against the Bundibugyo virus.

Africa’s disease control chief seeks over $2bn in unpaid Ebola pledges

Jean Kaseya says more than $2 billion of the $3 billion pledged for the Ebola response remains unpaid. Africa CDC says about 80% of recorded cases in Congo are outside monitored contacts, indicating transmission chains health authorities have not identified. Kaseya plans to seek leaders’ agreement in November to let response teams reach communities safely.

European Medicines Agency starts immunoglobulin review after batch recalls

EMA has opened a safety review of human normal immunoglobulins after reports of allergic reactions linked to particular batches. Existing advice calls for monitoring during treatment and prompt medical attention for symptoms, even after previously tolerated treatment. The committee will seek company data to investigate causes and assess further precautions.

Cyclone Arnab hit India on 28 October with winds up to 135 km/h

Cyclone Arnab struck India’s eastern coast after authorities evacuated vulnerable coastal residents. Flooding damaged homes, infrastructure and farmland, leaving the scale of crop losses to be assessed.

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Northern Ireland’s grid operator reconnects about 12,500 storm-hit homes

NIE Networks says all approximately 12,500 storm-hit households in Northern Ireland had regained electricity by 26 October. The BBC’s 27 October update carried SSEN’s figures of 108,000 customers reconnected in northern Scotland and 2,000 still awaiting power. The latest wind warning lifted, while electricity repairs continued and ferry operators advised passengers to check services.

California high tides flood homes and disrupt road and rail travel

High-tide flooding has inundated homes and businesses and disrupted road and rail travel along California’s coast. Los Angeles has recorded 12 coastal flood days in 2026, exceeding every annual total in the preceding 50 years. Climate scientist Daniel Swain expects higher water levels several times this winter and warned that a storm coinciding with high water could cause disastrous flooding.

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Storm Austen left hundreds of UK homes without power on 24 October

Hundreds of UK homes remained without electricity after Storm Austen on the morning of 24 October. Enedis said about 59,000 French homes remained disconnected at midday on 25 October, while Freiburg-Breisgau’s main hospital in Germany said a blackout had forced it to accept emergency cases only.

Syrian Civil Defense rescues 15 as floods kill at least 5

Syria’s emergency ministry says Civil Defense teams freed people trapped in vehicles and evacuated approximately 375 families from flooded camps in rural Raqqa. Teams are clearing blocked roads and restoring access to essential facilities as the ministry anticipates further heavy rain along the coast.

Nepal secures $20m aid approval after flood kills at least 1,500

Nepal secured approval for $20 million in emergency aid after August’s flood killed at least 1,500 people. The Lancet Countdown estimates more than half a million heat deaths worldwide were attributable to climate change in 2023. Researchers are requesting a global health emergency mechanism to coordinate a sustained response.

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Queensland crews rescue campers as ex-councillor James Hansen is found dead

Queensland crews rescued stranded campers as police investigated a death in floodwater on 26 October. After days of rain and road closures, the Bureau of Meteorology forecast a return to more typical spring conditions, with hot, humid days followed by more subdued afternoon showers and storms.