Vatican Appointments: Pope Leo XIV reshuffled key Roman Curia leadership, naming Lucio Adrián Ruiz as secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and appointing African clerics—including Kinshasa’s Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo and Cameroon’s Andrew Nkea Fuanya—to the Dicastery for Evangelization, underscoring growing African influence in Catholic mission work. Ebola Frontline & Fallout: Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak keeps accelerating—reported cases and deaths are rising, it has spread into a fourth province, and health officials warn contact tracing and infection-control capacity are still too weak—while UN agencies flag major socioeconomic damage, especially for women and education and healthcare systems. Opposition vs Third-Term Push: Opposition leaders called for demonstrations against President Félix Tshisekedi’s constitutional third-term bid, as political tensions rise; meanwhile, opposition figure Delly Sesanga was banned from leaving the country after his passport was confiscated. Eastern Congo Accountability: Kinshasa filed against Rwanda at the International Court of Justice over decades of alleged atrocities in the east and also pressed Belgium to return colonial-era human remains. Football as Cultural Unity: Despite the country’s crises, the Leopards’ World Cup run is fueling pride and togetherness; one iconic “Lumumba Vea” superfan was stranded abroad due to Ebola-related US visa restrictions, with a replacement stepping in for the England match.