The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern.

The outbreak in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province has seen around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported, does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.

But it warned it could potentially be “a much larger outbreak” than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant risk of local and regional spread.

The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the health agency said, for which there are no approved drugs or vaccines.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding.

The WHO said there are now eight laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus, with other suspected cases and deaths across three health zones including Bunia the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.

One case of the virus has been confirmed in the capital Kinshasa, believed to be in a patient returning from Ituri. The WHO said that the virus has spread beyond DR Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighbouring Uganda. Ugandan officials said a 59-year-old man who died on Thursday had tested positive.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Joe Inwood and James Gallagher.

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US tax authorities will be barred from pursuing claims against Donald Trump, some members of his family and the Trump organisation.

This pledge is part of an extraordinary new settlement, announced yesterday, between the US president and the US Department of Justice.

In this episode, Sarah and Anthony look at the implications of the deal, which includes the creation of a fund worth almost £1.8 billion for victims of alleged “lawfare”, aswell as supporters of the president who claim to have been unfairly prosecuted.

Also this week, Donald Trump has continued his purge of those he sees as disloyal within the Republican Party through primary elections throughout the US.

In Kentucky, Congressman Thomas Massie lost his bid for re-election after Trump endorsed his challenger and his donors threw unprecedented amounts of money at the campaign. In Louisiana, veteran Senator Bill Cassidy lost out to a Trump backed challenger (Cassidy angeredTrump by his 2021 decision to impeach him in 2021).

What do these victories tell us about Donald Trump’s popularity within the Republican party? And what does that mean for Republicans who disagree with him?

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The Makerfield by-election has been confirmed for June 18th 2026, and this is the first episode in a new mini-series following the contest as it gets underway.

Adam is joined by Luke Tryl, director of More in Common UK, and Kevin Fitzpatrick, political reporter for BBC Radio Manchester, to delve deeper into Makerfield, and to look at how the race is shaping up with the candidates who have been announced so far.

A full list of candidates and loads more information about the Makerfield by-election is available on the BBC News website.

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Ukraine is claiming back territory at an extraordinary rate and much of its success is thanks to cheap and effective drones.

It comes amid reports Russian President Vladimir Putin is spending much of his time underground, moving between bunkers, due to fears of an attack.

The Security Brief explains how these drones work and why they pose such a risk to mainland Russia.

We speak to Daria, a Ukrainian sniper turned drone commander, who tells us why this war is unlike any other.

Presented by Christian Fraser and former strategic military planner Mikey Kay.

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Ofcom has criticised TikTok and YouTube, saying in a new report their content feeds are “not safe enough” for children.

The findings follow the UK media regulator’s call for stronger action on children’s online safety in March, and said Meta, Snap and Roblox had each agreed to stronger anti-grooming measures since.

Ofcom added it would share concerns that sites were not effectively enforcing minimum age rules with the government, whose consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s soon ends.

YouTube said it worked with child safety experts to provide “industry-leading, age-appropriate” experiences for children. TikTok said it was “very disappointing” Ofcom had failed to acknowledge its safety features.

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