The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received more than 16,000 doses of Ervebo amid a severe Ebola outbreak. Ervebo is a single-dose, live-attenuated recombinant vaccine manufactured by Merck. It is licensed for protection against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) caused by the Zaire ebolavirus species in individuals aged 1 year and older. The vaccine uses a weakened vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a vector, genetically modified to carry a surface protein of the Zaire Ebola virus. It cannot cause Ebola disease, as it contains only a single Ebola viral protein.

ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) recently developed India’s first digital soil texture map using historical soil profiles, field observations, remote sensing, satellite imagery and Artificial Intelligence (AI). ICAR-NBSS&LUP is a premier institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). It was established in 1976 and is headquartered in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Its regional centres are located in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi, Jorhat and Udaipur.

Aromal Chundan won the 72nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha, Kerala. It secured victory with a timing of 4 minutes, 23 seconds and 328 milliseconds. Nadubhagom Chundan finished second, while Veeyapuram Chundan secured third place. The race featured 71 boats, including 22 traditional snake boats. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a major sporting and cultural festival of Kerala, attracting thousands of spectators and tourists.

Russia has reportedly received North Korea’s KN-30 ballistic missile for the first time, according to Ukraine’s defence intelligence agency (HUR). KN-30 is a ballistic missile developed by North Korea and is the Western designation for the Hwasong-11C. It is a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) powered by a solid-propellant engine. The missile is launched from a mobile ground-based launcher.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) concluded its participation in Exercise Udara Shakti 2026 in Malaysia. Exercise Udara Shakti was conducted with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and focused on combat sorties, joint tactical manoeuvres, air-combat tactics and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE). The participation strengthened India’s strategic defence partnerships and operational cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.