WORLD IN BRIEF: Boeing to pay $29m to crash victim’s family, Romania shuts nuclear plant, Ukraine offers Black Sea truce and other stories

Romania shuts only nuclear plant as low Danube levels disrupt power supply

Romania has shut down the second reactor at its Cernavodă nuclear power plant after prolonged hot weather pushed the Danube River to critically low levels. The two reactors normally supply about 20 percent of the country’s electricity.

The shutdown is expected to last at least 10 days, increasing pressure on Romania’s power system as low water levels have also reduced hydropower output. The country is expected to rely more on gas, coal, renewable energy and electricity imports.

Boeing ordered to pay $29m to family of Irish crash victim

A US jury has awarded $29 million to the family of Michael Ryan, an Irish UN employee killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash.

Ryan’s widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan, brought the case against Boeing. The aircraft maker expressed sympathy for the families affected by the crash, which killed all 157 people aboard.

Israeli troops enter homes in West Bank amid settler siege

Israeli soldiers have taken up positions inside Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra after Jewish settlers reportedly blocked access to three homes.

Residents said the settlers had cut off electricity and water and prevented families from entering or leaving. Israeli troops were still occupying several homes on Thursday as tensions continued in the area.

US says Iran naval blockade can continue indefinitely

The United States can maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, signalling Washington’s readiness to sustain economic and military pressure on Tehran.

Hegseth said US naval assets could be rotated to maintain the blockade as negotiations to end the conflict remain stalled. President Donald Trump has also claimed the US has control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine offers Russia Black Sea truce amid grain export concerns

Ukraine has offered Russia a temporary halt to attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, according to a source familiar with the proposal.

Kyiv made the offer through a third party as attacks on ports and vessels disrupt grain shipments from both countries. Russia has not yet responded, while Ukraine’s Odesa ports and Russia’s Novorossiysk terminals face growing security risks.

AFRICA

France investigates ambassador to CAR over misconduct allegations

France has opened disciplinary proceedings against its ambassador to the Central African Republic, Bruno Foucher, following allegations of misconduct at his official residence.

French media reported that the ambassador allegedly hosted dozens of women at the residence, raising concerns over security and possible breaches of diplomatic protocol. Foucher has not publicly commented on the allegations.

Tanzania arrests park rangers over death in conservation area

Tanzanian police have arrested three park rangers after a man died and another was injured following an incident in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

The men had reportedly entered the protected area after losing their way while travelling to a funeral. One survivor alleged that the rangers assaulted them after accusing them of entering the area illegally.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

Ghana cocoa farmers oppose new land-use restrictions

Ghanaian cocoa farmers are urging President John Dramani Mahama to withhold assent to a new law restricting how cocoa farms can be used.

The legislation would give cocoa farms protected status and require approval from COCOBOD before land can be converted to other uses. Farmers support protecting cocoa land but want greater consultation and changes to provisions that could impose heavy fines and prison sentences.

Uganda keeps policy rate at 9.75% as inflation remains contained

The Bank of Uganda has kept its benchmark interest rate at 9.75 percent for an eighth consecutive meeting, saying higher oil prices have not yet created broader inflationary pressures.

Inflation rose to 4 percent in July from 3.7 percent in June. The central bank expects economic growth to accelerate to between 7 percent and 7.5 percent in the current fiscal year.

Ebola spreads to new province in DR Congo
A man who travelled from Ebola-hit Haut-Uele province has died after testing positive for Ebola in Bas-Uele, a province that had not previously recorded cases in the current outbreak.

Health authorities are investigating potential contacts and transmission routes. The case raises concerns about further geographical spread of the outbreak, which has already affected five provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo.