WORLD IN BRIEF: Trump approval falls to 33%, DR Congo Ebola deaths hit record, Hichilema widens Zambia election lead and other stories

Trump threatens Oman over Iran talks

Donald Trump, the US President, has threatened to bomb Oman if the US ally interferes with Washington’s efforts to negotiate with Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fox News.

The United States and Oman have been pursuing separate negotiations with Tehran over reopening the strategic waterway, which has been largely closed for nearly six months during the US-Iran war. About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait.

A Fox News reporter said Trump made the threat during a phone interview, using an expletive to warn Oman against obstructing US efforts.

The threat comes as Iranian officials say they are close to reaching an agreement with Oman on reopening the waterway. Oman, which borders the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz, has maintained a neutral position in the conflict and has played a key role in diplomatic efforts with Tehran.

Trump said on Monday that he did not intend to extend a 60-day memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, adding uncertainty to broader efforts to end the conflict.

Trump plans to cut military drills with South Korea

Trump has said the United States will substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing Seoul’s decision not to support Washington’s military campaign against Iran.

Trump said the exercises were expensive and sent an “inappropriate and hostile” signal, while also pointing to South Korea’s refusal to join US efforts to secure the “denuclearisation” of Iran.

South Korea said it was reviewing Trump’s remarks but had earlier confirmed that its annual military exercises with the US would proceed as scheduled.

Trump also linked the decision to his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying Washington maintains about 39,000 troops in South Korea to protect the country from North Korea.

The announcement comes despite North Korea conducting ballistic missile tests this month in violation of UN sanctions.

Pyongyang has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest comments.

Russia and Ukraine trade deadly strikes

At least nine people have been killed in Ukrainian strikes across Russia, while four people died in Russian attacks on Ukraine, according to officials on both sides.

Eight people were killed in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, while another woman died after a drone struck a home in the southern Astrakhan region.

In Ukraine, two people were killed in Russian drone attacks in the northeastern Sumy region and another two died in strikes on the eastern Donetsk region. A separate Russian attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa damaged a civilian vessel and injured four people.

The latest attacks follow what Russia described as Ukraine’s largest drone assault of the year, in which 822 drones were reportedly launched against Russian territory.

Kyiv has increased its long-range drone strikes deep inside Russia in recent weeks, while Moscow has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, infrastructure and ports.

US tourist dies after lightning strike on Mount Etna

A 30-year-old American tourist has died after being struck by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna in Sicily.

The man was caught in a thunderstorm on Sunday while in a restricted area near the volcano’s summit. Emergency crews found him in cardiac arrest at about 20:00 local time.

He was flown by helicopter to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Authorities have restricted access to parts of Etna following a series of recent eruptions and warnings about rapidly changing weather conditions at higher elevations.

Etna is Europe’s most active volcano and attracts about 1.5 million visitors each year. Recent eruptions have caused disruption to air travel while drawing large numbers of tourists to the area.

Five teenagers killed in Irish motorway crash

Five teenagers have been killed in a head-on collision on Ireland’s M9 motorway in County Kildare after their vehicle was travelling in the wrong direction.

The crash occurred at about 03:00 on Sunday between junctions three and four near Moone. Four people in the other vehicle, including a seven-year-old boy, were seriously injured.

Two women in their 30s are in critical condition, while another woman and the child remain seriously injured. The family is believed to have been travelling to the airport for a holiday.

The five teenagers were named locally as Joe Carthy, Alex McCarthy, Kamil Pustkowski, Jeremy O’Brien and Jack Kennedy.

Irish officials have condemned the incident as reckless and dangerous driving. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said deliberate wrong-way driving on motorways posed a serious threat to other road users and warned against dangerous driving for social media attention.

Trump approval falls to 33%, lowest of presidency

Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33 percent, its lowest level of his current presidency, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The four-day survey found that 64 percent of Americans disapproved of his performance, while his approval rating fell from 35 percent in an earlier poll this month.

Trump’s popularity has been hit by the US military campaign against Iran, which has disrupted global oil supplies and pushed up fuel prices for American households.

The poll also found widespread concern that the conflict could continue for an extended period, adding pressure on Trump as Republicans prepare to defend their congressional majorities in the November midterm elections.

Zambia arrests opposition figures over alleged insurrection plot

Zambian authorities have arrested 11 people, including senior opposition figures, over an alleged plot to stage an armed insurrection following last week’s presidential election.

The government said security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and other military equipment during a raid in Lusaka. Authorities alleged the suspects were linked to plans involving foreign nationals and illegal military training camps.

Leading opposition candidate Brian Mundubile was reportedly found at the scene of the raid. He rejected the allegations as “total fabrications” and accused security forces of staging an attempt on his life during a separate raid on his home.

Mundubile is challenging incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, who is seeking a second term. With results from about 71 percent of constituencies counted, Hichilema is leading with about 62 percentof the vote against Mundubile’s 36 percent.
The opposition has alleged voting irregularities, raising concerns over tensions as the final results are awaited.

DR Congo Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in country’s history

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with 2,325 deaths recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

The number of confirmed cases has reached 4,945, including 101 new cases recorded in a single 24-hour period, according to the country’s public health institute.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Several vaccines and treatments are, however, under development.

The virus has spread to six of the country’s 26 provinces, while neighbouring Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases. Germany and France have also recorded cases linked to the outbreak.

The World Health Organization has described the spread as exceptional, while UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned that the epidemic is killing about one person every 30 minutes.

Researchers believe the outbreak may have been spreading undetected since February, months before it was officially declared.

Hichilema extends lead as Zambia opposition alleges fraud

Hakainde Hichilema, Zambian President  has widened his lead in the presidential election as counting continues, with results from about 71 percent of constituencies showing him on roughly 62 percent of valid votes.

His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, has 36 percent, down from 39 percent as more results were announced.

Hichilema, who became president in 2021 during a severe debt crisis, is seeking a second five-year term. The election has been closely watched because Zambia is a major copper producer and an important source of critical minerals amid growing competition between China and the United States for African resources.

Mundubile has alleged electoral fraud and irregularities but has not provided evidence to support his claims.

IMF to visit Senegal over new lending programme

The International Monetary Fund will send a team to Senegal from August 19 to September 1 to continue discussions on economic reforms that could be supported by a new lending programme.

The planned visit signals progress towards restoring IMF support after the previous programme was frozen following the discovery of a large gap between Senegal’s reported and actual debt levels.

The debt misreporting issue emerged in 2024 after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s government came to power and disclosed that the country’s debt burden was significantly higher than previously reported.

Senegal has since been working with the IMF to resolve the issue and restore confidence in its public finances. The government has also been engaging China, its largest bilateral creditor, on the country’s debt situation.

The upcoming IMF mission is expected to focus on policies and reforms needed to support a new financing arrangement.