WORLD IN BRIEF: Trump approval holds at 33%, Libya agrees election roadmap, Nepal rescue efforts intensify and other stories

Nepal rescue teams blast tunnels as hundreds of hydropower workers remain trapped

Rescuers in Nepal are using explosives and pumping air into mud filled tunnels in a desperate effort to reach more than 600 hydropower workers believed to be trapped after the devastating floods along the Trishuli River.

The families of the missing workers are growing increasingly anxious as the rescue operation enters a critical phase. Officials say 279 workers have been rescued from the affected sites, while more than 11,000 people have been rescued across the wider disaster zone.

Nepal’s disaster management authority has put the death toll from the floods at 939, with 3,925 people still missing, including 592 foreign nationals.

The rescue effort involves Nepalese and Chinese military personnel, with experts from India, South Korea and Australia also assisting. At least 11 hydropower projects were damaged by the floods, underscoring the scale of the disaster for a country that relies heavily on hydropower.

Families of missing workers have criticised the pace of the rescue operation, saying precious time is being lost. Authorities are racing to clear access to the tunnels and provide oxygen in the hope that survivors remain inside.

Trump asks Apple to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’

Donald Trump, US President has asked Apple to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America on its Maps platform, escalating a dispute with Canada over the name of the shared Great Lake.

Doug Burgum, the Interior Secretary said Trump had contacted Apple directly and suggested the company could soon make the change. Google has already changed the name for users in the United States, while users in Canada continue to see Lake Ontario.

The move follows Trump’s executive order seeking to rename the lake and comes amid a broader deterioration in US Canada relations over trade.

Canada has strongly rejected the change. Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently installed a large sign on Canada’s shoreline reading “Lake Ontario. Now and Always.”

The dispute has become another point of friction between the two countries as they face a tariff war, with the US imposing 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods and Canada preparing matching measures.

Trump threatens fresh strikes on Iran after first attacks in weeks

President Donald Trump has threatened further military action against Iran after the two countries exchanged fire for the first time in about a month.

The escalation followed a US strike on Iranian launchers on Larak Island, near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by firing missiles at two US military bases in Jordan.
Trump said the US would “hit them hard” and promised a response, while Iran described the exchange as limited but warned it would retaliate forcefully if attacked again.

The confrontation threatens to derail the fragile reduction in direct military action between Washington and Tehran. It also puts renewed pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments.

The US says its latest economic sanctions are significantly affecting Iran, while Tehran continues to use control of the waterway as leverage in its confrontation with Washington.

Swiss police arrest man after rave shooting kills woman

Swiss police have arrested a 43-year-old Swiss man after a shooting at a techno rave in Aarau killed a 22-year-old Italian woman and injured five others.

Maria Spinelli was killed at the scene after shots were fired at about 2:30am on Sunday at a horse racing track where the rave was taking place. Four men and a woman aged between 24 and 27 were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to severe.

The suspect was arrested shortly before 1am on Monday following a nearly 24-hour manhunt. Police said they currently believe he acted alone, although investigators are still examining the circumstances and possible motive.

Witnesses described hearing gunshots shortly after the music stopped, initially mistaking them for fireworks.

Trump approval remains at 33% as Democrats show stronger midterm enthusiasm

President Donald Trump’s approval rating remains at 33 percent,  its lowest level of his political career, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that points to growing challenges for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The poll found that dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict and the US economy is weighing on his standing.
Democrats also appear more motivated to vote. Forty six percent of self identified Democrats said they were very enthusiastic about voting in November, compared with 31 percent of Republicans.

Among independent voters, 36 percent said they would vote for a Democratic congressional candidate if elections were held immediately, compared with 22 percent who chose a Republican.

The figures could matter significantly because Republicans are defending narrow majorities in Congress, making turnout and independent voters particularly important in the November 3 elections.

Algeria seeks death penalty for arsonists after deadly fires

Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algerian President has ordered the government to prepare legislation allowing the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately starting forest fires.

The move follows deadly wildfires across northern Algeria that have killed at least 12 people, injured 54 and displaced thousands.
More than 100 fires were recorded in recent days, with authorities reporting particularly severe outbreaks in Jijel, Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou.

Algeria has retained the death penalty in its criminal code for certain offences but has not carried out an execution since 1993.

Tebboune has also ordered investigations into whether some of the fires were deliberately started. Under existing law, deliberately causing forest fires can attract up to 30 years in prison or life imprisonment in some circumstances.

Kenya airport strike keeps hundreds stranded as flights face major delays

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi as a workers’ strike disrupts flights for a second day.

Airport and aviation workers are demanding improved working conditions and the implementation of an earlier agreement with management.

Kenya Airways said some flights were facing delays of more than six hours, while the backlog had forced the airline to cancel some departures.

Passengers have spent hours waiting around airport terminals as unions and airport management attempt to resolve the dispute.

The disruption is affecting one of East Africa’s most important aviation hubs, which serves as a major gateway for regional and international travel.

Ebola cases surpass 6,000 in Democratic Republic of Congo

Confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen above 6,000, making the current outbreak the largest in the country’s history.

Government figures show 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths from the Bundibugyo strain.

The outbreak has now surpassed the previous worst Ebola epidemic in the country, which occurred between 2018 and 2020.

The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making containment particularly difficult.

The outbreak is also occurring as neighbouring Uganda recently declared its own Ebola outbreak over, highlighting the continuing risk of cross border transmission in the region.

Libya rivals agree two year roadmap for national elections

Libya’s rival political factions have agreed to work towards holding presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months, offering a potential route out of more than a decade of political instability.

Representatives from Libya’s four main institutions signed the agreement during UN backed talks in Tripoli. The participants included representatives of the Government of National Unity, the High Council of State, the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army.

The agreement calls for elections under a single executive authority and unified national institutions.

Libya has been divided between rival political and military factions since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. A planned national election in December 2021 collapsed after political disputes over candidate eligibility and electoral rules.

Under the latest agreement, the parties have one month to develop a framework for implementation. If parliament and the High Council of State fail to approve it, the signatories say they will seek to establish it as a national constitutional document with international backing through the UN Security Council.