WORLD IN BRIEF: Trump seeks Iran compensation, Libya central bank chief resigns, Colombia quake kills 111 and other stories

Trump demands Iran compensation as Hormuz deal hopes fade

Donald Trump, US President, has demanded that Iran pay compensation for people he says were killed or wounded in conflicts, attacks and protests, adding a new obstacle to efforts to reach a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s demand came after Iran called for compensation for damage suffered during the five-month conflict and an end to US sanctions. The two sides had agreed to a preliminary peace deal in June, but the agreement subsequently collapsed.

Trump said the US should also seek compensation for people killed or injured in previous conflicts, as well as payments to families of protesters he claimed were killed by Iranian authorities.

Ukrainian drone strike kills at least 13 in Russia

At least 13 people, including a child, were killed and 75 others injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Nizhnekamsk in Russia’s Tatarstan region, according to local authorities.

Ukraine’s armed forces said the strike hit the Tanevo oil refinery, located more than 1,100km from the Ukrainian border. Russian officials said drones attacked the area for several hours overnight and into Monday morning.

Images verified by the BBC showed large plumes of smoke and flames following the attack. Russia’s Investigative Committee said civilians were among those killed and injured.

The strike is one of the deadliest single attacks on Russian territory since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian oil refineries and other facilities it says support Moscow’s war effort.
The refinery had previously been targeted in June.

Colombia earthquake kills at least 111

At least 111 people have died after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, causing buildings to collapse and trapping residents under rubble.

The Colombian Geological Service described it as the strongest earthquake recorded in the country in the past decade. The tremor was followed by aftershocks measuring 2.8 and 4.8 in magnitude, prompting evacuations in affected communities and as far away as Bogotá.

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national emergency to speed up funding and rescue operations and said he would personally oversee the government’s response.

International leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, expressed support for Colombia. Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, said Washington was ready to assist.

Record 230 migrants cross English Channel in single boat

A record 230 people arrived in Britain aboard a single migrant boat after crossing the English Channel from France, surpassing the previous record of 165 set last month.

The boat left France late Sunday and reached the English coast early Monday. British authorities blamed people-smuggling gangs for increasingly overcrowding small and unsafe vessels.

The latest crossing comes after another boat carrying 173 people capsized earlier this month when its engine caught fire.

British authorities said 14,819 people had crossed the Channel from France so far this year, a 43 percent decline from the same period last year.

The government said it was increasing cooperation with France, including a payment-by-results agreement aimed at putting more officers on French beaches to prevent crossings.

Mali army says 40 militants killed in attack on military base

Mali’s army says it killed about 40 militants while repelling an attack on a military base in the town of San, as jihadist violence continues to challenge the country’s security forces.

Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda-linked armed group, claimed responsibility for the assault and said its fighters briefly took control of the base.

The army disputed losing the base but acknowledged that troops temporarily withdrew during the fighting. It said the attackers used drones, heavy machine guns and armoured vehicles to breach the perimeter.

Local and security sources said at least 10 soldiers were killed and that militants briefly occupied parts of the camp before withdrawing.

Libya central bank governor resigns

Naji Issa, Libya’s Central Bank governor, has submitted his resignation to the country’s rival legislative authorities, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Issa confirmed the authenticity of the resignation letters but declined to explain the reasons, citing their sensitivity.

The documents, dated August 9, were addressed to the heads of Libya’s rival eastern and western legislative chambers.

Issa said he could no longer continue in his position but provided no further explanation.

The resignation comes as Libya remains divided between rival political and military authorities, with control over state institutions and oil revenues continuing to fuel political tensions.

DRC Ebola outbreak began months before official declaration, WHO says

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak began in February, months before authorities officially declared it in May, according to the World Health Organization.

Mohamed Janabi, WHO Africa regional director, said genetic sequencing showed that the virus had been circulating before the May 15 declaration, with some early cases mistakenly attributed to malaria and typhoid.

Confirmed infections have now reached about 4,200, including at least 1,900 deaths, according to government figures.

The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. Health workers are also facing difficult conditions, including delayed salaries, insecurity, community mistrust and misinformation.

Janabi warned that the delayed detection means health responders are struggling to contain an outbreak that may have spread widely before it was identified.

Sudan army chief holds talks on national dialogue

Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has held previously unannounced consultations with political and civil society figures on plans for a national dialogue aimed at addressing the country’s prolonged conflict, according to political sources.

The discussions reportedly produced agreement on measures to create conditions for a broader Sudanese dialogue conference, including the possible suspension of criminal charges carrying the death penalty against opposition figures.

Participants also discussed ending hostile media campaigns against political opponents as part of efforts to create a more favourable environment for negotiations.

Sudan has been at war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, killing and displacing millions of people.

Sudan war leaves more than 8 million children out of school

More than eight million school-age children in Sudan are out of school as the country’s civil war continues to threaten an entire generation’s future, the United Nations has warned.

Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, told an informal Security Council session that the conflict had severely disrupted education, with nearly three-quarters of schools in Darfur damaged, destroyed or rendered unusable.

She said many parents were keeping their children at home because they no longer considered schools safe.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has devastated infrastructure and displaced millions of people across Sudan. The UN has warned that prolonged disruption to education could have lasting consequences for the country’s children and its prospects for recovery.