WORLD IN BRIEF:China rejects AI theft claims, Gambia vows more power amid protests, Brent settles above $100 and other stories

Iran, US escalate tanker attacks as oil rises above $100

Iran and the United States have launched their biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the war began six months ago, raising fears of deeper disruption to energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the strategic waterway on Wednesday after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers. At least one seafarer was reported killed and another missing. The attacks sent Brent crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since July.

Iran also said it fired ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted 18 missiles, while two fell harmlessly in unpopulated areas. A US official said all American troops were accounted for.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that any further US attacks would trigger a much stronger response and said Tehran would soon announce an expanded maritime exclusion zone extending towards Chabahar, near Pakistan.

The escalation comes after a month of relative calm and threatens to further disrupt global energy markets, particularly if fighting affects shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil supplies.

Drone alert delays Zelensky’s flight from Moldova to Norway

A drone alert temporarily closed Moldovan airspace and delayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s flight from Moldova to Norway, highlighting the growing risk posed by Russian drone activity beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Moldovan authorities said Zelensky’s aircraft was cleared to take off after confirming that a Russian drone had crashed in Moldovan territory. Three departures and four arrivals were delayed during the airspace closure.

Officials said two Russian drones had entered Moldovan airspace on Tuesday. One landed in a field north of the capital and caused a fire, while the other continued into Romanian airspace.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu described the incursions as a serious threat to people’s lives and also condemned a Russian drone attack on a border crossing with Ukraine that killed two people.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said Zelensky’s plane had nearly been hit by a drone as it travelled to Norway for the funeral of the Norwegian king.

Brent settles above $100 as tanker attacks deepen Middle East risks

Brent crude has settled above $100 a barrel for the first time since May as renewed attacks on shipping between Iran and the United States raised fresh concerns about energy supplies from the Middle East.

Brent futures rose $3.29, or 3.4 percent, to $101.21 a barrel after reaching $101.58 during trading. US West Texas Intermediate gained $3.02 to $96.05.

The rise followed Iran’s claim that it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States said it had sunk five Iranian oil tankers.

Oil prices had remained below the $100 threshold for much of the past several months as markets expected the conflict to remain relatively contained and a temporary halt in attacks reduced concerns over supply disruptions.

The renewed fighting has changed that outlook, with prolonged disruption around the Strait of Hormuz threatening to push energy prices higher and add to inflationary pressures globally.

China rejects US claims of industrial scale AI model theft

China has rejected US accusations that leading Chinese artificial intelligence companies have engaged in industrial scale theft of American AI models, warning that it would respond if Washington uses the allegations to restrict Chinese firms.

China’s Commerce Ministry said the United States was attempting to secure a monopoly over the AI industry. The response followed a joint advisory by the FBI, NSA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency accusing Chinese companies including DeepSeek, Alibaba and Moonshot AI of extracting billions of tokens from US models.

The US agencies said the activity had taken place since at least late 2024 and was likely conducted with the awareness of the Chinese government. They argued that the scale and sophistication of the activity went beyond normal AI development practices.

China said model distillation, in which a smaller AI system learns from a more advanced model, is common across the industry and is also used by American companies.

The dispute adds to wider US China tensions over technology, with AI emerging as another major area of competition between the world’s two largest economies.

Spanish intelligence warned of Ceuta migrant surge before mass crossing

Spanish intelligence services warned Moroccan and Ceuta authorities about social media calls for a mass migrant crossing a day before tens of thousands of people entered the Spanish territory, according to newly declassified government documents.

The National Intelligence Service warned on July 29 that WhatsApp and Facebook groups were encouraging migrants to cross into Ceuta the following day. At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco on July 30 and 31, according to figures from the city’s mayor.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had previously said the scale of the crisis could not have been predicted, but opposition parties have accused his government of withholding information about the intelligence warnings.

Most migrants later returned to Morocco, although as many as 5,000 remain in makeshift camps or on streets and beaches in Ceuta.

At least 100 people died during the crossing, according to the mayor, while the influx has triggered unrest and renewed concerns about migration management in the Spanish enclave in North Africa.

Uganda names TV anchor as successor to late King Oyo

Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom has selected television news anchor and editor Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the successor to King Oyo Nyimba Rukidi IV, who died last month aged 34.

The royal clan’s succession committee announced the choice on Wednesday in Fort Portal, the kingdom’s capital. Kijanangoma works with Uganda’s state broadcaster, UBC.

King Oyo died in the United States on August 27 while receiving cancer treatment. He became the world’s youngest reigning monarch in 1995 when he was crowned at the age of three.

Although Uganda is a constitutional republic, its traditional kingdoms retain significant cultural and social influence. Tooro is one of the country’s historic kingdoms in western Uganda.

The succession marks the next chapter for a monarchy that gained international attention through Oyo’s record as the world’s youngest reigning monarch.

IMF urges Angola to step up fiscal reforms as oil dependence persists

The International Monetary Fund has urged Angola to pursue stronger fiscal consolidation, prudent monetary policy and greater exchange rate flexibility to preserve economic stability.

The recommendation followed an IMF staff mission led by Mika Saito, which held discussions in Luanda and virtually between August 24 and September 9 as part of its post financing assessment.

The fund said favourable external conditions had slowed the pace of reforms needed to reduce Angola’s dependence on oil and strengthen the economy against external shocks.

The IMF’s assessment comes as Angola continues efforts to manage public finances and diversify an economy heavily reliant on oil revenues.

The fund said its 2026 post financing assessment is expected to be considered by the IMF board in November.

Police officer killed, five teachers kidnapped in Cameroon

An armed group has killed a police officer and kidnapped five teachers during an attack on a teacher training centre in Cameroon’s Northwest Region, authorities said.

Regional governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique said the attackers entered the centre in Wum, about 80 kilometres north of Bamenda, on Tuesday morning. A police officer who attempted to intervene was shot dead.

The attackers then took five teachers to an unknown location, prompting security forces to launch a search for the victims.

Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions have been affected by a separatist conflict for about a decade, with armed groups fighting government forces over demands for an independent state for the country’s English speaking minority.

The latest attack comes as separatist groups seek to disrupt the school year through lockdowns, raising concerns about the safety of teachers and students.

Gambia promises more power as protests over blackouts turn violent

Gambian President Adama Barrow has promised to increase electricity supplies by next month after protests over prolonged blackouts turned violent in the capital and surrounding areas.

Protesters burned tyres and erected barricades in Banjul and nearby cities on Monday and Tuesday, demanding Barrow’s resignation. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds gathered near his residence and the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Corporation.

Residents have reported power outages lasting for extended periods, fuelling public frustration over the government’s handling of the country’s electricity supply.

Barrow’s promise comes ahead of a presidential election expected in December, in which he is seeking another term in office.

The protests add to pressure on the government to address electricity shortages and other basic services as the election approaches.

Equatorial Guinea police accused of threatening US deportees with guns

Police in Equatorial Guinea allegedly pointed firearms at migrants deported from the United States during a confrontation at a hotel where the group is being held, according to witnesses and video footage reviewed by Reuters.

The incident reportedly began over access to mobile phones before escalating, with men wearing shirts marked “National Police” pointing what appeared to be semi automatic rifles at the deportees.

Some deportees have complained about inadequate medical care, lack of legal assistance and severe psychological distress since being transferred to Equatorial Guinea under a US deportation programme.

Reuters said it reviewed footage of the confrontation but could not independently verify what led to the incident.

The allegations are likely to increase scrutiny of the US arrangement with Equatorial Guinea and the treatment of migrants sent to third countries after being deported from America.