WORLD IN BRIEF: Trump backs $5,000 US payments, Saudi pipeline outage threatens global oil supply, Niger reshuffles military leadership and other stories

Russian drone hits Ukrainian train near Polish border A Russian drone struck a Ukrainian train near the Poland border shortly after former British prime minister Boris Johnson and senior European security officials travelled through the same railway line, Ukrainian authorities said. The drone hit the train’s engine at Yahodyn, about 2km from the Polish border, but no casualties were reported. Passengers were evacuated after authorities issued a warning shortly before the strike. Ukrainian state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said the train carrying Johnson and other officials had left the station earlier than expected because of repeated Russian strike threats. It said the possibility that the diplomatic train was the intended target could not be ruled out. Former CIA director David Petraeus was also reportedly at Yahodyn station on another train at the time. Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt said passengers on his train were told to prepare for evacuation before being allowed to continue to Poland. Russia said it had targeted railway infrastructure in western Ukraine. Johnson later described the strike as a random and senseless attack, saying such incidents showed the dangers faced by Ukrainian civilians daily. Six killed, 130 missing after Indonesian ferry capsizes At least six people have died and 107 have been rescued after a passenger ferry capsized in the Java Sea, Indonesian authorities said. The vessel, Virgo Transport8, was travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it encountered bad weather. Authorities said 130 people remained missing after contact with the ferry was lost. There were 213 passengers and 30 crew members aboard the 119 metre vessel. The ferry left Surabaya on Saturday morning and was due to arrive in Banjarmasin on Sunday afternoon. A joint search and rescue operation involving Indonesia’s rescue agency, navy and maritime police has been launched. Ships and a helicopter have been deployed, while vessels across the Java Sea have been alerted to watch for survivors. The accident adds to Indonesia’s long record of deadly maritime disasters, with poor weather, overcrowding and safety concerns frequently complicating ferry travel across the archipelago. Gulf attacks threaten further disruption to global oil supplies New attacks on ships and Saudi Arabia have raised fears of deeper disruption to global energy supplies as the wider Middle East conflict spreads. The British maritime security agency UKMTO said a vessel was struck by a projectile while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire and forcing its crew to evacuate. Iran also reported that one person was killed and four wounded aboard an Iranian commercial vessel hit off its coast. Saudi Arabia separately reported damage to homes and a mosque in Jazan province after an alleged Houthi cross border attack. The Houthis also claimed to have targeted a Saudi military base. The attacks come after Iran aligned Houthi forces advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, raising concerns about the security of the Bab el Mandeb Strait. Disruption to both waterways could further restrict the movement of oil and other goods. Oil traders expect prices to rise when markets reopen as investors assess the threat to supplies from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, and other producers in the Gulf. Trump says $5,000 payments to US adults can be funded Donald Trump, United States president, said the government could afford his proposed $5,000 payment to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress in this year’s elections. Trump said the government was collecting enough revenue to finance the payments, which he first proposed during a speech at the Republican Party convention last week. However, the proposal would require congressional approval. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said lawmakers would need to examine how such a programme could be funded and structured. Trump made the comments while visiting Ireland, where he was attending a golf tournament at his club in Doonbeg. He did not provide details on how much the proposed payments would cost the federal government. The proposal comes as Trump seeks to keep Republicans focused on the November midterm elections. Any large scale direct payment programme would face scrutiny over its fiscal impact and the need for congressional approval. Saudi oil pipeline outage threatens 4% of global supply Saudi Arabia could lose up to 4 percent of global oil supply if it fails to restore a major east west pipeline within days, according to oil buyers and traders familiar with the situation. The pipeline, which carries crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern fields to the Red Sea, was shut after drone attacks on Friday. Riyadh has not disclosed the full extent of the damage or how long repairs will take. One source estimated that repairs could take five to six weeks, while another said the pipeline could resume partial operations sooner as work continues. The outage comes as global oil supplies are already under pressure from disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. A prolonged shutdown could further tighten markets and push prices higher. Higher oil prices would increase pressure on fuel costs and inflation globally, particularly for countries that rely heavily on imported crude. Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain exports through alternative routes will be closely watched. AFRICA Ebola cases surpass 7,000 in DR Congo Confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 7,022, according to government data, as the outbreak spreads to another province. The latest report from the country’s public health institute said South Ubangi in northwestern DR Congo had become the seventh province affected by the outbreak. The increase adds pressure to an already strained health system as authorities work to trace infections, isolate patients and prevent further transmission. Health agencies have been deploying medical teams and surveillance measures in affected areas, but insecurity and limited resources remain major challenges to containing outbreaks in parts of the country. The latest figures underline the scale of the Ebola crisis in DR Congo and the growing geographical spread of the disease, increasing the need for sustained international support. Norway opens Qatar embassy, closes Malawi mission Norway is opening a new embassy in Qatar while preparing to close its diplomatic mission in Malawi as part of a review of its foreign service. The government said the embassy in Doha would strengthen Norway’s engagement with Qatar and support opportunities to expand trade and Norwegian exports. Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s foreign minister, said Qatar and other Gulf countries had taken on a more important regional and international role, making deeper diplomatic engagement necessary. The Norwegian government said the embassy in Malawi would close by the end of July 2027. It did not indicate that the decision reflected a deterioration in relations with Malawi. The changes form part of a wider review of Norway’s diplomatic network as Oslo adjusts its resources to countries and regions it considers increasingly important to its foreign policy and economic interests. Libya seizes ecstasy pills marked with Gaddafi’s face Libyan authorities have seized tens of thousands of ecstasy pills marked with the face of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, which security officials said had been smuggled into the country from Europe. Images released by a security agency in Tripoli showed sacks of brown pills moulded in the shape of Gaddafi’s head and shoulders, including details resembling his distinctive clothing and features. Libya has become an important transit point for synthetic drugs and other narcotics destined for consumers in North Africa and elsewhere on the continent, according to a UN report. The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said criminal groups have exploited Libya’s political instability and weak security structures since Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. The seizure highlights the continuing challenge of drug trafficking in a country that remains divided between rival authorities and armed groups more than a decade after the fall of Gaddafi. Niger reshuffles military leadership after failed mutiny Niger’s military government has reshuffled its top military command weeks after a failed mutiny at a military base in the capital, Niamey. A decree read on state television appointed General Mamane Sani Kiaou as chief of the armed forces, replacing General Moussa Salaou Barmou, who had held the position since the 2023 military coup. General Abdourahmane Abou Zataka was appointed to replace Kiaou as army chief of staff. General Ismael K Sidi Omar was also named deputy chief of the general staff. No reason was given for Barmou’s removal. Sidi Omar previously commanded Base 101, the airport facility at the centre of the mutiny, and remained loyal to military leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani during the crisis. The reshuffle comes as Niger’s junta faces the task of maintaining cohesion within the military after the attempted uprising. The government has blamed foreign actors for unrest, while continuing to strengthen ties with Russia following the departure of French forces. More than 2,000 Yemenis flee to Djibouti as fighting intensifies More than 2,000 people have fled Yemen for Djibouti as renewed fighting between Houthi forces and government troops intensifies, according to the International Organization for Migration. The IOM said 85,818 people had been displaced by the renewed conflict, including about 82,000 since the beginning of September. Djibouti’s economy and finance minister, Ilyas M Dawaleh, said 1,400 Yemenis had arrived in the country within 24 hours. The number had risen above 2,000 by Sunday, according to the IOM. About 500 refugees, including women and children, were earlier rescued at sea after their boats ran out of fuel while crossing the Bab el Mandeb Strait. Many arrivals have been heading to Obock, a coastal city about 20 kilometres from Yemen. The latest influx adds pressure on Djibouti, which has for years received people fleeing Yemen’s war. The Bab el Mandeb is also a major migration route from the Horn of Africa and an important global shipping corridor. Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date Open In Whatsapp