Burning oil tanker safely towed away from Yemen after rebel attacks, EU says

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has been “successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill.” That’s according to a statement from a European Union naval mission on Monday. Operation Aspides issued the statement regarding the oil tanker Sounion. The Houthis first attacked the ship Aug. 21 and later planted explosives aboard the vessel. Salvagers successfully towed the Sounion away from Yemen. The Houthis meanwhile claimed that they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone. Video circulating online showed what appeared to be a surface-to-air missile strike and flaming wreckage strewn across the ground.

Papua New Guinea violence leaves between 20 and 50 people dead, UN official says

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A United Nations official says between 20 and 50 people have been killed in violence among illegal miners in Papua New Guinea. The fighting started days ago and is continuing in the Porgera Valley, near the site of a landslide in May estimated to have killed more than 2,000 people, according to the South Pacific island nation’s government. The U.N.’s humanitarian adviser for Papua New Guinea, Mate Bagossy, says the death toll of at least 20 was based on information from community members and local authorities in Enga province in the nation’s mountainous inland. He says the fighting is continuing.

Flooding leaves 16 dead in Romania, Poland, Czech Republic and Austria

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Exceptionally heavy rainfall has been pounding Central Europe and has prompted deadly flooding in the region, with four new deaths reported in Poland, three in Czech Republic and one in Romania. The flooding has swamped parts of Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, and was expected to affect Slovakia and Hungary later in the week. So far 16 people have been reported killed _ seven people in Romania, five in Poland and three in the Czech Republic and one in Austria. In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared a disaster in flooded areas, and said the government would provide 1 billion zlotys ($258,000) in immediate payouts to victims.

UN: The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.N. says the Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan. It’s a devastating setback for polio eradication. Afghanistan is one of two countries in which the spread of the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease has never been stopped. The other is Pakistan. News of the suspension was relayed to U.N. agencies right before the September immunization campaign was due to start. No reason was given for the suspension, and no one from the Taliban-controlled government was immediately available on Monday for comment. The WHO has confirmed 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year. That’s up from six cases in 2023.